February 11^th

All Day: Kids Fun Area, corner of Ace of Diamonds and Wall Street

10:00am: Events sign-up at stage on Ace of Diamonds

11:00am: Curling Competition and Demonstruction at the Ice Rink

12:00: Triathlon begins at Pioneer Park

12:00: Big Air Competition begins on Airport hill

2:00pm: Snowshoe Drag Race on Ace of Diamonds

3:00pm-5:00pm: Street Dance with music by Black Label at stage on Ace of Diamonds

5:00pm: Awards Ceremony at stage on Ace of Diamonds

6:00pm: Pond Hockey at the Ice Rink

February 12^th

All Day: Sledding and snow play on the Airport hill

11:00am: Snowmobile Fun Ride to Redfish Lake.  Participants meet at corner of Niece and Critchfield.

12:00: Powder 8s Competition.  Participants meet at Bridge Street Grill in Lower Stanley.

12:00: Pond Hockey at the Ice Rink

For more information, visit the Stanley Chamber website at www.stanleycc.org.

For many of us in that plane, the 30-minute journey into the heart of the Frank Church Wilderness Area – a flight which had taken us up and over mountain peaks, across wild flower-laden valleys, and offered amazing views of America’s most famous wilderness river – was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For our pilot, George Dorris, the approach to the Indian Creek airstrip in his tiny Islander (the nine-passenger plane) is a more common experience than pulling into his own driveway.

George Dorris is an independent pilot who flies for many of the air services in Idaho. His company name is G & S , based out of McCall, Idaho, and he has been doing so for over 20 years. There are few, if any, pilots who know the Frank Church Wilderness Area as well as George.  The most frequent flight ends at Indian Creek, the launch site for early-season or late-season Middle Fork of the Salmon float trips. River guides who have been around for a while consider George and his Islander an important piece to the puzzle of getting gear to and from the river. In low water years, when flights are necessary more often, seeing George and his plane is a weekly occurrence.

Back-country flying is a family gene that runs in George’s blood. His father, Bill Dorris, started flying in the Idaho back-country in the 1950’s and continued into the 90’s. He eventually taught his boys how to fly, and three of them now work together while continuing the family business of Sawtooth Flying Service, Inc.

In the air, George is as much of a commentator as pilot – pointing out favorite sites, telling jokes, and keeping his co-pilot entertained. It’s possible to fly all the way into Indian Creek with George and step out of the plane with a weeks worth of stories and a lifetime of history lessons. Flying with George is a lot more than a flight from point ‘a’ to point ‘b’, but rather a personal tour of Idaho’s marvelous back-country.

The next time you fly in the Idaho back-country, keep an eye out for George Dorris. He’ll be up in the sky or loading his plane, but one way or another he will be the one making it happen: making his journey to and from the wilderness, so that you can pursue your own outdoor experience. Visit www. SawtoothFlying.com for additional information.

For those who prefer warmer climates than the North Pole’s -40 degree temperature or who don’t have a desire to take their family into Polar Bear roaming territory, Idaho’s famous Frank Church Wilderness Area is worth considering. The wilderness area, or “The Frank” as it is commonly referred to, covers 2.2 million acres of pristine wilderness area. Within the region are thousands of springs (both hot and cold), countless wildlife (elk, black bear, and moose), and – perhaps the greatest attraction of all – America’s best river trip: the Middle Fork of the Salmon.

The Middle Fork of the Salmon is a 100-mile stretch of river that begins its journey high in the alpine range and ends at the confluence with the Main Salmon River. Stemming from cold springs, mountain lakes, and the purest snow melt, the Middle Fork is nationally recognized as a superb fishery with amazingly clear water and beautiful cutthroat trout.

A trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon is more than just a check-off on your bucket list. Those who find themselves floating through the Middle Fork canyon are often lulled back year after year. It is a place that defines the word solitude – in it’s truest form – and provides one of America’s few examples of pure, rugged, unaltered, natural beauty. It is a place that leaves impressions, but one that has not been impressed upon. Rather, its visitors leave with a new appreciation or renewed sense of life after their 100-mile float through the Franks proudest work of art.

Solitude River Trips offers six-day rafting and fly fishing trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. Owned and operated by river veterans Al and Jeana Bukowsky, their trips, like the river they operate on, are top-notch and true classics. Using an outfitter like Solitude makes an experience down the Middle Fork of the Salmon even more rewarding. Their hospitality, genuine love for the river, experience, and gourmet camp cooking makes it easy to absorb the Middle Fork canyon without worries.

On a select number of their trips, Solitude offers an option to stay at one or both of the Middle Fork’s two remote wilderness lodges. The Middle Fork Lodge, located roughly one third of the way down the river, is typically a first or second night on the river. The Flying B Ranch is located roughly two thirds of the way through the journey. Both lodges are located on the banks of the river and provide a comfortable way to spend a night in the Idaho wilderness.

For more information about rafting or fly fishing on Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon, contact Al and Jeana of Solitude River Trips at 1-800-396-1776 or visit them online at www.RiverTrips.com.

The views from the Arrow A Ranch are incredible. With the Upper Main Salmon River flowing by and the Sawtooth Mountain Range in the foreground, it’s easy to spend a relaxing afternoon enjoying the views. Lower Stanley is also within walking distance of Upper Stanley (which is normally just referred to as “Stanley”. Between Upper and Lower is a beautiful creek called “Valley Creek” that, as the name suggests, meanders through the valley separating the Sawtooths from the Salmon River.

What’s the ultimate relaxing day in the Stanley area? Wake up at the Arrow A Ranch, make some coffee, and go for a leisurely stroll up to the Stanley Bakery. Hang out there until the sun heats the valley and then walk down to the Salmon River. Do some fly-fishing and when you’re tired of catching fish, pick up some barbeque supplies at Jerry’s (in Lower Stanley) and fire up the grill back at the Arrow A. With cold beer and tasty food in hand, enjoy a phenomenal Idaho sunset from the porch of the deck. To top it off “Idaho-style”, head over to one of the many nearby hot springs to enjoy a soak before turning in for the night.

If that sounds good, be sure to make reservations at the Arrow A Ranch. Reservations can be hard to get, especially during peak season during the summer months, so it’s suggested to make reservations as far ahead of time as possible. Give Jay or Connie a call to reserve your night. During the summer, call (208) 774-3521. During the winter, try them at (208) 466-5719. You can also visit the Arrow A online at www.arrowaranch.com.

Although providing river shuttles is a major part of their summer, Caldwell Transportation Company’s main business is to provide transportation for the Caldwell School District. Their fleet of vehicles includes 70 school busses and 10 deluxe motor coaches. During the winter months, powder hounds can enjoy a worry-free ride with Caldwell Transportation Company to the local ski mountain, Bogus Basin. A recent addition to their schedule includes road trips to Boise State’s Bronco football games.

Whether you are on your way to school, the mountain, the Middle Fork of the Salmon, or a football game, Caldwell Transportation Company knows how to make your journey a whole lot easier. They make the “gettin’ there” part fun. For more information about the Caldwell Transportation Company, visit them online at www.ctcbus.com. They also have an office in Caldwell, Idaho at 3503 S. 10^th Avenue and can be reached via phone at 1-800-727-9925.

The dam and the power plant were constructed in May of 1910. Power from the plant was utilized by the Sunbeam Consolidated Gold Mines Company at their mine and mill located 13 miles up the Yankee Fork at Jordan Creek. It didn’t last long, just 11 months, before the company realized their upside-down venture and the power plant and dam were sold at a Sheriff’s Auction in April of 1911.

In 1934 the dam was partially blown up. There are various reports with broad discrepancies outlining the details of how the dam eventually met its demise. One report, from the then-former governor of Idaho, Cecil Andrus, states “a party or parties unknown ran a dynamite-laden raft into Sunbeam Dam.” Another report reads, “In 1910, miners built Sunbeam Dam on the Salmon River east of Stanley, cutting off the sockeye’s migration route. They were thought to have gone extinct in the 1920s. But the fish reappeared in 1931 after sportsmen blew a hole in Sunbeam Dam.”

Those who stop at Sunbeam Dam will find another theory behind the cause of the gaping hole in the dam. A sign at the historic overlook says this:

“The dam’s fish ladders eventually fell into disrepair. Idaho Fish and Game then contracted the blasting of the bank next to the dam to allow fish passage in 1934.”

Regardless of how the dam was blown up there are two things we know are true: Sockeye Salmon have one less obstacle to contend with on their trek to Redfish Lake and whitewater rafters on this stretch of river sure have a unique rapid to navigate.

Aside from simply looking cool, the Sawtooth Mountains are home to some of the best backcountry skiing in the country. Many a powder hound has gazed with big eyes at the steep slopes and chutes that run like white veins down the mountainside; but, alas, the summer tourist can only dream. There are just a few whom follow-up six months later to return to Stanley and make what was a summer daydream a winter reality.

For those who do have the determination to ski the Sawtooths there is no better way of doing it than utilizing the ski base called the Bench Hut. The Bench Hut is tucked away in the mountains out just six miles from Redfish Lake and can sleep up to 20 people inside.

A giant wall tent, the Bench Hut contains all the amenities you will need to spend as much time as you’d like in the Sawtooths: Two wood stoves, a two burner propane stove for cooking, pots, pans, tableware, lanterns, bunks with foam mattresses, books, cards, games and a wood fired sauna will make your excursion comfortable. Those visiting the Bench Hut simply need to bring their food and sleeping bag.

Skiing from the Bench Hut is phenomenal and the terrain offers a wide variety of options. There are gentle slopes, huge bowls, steep chutes, and cross-country and snowshoe options as well.

The Bench Hut is run by Sun Valley Trekking and reservations are required. They also have other yurts and huts to choose from depending on the size of your group. One popular option is to visit multiple yurts and huts during a longer trip. This allows you to see different terrain and find your favorite place to stay for future trips. To reserve your yurt or hut, call Sun Valley Trekking at 208-788-1966 or visit them online at www.svtrek.com.

The Sawtooth Fish Hatchery, located just five miles south of Stanley down highway 75, is one of 11 Lower Snake River Fish and Wildlife Compensation Plan hatcheries and was built in 1984. The hatchery stocks high mountain lakes in the Salmon River drainage and also counts Salmon traveling up the Salmon River.

The entire Salmon River drainage has an estimated 1,000 high mountain lakes. Of those, there are 250 that the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery actively stocks. Each lake is reviewed on a three-year rotation and stocked with a variety of trout species: Westslope Cutthroat, Rainbow, Golden, Bull, and Brook Trout. Just a handful of the lakes can be reached by vehicle and most of them are within the Wilderness Area and can only be accessed by hiking.

The first lakes to be stocked in the Salmon River drainage were in 1920 by Idaho Fish and Game. They used pack mules to carry ten gallon milk cans full of one-inch trout. In 1938, Lionel Dean of Twin Falls, Idaho, began experimenting with aerial drops. He used an open cockpit Eagle rock biplane to perform the tests to see if; 1) he could be accurate and get the fish in the water and; 2) the fish would survive (probably not a good time to be a hatchery fish). In 1941 the first official aerial stocking took place in the Sawtooth Mountains.

Today, the most common method of stocking high mountain lakes is using a fixed-wing aircraft. Stocking the lakes is a two-person job. First, the small fish are placed in “the hopper” – a large metal bucket with a drain plug in the center. The closer the plane is to the lake, the better the chance of survival, so the pilot dips the plane down as he approaches. When he is ready for the fish to be dropped he will tell the Fish and Game officer to pull the plug. The fish drop through the bucket drain, which has an exit on the bottom of the plane. As this is occurring, the pilot must pull the plane up fast to help force the fish out of the bucket.

The Sawtooth Fish Hatchery is certainly worth visiting during your next excursion to Stanley, Idaho. For additional information call them at 208-774-3684.

Chef Enrique Martinez hails from Cuernavaca, Mexico, and brings with him a restaurant resume that leaves most chefs in the dust. He was the head Chef de Cuisine of The Towers Restaurant and has received a handful of awards including “Epicurean Rendezvous Best Restaurant in Southern California” and “Orange Coast Magazine’s O.C.’s Top Chef”.

For lovers of phenomenal steaks, Barbacoa’s signature dishes will leave your heart melting for more.  Customer favorites include the Grilled Lamb Chops (huge portions), Beef Porterhouse, and Cowboy Rib Eye. On cold winter days the homemade Chicken Pot Pie is sure to warm you up. For those looking for more “Surf” than “Turf”, the Mixed Seafood Grille (marinated shrimp, scallops, and fish with coconut rice) hits the spot.

You simply can’t go wrong at Barbacoa. Make sure your next visit to Boise includes a reservation at this phenomenal restaurant.

Contacting Barbacoa Restaurant:

Call them at (208) 338-5000
Visit them online at www.barbacoa-boise.com
Find them at 276 Bobwhite Court

The Middle Fork Lodge has a storied history on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. First established in the 1940’s, it served as the year-round residence of the Tom McCall family. It soon became a family business to run the “Dude Ranch” and the hunters, or “dudes”, were flown into the Forest Service dirt airstrip just a mile downstream. In fact, much of the supplies and materials used to build the structures were flown into that very airstrip, which is now known as the “Thomas Creek Airstrip”. Items that couldn’t be flown in were packed in by horse or mule or, in some instances, floated in by sweep boat.

As the Lodge gained popularity and prestige it began to take in some high-profile celebrities. Two U.S. Presidents have spent nights at the Middle Fork Lodge. With the closest town of Meyer’s Cove being 40 miles, no roads leading in or out of the property, and the fact that it’s located in the largest wilderness area in the Lower 48, the seclusion and isolation of the Lodge makes it the perfect true “get-away” for visitors.

Today’s Middle Fork Lodge has been remodeled extensively to meet the demands of its clients. High-speed satellite internet, a huge meeting room overlooking the river, and a wide array of outdoor activities offered make it a prime candidate for business meetings and team building events.

Occasionally, river rafting or fly-fishing groups that are floating the Middle Fork of the Salmon will spend a night at the Lodge. For most trips, this is mile 36 of their float down the river and marks their second or third day. Staying at the Lodge means warm showers, a night of comfortable sleep, and a beautiful place to call home for the night.

For more information about the Middle Fork Lodge, visit them online at www.MiddleForkLodge.com.