June River Camp

June on the river is a very special time of year. Animals are starting to build or rebuild homes and raise their young, flowers are blooming down to the edge of the water and the days are getting longer.

We camped at Barn Riffle which we also call Blackberry Pie. There used to be an old homestead, thus the name Barn Riffle. The old barn was washed out in 1957 and the only remains are the few fruit trees that were planted. Along the left bank of the riffle is one of the best crops of wild blackberries. By late July or early August it smells like freshly baked blackberry pie as we paddle through the whitewater.

Our June camp was made especially memorable by the sounds of moving water in the creek as it meets the river, by the sight of a beaver in the evening light busily rebuilding a summer lodge near the mouth of the creek, the waist-high wild mustard that will be gone in a few short weeks, and the crackle and warmth of the riverside fire. Life just keeps getting better!