Whitewater Rafting on Idaho’s Salmon River
Lilly Dippers and Back Rollers on the River of No Return
Story and Photos by Jim Umhoefer
By the time I saw the wall of water burst from behind the boulder to my left, it was too late. Tossed like a toothpick on Idaho’s Main Salmon River, I was able to grab the paddle and the side of the inflatable kayak.
Sputtering in the powerful current, I held on until the kayak caught on a shallow gravel bed. With the insistent Salmon tugging on my legs, I flipped the kayak, crawled in and paddled to the peaceful cove where the river guides and my party awaited.
“Nice self-rescue, Jim,” Tom, the senior member of our crew of five guides said with a slight grin. He did, after all, warn the other guides to steer their 16-foot rafts clear of this ledge while negotiating the day’s last set of rapids.
Swallowing river water along with humble pie was a cheap lesson on The River of No Return. The Salmon River doesn’t care if you spill or chill while on its course. It does demand, however, that you navigate its currents on its own terms.
The terms are simple--this is a wild, undammed river. Flowing 425 miles all within the state of Idaho, the Salmon drops from elevations above 8,000 feet in the Sawtooth Mountains to 905 feet at its confluence with the Snake River near the Idaho-Oregon border.
It is the longest free-flowing river in the lower 48 states, cascading through the country’s second-largest wilderness area in the lower 48, the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. It also flows through the Gospel Hump Wilderness Area, and the Payette and Nez Perce national forests.
The river slices through the second-deepest gorge on the continent (Hells Canyon on the Snake River is the deepest). The Salmon’s granite-walled canyon, over 1,000 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon, cuts more than a mile into the earth for about 180 miles.
The lyrical moniker, The River of No Return, has its origin in the realities of early Salmon River travel—you could float down, but it was darn near impossible to get back up. Today, jet boats take care of that problem. For more than a century after the first European Americans arrived, though, only down river journeys were possible. Wooden scows, carrying heavy loads and able to weather the whitewater, did the job. At the end of the odyssey, the scows were dismantled and used for lumber. Thus, no return trip.
Returning home was the last thing on our minds as our group of six excited Minnesota friends pulled into Salmon, Idaho. Salmon is a bustling river town of 3,100 nestled in the shadow of the Bitterroot Range to the east. Our group, along with our 13 other trip mates, met with Alison Steen, owner of Yellow Jacket River Guides, for our orientation meeting the evening before our put-in.
Her company is one of about 30 licensed outfitters that serve visitors on the Main Salmon River. Each one is a good bet for professional guides, gourmet food and a great time. Families are welcome and are in for a rare treat—a safe, thrilling wilderness river float trip in relative comfort.
Like most outfitters, Yellow Jacket provided three choices of transportation for group members. We had three 16-foot, self-bailing, oar-powered rafts which a guide controlled with two large oars. We could also choose to ride on a smaller 14-foot paddle raft. Four to six people paddled while a guide steered. In addition, the guides brought along two inflatable kayaks (single and double seat crafts) in case anyone wanted to try their luck. The fifth guide handled a sweep raft which carried all of the camping gear.
The Salmon is a “pool and drop” river, meaning that at the end of each rapid is a slow moving pool of water inviting you to jump in for a swim. With daytime temperatures between 85-95 degrees and the fresh, cool river, water wars were inevitable. Therein laid the appeal of our group’s wilderness float trip—fun, sun, scenery and engaging company.
On the pools, the guides pointed out geologic highlights and told river tales.
We would beach at times for short hikes to get glimpses of the region’s past: historic sites of early Nez Perce and Shoshone Indian settlement as well as abandoned homesteads, cabins and mines. One stop involved an uphill scramble to reach Barth Hot Springs, where we took turns basking in the soothing water.
Our floating caravan paused above sets of rapids to plan our approach. As much fun as the guides had in joining in the calm water fun, they were all business on the whitewater. The Main Salmon is famous for its Class III rapids, with names like Salmon Falls, Split Rock and Whiplash. Class III rapids are moderately challenging to experienced boaters. Our guides had to sometimes make complex maneuvers in fast current, requiring good raft control in the tight passages or around ledges.
On the paddle boat, our guide encouraged us to take turns sitting on the bow, hanging on to the boat while she shouted paddling instructions to the other four. This was like riding a bronco through the rapids.
Sometimes a wave would knock one of us off balance with feet shooting in the air and arms pulling us back in. If one of us was not paddling hard or in unison with the others, she called us “Lilly Dippers.”The guides were as professional and fun in camp as they were on the river. Three of the four nights our group camped on beautiful white sand beaches. While the guides prepared hors d’oeuvres and gourmet meals, we hiked, swam, fished, read or enjoyed a cocktail or hot drink by the campfire. Our menus included fresh meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. The Dutch oven lasagna was a favorite, along with special desserts each night. We awoke to the smell of coffee and hot breakfast. Lunches on the river included deli sandwiches, salad and other treats.
The guides brought along tents for those that wanted one. Most of us chose to sleep on the beach, laying our sleeping bags on pads while falling asleep under the stars.
On the third night, we beached at China Bar Lodge. Hot showers, beds and a tasty ranch style dinner and breakfast awaited us. Brian, one of the guides, produced a duffel bag of costumes for the occasion. Everyone found something fun to wear while we feasted. Later, we sat around the beach campfire while the lodge owner and two guides played guitar and sang. It was a pleasant accompaniment to the music of the river with the starry vault stretching overhead.
Too soon, it seemed, the last day came. After a short twelve mile paddle, we beached the rafts at the take-out and gathered our belongings. With a raft of memories and sand everywhere else, our group of happy campers headed home to the tune of shared stories and laughter.
For us, the River of No Return is definitely worth a return trip.
IF YOU GO:
Our 5-day, 4-night guided wilderness adventure on the Main Salmon River covered 80 miles from the put-in at Corn Creek to the take-out at the Carey Creek boat landing. The river drops about 12 feet per mile on this stretch. This is a family-friendly adventure for those 6 and older. No rafting experience is necessary, though you should be comfortable in the water and capable of following the guide’s directions. Since central Idaho is lonely country, the logistics of your arrival and departure trip might include a combination of scenic mountain roads, backcountry flights or even a thrilling jet boat ride. Our group of six Minnesotans drove to Salmon, Idaho for the start of our river adventure. We paid for our van to be shuttled to Riggins, Idaho, about a 9-hour road jaunt, for the end of the trip. Some group members chose to return to Salmon via jet boat powering upstream. Others were bused from our take-out at Carey Creek Boat Landing to McCall to make air connections.