MAIN SALMON

The Salmon River Canyon is one of the deepest gorges in North America, deeper even than the famous Grand Canyon. But in contrast to the Grand, the Salmon River Canyon is noted for wooded ridges rising to the sky, huge eroded monuments, bluffs and slides, picturesque towers, and solitary crags.
 
The Salmon has been inhabited over the eons by wandering nomads and wayward hermits. The presence of Native Americans dates back 8,000-11,000 years. The Shoshone and Nez Percé (named for their traditional pierced noses) are descendants of these early peoples. They considered the Salmon River country sacred, as it provided all the sustenance needed to survive, thanks to the abundance of salmon, trout and game. 

For more than 150 years after the first white men came to the area, only one-way trips down the Salmon River were possible. Pioneers built massive “sweep” boats to carry trade downstream. Once they reached their destination, the boats were disassembled and sold for lumber. Hence the nickname, “River of No Return”. Except for modern jet boats, this stretch is still a one-way river journey.

In addition to its awesome rapids, the River of No Return has a long history of big personalities, characters and tall tales. There are several pioneer historical and Native American sites to visit along the river corridor.

The Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness Area was created in 1980 by the United States Congress, and renamed in 1984 to honor Senator Frank Church who brought about this legislation. It is the largest wilderness area in the lower 48. 

The Salmon River was designated a Scenic River and Recreational River within the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System in 1981. This status awards protection to special rivers to ensure their free-flowing condition and maintain their water quality. It also recognizes the historic and prehistoric heritage of the area as a valuable Wilderness component. 

The canyon is home to abundant wildlife including bear, big horn sheep, river otter, deer, bald eagles, and osprey to name a few.

The trip begins in Salmon, ID and ends in McCall, ID.

Day 1   We meet at the airport in Salmon, Idaho where folks are arriving by car and plane. When all are gathered, we load up for the 2-hour bus ride to the put-in at Corn Creek boat ramp. We stop at the North Fork store en-route to pick up last minute personal beverages and whatever else you might be lacking.
At put-in packing overnight bags takes place and the oar boats are rigged. After the organizational talk and lunch, we hit the water! Yay! The Main is drop-pool in character. She is easy on us today, allowing time to knock the rust off and get used to big water. Camp offers time to relax, recount the days highlights, eat a delicious homemade meal and get a great nights sleep.

The description of each day varies from trip to trip, as does our daily mileage. Based on the camps we get, these range between 10 – 22 miles a day.
Here is a potential itinerary:
Days 2   Today’s rapids include Alder Creek with playwaves, Rainer Creek, and Devil’s Teeth. A quick stop for riverside petroglyphs is on the docket. After lunch we enter the stunning  Black Canyon and stop at Bathtub Hotsprings. 
Days 3   Today is often a BIG whitewater day that might include Baily, 5-Mile, Split Rock and Big Mallard, and maybe even Elkhorn.
Days 4  Our big rapids could be Elkhorn and Whiplash rapids. We stop to visit a couple homesteads to get a feel for the Salmon’s interestingly eclectic, early characters. We also float by the confluence with the South Fork Salmon.
Day 5   This day is more mellow. We visit another homestead and the sandy camp beaches grow in size. 
Day 6 The trip isn’t over until it’s over! Great whitewater leads to the boat ramp at Carrie Creek with the thrilling Chitam and Vinegar Creek rapids. We’ve had time to grow our skills and we’re ready!
At take-out we organize and eat lunch. Our bus takes us with our gear back to McCall, Idaho. Some folks are dropped where personal cars have been shuttled to McCall, others ride the bus into Boise, Idaho.