Monster river trip ...

[JoanE]

Adrenaline junkie is right! That you lived to write about it did not unclench my teeth as I read your account of the float. Way to go, girl.

[kdmac]

The "River Rafting Outfits" have a very small window of time to make their money on the rafting season. Typically it starts once the "major" runoff has calmed "a bit". But due to the collossal amount of snow accumulated in the mountains this year..(still snowing and still skiing is some areas of Idaho and Washington, an unheard of circumstance in my memory and I've lived there all my life) there is still a monstrous runoff occurring...and these rafting outfits are being wholly irresponsible, in my humble opinion.

I lived in river rafting country and know these folks that run these outfits....they are incredible athletic strong youngmen and women that still feel "invincible" to danger and since they are loaded with required "insurance" they will take anyone who pays....we older folks no longer have the ablilty to maneuver like them and you wouldn't catch me out there until the water is WAAAYYY Down, and even then, running rivers is dangerous. I have seen the very sad consequence to this irresponsiblity more than once.

Please trust your own instincts and not the encouraging words of the rafting outfits.

[Getupngo]

kdmac, I agree with you 100%. I haven't run the Middle Fork, but I've heard goose-bump stories about the rapids in the upper section. Vickie's company puts in below that upper section ... and advertises the stretch she's doing as a "float" ... which this year would be rather an understatement.

Other web sites say the lower stretch of the Middle Fork has rapids that range from short abrupt drops to long, technical boulderfields (which would be submerged -- and possibly washed out -- at high water). Velvet Falls, Powerhouse, Haystack, Redside, Rubber and Hancock are a few of the river's better known rapids. I'm sure there are lots of less intense rapids in between.

I don't know about the Middle Fork, but I paddled my inflatable kayak the whole length of the Main Salmon (a little over 80 miles) during fairly high water. The rapids on the Main were very straightforward wave trains, with wave height in the major rapids up to 12 feet. The minor rapids (about every 1/4 mile) were about four to six feet at that level. It wasn't dangerous and I didn't swim once during any of those rapids and none of the larger boats capsized or lost human cargo.

Because the rapids on the Main were not the chaotic haystack, lateral-crashing nasties I encountered on the Payettes (a much narrower river), I overestimated my ability last weekend. Once I experienced them -- and capsized -- I felt ill-equipped to continue in an individual boat.

[cpatinjones]

Whew! Not my kind of rafting trip.

I am glad you had fun!

[snowball]

Janice
so glad to hear that you survived safe and sound and totally enjoyed it...me I'm a wooze and admit it have done the white water in the Snake Rive Canyon outside of Jackson WY once! just once love to float and enjoy the scenery....and have to agree you would win the contest if we had one for excitement. We cleaned sites for excitement and watched the Boston Pops fireworks on tv...just down the river from our campground (2 miles) there are the Coffeepot Rapids sadly a man went missing this weekend his canoe was found in the rapids. They are just waiting for the body to surface ...very sad... always is when you hear news like this regardless if you know the person or not
sheila

[flick4411]

WOW! THat sounds fabulous! White-water rafting is on my Bucket List. Can't wait to see the pictures. And add one more vote for the most exciting 4th of July...you certaintly had it! The best fireworks we had were the large and loud lightening strikes we had today during a gusher of a thunderstorm we had today. Right over work with 3 inches of rain in about an hour and a half! Wonder if there was white water on the local rivers????

[VickieP]

Yakn/Vicki, I just Googled the Salmon River to see where it was...
"The Salmon River is located in Idaho in the northwestern United States. The Salmon is also known as The River of No Return."

This is why Yank1 is the NICE VICKIE. Linda

Hey! No comments from the peanut gallery!

[mitch5252]

Wow! What a rush! I have only done class 3 rapids but would love to do a 5 with a good rafting company. It's on my bucketlist

Ditto here! (3+)

I'm envious of your 4th "Celebration", Janice!!

[Bethers]

What an exciting trip and I love reading about YOU doing it. While I'll try all kinds of things - that is not one of them. But love hearing about them, and seeing pictures - and especially knowing you loved it and were not hurt.

The fireworks - I would have been in the middle of that mayhem

[Getupngo]

... still awaiting pictures. Hope no one forgets to send them to me ...

[JoanE]

Janice, if I may ask, did you go with a group or alone? Did you mention your outfitter?

[Getupngo]

No, I was with a private group (22 people) through the Wasatch Mountain Club. The club has a large boating program and provides all of the equipment a group might need (members often bring their own boats & other equipment). It provides oar rigs, paddleboats, duckies, paddles, life jackets & helmets, coolers, kitchens, dry boxes -- the whole thing. We had experienced hands on this trip who have been boating for decades & who run Class IV and V rapids.

The trip leader procures all of the permits and makes camping reservations. We share the work and take turns preparing meals and share all expenses, This three-day trip, including transportation and meals, cost me $136.

[avalen]

holy moly how scary!! just give me a gentle river float any day, no rapids for me, I'm a sissy. You go girl!!!