FUN-travel: Idaho – Rafting Middle Fork of the Salmon River – Day 5
August 31, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Idaho – Rafting Middle Fork of the Salmon River – Day 5
- Bright sun and cobalt blue skies greeted us this morning and we had yet another beautiful warm day. Our stop included a hike up to Veil Falls, which was the most challenging thus far. The steep assent and loose gravel made it hard to keep my footing. But the end result was worth it. A narrow stream of water flowed from high atop a massive rock amphitheatre-like-cavern that ended in a shallow pool below.
Bald Eagle
- As I stood at the base and looked up, the waterfall swayed like a pendulum as the wind shifted. And because it was so high, by the time it reached me at the bottom, the droplets varied from a mist to that of a rain shower.
- Our wildlife highlights of today’s adventure were spotting a brown bear foraging for food along the side of the mountain and a bald eagle perched high in a dead pine tree.
- For the last portion of the afternoon I hopped on the oar boat to get a taste of “real” white water rafting. Mr. T had said this section of the river was a good opportunity as there were more rapids. (The only other “real” white water rafting I have done was the Kern River and it was a pretty intense two days.)
- Our “Testosterone Fueled Happy Hour Entertainment” was provided by two of our guides who dove into the river, swam to the other side, and attempted sheer rock climbing. (I am not sure if anyone won.)
FUN-food – Our last dinner was Prime Rib! We had great desserts every night, but I don’t eat them very often so I didn’t keep track of them.
- Then for more FUN our guides brought out a box of crazy clothes and we all donned mix-matched outfits for a group photo op.
Our Guides
FUN-fact – The Middle Fork is a 104-mile free-flowing river that moves through a variety of climates and land types; from alpine forest to high mountain desert to sheer, rock-walled canyon, the third deepest in North America.
More FF – It ranks #3 on National Geographic’s list of the Top 10 Rafting Rivers in the World. It flows through America’s largest roadless wilderness area outside Alaska. Only a few trails, landing strips, private ranches, and Forest Service stations are evidence of man’s intrusion.
FUN-photos: Rafting Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho
August 28, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-photos: Rafting Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho
- This was the whole reason for taking our 2nd road trip in 2015. Our friend and sailing buddy “Terrible Ted from Tucson” told us we had to make put this on our bucket list.Ted died of pancreatic cancer in 2013 and so we toasted and thanked him for his insisting we do this.
- We chose Sobek Mountain Travel for our rafting adventure because everything was “first class” and taken care of, so we could just sit back and enjoy the ride. And that we did!
- The Middle Fork is a 104-mile free-flowing river that moves through a variety of climates and land types; from alpine forest to high mountain desert to sheer, rock-walled canyon, the third deepest in North America.
- It ranks #3 on National Geographic’s list of the Top 10 Rafting Rivers in the World. It flows through America’s largest roadless wilderness area outside Alaska. Only a few trails, landing strips, private ranches, and Forest Service stations are evidence of man’s intrusion.
FUN-travel: Idaho – Rafting Middle Fork of the Salmon River – Day 4
August 28, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Idaho – Rafting Middle Fork of the Salmon River – Day 4
- This morning was a bit brisk and after yesterday we were totally prepared. We took every precaution to not be cold, so we had every layer on. After the usual morning drill of a leisurely wakeup, hearty breakfast and breaking down camp, our “motley crew” hopped on their rafts of choice and floated down river. The skies cleared and the full sun was warming us up quickly, so the fleece was the first to come off followed by the long underwear.
- First stop was another hike up to see more Indian Pictographs. After another great lunch we continued on with our next stop at the Flying B Ranch. We all got to pick an ice cream treat from the store. As we departed a flock of Canadian Geese flew in and landed on shore. The rest of the afternoon was pretty calm water as we lollygagged down river.
Flying B Ranch
FUN-food – Dinner tonight was huge think cut pork chops and dessert was s’mores by the campfire.
- And tonight’s camp fun was glow-in-the-dark Bocce Ball. It was the first time I had ever played and we had loads of fun with the challenging terrain.
Our Bathroom With A View
FUN-travel: Idaho – Rafting Middle Fork of the Salmon River – Day 3
August 27, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Idaho – Rafting Middle Fork of the Salmon River – Day 3
- After two beautifully warm days we awoke to ominous clouds hovering above. It was also substantially cooler and rain was clearly in today’s forecast. What a shame we didn’t dress for it, because as soon as we took off it started to rain. By the time we made it to our first stop we were soaked.
- We had a good little trek (about a mile) to get to the hot springs but fairly easy as it was mostly flat. On the way we walked through a horse farm which is only one of a handful of dwellings along the river. This hot springs was more like a big hot tub because it had been reinforced with huge wood beams. It felt great to get warm!
- The only problem was ending up with a wet bathing suit under my clothes. The rain continued and then turned into hail as we floated down. Several of the rafts stopped along the shore and found shelter under some trees. Fortunately the hail stopped but the rain continued. Today’s “rapid treat” was Tappan Falls which had a 4’ drop.
- By the time we made it to camp we were chilled to the bone and shivering. We couldn’t remember a time we were ever that cold! Good news – a camp fire awaited us which we huddled by, and when our teeth stopped chattering and our clothes were only just damp, we hit the tent and donned every layer of clothing we brought.
- And for the record, they gave us pants and a jacket that they claimed were water proof. NOT! Turned out they were water resistant and certainly not hail proof.
Me & Mr. T
FUN-food – Tonight’s dinner (following Happy Hour) was carne asada and chicken fajitas with all the trimmings.
- In the middle of the night I awoke to an almost full moon shining brightly in the sky.
Word Of the Week #577: Personal Growth
August 26, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word Of the Week #577: Personal Growth
Personal Growth – activities that develop talents and potential.
Do you feel challenged in your job? Are you reaching your full potential? Do you feel energized during the course of your day?
This week features the fifth of the “6 Needs to Thrive at Work” that Michael Lee Stallard featured in his book, “When workers thrive, companies do too.” And as Stallard says “they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.
He writes, “The first three needs (respect, recognition and belonging) are “relational needs.” When these needs are met, we feel connected to the people with whom we work. The next two are “task mastery” needs and they affect how connected we feel to the work we are doing.
The next task mastery need is to experience personal growth. When we are engaged in a task 
that is a good fit with our strengths and provides the right degree of challenge, we will experience a state that psychologists describe as “flow.” Flow is like being in a time warp. Time flies by when we become so immersed in the task we are performing. Unchallenged, we feel bored. Over-challenged, we feel stressed out. The optimal degree of challenge energizes us.”
Wikipedia had this to say. “Personal development covers activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitate employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations. Not limited to self-help, the concept involves formal and informal activities for developing others in roles such as teacher, guide, counselor, manager, life coach, or mentor.”
This week’s focus is on personal growth. Does your life feel balanced? Do you feel a sense of connection and fulfillment at work? Are you engaging in activities to develop your talents?
I LOVE feedback! Join my Facebook community on my FUN-damentals Fan Page.