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Whitewater Rafting Specialty Trips- Snake River Jazz , Salmon River Canyon Jazz, Graduation Specials, Late Summer "Blue Ribbon" Fly Fishing, Backpack/Float Combination, Fall Sportsman Specials, and Hells Canyon Geology

Snake River rafting vacationsThese trips are "cool" because they highlight special events, special trip focus, or simply an activity that we "outfit & guide" rarely. If you have an idea for a "cool" trip let us know your idea. We'll work with you to make it a reality!

Graduation "End of School Year" Specials Snake River through Hells Canyon

May 30-June 1 (3 Days/2 Nights)
$820/adult & $750/kid-teen-college kid
Great way to celebrate high school and college graduations with family & friends. Other May & June dates available on request.


Snake River raft tripsLate Summer Middle Fork "Blue Ribbon" Fly Fishing

August 25-29, September 2-6, September 10-14, September 18-22. (5 Days/4 Nights)
$1495/person (regular raft rates) $1950/person (fishing boat with 2 fishermen/boat & guide)
Enjoy the wild & scenic Middle Fork during Idaho's Indian Summer. Fly fish for wild, westslope cutthroat trout in gin clear water. Regulations are "catch & release". For full details check out the "site map" and click on "Fly Fishing on the Middle Fork".


Snake River rafting vacationsSnake River & Jazz Affiliated with the Gene Harris Jazz Festival

July 17-20, 2008 (4 Days/3 Nights)
$1230/adult, $1107.00/youth

Brad Peters and Chuck Smith will be two of the musicians traveling with us. Brad teaches at Boise State University and heads up the Gene Harris Jazz Festival. Brad has performed with Orchestras throughout the northwest including the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera, The San Diego Symphony and Sacramento Symphony. He has worked with Arturo Sandoval, Dave Brubeck, Ernie Watts, Lew Soloff, Diane Shure and the Glen Miller Band. He has toured national and internationally including concerts in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Taiwan most recently a performance in Prague this last August.

Chuck Smith is active throughout the Northwest as both a jazz pianist and a music educator. As a pianist, he has appeared with numerous distinguished artists, including performances with drummer Eric Gravatt, a founding member of the jazz group, Weather Report. He was a contract pianist with Ben Arden and the Carlton Celebrity Room in Edina, MN, and accompanied well-known celebrities such as Johnny Mathis, the Mills Brothers, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, Bernadette Peters, Loretta Lynn, Rich Little and Bob Hope. Smith toured as pianist and musical director for Paul Anka for eight years, performing in the United States, Europe, South America and Asia. He conducted for Anka at many notable functions, including appearances at the Reagan White House and for the Atlanta Symphony.


Salmon River Canyon Jazz Trip featuring David Mendenhall, Chuck Smith & Dave Foley

July 29-August 2, 2008 (5 Days/4 Nights)Snake River rafting vacations
$1415/adult; $1273.50/youth

Dave Mendenhall has spent the last 30 years teaching band in Apple Valley, MN and as a working musician in the Minneapolis music scene. His jazz ensembles and bands have played at festivals, and conventions earning outstanding recognition by educators and clinicians alike. Many of his original band methods are in process for pubication. He has also served as an assignment developer for SmartMusic, a music software company. As a bass player, Dave has played in the corporate and jazz scene along side national and local musicians. As a trumpet player and conductor, Dave has been primarily involved with developing major holiday concerts through Hosanna! Lutheran Church, a 6,000 member congragation in Lakeville, MN.

Chuck Smith will be joining us for both jazz trips! His bio is listed above. Rounding out our trio of muscians will be Dave Foley. Dave began playing trumpet professionally after high school and won a national audition to play in "The College Band" in Disneyland California, which performed in the park behind some of the country's top players. After acquiring degrees in both music education and jazz studies, Dave taught in public schools around the Minneapolis area, directing bands as well as jazz bands for five years. By the mid '90's, he began pursuing a career in computer graphics, and also began studying the saxophone. Dave is now performing on both horns in various jazz and rock groups around he Twin Cities. He also performs on a wind-synthesizer of his own design called the "Foleyphone", on which he has recorded an album and performed as a guest soloist at various schools and colleges.


Backpack/Float Combination "Seven Devils Mountains, Hells Canyon Wilderness, Snake River"

July-September dates (6 Days/5 Nights)
$1675/person


Groups of 6 hikers & 2 guides. Trips begin two days prior to our regularly scheduled Snake River launch dates. From trailhead at Windy Saddle to the Snake River, the hike emcompasses virtually every climatic zone in North America: high mountain lakes, alpine meadows, towering peaks, and views into America's deepest canyon. The route begins at Windy Saddle, and continues to Telephone Saddle, Hibbs Cow Camp, Bernard Lakes, & Dry Diggins. 3 Trail Days in the Seven Devils Mountains and Hells Canyon Wilderness combined with 3 Days on the National Wild & Scenic Snake River in Hells Canyon. Check with our office for details.

Our Snake River trip was also ranked 19th in National Geographic Adventure's America's Best: The Adventure 100 - to read this article, click here.

 


Snake River rafting vacationsFall Sportsman Specials Snake River/Hells Canyon & Salmon River Canyon

2 guests/boat & guide, plus a gear boatman and large custom designed gear pontoon. Drift boats on Salmon and Scenic Snake River. Rafts on the Wild Snake River. Fishing for smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, steelhead (ocean run rainbow trout), and white sturgeon. And, bird hunting for Chukar (red legged) partridge. Groups of 8 can arrange dates of your choice.

4 Days/3 Nights @$1550/person
5 Days/4 Nights @ $1895/person

 


Hells Canyon Geology Trip with Tracy Vallier

Hells Canyon raft trips 2008 and/or 2009 dates to be determined
(4 Days/3 Nights)

$1230/adult & $1107.00/youth
Travel with Hells Canyon geologist, Tracy Vallier. (B.S., Iowa State University, Ph.D., Oregon State University). Tracy has worked in the canyon for more than four decades. He is author of Islands & Rapids "A Geologic Story of Hells Canyon", and was scientific advisor for the video "Exotic Terrane". Hells Canyon is the deepest major river canyon in the conterminous U.S. The Snake River in Hells Canyon lies nearly 8,000 feet below He Devil, a mountain that rises to an elevation over 9,300 feet just six miles to the east. For those interested, Tracy will discuss the stratigraphy, structure, and petrology of the rocks that formed in an island arc, very similar to the Aleutians, Marianas, and Tonga. The rocks were subsequently attached to ancient N. America. Rocks range in age from about 300 million to 15 million years ago. Younger erosional and depositional features relating to the Bonneville Flood (about 14,500 years ago), landslides, and alluvial fans will be investigated on the trip. Tracy also has interesting Hells Canyon stories about wild animal and human encounters that he will share in the evenings.

We hope to arrange a 2008 or 2009 trip with Tracy. Our 2007 trip was a resounding success. Stay tuned!

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Hughes River Expeditions, Inc.
P.O. Box 217
Cambridge, ID 83610
(800) 262-1882
(208) 257-3477
Fax: (208) 257-3476
info@hughesriver.com


Snake River rafting trips