1/2500 sec., f4.5, ISO 400, Nikon D300 70-200mm lens at 170mm

Big Water Blow Out is a high water festival in Riggins, Idaho.  The evening events include Dutch Oven cook-offs, music, dancing and of course beer.  But the day time activities can be outrageous, depending on the river flow.  Generally speaking, the Salmon River reaches its peak flow for the year around the 1st of June.  The river is free flowing, meaning no damns for flow control, so it's all up to mother nature as to when, and how much, the peak is.  This years flow was BIG, almost 70,000 cubic feet per second (cfs).

The local outfitters get together and offer super cheap, big water rides.  For around $20 a person they will outfit you with a wet suit, helmet, life jacket and a paddle.  They make sure you appear healthy enough for a cold water swim, and that you understand that you may need to self rescue (swim out of the strong currents on your own).  Then, after a safety talk and a bit of paddle talk you head out on the river with a licensed guide.  Typically, the outfitters will leave in a group, so there's plenty of boats for extra safety.  Private boaters will also join in, making the group even bigger.  The stretch of river that's run has 2 rapids that can be huge, depending on the flow.  These rapids are not your typical summer splash and giggle rapids, as the river is running 10 times the summer flow, and is cold and murky.  Don't confuse this with the fun family floating that happens during the warm months where seldom a boat gets flipped.

Ok, so this is really about an adrenaline rush and a major challenge for the guides.  The boats will usually go for the biggest, baddest, most challenging rapid, wave or hole they can find.  The bigger the better, and the better chance you will flip.  "Go Big or Go Home" is the motto.  This year, the "Big Easy", a hole in Lake Creek Rapid, was the grim reapers challenge.  I would guess 4 out of 5 boats that hit the hole dead center flipped.  The participants are ready, the guides are ready and it's 10 miles of river without rapids below this rapid.  So in a strange sense of the matter, it's kind of safe.  Strange, but safe.

Here's a link to a gallery with my favorite 12 images - http://www.ertter.com/gallery/BigWater/index.html

And here's a link to all 480 photyos from the day - http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/store.aspx?p=27487