Labor Day weekend ideal for a river float

The unofficial end of summer could not have been better weatherwise.

Saturday afternoon was in the low 90s with robin’s egg-blue skies minus any type of cloud between Alberton and St. Regis. Fishing access sites were full, but not overflowing with vehicles, trucks, trailers and a plethora of rubber rafts. 

Skylar Bullock is from South Carolina but guiding this summer for Pangea River Rafting and Zoo Town Surfer’s River Rafting and was pulling her boat into Forest Grove Fishing Access on east Mullan 12 miles upstream of Superior. She had three clients from Denver who were on a work/vacation staying at a cabin on the Thompson River.

“These rivers are much different than the rivers in Colorado,” said Karissa Zahner. They are much bigger. More water in these.” 

Bullock checked her app and said the Clark Fork River that they had just pulled off was running at 1,900 CFS (cubic feet per second). 

“Yeah, the Arkansas River (in Colorado) is at 2,000 CFS, when it’s high,” said her husband Wolfgang. “Big difference in water flow.” 

Their daughter, Faye, who is almost 5, wasn’t interested in the CFS. 

“We saw an eagle. A bald eagle. And a beaver!” she gushed. 

Bullock said that they put in at Tarkio FAS and stopped for lunch as this was a scenic float. Faye went swimming on a sandy beach and the trip was about five hours. Besides the difference in water flow on the rivers, the number of rafters was mentioned as Bullock said it was pretty busy that afternoon. 

“Oh, this doesn’t feel packed,” laughed Wolfgang. “Not even busy from what we are used to.”

Julie Gilbertson-Day is self-employed in Missoula and she and her group were going to camp at Trout Creek on Saturday and finish the trip at Big Eddy on Sunday. 

“We’ve never done that (camped at Trout Creek) but we float this area often but more from Cry through the Alberton Gorge to Tarkio.”

One group of rafters were strapping their raft to their trailer and said they were from Missoula and Frenchtown. 

One woman said, “We bought this boat during Covid but have floated the Clark Fork for years. But since the pandemic, we haven’t been here as much as it’s become too crowded at times. But it’s a favorite float for all of us, still.”

Nobody was fishing and one said that they are on a Vitamin D Float just enjoying what the river and scenery offered.

    A couple of boats launching from Forest Grove Saturday afternoon had plans of camping on the beach at Trout Creek and then finishing the next day at Big Eddy. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
  

    This group of floaters have been together for years enjoying rivers throughout the state, but the Clark Fork from Frenchtown to St. Regis is a favorite for all of them. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)