Category Archive: Middle Fork of the Salmon River

1. River toilet….Feelin’ GROOVY!

   January 30, 2016 8:01 pm Comments Off on River toilet….Feelin’ GROOVY!

   You want me to poop in what?

   A box? A groover? Say what?

   What is a GROOVER?

   That character from sesame street? No silly, a groover is a river toilet. Some people call them Johnnies, some call them the shitter and some call them the ‘groover’. The name groover originates from trips operating back in the ’70s. You see, back then and for some companies, today, a 20 MIL rocket box is what you use to poop straight into. Military rocket boxes are watertight, in theory, which is a good system for holding our waste. In the event that a boat should flip and it’s carrying the poop, we don’t want there to be any leakage. Now back in the 70’s when folks were figuring these systems out, no one thought to bring a toilet seat, so when you sat down to, you know poop, you just sat down right on the can and when you were done you were decorated with two nice grooves down the backs of your thighs. We all know that in the 70’s it was fashionable to wear short shorts, so those grooves were shown off nicely, hence the naming of the groover.

   Don’t be afraid!

   Today we actually bring toilet seats, so you don’t have to rock the grooves (unless you want to of course). There are many companies that make different varieties of boxes, so not everyone still uses military rocket boxes. The Groover usually secures the most private and gorgeous spot in camp, ‘a poop with a view’. And the view changes every day!

   Why a portable toilet?

   On the Middle Fork of the Salmon, approximately 10,000 people travel down the river a YEAR. This is true for many other rivers in the country as well. With such large numbers of visitors, it would be challenging and costly to install, maintain and monitor toilets at every campsite. Therefore it has become common practice to “Pack it in and Pack it out”, which applies to ALL waste. Now whether it’s a National Park, Forest Service or BLM, mandatory pack list items for a river trip include a portable toilet.

   Infatuation?

   I don’t know why it is but everyone is infatuated with the groover. I think people are just infatuated with pooping in general, I mean there are numerous children’s books including “Everyone poops”, “Everybody poos” and “Where is the poo?”. There are even children’s toys now called Dino poops where you push down on the butt of the Dinosaur and it poops out jelly beans. And on the river, the most talked about system is ‘The Groover’. There have been numerous songs, poems, and stories written about it, as well as multiple volumes of books. There have even been calendars and coffee table books made with pictures of the most scenic groover sites, butts not included!

   Curious…..

   Come try it out. Don’t be afraid. The views are priceless!

    

2. Why is it called ‘The River of NO Return’?

   4:21 pm Comments Off on Why is it called ‘The River of NO Return’?

   And what is a sweep scow or sweep boat?

   Here is a brief history of BOTH.

   The story begins in the mid-1800s when the gold rush flooded Idaho and the banks of the Salmon River. As miners infiltrated what’s now known as the Frank Church Wilderness, communities developed, towns grew and the cities of Lewiston and Clarkston flourished. With the growing demand for lumber, entrepreneurial men capitalized on the use of the Mighty Main Salmon to transport lumber. Due to the wild nature of the river strewn with rapids, boulders and hundreds of miles of twists and turns, simply floating logs from one location to another was out of the question. Having migrated west from the banks of the Mississippi, men with the familiarity of flatboats and their ability to transport huge loads, gave birth to the creation of the sweep scow. A large wooden boat with a flat bottom, ranging in length from 26′ to 38′. Built with a double hull these boats could carry up to 3 or 4 tons and only draw 14 inches of water. The sweep scow was driven by 2 men, one man on each scow, which protruded off of the bow and stern. Each scow averaged in length of about 22′.

   Each boat was hand-built out of green lumber, then loaded with logs and driven downstream from Salmon City to Shoup, Riggins or Lewiston (hopefully, if no carnage prevailed along the way). Upon arrival, the load of lumber was sold, the sweep scow was dismantled and then also sold as lumber. Then the hardiest of men would voyage back to Salmon City and start the whole process again. Thus naming the Salmon ‘The River of no Return’, for the boats would never return.

   Modern Day

   Today, companies use sweep boats to transport big loads down the Middle Fork of the Salmon. The Middle Fork is a low volume tributary to the much larger Main Salmon. In an effort to disperse the heavy loads of a 30 person, 6-day trip, it is necessary to use sweep boats as cargo rafts. The heavier they are the better they track and drive, thus lightening the loads of the passenger crafts. Today’s sweeps are driven by one river guide, average in length of about 22′ and are inflatable rafts. Typically the sweep will leave camp before the group and go straight to camp. The Middle Fork, the Main Salmon and the Rogue River in Oregon are the few rivers that still have sweep boats in operation.

3. Equal Opportunity Eating

   4:21 pm Comments Off on Equal Opportunity Eating

   Food is LOVE.

   We happily accommodate your food restrictions.

   Are you sensitive or intolerant of certain foods? Are you a picky eater? Or maybe you are a food lover and eat just about anything. Whatever your flavor, we’ve got it here at Canyons. In today’s age of heightened sensitivities and awareness concerning our diets, we at Canyons have created a menu that meets everyone’s needs. Standard fare on a Middle Fork or Main Salmon trip includes Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Nut Free options at every meal, including snacks! But epicureans fear not. All of our meals are delicious, regardless of dietary restrictions, surprising even the most elite foodies. And if you are a Foodie, a lover of all foods and no restrictions apply, Canyons offers EQUAL opportunity eating! Steak, potatoes, eggs, bread, cheese, fruit, cookies, bacon, etc., the list goes on.

   

   Meet Lisa…..

   Canyons’ menu has been WOW-ing guests for 30 years! We’ve been blessed with the skills of culinary artist Lisa Whisnant, owner of Blue Moon Yurt, who has helped design our amazing menu. She also designs a special menu each year for our Culinary and Wine Tasting Trip.

    

   

   Gluten-Free Craze…

   Have you ever had gluten free lasagna? We conducted a blind taste test for an entire summer and not a single person could pick out which lasagna was made with GF noodles (ok maybe a couple of people did but we’re pretty sure they figured out our marking system, you really can’t tell the difference).

   Eat Local…

   Ever eaten Salmon on the Middle Fork of the Salmon? Well here’s your chance. Enjoy Salmon River salmon from the Nez Perce or wild caught Alaskan sockeye, grilled over charcoal on your first night on the river. Are you a supporter of Eat Local? Well, guess what? So are we! Canyons buys local as much as possible including farm fresh eggs, Idaho potatoes, locally sourced meats and produce grown in our own garden!

   

   Mad Skills…..

   Many of our guides work in the food industry when not on the river, bringing fun, exciting flare to the table when preparing our meals. Imagine a five-star restaurant with a different scenic setting for every meal, for an entire week or even two.

   Food is LOVE and that’s what you get on a Canyon’s trip. Join us on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, the Main Salmon or do both (Combo), and really spoil yourself!

4. Free-Flowing Rivers

   March 15, 2014 12:38 pm Comments Off on Free-Flowing Rivers

   The annual guessing game of a free-flowing river…..

    

   One of the coolest things about a free-flowing river like the Middle Fork of the Salmon or the Main Salmon is that we never know exactly how mother nature will shed her water each year. The Middle Fork travels approximately 104 miles due north, through the largest wilderness area in the lower 48 states, the Frank Church Wilderness of No Return. On that journey, it drops 3,000 feet vertically. Starting at 6,280’ elevation and converging with the Main Salmon at 3,027′ elevation, the landscape changes from a high alpine forest to a high alpine desert. Along its course, over 100 creeks and springs feed the Middle Fork, increasing its volume 2-3 fold by the confluence with the Main Salmon. Therefore, predicting when and at what elevation all of the snow will melt off each year, is a bit tricky.

   Spring Runoff

   Due to the 3000′ elevation variance, the lower elevation snow tends to come off early and rather quickly, especially when coupled with major rain events, such as rain-on-snow. In 2010, Team Canyons was on the river for an early-season training trip when a rain-on-snow event caused the river to rise from 3 feet to nearly 9 feet in just over 24 hours. This was a historic event, due to the rapidity of this natural shed. Generally, upper drainages are slower to run off and can still be collecting snow well into June.

   This year… the verdict is still out. Check out the current percentages here: Banner summit.

   Early Season Logistics

   One of the biggest things that can affect our logistics is whether the snowpack will hang out in the high country or create avalanches that block the road access into Boundary Creek, the put-in for the Middle Fork. If the road is closed on June 1st, then we have to launch from Indian Creek guard station, a point 25 miles downstream, that is only accessible by small backcountry planes. When this happens, and at low water as well, we use nearly 7 planeloads just to get our gear into the wilderness. This requires breaking down all of our frames and packing oars, coolers, boxes, kayaks and even our giant 18 and 22-foot boats, into small planes.

   High Volume

   On the Main Salmon at high water, one can expect a fast, high volume, swirly river that rivals other great rivers of the west, in technicality and excitement, such as the Grand Canyon and Cataract Canyon. Our early June Main Salmon trips can be high adventure and super exciting if the spring runoff is big. This time of year is a great option for guests who have been on a river trip before. If the river volume exceeds our top-end cutoff, we will cancel (reschedule) a trip for safety reasons.

   Watching and predicting the spring runoff is always exciting for river runners. We look forward to the excitement, the cleansing, and the anticipation. Stay tuned to see how this year’s water levels pan out. You can check our website for current levels on both the Middle Fork of the Salmon and the Main Salmon here: River Levels

   High water is fast and fun and a bit on the chilly side. We highly recommend that you wear a drysuit (you can rent or purchase one online). If you are an adrenaline junkie, the early season might be a good choice for you!