Floating Idaho's Main Salmon River

First night on the Salmon River

I had an amazing bucket list opportunity this summer - a spot on a boat / permit on Idaho's Main Salmon River!

If you know me at all, you know that Idaho is probably my favorite place on earth. I was able to spend my early 20s living and working there - an eye-opening introduction to life in the west.

Rereading the book on the river

At this time I also found the book "The Last of the Mountain Men" in a thrift store in Hailey, ID, which is about Buckskin Bill who homesteaded on the Main Salmon from about 1930-1980. Not only did Buckskin procure all his own food, he also made his own tools, knives, and guns. I have wanted to visit his place since I read that book. I brought my battered copy along to reread while being immersed in that wild county.

The Salmon River runs through the largest wilderness in the lower 48 - the Frank Church Wilderness. It is also the longest undammed river in the lower 48. The Salmon begins high up in the Sawtooth Mountains, and drops 7000' along its course. Its wildest section is the Middle Fork, 100 miles of rapids and wilderness. The Middle Fork meets the Main Salmon just above our put-in at Corn Creek. The Main then runs 80 miles to the take out at Carey Creek. Within that 80 miles, there are 2 pedestrian bridges and 2 forest service roads that reach the river. There are a few lodges and ranches, many with air strips. You can only get in via boat, plane, horse, or foot.

So on July 31st, we flew into Idaho Falls, got picked up by our buddy Collins, went to Cosco to buy our lunches, snacks, and items for the 1 dinner we were responsible on the trip. We also bought a fair amount of beer and other drinks- just saying. :P

We drove to Salmon, Idaho, grabbing some pizza, and then went down the dirt forest service road to Corn Creek. There is a campground at the put-in, and we magically got the last spot. We also began to meet some of the group we were floating with - complete strangers with whom we would be spending the next 7 days. We set up tents and went to bed.

In the morning, we blew up our boat and rigged it all up as the rest of our group did the same. We listened to the mandatory safety and Leave No Trace talk, hearing about the forest fire that prevented us from stopping on shore for about 10 miles. Then we launched around 11am (our typical launch time with all the packing up each morning) and were on our way down the river!

The group of 16 we were with included 5 kids, 11 adults, and 6 boats. This was a group of experienced boaters who had their gear and processes dialed in. We kept clean orderly kitchen with both a hand and dishwashing station. We used a "groover" for number two and had to pee directly in the river. We had to use a fire pan and bring our own wood and pack out all the fire ash. We brought drinking water in large jugs and had large coolers full of ice and delicious fresh food. We sat on and slept on paco pads.

On the third night we stayed at the China Bar Lodge, where a lone 42-year-old female caretaker served used breakfast and dinner. There were numerous cabins and we all took showers and enjoyed using the composting toilet.

Nice sandy beach on our second night.

We got to stop at Campbell's Ferry where one of to pedestrian bridges crossed the river. We saw Francis's cabin

Francis's heavy stove that they brought down river by bat and winched up the slope!

On the fourth day we visited Buckskin Bills - my dream! The fourth and fifth nights included a layover day at the same campsite.

A bucket list dream!

Last day right before the take out when it rained for a bit.

The crew at the take-out. What an amazing trip!