Deep Creek Kayaking

March 27th, 2006

Location: Lower Deep Creek, between Naples, Idaho and the Kootenai River.

Time: March 26, 2006. Trip took 3 hours (1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Recommend running Deep Creek during spring runoff as summer flows can be too low for paddling.

Put-in: The easiest starting point for this trip was at a small bridge near the Deep Creek fire station, mid-way between Bonners Ferry and Naples, Idaho. There is an accessible rock slope for entering the creek that is on private property. You can park just up the road at the fire station.

Take-out: Public boat dock at the confluence of Deep Creek and the Kootenai River, on County Road 24.

Difficulty: Class I-II. Some small rapids in the upper part of the trip, deeper and wider flows down-river.

Highlights: An excellent area for bird-watching, with some pretty views of the Kootenai River Valley and Selkirk Mountains to the north.

Water levels in the Kootenai River were low up through mid-March, but just last week I noticed that they had jumped significantly. I decided it was time to try my luck on Deep Creek, a small tributary that flows north from MacArthur Lake into the Kootenai River about five miles west of Bonners Ferry. I knew from experience that water levels were generally too low in the creek during summer and autumn for paddling, but with spring runoff the levels would be high enough for a decent trip.

Finding a place to enter the creek is problematic since virtually all of the length is private property, except for the last stretch in the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge. I chose to take my chances at a small one-lane concrete bridge just north of Deep Creek Inn on Old Highway 2. It afforded a small rock slope to enter and a parking spot at a fire station just up the road. I unloaded my kayak into the brush, parked the truck and walked back to the bridge. An alternative put-in would be at Deep Creek Inn just up the road, but I didn’t relish trying to duck the low concrete bridge at my chosen put-in.

The banks at the fire station bridge are about four feet deep (boulders and grass) but I was able to jump in from a boulder and get my spray skirt positioned without too much difficulty. On shoving off I was immediately in some small rapids. The creek here is narrower and faster than downstream, with many twists and turns that require your full concentration to navigate. Many of the tight turns have logjams and other debris which would make a collision very dangerous in high water. Luckily, even in late March the water was usually not higher in this section than four or five feet, and in most places considerably less (I was constantly hitting rocks and sand with my paddles). This made it easier to ground the kayak and take a breather on the side of the stream when I saw a problem situation coming that needed inspection.

The first 45 minutes of the trip were spent in these rapid, twisting channels with several spots requiring fast paddling and correction to keep from being swept up against the bends in the stream. Also, in two places fence wires were strung across the creek with no flags or markers—luckily I saw them in time and was able to duck the two feet or so required to clear them. Not far from my put-in I encountered a logjam that completely blocked the stream. At that point I pulled the kayak onto the right-hand size of the creek and easily ported it across the gravel bank.

At several points the stream was split by gravel bars and logs. At first I was tempted to take the slower forks, but this usually resulted in grounding in the gravel or getting wedged up against a fallen tree. I learned to follow the more rapid channel even though it was more challenging at my skill level.

After passing a large ranch and the bridge heading to Snow Creek Falls (West Side Road), the stream became wider and slower as it would its way through large stretches of wetland. I was surprised at how few houses there were along the banks. Even the areas that were clearly converted to pasture still contained some traces of wetland flora. I encountered geese, ducks and other waterfowl all along the route.

The last two-thirds of the trip continued with a steady current and many twists and turns. I paddled intermittently to stay on course but continuous paddling was not necessary with the creek at high water. Near the entrance to the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge, another logjam completely blocked the stream. I was able to scoot my boat over a submerged log without having to disembark.

The route ends where Deep Creek joins the Kootenai River at a public boat dock with plenty of parking. It is a five mile drive on paved roads back to Bonners Ferry, or you can go back along the gravel West Side Road to the put-in.