The Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho is one of the most famous extended river trips in North America.
June 15: We signed up with O.A.R.S. for June 15-20. You spend the previous night in Stanley and at this time of year take a shuttle bus to the put-in at Boundary Creek
Stanley is a cold microclimate, as it was in the 20’s when we got up at 6:30AM. But it was comfortable in the 60’s by the time we got organized and into the river about 11AM. The water in June is still in the 40’s so most of us were in supplied wet suits and wore shell pants over those. Boundary Creek is at 5,650 feet and the takeout is at the confluence of the Main Salmon 96 miles later at 3,250 feet.
There were 17 guests, so there was a large gear raft for most of the equipment plus 3 oar boats that carried some of our bags plus 3-4 passengers. There was one paddle boat for 6 of us to participate actively as I have on nearly all of my 1-2 day trips in California. We volunteered to paddle the first day.
The first day was reminiscent of Sierra rivers, water flow about 1,500 cfs (cubic feet per second). The river was wider but quite shallow as seen here.
In another month it becomes too shallow for the big supply rafts so everyone has to fly into Indian Creek 900 vertical feet and 26 miles lower down. This was a reason we chose the earlier trip, along with the rapids being more exciting at higher water flows.
We stopped about 3PM at Joe Bump Camp across from Soldier Creek. The Middle Fork is fed by numerous tributaries along the way and is up to about 3,500 cfs by the end of the trip. When we arrived there was a snake basking on the rocks.
Later the guides led us on a 1 ½ mile walk along the river trail to Sheepeater Hot Springs.
This spring spread out to form several very shallow pools, nice for soaking your feet but harder to immerse much more. The Salmon River is a very relaxing camp setting at this time of year because sunset is about 9:20PM and it’s light enough not to need headlamps until nearly 10PM which is bedtime anyway. Quite a contrast to river trips in California and Arizona.
June 16: A cool draft down Soldier Creek means it’s in the 30’s when we arise 6:30AM. On some mornings while most of the guides are packing we get a talk about the history of the area from Barry. We learned a bit more when we rode on his oar boat the 3rd day. This included a bio of former senator Frank Church, who was mainly responsible for establishing the 2.2 million acre wilderness centered on the Middle Fork drainage. It is part of 5.7 million acres of contiguous wilderness, the largest in the lower 48 states.
We usually get on the water by 9:30 or so and like the day before it’s comfortable by mid-morning. Soon we go by a massive logjam island, created during peak spring runoff in May when the river is 3+ feet higher and 7,000+cfs.
Here’s Barry’s oar boat against a wall in Pistol Creek Rapid.
Just past Pistol Creek we stopped for lunch and the guides set up 3 inflatable kayaks (duckies) for us to try. The catch is that we had to demonstrate that we could fall out of the duckie and get back in within 10 seconds. Paddle boat guide Ashley observes while I fall out here.
4 or 5 of us managed this but neither of the two women (Liz included) who tried. Our life jackets were quite bulky and if your arms aren’t long enough it was hard to clear the side of the duckie to get back in.
For the afternoon two of the teenage boys Daniel and Jennings and I got to use the duckies. Soon we passed the Indian Creek airstrip and boat launch used later in the summer.
Salmon River rapids range from Class 2 to Class 4. In general they do not want anyone in duckies on Class 4, particularly early on the trip. So the afternoon of the second day and the entire 3rd day are the overall quietest water and well timed for those want to try them out. I’m here in a small wave train.
Class 2 is much more exciting in a duckie than an oar or paddle boat.
Not much later Daniel fell out and quickly got back in but without his paddle! I picked it up and am about to return it here.
I made the error of not bringing water gloves. My duckie had slightly raised patches where I caught fingernails and eventually ripped one open shortly before we reached camp at Marble Creek. So I chose to stay out of the duckies for the next few days to let that finger heal. The last day had some Class 4’s where they didn’t think I had enough duckie experience yet.
At Marble Creek guides led us for a short hike up to a nice overlook.
Two of the guests Jim and Harry from South Carolina were avid fly fishermen. Here’s Harry casting into an eddy next to Marble Creek Rapid.
I did not see him catch anything from shore but they both caught many trout from the oar boats the next 2 days. The Salmon River is subject to strict wilderness rules: flies only, all catch-and-release.
June 17: Shortly after we set out on our 3rd day we stopped at Sunflower Hot Springs. The springs are on top of a small bluff, so a grooved piece of wood was installed to direct the flow into a hot shower.
Then we climbed up for a relaxing soak with nice views up and downstream.
Midday we passed small hydro station built to power Middle Fork Lodge. Many existing buildings were grandfathered when the wilderness was created in 1980. These lodges are popular with fly fishermen in the summer and hunters in the fall.
Our 3rd camp was at Hospital Bar. There is low flowing hot spring there but the O.A.R.S. guides use the paddle raft, plug its self-bailing drains and use a tarp to divert the spring water into a hot tub.
In between soaks I took a dip in the river.
As expected it became gradually warmer as we moved downstream the 2nd and 3rd days. That was about to change.
June 15: We signed up with O.A.R.S. for June 15-20. You spend the previous night in Stanley and at this time of year take a shuttle bus to the put-in at Boundary Creek
Stanley is a cold microclimate, as it was in the 20’s when we got up at 6:30AM. But it was comfortable in the 60’s by the time we got organized and into the river about 11AM. The water in June is still in the 40’s so most of us were in supplied wet suits and wore shell pants over those. Boundary Creek is at 5,650 feet and the takeout is at the confluence of the Main Salmon 96 miles later at 3,250 feet.
There were 17 guests, so there was a large gear raft for most of the equipment plus 3 oar boats that carried some of our bags plus 3-4 passengers. There was one paddle boat for 6 of us to participate actively as I have on nearly all of my 1-2 day trips in California. We volunteered to paddle the first day.
The first day was reminiscent of Sierra rivers, water flow about 1,500 cfs (cubic feet per second). The river was wider but quite shallow as seen here.
In another month it becomes too shallow for the big supply rafts so everyone has to fly into Indian Creek 900 vertical feet and 26 miles lower down. This was a reason we chose the earlier trip, along with the rapids being more exciting at higher water flows.
We stopped about 3PM at Joe Bump Camp across from Soldier Creek. The Middle Fork is fed by numerous tributaries along the way and is up to about 3,500 cfs by the end of the trip. When we arrived there was a snake basking on the rocks.
Later the guides led us on a 1 ½ mile walk along the river trail to Sheepeater Hot Springs.
This spring spread out to form several very shallow pools, nice for soaking your feet but harder to immerse much more. The Salmon River is a very relaxing camp setting at this time of year because sunset is about 9:20PM and it’s light enough not to need headlamps until nearly 10PM which is bedtime anyway. Quite a contrast to river trips in California and Arizona.
June 16: A cool draft down Soldier Creek means it’s in the 30’s when we arise 6:30AM. On some mornings while most of the guides are packing we get a talk about the history of the area from Barry. We learned a bit more when we rode on his oar boat the 3rd day. This included a bio of former senator Frank Church, who was mainly responsible for establishing the 2.2 million acre wilderness centered on the Middle Fork drainage. It is part of 5.7 million acres of contiguous wilderness, the largest in the lower 48 states.
We usually get on the water by 9:30 or so and like the day before it’s comfortable by mid-morning. Soon we go by a massive logjam island, created during peak spring runoff in May when the river is 3+ feet higher and 7,000+cfs.
Here’s Barry’s oar boat against a wall in Pistol Creek Rapid.
Just past Pistol Creek we stopped for lunch and the guides set up 3 inflatable kayaks (duckies) for us to try. The catch is that we had to demonstrate that we could fall out of the duckie and get back in within 10 seconds. Paddle boat guide Ashley observes while I fall out here.
4 or 5 of us managed this but neither of the two women (Liz included) who tried. Our life jackets were quite bulky and if your arms aren’t long enough it was hard to clear the side of the duckie to get back in.
For the afternoon two of the teenage boys Daniel and Jennings and I got to use the duckies. Soon we passed the Indian Creek airstrip and boat launch used later in the summer.
Salmon River rapids range from Class 2 to Class 4. In general they do not want anyone in duckies on Class 4, particularly early on the trip. So the afternoon of the second day and the entire 3rd day are the overall quietest water and well timed for those want to try them out. I’m here in a small wave train.
Class 2 is much more exciting in a duckie than an oar or paddle boat.
Not much later Daniel fell out and quickly got back in but without his paddle! I picked it up and am about to return it here.
I made the error of not bringing water gloves. My duckie had slightly raised patches where I caught fingernails and eventually ripped one open shortly before we reached camp at Marble Creek. So I chose to stay out of the duckies for the next few days to let that finger heal. The last day had some Class 4’s where they didn’t think I had enough duckie experience yet.
At Marble Creek guides led us for a short hike up to a nice overlook.
Two of the guests Jim and Harry from South Carolina were avid fly fishermen. Here’s Harry casting into an eddy next to Marble Creek Rapid.
I did not see him catch anything from shore but they both caught many trout from the oar boats the next 2 days. The Salmon River is subject to strict wilderness rules: flies only, all catch-and-release.
June 17: Shortly after we set out on our 3rd day we stopped at Sunflower Hot Springs. The springs are on top of a small bluff, so a grooved piece of wood was installed to direct the flow into a hot shower.
Then we climbed up for a relaxing soak with nice views up and downstream.
Midday we passed small hydro station built to power Middle Fork Lodge. Many existing buildings were grandfathered when the wilderness was created in 1980. These lodges are popular with fly fishermen in the summer and hunters in the fall.
Our 3rd camp was at Hospital Bar. There is low flowing hot spring there but the O.A.R.S. guides use the paddle raft, plug its self-bailing drains and use a tarp to divert the spring water into a hot tub.
In between soaks I took a dip in the river.
As expected it became gradually warmer as we moved downstream the 2nd and 3rd days. That was about to change.
Last edited:
