06-28-2024, 12:47 AM
Our First post on the Idaho page (I think) - this trip happened 3 weeks ago (I am a little slow 
)
First many thanks to many on this page and on a IDAHO FB page that offered ideas and suggestions for getting our son and his wheelchair into some Idaho adventure.
Second we had REALLY big plans for a long June trip that started with Alaska/Canada, then got reduced to Oregon and the coast, then down to Northern Idaho then finally Southern Idaho. We just could not get away for as long as we wanted for the longer trips and some family matters came up - yada yada onto the report...
WE HAD AN AMAZING TIME: Rockhounding for dusky quartz at the top of the world, Gold Panning in the Yankee Fork, Camping and wildlife in the Sawtooth's, great new campfire treats and food, and fishing Magic Reservoir.
At the end of this post I will provide the YouTube links for everything but the Rockhounding (I just have not finished that editing)
Magic - We targeted this location as the intel from locals suggested that we could get Buckwheat and his wheelchair to many different good shore locations. They were right. Great access for disabled outdoors men/women. We were late getting there as the traffic coming out from our camp in the Sawtooths was more than expected. Unfortunately a high desert wing was picking up too. But that did not deter us from testing our bank tangling skills. We fished three different locations on the west shoreline with standard trout gear and bait - nothing new. All three locations caught fish. Big fish. My son and wife on powerbait and some on silver bling. Really nice rainbows. 4 that were over 20 inches. We had a number more pop off that looked about that good too. We did not catch a lot but the quality was amazing. Then the wing and heat drove us off. We did not find the bass or perch but we did not spend much effort on it either. Water level was very high and the flooded brush in locations was teeming with life - including a Otter that visited my wife.
Magic youtube link
https://youtu.be/G6LBZjI9a1Q?si=jWO4gRht3XvFjH87
Sawtooth lakes - we did visit Stanley, Redfish, Pettit and Alturas lakes in the Sawtooth's. Unfortunately in each case we did not fish them (at least much). Stanley was way to crowed at any location we could get Buckwheat to (the day use area). Redfish was like Disneyland for people. Pettit was absolutely amazing (my wife's favorite) and we would have fished it but just did not really have the chance - would love to go back and try it. Alturas we enjoyed as well and did fish for a few minutes but we were exploring that day not really fishing so only spent about 20 minutes (Day use area were we could get Kaleb was also packed with people). In short these lakes are amazing but crowed and the only real access for a wheelchair was the day use areas and they were jammed with waterlovers doing their thing. Oddly we saw very few people fishing at any locations in the sawtooth forest. That surprised me - maybe a bit early
Rivers and stream were really running hard so we did not mess with them. Would love to go back now with my flyrod and get lost in the thousand of miles of small streams.
Gold panning - yes I got some shinny in the pan. It is a great location for rookies like me that just do it for hobby (if you dont mind flour gold - no nuggets) we also explored some cool Ghost towns. If you try this there are a lot of claims in that area so do your research and dont claim jump Here is that video link
https://youtu.be/PJtEBZ9USxA?si=iKFAEbR3FZdA39fQ
Camping - what can I say - amazing area - lots of great boondocking style camping mixed with more formal campgrounds. We saw antelope, deer, elk, moose, coyotes and otters. We talked at length with a biologist who was releasing salmon and steehead smelt into the Yankee fork. He gave us bear spray. Great guy. Mts are incredible. We tested new campfire recipes and deserts and well as taste tested different freeze dried meals. I tore the jacks off my RV and broke the main waste water water tee and at some point all the under cover for my heated tanks came off - so ya about normal for me RVing. here is that video link
https://youtu.be/BGOQJpdKayY?si=4PB4Q7wYRGTjwWzI
Rochounding - well maybe my favorite part. I love taking my truck places I probably should not and this time - well ya gona have to wait till I finish editing the video.
so many photos of this trip but this one is my favorite
![[Image: 20240610-093035.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/hz8cS9GQ/20240610-093035.jpg)
)First many thanks to many on this page and on a IDAHO FB page that offered ideas and suggestions for getting our son and his wheelchair into some Idaho adventure.
Second we had REALLY big plans for a long June trip that started with Alaska/Canada, then got reduced to Oregon and the coast, then down to Northern Idaho then finally Southern Idaho. We just could not get away for as long as we wanted for the longer trips and some family matters came up - yada yada onto the report...
WE HAD AN AMAZING TIME: Rockhounding for dusky quartz at the top of the world, Gold Panning in the Yankee Fork, Camping and wildlife in the Sawtooth's, great new campfire treats and food, and fishing Magic Reservoir.
At the end of this post I will provide the YouTube links for everything but the Rockhounding (I just have not finished that editing)
Magic - We targeted this location as the intel from locals suggested that we could get Buckwheat and his wheelchair to many different good shore locations. They were right. Great access for disabled outdoors men/women. We were late getting there as the traffic coming out from our camp in the Sawtooths was more than expected. Unfortunately a high desert wing was picking up too. But that did not deter us from testing our bank tangling skills. We fished three different locations on the west shoreline with standard trout gear and bait - nothing new. All three locations caught fish. Big fish. My son and wife on powerbait and some on silver bling. Really nice rainbows. 4 that were over 20 inches. We had a number more pop off that looked about that good too. We did not catch a lot but the quality was amazing. Then the wing and heat drove us off. We did not find the bass or perch but we did not spend much effort on it either. Water level was very high and the flooded brush in locations was teeming with life - including a Otter that visited my wife.
Magic youtube link
https://youtu.be/G6LBZjI9a1Q?si=jWO4gRht3XvFjH87
Sawtooth lakes - we did visit Stanley, Redfish, Pettit and Alturas lakes in the Sawtooth's. Unfortunately in each case we did not fish them (at least much). Stanley was way to crowed at any location we could get Buckwheat to (the day use area). Redfish was like Disneyland for people. Pettit was absolutely amazing (my wife's favorite) and we would have fished it but just did not really have the chance - would love to go back and try it. Alturas we enjoyed as well and did fish for a few minutes but we were exploring that day not really fishing so only spent about 20 minutes (Day use area were we could get Kaleb was also packed with people). In short these lakes are amazing but crowed and the only real access for a wheelchair was the day use areas and they were jammed with waterlovers doing their thing. Oddly we saw very few people fishing at any locations in the sawtooth forest. That surprised me - maybe a bit early
Rivers and stream were really running hard so we did not mess with them. Would love to go back now with my flyrod and get lost in the thousand of miles of small streams.
Gold panning - yes I got some shinny in the pan. It is a great location for rookies like me that just do it for hobby (if you dont mind flour gold - no nuggets) we also explored some cool Ghost towns. If you try this there are a lot of claims in that area so do your research and dont claim jump
Here is that video linkhttps://youtu.be/PJtEBZ9USxA?si=iKFAEbR3FZdA39fQ
Camping - what can I say - amazing area - lots of great boondocking style camping mixed with more formal campgrounds. We saw antelope, deer, elk, moose, coyotes and otters. We talked at length with a biologist who was releasing salmon and steehead smelt into the Yankee fork. He gave us bear spray. Great guy. Mts are incredible. We tested new campfire recipes and deserts and well as taste tested different freeze dried meals. I tore the jacks off my RV and broke the main waste water water tee and at some point all the under cover for my heated tanks came off - so ya about normal for me RVing. here is that video link
https://youtu.be/BGOQJpdKayY?si=4PB4Q7wYRGTjwWzI
Rochounding - well maybe my favorite part. I love taking my truck places I probably should not and this time - well ya gona have to wait till I finish editing the video.
so many photos of this trip but this one is my favorite