Middle Fork Salmon River

Course

The Middle Fork is a heavily whitewatered 104 mi tributary of the Salmon River, the main tributary of the Snake River, which in turn is the main tributary to the Columbia River. The nearest town is Stanley to the southeast. The Middle Fork's elevation starts at 7000 ft above sea level and drops down to 3015 ftat its mouth. The 47 mi Bear Valley Creek and Marsh Creek converge to form the Middle Fork. The Middle Fork has around a hundred tributaries; some of the larger are Rapid River, Loon Creek and Camas Creek, all from 20 to in length. The Middle Fork flows through 2500 sqmi of rugged terrain known as the Salmon River Mountains, peaks of which reach 10000 ft.

Permit

Rapids

The Middle Fork has three hundred raftable rapids. Some of the well-known rapids on the Middle Fork are Dagger Falls, Sulphur Slide, Velvet Falls, the Chutes, Power House, Pistol Creek, Tappan Falls, Red Side, Weber, Cliffside, Rubber, Hancock and Devil's Tooth. All but one of these are class III+ to class IV (on the scale of I to VI International scale of river difficulty classification system), with Dagger Falls being class V.

Hot springs

The Middle Fork has six natural hot springs in the first 52 mi of the river, Trail Flat, Sheepeater, Sunflower, Whitey Cox, Loon Creek and Hospital Bar. The hot springs vary in temperature and are all very popular places to stop on the river.

• Trail Flat hot springs is 30 yd from the river and has one pool.
• Sheepeater hot springs is a half a mile from the river. There are three different pools which range from "super hot" to "just right".
• Sunflower hot springs has five pools. There is also a part of the hot spring that pours off the rocks and makes a shower.
• Whitey Cox's hot springs is up on a hill with large sandy-bottom pools, but as of at least 2004 has been infested with red spider mites and is not recommended for soaking.
• Loon Creek hot springs is a mile-and-a-half hike along Loon Creek from the Middle Fork. A wooden tub has been built with a nice view of Loon Creek.
• Hospital Bar is a small hot spring with two pools, one right next to the river.

Presidential visit

During his second summer in office in 1978, President Jimmy Carter and his family vacationed in the West in the latter half of August, which began with a three-day, 70 mi float trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon. Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus, the former (and future) governor of Idaho, was also in the party, joined by his family.

List of local flora and fauna

Mammals

• Badger
• Bighorn sheep
• Bobcat
• Black bear
• Chipmunk
• Coyote
• Moose
• Mountain goat
• Mountain lion (cougar)
• Mule deer
• Muskrat
• Otter
• Porcupine
• Rocky Mountain elk
• Skunk
• Weasel
• Wolf

Vegetation

• Douglas fir
• Grand fir
• Subalpine fir
• Common juniper
• Rocky Mountain juniper
• Western larch
• Mountain mahogany
• Limber pine
• Lodgepole pine
• Ponderosa pine
• Engelmann spruce
• Birch
• Bitter bush
• Black cottonwood
• Blue elderberry
• Bracken fern
• Dwarf Oregon grape
• Hawthorn
• Little wood rose
• Mock orange
• Nine bark
• Quaking aspen
• Rabbit brush
• Red osier dog wood
• Rocky Mountain maple
• Sagebrush
• Service berry
• Snow berry
• Snow brush
• Thimble berry
• Wax currant
• White alder
• Willows

Fish

• Cutthroat trout
• Rainbow trout, includes steelhead
• Mountain whitefish
• Bull trout
• Chinook salmon

Birds

• Killdeer
• Osprey
• Belted kingfisher
• Common merganser
• American dipper
• Cliff swallow
• Red tailed hawk
• Bald eagle
• Golden eagle
• Blue grouse
• Ruffed grouse
• Chukar
• Magpie
• Mourning dove
• Great horned owl

References

Notes

• Midmore, Joe. Middle Fork History. Harrah's Club Inc. Lake Tahoe, NV, 1970.
• Quinn, James M. Quinn, James W. Quinn, Terry L. and king James G. Handbook to the Middle Fork of the Salmon River Canyon. Commercial Printing Company Medford, OR, 1981.
• Sierra Club. International Whitewater Rating Systems. 2003
• USDA Forest Service. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River. January 8, 2008

References

1. "Middle Fork of the Salmon River". US Forest Service.
2. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080730032117/http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/recreation/whitewaterrafting/mfriver/index.shtml Middle Fork of the Salmon River], USDA Forest Service
3. "Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness". US Forest Service.
4. {{Gnis. 386841. Retrieved April 4, 2008.
5. "Bear Valley Creek". Idaho.gov.
6. (Midmore 1–2)
7. "Four Rivers Lottery Statistics". US Forest Service.
8. "Required Equipment Details and Tips for Middle Fork boaters". US Forest Service.
9. (February 13, 2016). "Pro Tip: June Trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon".
10. "RIVER CAMPS on the MIDDLE FORK OF THE SALMON".
11. (August 21, 1978). "Rafters 'won't drown' Carter". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
12. (August 22, 1978). "Carter begins Idaho vacation". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
13. (August 22, 1978). "President embarks on wilderness trip". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
14. (August 22, 1978). "Carters get away". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
15. (August 23, 1978). "Carter: He may get wet, but he won't starve". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
16. (August 23, 1978). "Carter's boat snaps an oar". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
17. (August 24, 1978). "River float is over". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
18. (August 25, 1978). "Carter finishes Idaho raft trip". Lewiston Morning Tribune.