River duo: ready for the next great adventure

An unexpected flip into the Clearwater River hasn’t dampened Brandy Canfield’s love of kayaking and the beauty and adventures to be found in the Inland Northwest.

Canfield, of Pierce, just completed a two-day kayak trip from Kooskia to Clarkston, along with her daughter-in-law Jaime Belders, also of Pierce.

The pair are relatively new to kayaking, but Canfield, a 48-year-old mother and grandmother, so enjoyed the adventure that she is already considering her next trip. Belders, 36, a mother of three who enjoys being close to the water, also had a great time and is ready to go again.

Craig Clohessy: Share some details about your kayaking trip. When and where did it start, challenges along the way, where you camped overnight, etc.?

Brandy Canfield: We set out about 5 a.m. (Sunday) in Kooskia and we camped right outside of Lenore, so I guess about 23 hours total of kayaking. Challenges along the way? Probably between Kooskia and Greer, I hit some rapids and my kayak tipped over. I lost a few important items but nothing that can’t be replaced.

I lost an oar and a chair and my favorite pair of shoes.

CC: And your favorite hat, right?

BC: My favorite hat, yeah, yeah. It was going to be my signature kayaking hat.

Luckily I was tethered to the kayak and I was able to get a hold of Jaime and she helped us get to shore and I was able to flip it over and assess everything and make sure that the important stuff was still with us.

CC: Did you face any problems on your trip associated with the wildfires burning all around us?

BC: Since I did tip my kayak over completely, most of my clothes were wet. We weren’t able to actually build a fire to warm ourselves up, so that did create a bit of a problem. In the beginning the smoke was pretty intense, but when it started warming up and the farther we got down the river, it cleared up.

CC: You’re relatively new to kayaking. Was this your first big trip?

BC: Last week was my first bigger one. ... We went from Kooskia to Greer. And then we decided that ... this trip (from Kooskia to Clarkston) is what I wanted to do and we could do it. It was ... a bucket list of mine.

CC: Do you have advice for anyone looking to take up kayaking?

BC: Wear those sunglass protectors to hold on to your glasses. Always bring an extra oar. I’m telling you, always bring an extra oar. That water is very tricky, so don’t underestimate it. And take lots of pictures. The eagles and ospreys were just gorgeous.

CC: Do you have your next big adventure planned?

BC: We want to actually do this again, but we want to make it like a three-day, two-night trip. Just take a little bit more time, a little bit slower so we can actually investigate more of the canals and the creeks around here.

Oh my gosh, I will do this again. I’m so excited. I just will take a little bit longer, so I can enjoy it a little bit more.

CC: Are you a native of Pierce?

BC: I am not. I am a transplant from California.

CC: One of those (said with a smile)?

BC: I know, I know. I moved from California to Pierce and I’ve been here for eight years. I don’t plan to go back to California. I’m in love with Idaho.

CC: What brought you here in the first place?

BC: My mom moved here and I moved here to take care of her. She passed away four years ago and I’ve just been here taking care of my stepdad. He’s the one that actually got me a kayak. I’m the one that fell in love with it. He went out and bought me the kayak and everything that I could possibly need to go along with this trip.

CC: Would your mom have been proud of you for taking on the kayaking adventure?

BC: I think she would. I think she would. This is always something she wanted to do and so, just kind of helping her fulfill some of her dreams.

CC: You’re a cook at the Timber Inn in Pierce and you’re returning to do the same at the Idaho Youth Challenge Academy. (The Idaho Youth Challenge Academy at Pierce is a volunteer program overseen by the National Guard for 16- to 18-year-olds who are at risk of dropping out or have already dropped out of high school.) When did you work there before?

BC: I started being a cook there in 2014 when the academy started up. I was there in the kitchen ... and then I became manager and I loved it. But my mom fell sick and so I took some time off and took care of her. Now I’m back on track and I’m slowly, you know, still taking care of my dad now but I’ve got my way back into that academy because I love it so much.

I’ve always wanted to have a boys ranch and this is my way of having it and then I can go home with no babies. No more children. I can just feed them and then I come home.

CC: What’s your next challenge?

BC: I’m going to do the triathlon at Pierce 1860 Days (the Bald Mountain Triathlon set for Aug. 8). It’s a 300-yard swim, 12.5-mile bike ride and 2.2-mile run.

CC: That sounds like a lot. Are you ready?

BC: I walk 7 miles a day, so I think I can do it.

Clohessy is managing editor of the Lewiston Tribune. He may be contacted at cclohessy@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2251.

Brandy Canfield

Age: 48

City of residence: Pierce

Occupation: Cook at the Timber Inn and at Idaho Youth Challenge Academy, both in Pierce.

Family: Three sons and three grandchildren.

Hobbies/interests: Re-sorting furniture, hiking, rock picking, anything that consists of being outside. “Kayaking has been on my bucket list and I finally learned how and now I’m hooked.”

Jaime Belders

Age: 36

City of residence: Pierce

Occupation: Stay-at-home mom.

Family: Three children.

Hobbies/interests: All revolve around the outdoors. “I love being close to the water and, unlike a lot of people, I relish the summer weather. I enjoy being with my kids and exploring new places and things; digging up old glass bottles from old dump sites around Pierce is probably my favorite pastime. I have a huge bottle collection due to this. Kayaking has truly become a positive addiction, and can’t wait to see all the places we will explore.”