The Main Salmon River

Idaho- as the license plate proudly boasts, a state famous for potatoes, but the 43rd state admitted into the union has a couple other things going for it besides its tubers. As we native Idahoans know, the Gem State has killer ski resorts, pristine wilderness, and a world-class river system. Our whitewater is so sought after that the Snake, Selway, Middle and Main Fork of the Salmon River require permits, while the St. Joe, Lochsa, Moyie, Clearwater Rivers are free for the unscheduled paddling.

So, when I was offered a free spot on a seven-day paddle of the Main Salmon, you can imagine I jumped at the opportunity. In the first week of August, five duckies (inflatable kayaks), one hardshell kayak, two catarafts, one paddleboat, a vintage bucket boat and twelve paddlers put in at Corn Creek and set out with almost 100 miles of river until the take out.

The Salmon River flows through the second deepest gorge on the continent, one fifth of a mile deeper than the Grand Canyon. Lewis and Clark / Corps of Discovery ventured down the Salmon River just after crossing the continental divide, christening it The River of No Return.

Renowned for its big water, the Salmon has hydraulics comparable to the Colorado. The rapids range from class III-IV during normal flows, but a couple hit class V when in flood. As a river rookie, it was news to me that each rapid is dubbed with a name, along with a classification. Names like Whiplash, Mallard, Elkhorn, Chittam, Vinegar and my personal favorite, Dried Meat, get thrown around at camp while reviewing the day's water to come and recounting epic saves and spills. For my part, there were more epic spills than saves.
But for all the river water I sucked, it was made up in delicious river fare made one of our camp-kitchen savvy meal teams. Each meal team was responsible for a breakfast, lunch, and dinner... and what more appropriate meal for my team to make but cedar planked salmon. I even soaked the planks in the Salmon River.
We averaged 12 miles a day, with frequent stops for rapid scouting, hot springs, and even a couple pictographs. On day three on the river, we stopped at Buckskin Bill's compound, which now has a museum and a general store that sells ice cream. It was the hottest day of the trip and both of the root beer floats I pounded were worth every penny of the $6 a piece.

Known as the last of the mountain men, Buckskin Bill built himself a defense tower against the U.S. Forest Service. At a time, the USFS was pushing to make the entire stretch along the Salmon into wilderness area. Buckskin Bill's sniper tower and museum is an ode to the quintessential Idahoan NRA member, daring the feds to pry his well-crafted, albeit homemade firearms from his cold, dead hands.

To the chagrin of the Forest Service, Buckskin Bill survived the rest of his days in the harsh environment of the Salmon River Canyon, raising his own food and crafting his own weapons and utensils until 1980.
Each evening, after the unpacking of kitchen and the groover (river toilet), everyone skattered to claim their piece of sandy beach. Some had tents, but I opted for the blue tarp and sleeping bag option. There was only two nights of lightening and torrential downpours. This was the trip of a lifetime and I can hardly wait to return to The River of No Return.

Welcome to your weekend! -KB

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