Still looking for that perfect landscape photo or Instagram selfie? The Middle Fork of the Salmon River is a great place for photographers to hike and capture sweeping vistas of the vast Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. The Middle Fork Trail follows the first 80 miles of the river from Boundary Creek to Big Creek, allowing for access to countless river views and side trails. You and your camera might like these suggestions for hikes that hide some breathtaking landscape and selfie photo moments. Mile… Read More
Whitewater paddlers should carry rafting safety kits and obtain safety/rescue training – especially on rivers that are Class III and harder. Safety kits (also known as “wrap kits” or “pin kits”) contain equipment that can be used to unpin rafts, rescue trapped swimmers, and/or transport people and gear around dangerous rapids. A few years ago I wrote an article about the heavy duty outfitter safety kit we bring on our multi-day commercial trips. For day trips with paddle boats or catarafts I bring a slimmed down… Read More
Personal Floatation Device (PFD) A PFD (Personal Flotation Device) is the single most important piece of safety gear you own since it helps keep your head above water. Beyond comfort and style, there are a few other things you should consider: Choose bright colors, such as red, orange, and yellow that make you visible to a rescuer. Get as much flotation as possible without giving up too much range of motion. If you’re overweight and/or pear shaped you should consider a PFD that works with leg… Read More
In March 2019 we are offering an International Rafting Federation (IRF) Guide Training & Education (GTE) workshop. In this article IRF instructor Mark Hirst answers a few of the most commonly asked questions. Q: What is the IRF? A: The International Rafting Federation (IRF) is the international body that represents the sport of rafting and river conservation around the globe. It also organizes the rafting world championships each year. The Guide Training & Education (GTE) program operates from within the IRF. The aim of the GTE… Read More
A few rapids loom larger than others when river guides tell tales around the campfire. Here’s a list of the biggest rapids from a river guide’s perspective – in alphabetical order. Not big enough for you? If you’re an accomplished kayaker or extreme rafter, you’ll want to scroll down to the bottom of this page to see a round-up of rapids that are bigger, but not commonly discussed among river guides. 1. Blossom Bar (Rogue River, Oregon) You don’t get to be known as “the most… Read More
Much of my guiding career was spent working with my friend Vladimir Gavrilov on California’s Tuolumne River. Vlad lived in the Soviet Union before moving to the U.S. in 1991 and explored many of its whitewater rivers. I joined him in the Sayan Mountains of southern Siberia for a commercial trip the Kaa-Khem River in 2001. After that trip I wanted to see more rivers of the former Soviet Union. After watching some of Vlad’s videos from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan I decided it was time to… Read More
The Middle Fork of the Salmon River is so well-known that it is simply referred to as the “Middle Fork.” It has jaw-dropping scenery, world-class fishing, hot springs, great camp sites, and wildlife. Whitewater kayakers appreciate the continuous whitewater punctuated with a few big rapids each day. There are also some great play spots and tons of catch-on-the-fly surf waves. What to Expect Beginning at the Boundary Creek Launch Site, the whitewater is continuous and challenging through Pistol Creek Rapid at mile 22. Below Pistol Creek… Read More
One of the “Outstandingly Remarkable Values” that contributed to the designation of the Illinois River as a National Wild and Scenic River is botany. Some of the plants and wildflowers are common and others are rare adaptations to the serpentine geology. California Lady’s Slipper The California Lady’s Slipper is a rare orchid found in Northern California and Southern Oregon. Each stem can have up to 21 flowers that are fertilized by trapping insects in their pouch (or slipper). Tolmie’s Star Tulip These beautiful flowers are also… Read More
A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity row a Creature Craft down California’s North Fork of the Smith River. These unique inflatable boats were inspired by an unflippable Russian whitewater boat known as the Bublik (Russian “bagel”). The Bublik has two large bagel shaped tubes separated by a wood frame that is typically crafted at put-in. This unflippable Russian boat design allows Russians explorers to run many of the large volume, continuous rivers found in Siberia. The Bublik has the ability to go into big… Read More
Most of the well known whitewater rivers flow through Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, or National Park Service land and many are National Wild and Scenic Rivers. The land surrounding many of the the iconic multi-day river trips are additionally protected as Wilderness or National Monuments. As a user of these public lands it’s good to know a little about each designation. Most public lands are managed the United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Managment (BLM), or the National Park Service (NPS). National… Read More
