River: Grande Ronde River (Minam Bar to Hellers Bar)

Date: May 3th - May 5th, 2024

Rating: Class II to III (-IV)

Length: 90 Miles in 3 Days

Leader: Eric Ball - balle(at)pocketinet.com

Description: This is a great early season float and overnight wilderness trip through Eastern Oregon coniferous pine forest and Eastern Washington's high desert country. We'll be boating from Minam Bar to Hellers Bar on the Snake River. Covering a total of 90 miles in 3 days, which means getting on the river semi-early and limiting our stops. Be ready for some occasional forward rowing and spending some time on the river each day to make up the miles, but hopefully a good runoff will flush us downstream. In return you get great scenery, grand forested mountains, good camping and green canyon walls in this early season perennial trip. Bald Eagles are almost guaranteed.

The Narrows Rapids, class III to IV depending on water levels is on the last day in the lower canyon and near the confluence of the Grande Ronde and Snake Rivers. For this groups benefit, I will try and cap the trip at six boats and no more than two (new-to-this-river) participants. 

References: Soggy Sneakers by WKCC, Paddling Oregon by Robb Keller Oregon River Tours by John Garren, Whitewater Rivers of Washington by Jeff and Tonya Bennett, Washington Whitewater by Douglass A. North. 

 


River Trip

River Trip