Rafting trip gathers international students
By Kristin Carrico Photo Editor
Global
equality existed on the Salmon River Saturday afternoon. Twenty-four
people set out on a mission to raft the white water of the West.
The trip was arranged with International students in mind. On
Sept. 9, University of Idaho exchange students from almost every
continent on the globe, and UI students from, Washington, one
Alaska, and Idaho compiled together to form teams of rafters.
The section of water the we spent our day on was10 miles of the
Lower Salmon, which has class III rapids. The Salmon River, located
just north of Riggins, Idaho, is the longest free flowing river
in the continental United States, according to the guides at
Outdoor Rec.
The day began at 7:30 a.m. It was cold and cloudy, leaving thoughts
of unpleasant weather in the back of everyone's minds. Nonetheless,
it was a rain or shine situation as two vans of people with three
rafts trailing behind headed south on Highway 95.
Upon arrival, attitudes of anticipation and excitement filled
the air as the caravan stopped. The warm weather began to create
a strip tease effect among the crews as everyone began shedding
the clothing they had previously scrambled to put on in chilly
and cold Moscow.
Everyone loaded into the three rafts and set sail. The captain
of one boat, John Soulgrove, instructed us to paddle. Just then,
we drifted into what could only be called an ambush. An attack
from both sides occurred as a water fight of great intensity
broke out. It was like World War III on the Salmon River. Eventually,
the battle died down and treaties were signed; the trip continued
downstream.
The three boats stayed only side by side for a short time due
to the competitiveness of splashing paddles. Jon Totten, the
trip leader and guide of the head boat, moved in the lead. As
he got closer, the other rafts plotted a conspiracy against him
and his crew. Humphrey Tirima, better known as Simba, a citizen
of Kenya and the third guide, was a bit of a troublemaker. Simba
was the instigator and instructed our boat to come around to
the right as his boat went to the left. However, Totten was
not to be had. His crew retreated at the first glimpse of us,
so we fell back. The war had only begun.
After making our way through some rapids, the international rafters
were pumped on adrenaline, and wanted more. Simba, being the
troublemaker he was, gave them what they wanted. He started
splashing his own crew. What he didn't know was they were willing
to fight back, and the odds weren't looking good for him. This
is when Simba was ejected from his seat and found himself swimming
with the fish. As shocked as Simba was, he deserved what he got,
and climbed back in the raft. This was a good lesson to the
crew. Simba gave instruction to the crew on how to properly
assist overboard passengers.
Mike Bieser, the director of the Outdoor Program for the University
of Idaho said, "Simba is the first trip leader of color
that the Outdoor Program has had the opportunity to have."
Bieser also mentioned that when they arranged the trip with international
students, they immediately thought of including Simba.
After paddling for hours, we beached the rafts for lunch. After
lunch, the competitive spirits showed through again.
The last half of the river seemed rougher than the white water
that morning. After already bouncing through several rapids
before lunch, everyone was rested for the adventure ahead. It
was gravity pulling us down the river but it was the roaring
white-water waves that bounced us off the raft. Some of the
students, Asa Pettersson, David Engberg and Marie Guslausson,
all from Sweden, Andres Narvaer of Colombia, and Jackie Brock
of Anchorage, Alaska, all felt the wrath of the waves as they
came crashing onto their laps. Wet was an understatement for
most of the excursion.
Needless to say everyone had no choice but to have fun. As we
came up to the take-out area one student yelled "Let's keep
going!" Totten informed her, "That would be fun, but
the next take-out isn't for another 72 miles."
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