The season on the Payettes is usually long and it's good to have them when nothing else is running. But I think the best time to go up there is when the SF peaks. Bronco Billy has some of the biggest waves I've seen in my life and staircase is a blast. The holes in staircase start to wash at about 7.5k making the boater relax a little bit and enjoy the big water. Making the move in slalom is pretty easy too, but seymour's hole is a huge wave at 9k. It's easier to punch it above 10k. SF is still a class 4 and swimming is not too bad. Just be prepared for big water.

The lower 5 of the NF gets specially hard in the 3000s. At 4k the river is more defined. Otters, Juicer and Crunch have basically the same line than summer flows. The warm up section has this big hole called gang bang hole that you need to know where it is. The eddie in Otters has a big eddie line and it's easier to just fly by the eddie than to try to catch it. You don't want to swim in the NF.

This is being a great season there. Those of you that are going there for the 4th of July are going to have a blast. A cold spring has given us big flows for the early summer and Crouch is always a good time on the 4th.