Woohoo! My first time swimming in the Portneuf!

Submitted by Darcy Hale on Tue, 2017-06-06 00:00

Maybe the GoPro will reveal photographic evidence, but my first kayak float also included Jennifer McIntosh, a Russian Olive tree, and my first (unintentional) swim in the Portneuf River.  I learned that my enjoyable swim was amongst an invisible world of fauna like spikey and smooth dinosaur-age-looking sculpin (aka blobs), gold dotted speckled dace, the sparkliest blue redsided shiners, dragonflies in aquatic form (odonata), mayflies, and stone flies, and a million other creepy crawlies that ended up wedged between my toes.  Loved every minute!  Here's to my next float and yours! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

Matt Pollard's picture

I love it- you found a dragon fly larvae! I'm curious- can you tell if it has wings growing in yet? I'm just trying to judge which molt its on- that is- what instar its in. These bugs undergo incomplete metamorphis (hemimotolobous), where they get a new and/or bigger body part with each molt, so they gradually change from a little midge like swimmer to full grown adult over a course of 10-15 molts. 

Darcy Hale's picture

No wings yet!

Michael Helman's picture

Darcy,

Looks like you are having a blast.  Thanks for sharing the images and experience. 

Michael

Shayne Hughes's picture

Love to here your enthusiasm for the class! I wish I was there with you guys. That day really made me love the Portneuf, and think more about what it has to offer in Pocatello.

Jay Millan's picture

I took an accidental swim in the Chemung River in NY 2 years ago.  Not quite the fun experience you describe.