Our
plan had been to set up a white water raft trip on the Salmon
River in Idaho and then sandwich it between two one week road
trips: one getting there and one getting back. We contracted
through James Henry River Journeys and they did a great job.
The photos below are what we saw.
We
arrived in Salmon, ID and stayed in a hotel right on the Salmon
River the night before the trip.
Getting
to the put-in point required a multi-hour bus ride over dirt roads
which were rough. When we arrived at the put-in, we
discovered that the river level was actually quite low and
therefore most of the rapids would be reduced to riffles.
But, the trip was paid for, so we were going no matter what.
Above you can see how low the water level was.
One
of the things about rafting white water, particularly in the "old
days" is that the camera does not come out unless things are
safe. Otherwise, you risk getting the camera wet. We
made a stop on shore to examine this pioneer dwelling next to the
river. This section of the Salmon is described as the "River
of No Return" because the canyon walls are steep and being able to
head up-river along the banks is rough to impossible. If you
are heading down on a raft, you are only going down-river.
Another
party of rafters are approaching our position.
This
medieval-looking structure was built by a really paranoid person
to defend against intruders.
There
is a lot of stone work here when you think about it being done by
one person.
Further
down-river we stopped at a gravel bar where there was a small
guest ranch.
Along
the river we saw moose, deer and sheep.
While
a fuzzy photo, the deer is clearly visible in the center of the
photo above.
We
also saw mountain sheep grazing close to the river's edge.
This
gravel bar had several large buildings and was a guest
ranch. Guests flew in by small planes.
This
little treat was the girlfriend of one of the guides. In
addition to bringing a bit of "color" to an otherwise drab trip,
she helped the staff set up camp. And looked quite nice in
her bikini.
The
James Henry rafts used as part of this expedition. They were
piled high with our personal stuff as well as the camping
equipment.
One
of the other rafts in our group navigate one of the rapids that
turned into riffles due to the low water.
Doing
it the old-fashioned way. Some of the rough back-country
areas are only reachable via horseback. This pack train is
bring supplies to one such place.
One
of the rapids was designated as a "swimming rapid" so we got out
and let the cold water carry us downstream.
We
spotted more game on the banks of the river. These are
buffalo.
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Photos and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2013,
all rights reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.