MIDDLE FORK OF THE SALMON RIVER - Idaho August 2020

To Idaho or Bust. August 6-7, 2020

The only thing that hadn’t been cancelled with this COVID pandemic so far is the Salmon River rafting trip we’d booked last winter. We were at a Music Makes a Difference event, and a favorite duo of ours, Moors and McCumber were performing. We’d been introduced to them at a similar event, hosted by my high school pal Bill Zorr a few years before. Not only did we enjoy their performance, we heard about some trips they annually take with a group of their fans. Bill was supposed to travel to Ireland with them next month for example! But we also learned about a rafting trip deal in Idaho and had two slots left. The dates worked perfectly for our summer plans so we booked it the next day. Combining music with a multi-day River adventure - what’s not to love?

Since our original 2020 plan included climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in September, we were going to spend 10 days this August with our hiking group in Colorado to get some altitude training in. The rafting trip fit perfectly, so we’d planned to drive to Idaho (in our new SUV that hasn’t yet arrived) and then meet the hiking group in Colorado. Since Tanzania has been pushed off until 2021, we also pushed off the Colorado portion of the trip. The outfitter, Middle Fork River Expeditions, sent assurance of the COVID precautions they’d put into place, so we booked tickets to Boise on Delta Airlines, using the credits from the April trip to Vegas that had been cancelled.

We left Madison for Boise early Thursday morning, with a couple hour stopover in MSP. We hadn’t been there in awhile and walked our usual loops, marveling at the changes in shops and services. Many gates were closed for renovations during this slack time. But it was eerie how empty the place was, knowing how it should have been bustling with travelers on this Thursday morning in August! Jeff looked at me and asked if we were doing the right thing by traveling. Time will tell.

Easy flight to Boise. The plane only seemed to be half full and we got an upgrade to First Class. We picked up our rental Mitsubishi SUV from Enterprise and before I had the Apple Car Play hooked up we were climbing out of Boise. Easy route, but when 120 miles takes 3 hours that tells you we were up and over a few passes on our way to Stanley. Beautiful drive with ok traffic. The scenery reminded me of bicycling through Washington State - dry, with sage brush on one side of the pass, and tall pines on the other. We passed through several large areas that had burned previously. Ugly and scary, yet the rebirth of the forest is beautiful. We arrived in Stanley about 4pm.

I’d checked out Stanley via google map satellite view, and had expected more of a town. We drove right to our hotel, Mountain Village Resort without realizing we’d bypassed the whole town! We checked in, got settled, then headed to the bar/restaurant for dinner. There we found our favorite Deschutes Brewery “Black Butte Porter,” and a yummy looking menu. As has been our experience now in Northern WI and MN, we found the waitstaff are all wearing masks as are most of the clientele except for when they’re eating or drinking. Has become the norm, and I think that’s great.

After dinner, we walked to explore town, and poked around an outfitters shop and scoped out a few different restaurants- looks like some great options. We saw a guy with packs on his bike (Doug), and stopped and chatted with him a bit. He was quite a character- has done a lot of bike touring all over the world. Just a free spirit that kind of goes with the wind, although he is caretaker for his 92 year old father but his brother is on duty this summer.

The town seemed to have more than its share of free spirits, but also several vacationing families, and young and older couples. The summer help seems to be college-aged kids, not necessarily those on the fringe though as most of them are decked out in Lululemon, and other brand name and not cheap sportswear.

There was a band setting up for a street dance, but we were tired so we strolled back to our hotel.

Friday we were up early and dressed to hike, before heading to the Stanley Baking Company in search of breakfast. The morning was cool, but the sun warmed things up quickly. The view of the morning light on the Sawtooth mountains was beautiful, highlighting a few patches of snow remaining in the saddles. The cafe was very popular so it took awhile to order, but we each had an oatmeal pancake, egg and bacon. And it was so yummy! While we waited, we studied the hiking maps we’d collected last night and chose a trail over the 20+ options within a 20 minute drive.

We’d heard Redfish Lake was beautiful, but the number of people recommending it told us it might be crowded, so we opted for the Alice Lake trail. We turned off Highway 75 and drove two miles down a dusty gravel road. We were surprised to find a full campground and jam packed trailhead parking at the end of the road! We found a spot and hit the trail, a little dismayed by the number of people at first. We saw as many hiking out as in … most with full packs backpacking for multiple days. We walked along the shore of the gorgeous alpine green Pettit Lake. It was as smooth as glass and reflected the surrounding mountain.

We didn’t get started until 10am, and after about two miles, we realized we hadn’t seen anyone in awhile, and although we were following a trail (or trails), we later learned that we’d missed the river crossing … confirmed when the official trail crossed back and became wide again. Our bivouacking portion was fun, scrambling over boulder fields, climbing over or ducking under fallen trees, but it slowed us down. We started doing the math and realized we didn’t have time to do the whole 12-mile out and back to Alice Lake. We climbed a few switchbacks and reached 7700 ft elevation and had a great view before we turned back. This time we crossed the creek and made much better time on the way back. Beautiful day and we felt great!

Back in the car, we decided to check out Redfish Lake on our way back. It was a zoo! Not much social distancing going on - crowded beach, lots of boats on the lake. Messed with our mojo and we couldn’t get out of there fast enough! We drove back to Stanley and it seemed a little crazy too - August Friday afternoon traffic jam.

Back to our hotel for shower and nap, before walking back to town for dinner. We had an awesome and relaxing meal on the patio of the Stanley Supper Club.

At 8:30pm we drove to the Middle Fork River Expedition warehouse to meet our guide and fellow travelers. Seems like a great group and we’re excited to get going in the morning! They gave us our waterproof bags to pack our gear, so we headed back to do that. Ample space in the bag - should have brought my pillow!

River Trip - Day One Saturday August 8, 2020

Due to low water levels, we skipped the first 25 miles of river and flew in small 6-seater planes to Indian Creek. The downside of coming in August is the lower water levers, but the upside is glorious weather!

Our group is 23 guests so last night we split into two groups so three planes could be used to get us to the start. We volunteered to be in the first group with Scott from CO, two families from CA and Mary & Mark from Plymouth MN.

After a good nights sleep we were excited when the alarm went off this morning and we could finally get started. Jeff reported it was a frosty 34 degrees outside so we layered up a bit, knowing it’d warm up fast. Some final packing and we headed out in search of breakfast and coffee.

None of the restaurants or cafes had hours posted, and we arrived at the Stanley Bakery and Cafe at 6:55am, and were first in line when they opened at 7am. Oatmeal, Caramel Roll and coffee and I was ready to go. We chatted with the CA families and then drove the few blocks to the MFRE outfitter to load up on the school bus for the short ride to the airport.

Flying on these little planes is a bit out of my comfort zone, but after Alaska I know that the fear is a trade off of a fabulous way to see the terrain. Our pilot Josh seemed confident which was reassuring to me, and off we went. We headed North, over much burned forest from a long ago fire. Finally we were over beautiful green forest and the river appeared - looking much more massive than it was in Stanley! From my seat on the left side of the plane, I could see the runway and the lead plane landing. We banked sharply and made a 180 degree turn, and while it was fun, I’m pretty sure I went about 3 minutes without breathing!

There were four different outfitters gathered at the Indian Creek put-in, groups smaller than ours and all kinds of configurations of paddle boats and rafts. Another group was just getting started as we caught the end of their safety briefing, the other two smaller groups had camped there and we got to see what our camp kitchen set up would likely look like.

I was glad we’d taken the first flight in to relax on the beach and get to know our guides, who’d spent the night there getting ready for our departure.

An information board described the following about this wilderness area: Established in 1980 as the “River of No Return” wilderness area, it was renamed in 1984 as the Frank Church Wilderness Area, after a senator from Boise who was successful in getting this and other wilderness legislation through Congress. This is the largest contiguous National Forest Wilderness area in the lower 48 states, encompassing over 2 million acres. The River of No Return nickname was because once one went down the river, it was impossible to paddle back up! For most of the River, there is a trail along the bank but even that is treacherous in spots!

The signs also described the native culture of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River which was home to the Tuku-Deka band of the Shoshone and Bannock Indian tribes. The bighorn sheep were vital to their survival and they were given the name “Sheep Eaters” by early settlers. The sign said we’d see signs of their art, tools and homes as we travelled down the river. Made me sad to know like so many other native cultures, the “progress” of the white man destroyed their way of life.

We are a large group and had two choices for this trip. One was the oar raft, where you sit in front or in back and the guide paddles. We had 5 of those (2 were used for those interested in fishing most of the time). The other option was inflatable kayaks called “duckies.” We had 5 singles and one double ducky. Jeff and I chose the duckies, and they were a lot of fun. It’d be too hard for active people like us to sit on a raft all day long while the guide paddles!

Our lead guide is Jessie, who we met last night. Other guides are Sadie, Taylor, Jacob, Mark, Mike and Sarah. Sadie and Mike went ahead with the sweeper boat containing all of our gear.

We saw other groups that went by were using the rafts I’d experienced before where everyone paddles and the guide sits in back steering and calling out commands.

The river today was easy rapids, but a few where we could have gotten into trouble! Jeff and I were assigned to follow our main guide, Jessie. She was an awesome “mother duck” to us and let us know when we were coming upon a serious drop and what route to take.

The duckies were pretty easy to turn and I had a really fun day! It’d be so exhilarating to shoot through the “V” in the rapids. A few times I got hung up on a rock, but was able to wiggle off. I didn’t ever feel like I was in danger of swamping! There are small holes in the bottom of the kayak so you’re sitting in water all the time. When you’re in the rapids though, cold water rushes over the bow and completely soaks you, adding to the exhilaration!

After a bit we pulled over to a campsite where the guides made lunch - sandwich buffet with fresh fruit. It’s taking awhile to get used to “river time,” and I’m trying to just relax and not feel like we have to be on the move. Jacob lead us on a hike up a steep hill to a former Feldspar mine, and of course I didn’t go in, but many did. Getting down the hill in river shoes was tough, but everyone made it without incident!

Back in the boats, our toughest rapids of the day was right after lunch. Jeff and I had walked and scouted it, yet I was really nervous! It looked like you had to stay left, but yet it seemed like it’d be easy to get slammed sideways into a large rock. I was starting to learn that steering the ducky was less power paddling and more steering, and mainly by ruddering and back paddling.

It was almost a constant stretch of small rapids - I whooped and grinned all afternoon. Once we came to a calm pool and Jessie suggested it’d be a good time for us to jump into the water and practice getting back into the boats. I was already pretty wet, so I jumped in and found that the ducky was pretty easy to climb back into. Good to know!

We stopped at a beautiful rock beach and took a break. People that were hot from sitting on the rafts swam there, but I stretched out in the sun and had a little nap. Another half mile more and we came to our camp.

We collected our dry bags with our clothes, and also our corresponding number bag with sleeping bag and pillow, and a tent and sleeping pads. Jeff and I selected a tent site right above the next rapids so we can sleep to the wonderful sound of moving water. We set up our tent. I climbed in to change out of my wet shorts and it was so snuggly I had a nap.

I emerged about 5pm, and people we’re doing their own thing: swimming, chatting, watching the water, fishing. The guides were working to prepare dinner, cooking steak and pork over the fire, cheesy potatoes in a Dutch oven, and brownies in a second Dutch oven. Fabulous dinner, and more conversations with our fellow travelers and guides, then James and Kort played some songs - amazing talent and stories.

As we snuggle into our tent, it’s cooling off but we’re not bothering with our rain fly. Warm clothes and sleeping bags should be enough. The smell of the campfire, the sound of the river, the clean cool air. Couldn’t be anymore removed from the real world and it’s wonderful!

Sunday August 9, 2020 Day 2

Last night was glorious to be camped right next to the river. It got colder as the night progressed but we were ready for it. They provided us with 2” sleeping pads (Paco Pads) plus we’d brought our own sleeping pads (there was no cold coming from the ground and I felt like the Princess and the Pea I was up about 5” from the ground). I started out with just my silk sleeping bag liner, and as the night went on I covered up with the sleeping bag and progressively added clothes as the night grew colder: yoga pants, hooded fleece, fleece socks and hat. We slept without the rain fly, but we’re not used to no dew in the morning - it is so dry here.

This was an ideal campsite and our guides are doing an amazing job handling our large group. Sadie gave us training last night for the most awkward part of remote camping. We’ve been instructed to pee in the river, “the solution to pollution is dilution.” With 10,000 people coming down the river each summer, and the relative lack of rain - the whole place would stink if everyone peed on land! For #2, we have “the groover,” and they’ve worked out a system to tell where it’s located and also if someone else is using it (most important). It’s part of “leave no trace” and they pack it up and take it with us! When we were kids, I called my best friend Katy “Groover” as a nickname, not sure why, and I’m not sure that she’d be flattered that this made me think of her!

I woke with the sun and stretched for a bit, then got dressed and went in search of coffee for me and hot chocolate for JT. We had our hot drinks while we packed up the tent. Our many years of experience have made us pretty efficient at that!

Breakfast was pancakes, bacon and eggs made to order. The kitchen our guides have set up is unbelievable and the food they’re making is wonderful and fresh. After breakfast, it takes the guides about an hour to breakdown camp and get the rafts loaded. Our “sweep,” which is a barge-like pontoon raft holds the majority of our gear. There is a large oar in front, and one in back. Typically, it’s maneuvered downstream by one guide, but we have enough guides on this trip and for two guides to paddle the sweep each day. Unlike a “sweep” in an organized cycling event which is at the end to help the stragglers move along, the river “sweep” goes ahead first to arrive at the campsite to get the “Small American Village” set up in advance of our arrival.

Jessie had told us to be patient during the packing phase of the morning routine, and to not be standing at the river with our PFDs on impatiently waiting to depart! To help us relax and settle in to the pace of the river, she led a small group of us through a yoga session, which was wonderful under the blue sky and in the shade of the ponderosa pines. I’m not sure if I’d ever inhaled air fresher than that during a yoga session!

More about our fellow travelers:

• Our musicians - James Moors and his daughters Lilly (15) and Eve (13) from Superior WI, and Kort McCumber from CO

• Mark and Mary (retired educators from MN and M&Mc super fans)

• Tim from Texas (retired, and now volunteer band coordinator for M&Mc)

• Scott from CO (retired, M& Mc super fan)

• Dave and Lisa from CO, also super fans

• Rex from Arkansas

• Paula from Boise

• Onne and Sherrill with kids (13-14) Bella and Oliver from Marin CA

• Mark and daughters Langdon (14) and Phoebe (13) friends of Bella and Oliver, also from Marin CA

• Narda, from Ketchum ID - Sadie’s mom!

We set off, Jeff and I in single duckies again. We shot a few rapids and I was more comfortable with the paddle strokes - less trying to muscle it through and more going with the flow and even using back paddles to steer. The duckies spin on a dime, and it’s fun after you run the rapids to spin around and watch the rafts behind you come through. It also gives the best panoramic view of the area as you can spin the boat to look at the scenery behind you, rather than craning your neck. In the course of the morning, Tim fell out of the double ducky, and therefore became the first “swimmer” of the trip.

We pulled over for lunch and Sadie gave a talk on the Wilderness Act for those that were interested. It was neat to see her passion on display. I’d read a bit about the FC Wilderness, but I didn’t know much about the Wilderness Act itself and what it means. Here is a summary from her talk:

The Wilderness Act was passed in 1964. This area was designated as “Wilderness” in 1980, and renamed for Frank Church in 1894. The wilderness designation means:

- Natural / Native

- Untrammeled / Unguided (untouched)

- Undeveloped

- Outstanding opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation or solitude

- Must be maintained with minimum tools, ie: handsaw versus chainsaw.

- Things that don’t fit: Middle Fork Lodge (homesteads), airstrips (11 private on federal land), bridges … but these have been grandfathered in.

Our afternoon was more leisurely and the river was gentle. The younger girls were paddling the double ducky together, which made for slow progress down river, but they were having fun. I tried to give them a few pointers, but they weren’t much interested in perfecting their technique. They were more interested in water fights with Langdon who was in a single ducky.

We stopped at a deep pool with an opportunity for cliff jumping. Sadie had led the kids to a spot last night where they could jump near our camp so they were delighted to stop and jump again. I climbed up determined to jump, but it took a couple attempts to make myself actually jump. I was really glad when I did, not for the thrill of the jump, but for powering out of my comfort zone.

With all the dilly-dallying, it was after 5 pm before we arrived at camp and there was no time to hike the 2 miles to the hot spring. Darned “river time,” it feels leisurely, but you still run out of time for all that you want to do!

The site was sandy, and we chose a spot in the sun for our wet river clothes to dry along a large felled pine tree.

It was another beautiful evening. We had cold beer while we listed to James and Kort perform a few songs and watched Mark (the guide) perfectly cook salmon over the fire. The salmon was served with quinoa, salad and apple crisp for dessert.

Without the afternoon nap, I was headed back to the tent just as the sun was going down. Another perfect day of the Middle Fork!

Monday Day 3 August 10, 2020

Another great night sleep - sound of river and cool night. Slept again with the rain fly off and the stars were spectacular, even through the mesh tent. Breakfast was great - fatata baked in the Dutch Oven, and sausages fried on the griddle. Guide Mark was holding court around the fire, conversation about the land and the natives. He mentioned a video, River of Return - about the Shoshone Indian initiative to return to the wilderness - we’ll have to check it out.

Seven of us were interested in the 2.5 mile hike to the hot springs, where a “tub” has been built to capture the hot water. Sadie showed us how to get there on a map and we set off. I led the hike, but it was a team effort to find the side trail to the tub!

The hike went along a trail that follows the river. We walked through sagebrush and areas with ninebark shrubs that had already dried and turned a pretty orange hue. It felt great to be using our legs, and we were able to walk a pretty decent pace. Then we turned and walked along Loon Creek, which was flowing towards us. We passed by the bridge we’d been instructed to take on our way back.

There was a very young couple in the tub when we arrived. They’d flown in from Ketchum just to soak in the tub - college kid with a pilots license and his dad’s plane! They left shortly after we all got in.

We had a great soak, then we were supposed to cool off in the river, but no one really felt like doing that. We dressed and headed out - we had boats to catch!

Back down the trail, we hiked across the footbridge and through the grounds of a small ranch (we’d seen evidence of horses on the trail). Then past the airstrip and another cabin, through a gate and we arrived at the confluence of the rivers.

The rest of camp had packed up and paddled down to meet us at the confluence. They got there first, but I don’t think we kept them waiting too long.

Jeff and I were back in the duckies for the remainder of the morning. We stopped for a quick break at a hot spring that flowed right into the river so the others could experience it.

We had to go to our second choice for our lunch break today as the first option was occupied. We stopped on a beautiful island with several large pines that had tipped over, and the roots still clung to some rocks while the soil had washed away. I thought it was a beautiful art sculpture by Mother Nature herself!

After lunch, Jeff and I opted to ride in the raft. We were both feeling pretty tired and Jessie freaked us out a bit describing some of the rapids we’d be encountering this afternoon. We rode on Jessie’s raft, me in front with Mary and Tim, and Jeff in back. It was fun to see the rapids from higher above the water, and twice we hit a rock and spun around, almost loosing Mary once! Once we were actually stuck on a rock in the rapids and Jessie motioned for the next raft to purposely bump us so we’d dislodge from our perch. While I did enjoy it and it’s interesting hearing what Jessie knows about the river, I think I prefer the solitude that the ducky affords.

One thing Jessie pointed out was a “blow out” that is like a landslide caused by buildup of ash after a forest fire. One particular blow out we passed by changed the river so much that it created a new rapids, but flooded one that had been upstream and is now deep water.

Jessie told us the story of Charlie Norton, a trapper for whom a river is now named. He apparently was attacked by a grizzly and survived, but it was a horrific story of riding 60 miles out to a doctor and having most of his face removed. Her point was about what a tough life the people had that tried to live along with Middle-fork with the remoteness of the wilderness. I imagine that’s just the way they liked it.

We had an additional stop this afternoon for rock jumping, but after being wet most of the day I was finally dry so I declined to leave the raft! Kort jumped in and lost a pair of sunglasses and his hat, but recovered the hat. Phoebe and Eve, the youngest girls who were too scared to jump the previous days, both boldly jumped a few times and everyone cheered.

Another glorious camp tonight. We quickly selected a great spot and set up the tent. Quick nap before dinner.

There was a dead, but standing pine right in the middle of the campsite. From the tree, there was a tremendous racket and I’m not sure why the families set their tents up right underneath it. At first we couldn’t tell if it was birds or squirrels, and you couldn’t see anything. But eventually we saw a woodpecker of some sort bring dinner to a grateful baby bird! I was hoping the fact that we were surrounding the tree with her nest wasn’t avian harassment and she wouldn’t abandon her baby!

As we were eating dinner, an osprey plucked a fish out of the water right in front of us - everyone cheered! He flew down river a bit, then circled back and landed right across the river. Sadie produced some binoculars and it was so cool to see how he or she had that fish pinned to the tree with one foot (set of talons?) and was just tearing the fish apart and enjoying dinner with us. Another osprey landed on the branch but was obviously not welcomed to share the first one’s dinner and quickly departed.

The majesty of this river continues.

Tuesday Day 4 August 11, 2020

There was an option for a hike this morning but we had to leave when coffee was ready and be back in time for breakfast. The designated hike was 1000 feet straight up, but Jeff and I opted to walk along the river trail for about a mile, then back … and then I did just 10 minutes up the straight up trail to get my heart going and also enjoy the great view.

Back for omelets for breakfast, but then we still had the hour of pack up camp waiting time that was frustrating to me this morning. I should have just skipped breakfast and done a longer hike. Sadie showed us how to re-inflate the duckies that had been “rolled” the previous afternoon, not unlike the operation of my inflatable SUP board. After that I just tried to distance myself from the chatter and enjoy some solitude with the river while I did some yoga while balancing on the rocks.

Today we were assigned to follow Sadie as our momma duck. It seemed she took extra care with us (good thing), even once laying out the upcoming rapids using some rocks when we’d stopped on shore for a break. The rapids today for the most part weren’t technical and were lots of fun. Langdon managed to pop out of her Ducky in one of the rapids, and was able to swim through and then get help getting back on. However, Tim managed to tip over in a singe ducky and this afternoon was bounced from a raft, therefore making him Captain of the Middle-fork Swim Team!

We had a couple of great stops today: a freshwater spring where I drank as much cold water as I could and filled my water bottle, we had a surprise ice cream break at Flying B. Ranch, we had another beautiful lunch stop on a hot sandy beach (good to warm up after sitting in cold water all morning) and a short hike to a cave with Shoshone petroglyphs - magical!

At that point, we were given an option to hike up and over a bluff - hot, and tough in my Teva’s but about 10 of us did it and the view made it worthwhile. One side was rugged rock and overgrown shrubs that we had to push through, then the other side was a beautiful golden meadow with stumps of long ago burned pines. When we got back to the river, camp was set up on the other side. Mark rowed over to pick us up, but we also had the option to swim across. Jeff took my phone in the raft and I swam across with Sheryl and Paula. There was about 10 feet to cross with powerful current where I gave it all I had, and then we entered an eddy - where it was still work to swim through, but without the terror of “am I going to make it?”

It was a great way to cool off and clean up. Jeff and I found our bags and set up our tent on a great spot overlooking the river. A group of people took the camp chairs to the shallow gravel bed and we joined them there for cold beer. Soon we heard Sadie yell from the kitchen area that the Margaritas were ready (what?). She brought the jug down to the chair circle and filled our empty beer cans with margaritas. It didn’t take much coaxing to have James and Kort lay down in the river and have Sadie pour from the big jug directly into their mouths.

Surprise night continued as Jessie called us back to camp, where the guides filled a tarp with costumes and everyone dressed up. For the guys, it was basically “cross-dressing” and it was hysterical! Best costume was determined by applause, and three guys were selected for the top vote, but the kids shouted out a vote for Mary, having bonded with her (former school principal), and she was “Queen Mary” for the rest of the trip.

The laughs continued as M&Mc performed a song about the guides that they’d written with the kids. The funniest line was the chorus, where they repeated “Jacob,” sounding a bit like bullfrogs. I’m sure it’s the way his name will be pronounced for as long as he’s a river guide in Idaho!

Another night of great dinner (fajitas) and great music. The guys invited Dave to join in with his harmonica, and he added to the magical sound.

Days 5&6 Wednesday and Thursday August 12&13, 2020

As we get further into the river, we’ve dropped in elevation so the evenings have become progressively warmer, but still cool. The weather has been perfect, although the deeper we get into the canyon, the less sunshine we get on the river.

Wednesday morning we had biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs with bacon and Mike made savory pancakes using the left over quinoa and herbs. Jessie led us through another yoga session, and what an amazing connection to the earth that was. We were in a beautiful camp, where the Shoshone Indians (Tukuduka) had lived for an estimated 10,000 years. They’d spend the summers higher in the mountains hunting Big Horn Sheep, and the winters at camps like this where they lived in Pit Houses - holes about 8 feet deep, with logs and hides for the roof.

We set out on the river, Jeff and me in duckies following Jessie. Just after starting out on Wednesday, we passed the Big Creek confluence that signals the start of the Impassable Canyon. The canyon is so named because with the steep vertical granite walls that rise from the river, the trail couldn’t be built along the river. The canyon is pristine, and one of the deepest gorges in North America, they say even deeper than the Grand Canyon.

We had a few water stops, filling our bottles from a cold spring, and saw a few waterfalls that must be spectacular during high water. I was glad lunch was on a sunny beach again as after a few hours of sitting in the water and having cold shots of water over the bow as we churn through the rapids, I needed to bake in the sun and warm up.

After lunch, we stopped at Veil Falls, the most magical moment of the trip for me. We hiked up to a cavern, and noticed the green oasis which signifies water, and we heard water, but just saw a tiny bit leaching through the cavern. Sadie led Jeff & me and her mom down a trail to a large rock and told us to lay down. From there, we saw this magical mist coming from the top of the cavern. The wind created a migrating curtain of mist, swirling down towards us. It was amazing how with the sun hitting the mist, you could follow a single drop all the way down. I laid there thinking this was the most magical experience I’d ever had in nature, and then I could hear M&Mc singing and playing one of my favorite songs of theirs … “You Take Me Somewhere.” It’d been in my head all week and whenever I hear it from now on, I’ll be transported back to that magical moment.

We probably paddled another hour, with some really fun rapids. Jessie really freaked us out a few times with her seriousness as she was describing where the “ducky eating holes” were and which side of critical rocks we needed to be on. By now, Jeff and I were feeling pretty comfortable with the tiny inflatable kayaks, and even when we weren’t able to hit the exact line we wanted to, we were agile enough to go with the flow, not tip over when we slammed into rocks, and most of all, keep paddling. On occasion, one of us would unintentionally spin in the middle of the rapids and shoot through a hole backwards (like the hotdog kayakers do) - always worked out anyway and we awarded ourselves extra style points! On the last rapids before camp, Jessie instructed us to hug the right side but not get stuck in the shallows, - and then a big paddle to the camp. She warned us not to get sucked into the rushing water along the wall or we’d shoot right by camp. I watched later as Onne did just that, whooping with glee as he shot by in the fast water. I didn’t see how hard his paddle was back to camp however!

Campsite was on a shelf overlooking the rapids and the imposing rock wall across the river. After we landed, we watched two other groups come through the rapids - it was mainly lots of water as the river narrows around the corner, so fun to run but they all sure screamed and got soaked.

The ledge was small so our tents were huddled together, we had our beverage and snack table nearby as well as the fire pit. The kitchen was set up down the hill on a gravel bar. The only problem with the site was the wind whipping through the canyon made it tough to have music on the last night. Those of us that were interested huddled close to James and Kort in order to hear.

Another fabulous dinner - hor d’oeuvres were baked Brie, main course was steak, salad and potatoes with brownies for dessert. The last night was a little somber and reflective. Sadie read us a poem about the river that was quite stirring. After dinner, we gathered near the river for group photos, the guides were getting squirrelly - probably thinking ahead to dropping us off Thursday and many of them are starting with a new group in a day or two!

The cohesiveness of our guide team made this trip really special. They’re all talented with different skills and personalities, and the way they worked together was unusual I’d guess. They seemed to easily share the work, and it seemed ok with the others if one sat and visited with one of us for an extended time. From time to time they’d mess with one another - paddle splashing, or once Sadie leaped to another boat to try to throw one of the guys in - didn’t work, but it happened so fast I was shocked!

The meals they prepared were amazing - day six they were still producing fresh tomatoes and avocados from somewhere in the depths of their magic boxes!

As we prepared for Thursday morning, Jessie told us how crazy the takeout spot can get, so we had the goal to be first group to the there. So coffee was ready while it was still dark, and breakfast was cold but still fabulous (our favorite Greek Gods yogurt with granola everyday, plus lox and bagels today). People packed up efficiently and we were on the river by 8 am.

No one in the duckies today - I think they wanted to move fast, and we had some serious rapids today. It was cold when we started; Jeff and I wore our rain jackets, which is the only thing that saved me from hypothermia. Paula, Jeff and I sat on the front of Jessie’s boat.

Really fun rapids - we got stuck again and spun around and around, but finally needed a bump from Taylor’s raft to become dislodged.

As we came out of the canyon, the sun finally hit the river. As soon as we’d warm up though, we’d slam through the next rapids and get soaked again! After about three hours, we reached the confluence with the Main Salmon River, which had a road running along it. What an odd concept to see cars and buses whizzing by. The road goes just beyond our take out at Cache Bar, to where people who are running the Main put in. One of the coolest parts of being in the wilderness was the sounds: water, wind, birds, an occasional plane. What we didn’t hear: traffic, cellphones, unpleasant blasts of music, the sound of electrical appliances and TV sets. As I saw the first car, I was sad that our serenity was coming to an end.

Mark had successfully landed our sweep boat at the take out. We watched the sweep from another company get up against a rock at the landing and nearly go down the next rapids. Mark ran to help, and they winched it to their truck and brought it back to the ramp.

We unloaded and changed into dry clothes, then said goodbye to the guys who were staying to load and unrig the rafts so they could do it all over again.

Sonja, our bus driver, filled us in on what’s been going on the past six days: Joe Biden picked a VP running mate, earthquake in the Sawtooth Mointains near Stanley, and other Stanley gossip that was only of interest to Jessie and Sadie. I wasn’t quite ready for reality just yet, but you do wonder when you’re completely unplugged if you’ve missed something significant with an event or the health of a family member.

We’d seen a mom and baby sheep one afternoon on the river, but from the bus we saw several who even posed for photos, as well as several mule deer.

We had a box lunch on the bus, and stopped in North Fork where we said goodbye to Mark and Mary (they’d had their van shuttled there to shorten their drive home) and Sadie (who’s fiancé met her there). We did some shopping in their little store and ordered Huckleberry milkshakes which were amazing. Three hours back to Stanley, I read and dozed and it felt like we were back at the warehouse in no time.

Back to the hotel for a glorious shower, and then most of us met for a final dinner and some stories. As usual, we lucked out with great fellow travelers, as typically like-minded people do adventures such as this.

While this was a very special trip, it was different from many of our adventures. We were pretty busy and active most of the time, and with so many others it was difficult carve out downtime and for me that’s often where the magic of getting away happens. I had several moments out of my comfort zone (jumping from the rock, solo kayaking through class IV rapids) and I feel good about that. I really enjoyed the music on this trip. I could have listened to James and Kort for hours each evening. Their harmonies, the easy style with which they play multiple instruments - and in such a magnificent setting. Just wow. Above all, our wonderful team of guides!

We donned our masks and have gone back to civilization and the creature comforts and life that I love so much: our house, our kids, our cat, WiFi, our bathroom with it’s flushing toilet - shower and soaking tub, our work and my garden. But a little piece of my soul will never be the same after the beauty and the inspirational moments along the Middle Fork.