Category Archive: Salmon River Rafting

1. Do You Know What Watershed You Live in?

   January 22, 2025 6:50 pm Comments Off on Do You Know What Watershed You Live in?

   Let’s start by defining what a watershed is: it’s the land area that channels rainfall and snowmelt

   into creeks, streams, and rivers, eventually flowing into larger bodies of water like reservoirs,

   bays, or the ocean. In essence, a watershed is the land that collects water from precipitation

   and funnels it to a body of water.

   While we may be familiar with bodies of water that are around us, we still may not know what

   watershed we’re connected to. We don’t have to travel far to connect with nature and the water

   that sustains us— in fact, we can look to our backyards.

   Connecting to Your Watershed

   Find out what watershed you live in!

   The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers a tool called “How’s My Waterway”,

   which helps you find your watershed, check water quality, and learn about local

   restoration efforts. Just enter your address or city, and the tool will highlight the water

   sources your area relies on.

   Spend time in your watershed

   Take time to explore the streams, creeks, rivers, lakes, and ponds around you. Notice

   how they change through the seasons—you might discover a new swimming spot, a

   gentle cascade, or a view that takes your breath away. This simple connection can

   deepen your appreciation for your watershed.

   Discover your local watershed organizations

   There are many organizations that aim to protect the waterways in your area. Take time

   to find out who they are and the projects they’re working on! Oftentimes there are

   opportunities to volunteer with these organizations that will allow you to contribute to the

   health of your watershed.

   Participate in a river cleanup

   As you explore your watershed, take a few moments to pick up any trash you see. Or,

   consider organizing a cleanup event! Make it fun—see who can find the most unique

   item or collect the most trash. Every little bit helps keep our waters clean.

   Incorporate creativity

   Creative expression is a powerful way to connect with your watershed. Find a spot that

   inspires you to draw, paint, or sketch. You might write a poem or a song about this

   waterway. Photography, jewelry-making, or collage are also beautiful ways to channel

   the spirit of the place. Let creativity be a bridge to connecting with your watershed, even

   if it’s your first time.

   Learn about local flora and fauna

   Each watershed supports a unique ecosystem of plants, animals, and insects. Spend

   time learning about the species that rely on your local water sources. Understanding

   which trees, wildflowers, fish, birds, and even insects are native can enhance your

   appreciation for the biodiversity around you. Join a guided nature walk, look up local

   wildlife guides, or visit your library for resources.

2. Lessons: What You Can Take Home

   January 10, 2025 10:26 pm Comments Off on Lessons: What You Can Take Home

   After six unforgettable days rafting down the Salmon River with Canyons River Company, the river’s roar fades, and the rhythm of paddling gives way to the hum of daily life. While you can’t pack up the wild rapids, towering canyon walls, or the camaraderie of camp, there’s so much you can take home. The true value of the trip lies in the lessons learned—tools for navigating not just rivers but the currents of everyday life.

   Here’s what a Canyons adventure gives you to carry forward, long after the trip ends:

   1. Take Care of Yourself

   Hydration, sunscreen, and rest weren’t just encouraged—they were essential for enjoying every moment on the river. Your guides emphasized self-care because thriving on a multi-day river trip starts with taking care of your body and mind. Back home, the hazards may look different—stress, overwork, or distraction—but the principle remains. Prioritize rest, carve out time for yourself, and nourish your body. Just as a well-cared-for guest enjoys the river more fully, you’ll find that taking care of yourself helps you show up better in every aspect of life.

   2. Keep Taking Risks with People

   Around the campfire, over shared meals, and in the raft, you found yourself connecting with people you’d only just met. Guides and guests alike leaned into the vulnerability of sharing stories, laughter, and even fears. These moments of trust and connection made the experience unforgettable. At home, it’s easy to retreat into routines, but relationships require the same openness and effort. Trust others, take chances, and embrace the richness of meaningful connections.

   3. Persevere Through Challenges

   Paddling against a headwind, pushing yourself on a hike to a scenic overlook, or ducky-ing a thrilling rapid all demanded grit. But it was worth it—especially when you could kick back at camp with a cold beverage and reflect on the day’s accomplishments. Life’s challenges may not always be as exhilarating, but perseverance is just as critical. Face difficulties with patience and determination, and you’ll emerge stronger and ready for the next adventure.

   4. Keep Learning

   Whether it was finding rhythm in the paddle raft, pitching a tent, or singing a new campfire song, the river encouraged growth through learning. Canyons’ guides are experts at fostering curiosity and confidence in every guest, helping you master skills you didn’t think possible. At home,

   continue this mindset. Dive into something new—a hobby, a skill, or even a change in perspective. Staying curious keeps life vibrant and exciting.

   5. Kindness Goes a Long Way

   From the respect shown to the river and its wildlife to the care extended to fellow guests and guides, kindness was everywhere on this trip. It’s a reminder that small acts—helping someone with their dry bag, complimenting a guide’s cooking, or simply sharing a laugh—can ripple out in ways that matter. Bring this same kindness into your everyday life. Generosity and empathy brighten not only your own day but also the world around you.

   6. Embrace the Moment

   Life on the river is about embracing the moment, whether you’re dropping into a Class IV rapid or enjoying the serenity of calm water. A Canyons trip allows you to slow down, appreciate the beauty around you, and celebrate the small joys—a sunrise over the canyon, a soak in a hot spring, or a heartfelt toast at the end of the day. Let the river remind you to bring this sense of wonder and presence into your daily routine.

   The days on the river may have flowed by too quickly, but the lessons and memories don’t have to end. Just as the Salmon River keeps flowing, so can the spirit of your trip.

   When you return to your routine, let the river inspire you to live with intention, connection, and gratitude. Celebrate the big rapids and the calm stretches—they all contribute to the adventure. Carry the essence of your Canyons River trip forward, and let it guide you toward a life filled with joy, resilience, and connection.

   Written by Canyons guide Jessie Longe This blog was Inspired by Morgan Hite’s ‘Briefing for Entry into a More Harsh Environment’

3. The Salmon – A Free Flowing River

   December 20, 2024 8:33 pm Comments Off on The Salmon – A Free Flowing River

   If you’ve ever had the good fortune of being on a Canyons river trip, you’ve probably heard one – if not all – of your guides ramble on about how special it is that the Salmon River is free-flowing, and how important it is to keep it that way for future generations. Indeed, the Salmon River – and its tributaries – run freely, unimpeded by dams and diversions, for more than 400 miles from its source to the confluence with the Snake River. There’s no doubt that this is extremely uncommon: for a river of this size, in a nation as developed and industrialized as the United States, to remain free-flowing a quarter of a way into the 21st Century – a lot of people had to fight very hard to make that happen.

   But just because something is uncommon does not imply that it is important. Of course, even the layman can understand that a free-flowing river provides a healthier environment for the flora and fauna that live within and alongside it than one that is obstructed by dams. From the fish, the birds, the bears, the beavers, the insects, the vegetation, to every other living thing that relies on the Salmon River – they all benefit from it running freely.

   Yet I believe that the importance of a free-flowing river extends beyond its environmental value. Indeed, I believe that free-flowing rivers carry within them INTRINSIC value. In other words, it is vital that a river remains free-flowing simply because that is how nature intended rivers to exist. Water – and moving water in particular – is the life force of any environment. All living things, in way or another, rely on streams, creeks, and rivers for sustenance. It is a universal theme across all life forms, in every corner of the world. Building a dam on a river – essentially killing it – creates a major disruption in the circle of life that reverberates throughout space and time.

   Water is the blood of our planet, and rivers are her arteries; would you block your arteries and not expect it to have terrible consequences? I think not. It’s why here at Canyons we are so drawn to the majesty of the Salmon River; every time I get to travel down these sacred waters, I am overcome by feelings of immense gratitude. It is a blessing to experience a river in its natural form: wild and free.

   Nicky 


4. Kayaking with Canyons

   December 10, 2024 8:20 pm Comments Off on Kayaking with Canyons

   Canyons is unique in a multitude of ways. One that stands out in particular is the strong kayaking culture that has been a centerpiece of Canyons since its inception in 1985. In the wide world of commercial river rafting, the status quo is to put all the guests in a raft (or if they’re really lucky, a dory) that is guided by a trained, professional guide. At Canyons, however, we cater to whitewater boaters of all types: those who kayak, canoe, row their own rafts, or even those who have no prior whitewater experience but are eager to hop in an inflatable kayak (i.e., ducky) or on a stand-up paddle board.

   Ask almost any guide on any river in the industry, and they would tell you that the thought of putting guests in their own boats on a multi-day, class III-IV wilderness trip would stress them out to no end. It is far easier to simply pile all the guests into a few rafts and not be concerned with teaching them how to paddle, how to read whitewater, how to communicate with other boaters, how to self-rescue in the event of a swim, etc. But at Canyons, we’ve never been about doing things a certain way just because it’s “easier” – we’re about providing the most fulfilling, rewarding, and empowering experiences possible on the river.

   Make no mistake: being a guide who is responsible for guests in their own boats – as opposed to your own – is exponentially more challenging and complex. You’re no longer just navigating your own craft down the river; you’re managing a multitude of boaters who span a wide spectrum of ability, experience, and confidence levels, offering them tips to improve their whitewater skills, providing valuable information about the rapids, and – inevitably – executing countless rescues when then fall out of their boats and go for an unexpected swim. It’s what separates your Canyons guides from the rest of the pack.

   I speak from personal experience when I say that as a guide, there is nothing more rewarding than facilitating the opportunity for a guest to paddle or row their own craft down the Middle Fork or Main Salmon. Many of the guests we take down the river with us have dreamed of navigating these magic waters for years, or even decades. To play a part in turning that dream into reality – to bring it to fruition – is truly special, and I am grateful for this opportunity on every Canyons trip.

   Nicky Gallo

5. My Favorite Tree, The Ponderosa

   July 16, 2024 6:23 pm Comments Off on My Favorite Tree, The Ponderosa

   One of the most spectacular trees we encounter in the river corridors of the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers is the Ponderosa Pine, Pinus ponderosa. Ponderosa is a gymnosperm, meaning “naked seed,” and includes all cone bearing plants. The most familiar members are the fir and pine trees. Gymnospermae is a very ancient clade (grouping) of plants, originating in the Carboniferous, about 295 to 360 million years ago (mya). The Carboniferous is famous for the great explosion of plant life on the Earth which took place, leading to extensive deposits of Carbon (dead plant material and this period’s namesake) and thus the vast beds of coal humidity has been mining for hundreds of years. The evolutionary history of the Gymnospermae, and thus P. ponderosa is long and rich, giving us the great stands we see today in Idaho.

   Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) is a familiar sight in the landscape of the American West. Its range stretches from British Columbia all the way to New Mexico. Both Spokane, Washington and the state of Montana claim it as their featured tree. Most of the Mogollon Rim of northern Arizona is covered by vast forests of Ponderosa; it is the largest contiguous forest of them in the world. The Ponderosa has the widest distribution of any pine in North America. An Oregon botanist measured one tree that stood 235 feet tall and boasted a circumference of 27 feet! Their beauty and sheer size make the Ponderosa Pine one of the most recognizable trees in Idaho’s rugged river canyons.

   These big trees are particularly well adapted to the sunny, semi arid, fire adapted ecology of central Idaho. Ponderosa pines respond best to fires occurring every 5 to 10 years. At this frequency, forest fuels never have a chance to accumulate, resulting in lower intensity burns that don’t reach the upper canopy of the forest. Ponderosa can easily withstand these lower intensity fires. Its beautiful bark, a mosaic of small jigsaw puzzle shaped pieces, protects the tree in two ways. First of all, it is thick and retardant to flames. Second and most fascinating, these individual puzzle pieces of bark “jump” from the tree when ignited, helping to prevent the spread of flames. Smaller, frequent fires keep underbrush from growing thick thus allowing more sunlight to reach seedings and helping the forest stay healthy.

   Beside the obvious use of Ponderosa for firewood and building material, the inner bark, or cambium, was consumed by indigenous people of the Salmon River. During lean times, the thick outer bark would be removed to reveal the calorie rich tissue underneath. These “peel trees” are a common sight on benches above the high water mark. Living peel trees are a direct connection to the Sheep Eater people that inhabited the canyons of the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers.

   From the cool shade Ponderosa Pines provide on a hot summer day to their fascinating and ancient evolutionary roots, these trees are something to behold. Their immense size and age, as well as their graceful beauty, will captivate any river runner’s imagination. Next time you find yourself around these majestic trees, take a moment to appreciate their incredible story.

   Spencer Roth
   June 2024

6. Come Wine and Dine with Team Canyons!

   February 22, 2024 7:43 pm Comments Off on Come Wine and Dine with Team Canyons!

   As a Canyons Guide,  every year I look forward to our annual Wine and Culinary Trip. This is a specialty trip that takes place towards the end of every season on the Mighty Main Salmon.

   Everyone’s favorite river guide and chef extraordinaire, Lisa “Whizzy” Whisnant prepares the menu with delicious meals inspired by her “Off-the-Grid Restaurant” in which she runs during the Winter called the Blue Moon Yurt! All of Whizzy’s fabulous food is paired with Old and New World Wine from around the Pacific Northwest. We are lucky enough to be joined by some fantastic sommeliers that will help educate and explore your wine palate!

   It truly is a magical trip! Delicious food, paired with incredible wine, and 6 days on the Main Salmon River?! Heck Ya! What could be better?

   I have been lucky enough to work this trip year after year, and have gotten to help prepare so many of Whizzy’s amazing food creations. Whizzy is incredibly talented and creative, and comes up with a lot of her menu ideas in her dreams!
   One of the reasons I love working this trip is getting to step outside our comfort zone in the kitchen. Whizzy is a great teacher, and has an incredible vision for putting such amazing flavors together and creating a “party” In your mouth with each and every bite! She is patient with having a bunch of river guides asking her questions, always has the best attitude, and teaches us to taste what we are cooking. The food that we prepare on this trip is absolutely fantastic and made entirely from scratch.
   My favorite meal we have prepared on the Wine and Culinary trip is her “Portobello Kiss” which is a grilled portobello mushroom, topped with her poblano pesto sauce, grilled peppers and onions, manchego cheese and pesto all wrapped in filo dough and baked in a dutch oven. When baked, the portobello looks like a Hershey’s Kiss! The portobello is then placed directly in the middle of two separate sauces: garlic basil sauce and green chile. Also served with this meal is sauteed brussel sprout leaves with chorizo. I love everything about this meal, and it tastes unlike anything I have ever eaten before! Can you say, best meal ever?
   The is a Six Day River Trip that ends at Mackay Bar Ranch. We will spend four nights and five days sleeping on the banks of the Salmon River and dining in Paradise. The last night will be spent at Mackay Bar Lodge where the trip will end and guests will fly out the next morning!

   Come see the Magic of Our Wine and Culinary Trip for yourself! We would love to have you join us! Just know that you will need to book early for 2025, as this trip sells out every year!

   Stay tuned for the next blog post where I’ll talk about the Magic of the Blue Moon Yurt.

   Kelli O’Keefe, Canyons Guide

7. The Gift of a River Trip for Dad.

   January 29, 2024 8:34 pm Comments Off on The Gift of a River Trip for Dad.

   The Gift of a River Trip

   August 2023
   This old button-down has ‘DAD’ written all over it: drawings of fly fishing flies labeled with their unique names like ‘wooly bugger’ and ‘caddis pupa’ pattern the frayed flannel. I’m checking off items from the Canyons Packing List as Dad sorts through his clothes. He offered me his beloved Orvis flannel, saying it had shrunk in the wash and I could keep it if I liked.
   Greg, the owner of Canyons, offers full-time guides an incredible benefit of bringing a family member or friend on a Canyons trip. As a Christmas gift, I invited Dad on a September, Main Salmon River Trip. So we are going over the packing list again and I’m triple checking his flights and travel plans. I am prepared. Prepared to keep him comfortable on the bumpy bus ride and whitewater roller coasters. Prepared to help him hike the steep mountains, catch a trout in the river, stay warm through the crisp fall nights, break the ice in conversations with the other guests… I have magnesium if the groover doesn’t call, a cot if he’s uncomfortable sleeping on the ground, a chair to support his back as he rides in the rafts… I am prepared.

   Sept 2023 – Day 2 of the trip
   I am not prepared for my dad to have an absolute blast.
   This morning I tried to pry Dad away from an engaging conversation with a new friend and fellow guest on the trip so he wouldn’t miss breakfast. After yesterday, I realized that my dad and I haven’t spent that much time together as adults separate from family gatherings or reunions. I forgot that Dad is a social butterfly. He is so drawn to the Canyons ‘social circle’ that he hasn’t even cast a fly!

   Sept 2023 – Day 4
   Dad is my guest, but also my dad out here. Sweat rolled down my neck as I roasted the New York Strip and Dad kept a fan on me! Tonight he ‘filmed a cooking show’ as I layered the lasagna and we partnered for an impromptu act in the Talent Show. We’ve had a couple of times where it’s just been us in the raft; he’s listened to my human history and geology talks…as well as some grumbles about the headwind. I’ve watched him engage with every guest on the trip and eventually, catch a trout (with a little help).

   Sept 2023 – Day 5
   Launching on a new moon, we bundled up each night to watch the shooting stars together. He hiked a steep scramble to a ridgeline, smiled through the whitewater, and slept deeply each night, tuckered out from the pace and excitement of the river trip. It warmed my heart to see my fellow guides take care of Dad: Colin crafted a special ‘anatomical heart-shaped pancake’ (Dad is a cardiologist) and Greg reserved a seat in the dory for the big whitewater day.
   I spent all my energy preparing for the logistics of this river trip–not realizing that the experience will speak for itself. Dad surprised me on all fronts. I’ve watched guests enjoy the Salmon River with their family and now I truly understand how special it is to share a river trip with my dad.

8. Meet Velvet, A Dory on the Salmon!

   January 23, 2024 1:35 am Comments Off on Meet Velvet, A Dory on the Salmon!

   Welcome to the Team, Velvet!

   “Is that…a dory?!” Folks at the boat ramp crane their necks to get a better view of the elegant wooden boat. Only 13’ 6” long, she’s one of three ‘Double Chubble’ dories ever built. She’s the perfect size for both big water and low technical flows which characterize the free-flowing Salmon River. Greg, owner of Canyons River Company, strokes the little boat gently and then fluffs the pillows that adorn her benches. He welcomes the onlookers to admire the fine craftsmanship of Fretwater Boatworks.

   Greg is good friends with Brad Dimock, owner of Fretwater Boatworks. One of Greg’s dreams was to row a lavender dory on the Salmon River, so Brad and his co-worker, Cricket, brought this dream to life by building Velvet.

   Working both in the Grand Canyon and on Salmon River, Greg quickly learned of dory-lore. He had the opportunity to row a friend’s dory named Thunder River down the Grand and it was love at first stroke. Greg describes the allure of captaining this special craft: “It feels like you’re kayaking…but you can take friends in your boat!”

   Velvet Falls is the first significant drop on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. Back in 1995 when Greg was a young river guide, Velvet Falls stood out to him as a “beautiful rapid” and since then it has “always held a special spot”. It just so happened that after Velvet was built, named, and christened in the Salmon River, the rapid of Velvet Falls changed forever from a massive landslide.

   Landslides in the Salmon River corridor often occur after forest fires. A fire cycle is natural and healthy in this ecosystem; however, a history of poor environmental decisions have had detrimental consequences. Downstream dams preventing the keystone species of salmon returning to the ecosystem and forest mis-management are two major human impacts that have contributed to the recent catastrophic fires.

   Dories are often named to memorialize the earth’s natural wonders that have been badly injured by human activities; some historic dories are Marble Canyon, Hidden Passage, and Quartz Creek. Martin Litton, a devoted dory pioneer and environmentalist, began this tradition as a way to inspire river activism. He believed that if you got people down to rivers, it would inspire them to take care of these places. Unintentionally, Velvet followed tradition and became a living memory of her namesake.

   Velvet has navigated the mighty Main Salmon and Lower Salmon. In 2024, Greg says “she’ll be making her way upstream to the Middle Fork, just like a little salmon returning home”.

   We hope you’ll have the chance to ride in her. “She’s a spunky little filly, always ready to ride!”

   written by Canyons guide, Jessie Longe

9. Offbeat Interview Series with Ren

   February 15, 2021 6:12 pm Comments Off on Offbeat Interview Series with Ren

   

   Hi! My name is Kathryn (Ren) Egnew, and I was born and raised right here in McCall, Idaho. I grew up skiing, kayaking, rafting, and mountain biking, but soccer and horseback riding were my main focus until college. After a (very) short stint as a college athlete I moved to Moab to be a river guide for Sheri Griffith River Expeditions. After a summer in the desert I relocated to Bozeman MT to go back to school for GIS and Snow Science. Five years in Bozeman taught me to love the outdoors more, took me all over the world to ski and kayak, and helped me find my passion at the crossroads of guiding and backcountry awareness and stewardship.

   I was living abroad when the pandemic began, so I bailed back to the States and landed in McCall. What was supposed to be a couple months “reset period” turned into a year and a refound love of Idaho. I am currently spending my time working towards my AIARE teaching and guiding certifications in the winter, and playing on the river and tending to my garden in the summer. Happy to be home!

   In your guiding career (on or off river), what has been your favorite “woohoo!” moment?

   Rowing the Big Drops in Cataract Canyon for the first time.

   In your guiding career (on or off river), what has been your most memorable “uhoh!” moment?

   Going left at Bedrock Rapid in the Grand Canyon…it wasn’t technically a guided trip, but no one in my boat knew much about rivers and it was certainly a spicy line!

   What is your favorite dress-up theme?

   Anything leopard print!

   What intrigues you about working for Canyons?

   I have always been drawn to the sense of camaraderie and family at Canyons. It is this unwavering sense of place and unconditional love that has made me want to be a part of Team Canyons for a very long time.

   What are three words that describe you?

   Adaptable, bold, creative.

   What is your favorite thing about the Middle Fork or Main Salmon?

   The beautiful clear water and the hot springs!

   If you could be a river creature, which one and why?

   I would be a river otter because they are so good at playing and napping with equal voracity.

   If you could bring anyone on a river trip, who would it be and why?

   Beyonce.

   What is one of your river rituals or superstitions?

   Never talk about the Big W! (wind)

   What are your personal top 3 MUST HAVES on a river trip?

   A sketchbook, coffee/cocktail mug, and a good river dress.

   Where is your favorite groover spot?

   Any spot overlooking a big rapid. It helps move things along and gives you another chance to scout!

   What is the most important lesson the river has taught you so far?

   I know this is extra cheesy, but the river really has taught me to go with the flow and to be comfortable working with what I have at the moment.