Eagles and osprey circle for trout. Deer perch on the steep banks and watch an unending string of boats pass. Moose and bear are common. After four pleasant miles, the river changes. The canyon walls constrict.
Rocks bulge into the river.
The river rumbles. And the boats lunge through walls of water that Hansen named - the Lunch Counter, Big Kahuna and Three Oar Deal. You leave 'em hanging. At the peak of the tourist season, each half-mile of water carries three brightly colored rafts through the canyon's Class 3 rapids. Cernicek credits many factors with making the Snake canyon so popular.