Snake River Float Trip

I had done a Snake River float trip on my extended trip out West in 1980.  It was a highlight of that trip, so I wanted Alan to be able to have a similar experience.  We weren't disappointed.  As we floated, we saw fantastic views of the Tetons , as well as many Bald Eagles.  The highlight was this incredible Golden Eagle, perched on a snag in the river.  It was the first Golden Eagle that either of us had seen.





Use this company if you take a Snake River float trip.  Many years ago their owner got exclusive rights to do trips on a beautiful 14 mile section of the Snake River.  We saw no other rafts the whole afternoon, and only a couple of fishermen--nothing but gorgeous mountains, river, and wildlife.

Emmett, our very knowledgeable guide



Snake River and Tetons from the raft

Final thoughts on the trip:
We were gone for over a month, traveling over 5,000 miles, much of it through astonishingly beautiful places.  I was struck by one very sad thing, however.  As you drove, you would see lush, habitable areas for hundreds of miles.  Then, suddenly, you would come to barren, treeless landscape, devoid of all life.  That is where the Indian reservation would start.  The houses on the reservations were usually shacks, many without running water and electricity. (You could see the outhouses out back.)  They would be huddled in small crossroad communities around a store or two.   As soon as the land became suitable for life again, the reservation would end.  Right at the border would be a casino, what appeared to be the major source of income for the tribe.  We observed this in the Dakotas and Wyoming, as well as in Arizona, where we were last fall.  I had always knew it was true, but I had never witnessed it before.  The Native Americans as still suffering from the deeds of our ancestors.

There is a wonderful museum of the Battle of Wounded Knee in Wall, South Dakota.  If you ever go there, I recommend that you visit it.