The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness

[norty]

I guess that's not a waterfall coming up in your picture? Looks like fun though.

[drfife]

The Middle Fork of the Salmon River Trip Report

Words cannot describe the fantastic trip we took down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. If you ever get the chance to take it, you won't be disappointed. The water is crystal clean and pristine, the scenery is beautiful, you can catch 30+ cutthroat trout per day (catch and release) and raft some of the most exciting rapids anywhere.

It was an entire week of no cars, cell phones, email, text messages, or news reports. Fabulous!!

I highly recommend the outfitter we used, Idaho Wilderness Company. The guides were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The food was fantastic!

Link to photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/russell...CNmZ1d7Pl8nnIA

Sunday, 7/24/11: Flew via LAX to Boise, ID. From there we flew Salmon Air to Stanley, ID on a 5 seat Cessna. We had an orientation meeting with the outfitter and they supplied us with 2 dry bags, a self inflating roll up mattress and a clean sleeping bag. The large dry bag contained our mattress and sleeping bag and all our gear we did not need access to during the day. The small dry bag contained all the gear we needed during the day. They stored and transported our luggage to the end of the trip. We overnighted at the Mountain Village Resort.




Monday, 7/25: The outfitter met us at the hotel at 7:30AM and transported us and our dry bags via bus to the Boundary Creek launch site. We were fitted with life jackets and loaded on the boats. The big dry bags go on the larger "sweep boat" that is manned by a single guide that sets out ahead of the group. They transport the majority of the gear directly to the campsite, unload, set up the tents and start the dinner meal. The first day Janice and I rode on an oar boat. We stopped around 1PM for lunch and we ate sandwiches for lunch. We arrived at our campsite, Dolly Lake, around 6PM.







Tuesday, 7/26: We broke camp around 9AM and rode a paddle boat. Much more difficult to take pictures on the paddle boat, because you HAVE to paddle in the rapids. We stopped along the way for lunch and later stopped at Sunflower Flat hot springs. It has an area you can rinse off under a hot spring shower. We arrived at Stateland Left Camp around 6:30PM.





Wednesday, 7/27: We broke camp around 10AM. I took an inflatable kayak and Janice rode the paddle boat. Janice took the pictures because there is NO way to in the kayak. If you don't paddle in the rapids in the kayak, you WILL go swimming. I forgot to bring gloves for kayaking and my hands blistered quickly from paddling. It was a lot of fun and a LOT of work paddling. After lunch, Janice and I rode the oar boat for the afternoon. We arrived at White Creek Camp around 5PM. Before dinner, we hiked a 4 mile round trip to Loon Creek hot spring.





Thursday, 7/28: We broke camp around 9:30AM and jumped in the paddle boat. First stop was White Creek Bridge so some of the guys could prove their manhood by jumping off the bridge in 50 degree weather into 55 degree water. Later way we stopped at Flying B Ranch. It's the only place on the trip you can buy supplies. We bought a t-shirt, hat, sunscreen, ice cream and of course, a cold beer! We arrived at Grassy Flat II Camp around 7PM.





Friday, 7/29: We broke camp around 9:30AM and again rode the paddle boat. We stopped and hiked up to Waterfall Creek. Later that day we stopped and hiked to Veil Cave. A few miles down river we filled our water bottles with cold spring water, delicious. After that we stopped and hiked to Parrot's Cabin and up to Nugget Creek Falls. We arrived at our last campsite, Cradle Creek Camp, around 6:30PM. We ate dinner and one of the guides broke out his guitar and played and sang.







Saturday, 7/30: We broke camp early at 7:30AM so we could be the first group at the take out point. We again, rode the paddle boat. There are some very exciting rapids on the last day with names like Rubber, Son of Rubber, Hancock, Devil's Tooth, and House of Rocks. After the Middle Fork dumped into the main Salmon river, we faced Cramer Creek Rapid, the biggest of the trip. The wave crest from Cramer knocked the guy in fron of me off his seat and into my lap. Luckily, we did not swim with the paddle or oar boats, but all the brave kayakers did get to take a long, swift swim. Cramer has even flipped massive sweep boats. We arrived at the Cache Bar Boat Ramp at 10:30AM. The outfitter was waiting for us with our luggage. While the guides loaded the rafts on the truck, we changed clothes, unloaded our dry bags back into our luggage and ate lunch. They transported us to Salmon via bus and stayed at the Stagecoach Inn in Salmon, ID. The hot shower and soft bed was wonderful.








Sunday, 7/31: We met in the lobby at the hotel at 6:15AM to catch the shuttle to Salmon Airport. We flew from Salmon to Boise on a 10 seat twin prop plane. Then from Boise to LAX then back to Dallas.





We had one of the best trips of our lives and look forward to returning someday. The river and water level is always changing and there are many hikes and sites to see along the Middle Fork, so it will be a new experience the next time.

[drfife]

River of No Return

The reason they call it the River of No Return is that before there were inflatable boats, they were all constructed of wood. They would make the boats from wood near the headwaters and float down the river. The boat could not be returned after the trip, thus the name "River of No Return".

[staggerlee]

Looks like a very good time.
Nice photos too.
Lee

Almost forgot.

If those cut throat are catch and release.
Why is there a limit?
I'm not into that release part.
I like eating critters to much. :ready:

[drfife]

Looks like a very good time.
If those cut throat are catch and release.
Why is there a limit?

There is no limit.

Some of the guys would catch 50+ per day.

[Bkins]

Here's a link to the photos I took on the trip:

https://picasaweb.google.com/russell.fife/MiddleForkRafting2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCNmZ1d7Pl8nnIA&feat=email

Be warned, there are over 500 photos!!

More details when I get caught up at work and home.....

So Russell,

How many fish did you catch? Did you catch and eat any salmon from the river. Bet you knew you had some upper arms when you got done there. Did they restock anywhere along the way with supplies? Neat trip and great photos. I gather you liked your new camera.

David

[drfife]

...How many fish did you catch? Did you catch and eat any salmon from the river. Bet you knew you had some upper arms when you got done there. Did they restock anywhere along the way with supplies? Neat trip and great photos. I gather you liked your new camera...

I did not catch any fish. I did not take a fly rod. Spent the majority of my time in the paddle boat where you can't fish. The couple of times I rode the oar boat, I was too busy taking pictures.

Yes, the rowing did take some arm strength and endurance. But, it was a lot of fun. One of our guides even had us paddle rapids and maneuvered around rocks like pylons, just to show off.

All the food and ice was what was packed when we put in. There are no roads. The only way to get supplies or to get out is by plane or helicopter. They did refill water along the way. Either with filtered river water, using a gravity feed system with a ceramic filter, or at known sweet springs. The spring water was especially good, because it was cold.

The new camera performed flawlessly. The guides on the trip were very impressed. They had never seen one like it. They especially liked how I used the carabiner attachment to clip it to my life jacket so it was always close at hand. I think the pictures came our great, especially considering it's a point and shoot camera.

[staggerlee]

There is no limit.

Some of the guys would catch 50+ per day.

Sorry, this part of post #17 that threw me off.

"The water is crystal clean and pristine, the scenery is beautiful, you can catch 30+ cutthroat trout per day (catch and release) and raft some of the most exciting rapids anywhere."

Lee

[drfife]

Sorry, this part of post #17 that threw me off.

"The water is crystal clean and pristine, the scenery is beautiful, you can catch 30+ cutthroat trout per day (catch and release) and raft some of the most exciting rapids anywhere."

Most of the real fishermen were catching 30 per 1/2 day. The die hards that fished all day would catch 50+.

Most of the guys would only ride the oar boat a half day.

Sorry for the confusion.