Discover, Plan & Go!

While many people have floated the Middle Fork, few take advantage of the beautiful trail that runs along most of its course. These trips offer you a chance to hike some 48 miles over six days in the middle of the biggest wilderness area in the contiguous United States. Our supply raft carries all the camping gear and your personal belongings, so all you carry is a small daypack. This is not a forced march by any means and each person can set their own pace. The only time we all need to be together is at lunch. There will be a ROW guide leading the way and on trips with more than eight people, another bringing up the rear as ‘sweep.’

In addition to our large cargo raft, we’ll have a smaller support raft to carry lunch and other gear. This raft will float along at the group’s pace and be available for any emergency needs or as a sag wagon if someone gets too tired to keep hiking. We meet you the night prior to your trip at the Mountain Village Resort in Stanley, Idaho for an hour orientation meeting. The next morning we take a scenic flight to the Thomas Creek backcountry airstrip, elevation 4409’ (included in trip price). (Weather has occasionally delayed this flight). Your personal gear is transferred to our gear raft, which is ready and waiting, and our walk begins.

The Middle Fork canyon is a place of superlative beauty. Not much has changed since the days of Tukudeka, or Sheepeater Indians, lived here. The river has shaped its course through a land so rugged that any attempts at settlement have failed. There are no roads leading to its banks, and little remains of man’s brief presence other than prehistoric cave paintings and dilapidated log cabins. Around you are granitic pine-studded mountains rising to a sky of magnificent dimension. Our trail roughly parallels the river and often we’ll enjoy transparent views to a golden pebbled bottom. There are several hot springs along our route and we’ll stop to enjoy them, perhaps even making camp at one. In this unspoiled land, we’re very likely to see big horn sheep, probably more than once as they use licks along the river. We’ll also see eagles, hawks, songbirds and waterfowl and if we’re lucky, we’ll have sightings of deer, elk, mountain goats, mink and river otter. As we walk there’s time to breathe deeply and understand the oneness with the earth that the Indians who lived here once knew. Along our way we’ll stop to view their rock paintings and learn about their culture and history.

Around 4:00pm we arrive at camp. The cargo boat has gone ahead of the walkers and has the kitchen set up as well as the spacious 4-person tents that ROW provides. All you have to do is carry your personal gear to the tent of your choice and roll out your thick sleeping pad and sleeping bag. We feel there are things you’d enjoy doing more than setting up a tent! In the day’s remaining light, there’s plenty of time to relax, climb a mountain, read a book, take a dip, watch for birds or soak in the rays of the sun. You are free to share with others or find a time of solitude. Camp is also a fine place to throw out a fishing line. Fishing is excellent for native cutthroat and rainbow trout and in order to preserve this fishery, only catch-and-release fishing is allowed using single barbless hooks.

As the sunsets over the canyon rim, hors d’ oeuvres are served, and soon thereafter, dinner. The quality of our food reflects the quality of the wilderness environment in the Middle Fork canyon. We hand-select the freshest fruits and vegetables we can find and pack them carefully in huge ice-coolers. Likewise, these coolers carry fresh dairy products and meats. From these ingredients we prepare bountiful, healthy meals. Cornish game hens stuffed with wild rice and served with broccoli with Béarnaise sauce. Baked Salmon stuffed with shrimp in white sauce, served with green beans and Idaho mashed potatoes. Juicy rib-eye steak, or made-on-the-river lasagna are a couple of other possible entrees. Big salads of vegetables and fruit add color and variety to every meal. Desserts are made each evening in our Dutch ovens and range from double fudge brownies to pineapple upside-down cake. And, we always have plenty of ice to keep your drinks cold.

Our days begin with a breakfast feast on which you can freely indulge, knowing you’ll need the calories as the day passes. We leave camp and look forward to a day with constantly changing scenery and glorious views.

On the fifth day of our adventure, we enter Impassable Canyon, a narrow, granite-walled canyon of spectacular dimension. When the trail was being built by the CCC in the 1930’s they got through just eight miles before they gave up to the vertical walls of granite and turned the trail west to head up Big Creek. On our last day you have two choices in which to leave the Impassable Canyon. Our preference is to float all walkers out, as we can camp in the Impassable Canyon on the last night. The first group who signs up will dictate whether we float or fly out of the canyon. 1) Enjoy a long day of whitewater fun on the river. For about 20 miles we are in a narrow granite-walled gorge of spectacular dimension, the constriction of the river, coupled with the large volume of water makes for an exciting day. Then a 2-hour bus ride will put everyone in the town of Salmon at about 5 pm. That evening enjoy a farewell dinner hosted by ROW. We make hotel reservations at the Stagecoach Inn that evening. Therefore, you can make your return travel plans the next day. 2) Hike from our camp to Big Creek, and then go up Big Creek trail several miles to the Little Soldier Airstrip. We will have to ford Big Creek to access the airstrip. If the weather causes concerns about the airplane being able to land at the Little Soldier airstrip, we’ll hike from our last night’s camp back up the main river trail six miles to the airstrip at the Flying B Ranch where we’ll fly back to Boise. (The Flying B airstrip is longer and makes landing possible in a wider variety of weather.)