The Art of Water War

July 13, 2011
Jon Rombach

Summer Skirmishes on the Snake

 

Ahhh, summertime in Hells Canyon, floating down the Snake River. Just soaking in the scenery until a friendly water fight kicks off. What could be more relaxing, eh?

This is what not having a worry in the world looks like.

Oh, wait, no . . . we were with a bunch of teenagers on this last trip. So that picture above of carefreeness was something of an anomaly. Much of the time it looked like a true water battle:

And here we see what mayhem looks like.

Water fight was a popular sport on this last cruise. Notice in the scrum above that mild‑mannered Paul in the Lawrence of Arabia hat is employing some judo move to escort a rambunctious youth off his boat, turning every kid into a stealthy waterfight specialist and honorary water fighter. They even shared pro tips on water fighting techniques and formed squads of water balloon fighters.

We have rules to keep water fighting from getting too rowdy, but these kids examined the parameters and constructed elaborate plans. They staged a water bomb fight, launched a full‑blown water gun fight, then switched tactics to a sneaky water ballon fight, complete with a dual‑barrel water balloon water gun. By afternoon, it had escalated into epic water gun fights.

They argued over water balloon meaning, then organized a bracketed balloon water fight tournament as part of improvised water war games. You’d think half the fun was brainstorming water fight ideas—until the first water balloon war erupted. Soon they were running water gun fight games under a clear sky, following strict water balloon fight rules, and daring each other to hit with another water balloon while the occasional slapping water move flew. Someone even joked, “But what is war water, really?” Yet it felt just like the best water wars game you’ve ever seen—everyone letting loose to water each other until one hero was crowned the ultimate warrior of water.

And then we’d have more tranquil moments, such as this:

A group of people are floating down a river in kayaks

Then more of this:

A group of people in a boat spraying water at each other

Thanks to Adventure Treks for another fine outing on the river. These kids journey around, backpacking, climbing and getting to know the outdoors. The kids were great and it was a real pleasure to see familiar faces of Adventure Trekkers from last year.

We had horseshoe tournaments at camp, sandcastle building, played bocce, and set up a beaver slide with an overturned raft….

A man is pouring water from a bucket on a raft

Good times.

Exploring Hells Canyon’s Depths & Maps

For bonus context, you can discover the Hells Canyon’s deepest point on the Hells Canyon Snake River by studying any Snake River map with states. If you’re wondering about Idaho’s Hells Canyon or where Hells Canyon is, guides at the Hells Canyon Visitor Center hand out Hells Canyon facts and a detailed Hells Canyon map.


This is the deepest gorge in the USA, often called the deepest gorge in the world and the deepest river gorge in North America. Spanning Hells Canyon—Oregon and Idaho—aka Hells Canyon—it’s officially Hells Canyon ID on one side and stretches toward Hells Canyon UT on the other. Keep an eye on Hells Canyon weather if you visit in spring, or plan a stop in Hells Canyon, Montana.


Need directions? Ask “Where is Hells Canyon, Idaho?” or “Where is Hells Canyon, Oregon?” then follow the signs along Hells Canyon Road through the Lewis Clark Valley. You can even pop into Hells Canyon, Washington, via the north rim—yes, there’s a Hells Canyon, Washington, state entry—and trace the Snake River in Hells Canyon or study the Snake River dams map. It truly makes Hells Canyon, Oregon, adventures feel epic!


Don’t just take our word for it—visit our Google Business Profile Reviews and see why Winding Waters white water rafting trips keep guests coming back!