Part 2: Rafting the "River of No Return" in Idaho

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The Trip

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

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.

This section of the trip was fun.  At some level it was sad that the water flow was not higher.  But, big water can cause big troubles too as Kathleen found out some years later in Marble Canyon on the Colorado River.

Next we head back to Salmon in a small plane then start south toward Yellowstone National Park.

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Photos and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2013, all rights reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.