The Class 4 rapids at Wild Sheep and Granite are within the first 20 miles of the trip. The Steens regularly supply tents, fishing poles, sleeping bags, other equipment and meals. Snake Dancer Excursions presents itself as a smaller jet boat operation out of Clarkston which transports 1,500 adventurers per year into the jaws of the canyon. A typical round trip to Rush Creek within short miles of Hells Canyon Dam can cover nearly 200 miles in a long 10-hour day. Snake Dancer is open year around with peak operations coming in June, July and August, the months recently set aside by the USFS to restrict jet boat traffic.
Fishing is a common sport associated with either form of transport.
It is said that rock formations transcending 250 million years are visible along the canyon walls. While the wild and scenic Snake River has long been considered one of the premier whitewater rivers in America, its tributaries have been largely a reservoir of untapped potential. That is about to change this summer as a Joseph company moves ahead with plans to offer expanded floating opportunities on the Wallowa, Grande Ronde, and Imnaha rivers. North Star River Odysseys, a river guide service operating out of Joseph Fly Shoppe the past four years, will add kayaking to its menu of activities for the first time in 1999. Trujillo spent time in Wallowa county this spring assisting Rob and Aaron Lamb in setting up a kayaking program based in Joseph.