Middle Fork River Expeditions, licensed and bonded outfitter, has run safe and well-managed river trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho and are celebrating our 30th Anniversary in 2011 by offering this new exciting destination on the Main Salmon. Trips are 5 days of exciting river rafting, wilderness camping, fine fishing, and adventure travel. Our equipment is specially designed for wilderness whitewater rafting, and offers mild and wild boat choices (oar boats, paddle boats, inflatable kayaks and stand up paddling surf boards!). Our river guides are seasoned professionals, licensed by the state of Idaho and First Aid Certified. They are expert river runners, magnificent cooks, great storytellers, and knowledgeable, helpful outdoorsmen.

Join Middle Fork River Expeditions for a magical wilderness river vacation this summer!

We had planned to go down Marsh Creek with our boats and fly in clients. However, there were a few logs at Dagger Falls that would necessitate a mandatory portage about 1/4 mile so the guides decided that it was too much of a grind. We moved the trip to the Main Salmon River instead. The water is 65k at Whitebird so the flows should be fun this week. We’ll keep you posted on any news from the trip. The Banner Summit snowpack is at 375% or normal today, so we have yet to really see the peak this year. The weather forecast looks like sunshine for starting on June 18 or 19, so maybe it will start to melt then around Summer Solstice. The Middle Fork os the Salmon in Idaho should be great water thru August this year. There is still 4 ft. of snow on the road to Boundary Creek, the upper put-in point. The Main Salmon River from Corn Creek to Carey Creek will also see amazing flows this summer.

Come out and join us on either trip this summer, and you are sure to have amazing water and hopefully sunshine in July and August.

Canoe and Kayak folks and affiliates floated the Middle Fork of the Salmon June 2-5, 2011 and had water levels around 6ft on the gage at Middle Fork Lodge. Fun was had by all. All the MFRE guides received “Dirtbag Boater” Awards from Bill parks, the founder of NRS. Josh Davis said “DIrt Boat Baggers” instead and it became a very funny topic that was even sung to the song of “JukeBox Hero”. The road to Boundary Creek was closed so we had to fly 13 plane loads of gear into Indian Creek and 22 people over 4 days because of the weather. The Middle Fork camps we camped at were Stateland Left, Funston and Ship island. We hope to do another adventure next year with Canoe and Kayak magazine and hope to see them all again. Thanks to Nick Hinds and Jim Marsh for setting up the trip for Canoe and Kayak.

We had a group from Scotland fly 24 hours to Boise and meet us on May 16 for the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Unfortunately, the road still had 10 ft of snow on it and the weather was too bad for flying into Indian Creek. So we made the call to do the Main Salmon as the road is open and we do not depend on flying into the river.

The Main Salmon River was flowing at 60,000 cfs (Cubic Feet/second) when we put-in and went down considerably as we had colder temperatures.

We met with Greg and Sue Metz at Yellow Pine Bar, Doug and Phyllis Tims at Campbell’s Ferry and with Barbara and Heinz at 5 Mile Bar. The flks form SCotland felt refreshed in seeing folks live in simplicity and off the grid and said they were the happiest people they had ever met. Made them wonder why they get so busy all the time and forget to slow down and create some space for oneself.

We ran the new rapid at Black Crek which was formed on April 1 and it was a straight forward wave train with big 10-12 ft. standing waves, super fun. We renamed it Waldo Rapid for one of the guys in the group from Scotland who’s nickname is Waldo.

The group was initially a little disappointed as they had come to run the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, but by the end they had more than enough adventure and lots of fun around the campfire. One game they loved was “name that tune” and you had to name the artist singing it and then sing the song for an extra point. We also had the Main Salmon Olympics with knot tieing, throw bag tossing and relay match. Fun was had by all and it ended with a dead even match.

We are packing today for the Canoe and Kayak Magazine trip June 2-5 on the Middle Fork. We are planning on flying in as there is still lots of snow on the road. Should be another fantastic trip, the weather forecast looks good for the week so we could get some of the snow to melt finally. The Middle Fork snowpack is 195% of normal. Could get huge water while we are down there.

Best you you and yours,

Ellsworth

Middle Fork River Expeditions offers family river trips on the Main and Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Middle Fork River Expeditions offers 4,5,6 and 11 day family river trips on the Main and Middle Fork. We also offer 50% discount for kids 11 and under on the Middle Fork and 50% discount on the Main Salmon for kids 8-11 and kids raft FREE on the Main Salmon ages 5-7. A family river trip is the best way to un-plug and re-connect for a family. Un-plugging from technology for a week for a family is the best way to re-connect with your family and also connect with yourself in a deeper way. Family based river trips are the most fun as there is always the next bend for exploration. Families can connect and not have to worry about any logistics or the outside world for a week. This allows a family to be in the moment and not rushing around from place to place in a car on a typical vacation. All you have to do is show up with some clothes and a toothbrush and we do the rest. We often see parents relaxing at camp while their kids are playing down by the riverside. The kids never get bored, as there is swimming, stand up paddling, inflatable kayaking and paddle rafting to keep them active.

A family river trip in Idaho is the best thing you can do for your family. Don’t just take our word for it, we would be happy to connect you with past family travelers. There are no strangers here, only friends we have not met.

Hope to see you in Stanley this summer.

Yours for rivers, Ellsworth

Stanley Idaho is teaming with fishermen this April and May as there are many Steelhead in the Main Salmon.  If you’re looking for some of the world’s best fishing, Salmon River Idaho has hundreds of stellar spots, but the area around Stanley is the best it has been in years. The steelhead of the Salmon River offer a challenge to even the most seasoned fishermen. Several experienced fishermen have described Idaho steelhead fishing as the best in Idaho; a glimpse of fishing Nirvana. So what’s so special about the Salmon River near Stanley, Idaho?

First off: the fish. Steelhead are a variety Rainbow Trout that, unlike their Rainbow cousins, are hardcore enough to swim from the ocean to the depths of the inland. In a way, they form a kind of halfway point between Rainbow Trout and Pacific Salmon.  The steelhead swim up almost 900 miles from the ocean to reach the Stanley area of Idaho.  That means they have too swim around 8 dams to get to Stanley, Idaho.  They commonly grow up to a foot and a half in length — but in the Salmon River Canyon, where prey is common and space is abundant, they can get up to thirty inches long. But the Steelhead are just one reason that fishing in Stanley Idaho is such a treat.  The scenery is the best in all of Idaho if not the entire lower 48.  Haines, Alaska would be a top spot as well.  It is in the Lynn Canal north of Juneau and the starting point for River trips on the Tatshenshini and Alsek rivers.  If you ever want to go, give us a call and we’ll send you in the right direction for an outfitter up in Haines, AK.  But back to Idaho

There’s also the fact that there are just so many fish in Idaho. It’s hard to find anywhere on Earth with as many fish per square mile as the Gem State. Around the country, much of their habitat has been or is being destroyed, so many kinds of fish are in danger of becoming endangered. Many are also suffering from enteric redmouth, a disease that’s harmless to humans but devastates fish. Redmouth has even gotten into hatcheries, making our efforts to repopulate the rarer fish quite the challenge. These struggles aren’t affecting Idaho as badly as other places, which is part of what makes fishing Idaho such an excellent pastime.

There’s one more thing that makes Idaho rivers a perfect place to fish — the scenery. Half of the reason to fish at all is to enjoy a quiet time exposed some of nature’s beautiful handiwork, and places like the Salmon River in Stanley, Idaho are just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the man-made world that they have that special quality to them.

If you love to fish, there’s no better place on Earth than the rivers of Idaho.  Then again, just being in Stanley Idaho is an amazing time with so many outdoor activities in the Sawtooth Mountains.  Steelhead fishing is happening right now, with a bumper crop of fish this year.  Or come this summer and join MFRE on the Middle Fork of the Salmon for cutthroat trout fishing from 16′ Mckenzie Drift boats.  They are made by Hog Island and offer the most comfortable and stable ride out there, with huge casting braces to slay all the fish your heart desires.  Or come after Oct 1 for a Cast and Blast trip where we hunt for Chukar and fish between bird covies.

We hope to see you in Stanley, Idaho this summer.

Yours for rivers, Ellsworth

Idaho River Rafting is the finest way to explore the wilderness with ease. On an Idaho River rafting trip in the Frank Church Wilderness of No Return, sights are a plenty. You can River raft in Idaho past homesteads from the past. Or Jump off a rock onto the river in a pool full of gin clear water. There is even a hot spring that is a shower. When you go Idaho River Rafting, the only thing you want to do is stay longer on the river. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River or the Main Salmon River are both the best way to discover this amazing place we call Idaho. Idaho is the River Rafting State. It has more than 13,000 river miles that are navigable. More than any other State. It’s what make Idaho River Rafting so great in Idaho. Idaho river rafting is the best way to re-connect with your family and friends. If we can un-plug from technology and re-connect with yourself and your family we ahve done our job. Idaho river rafting on the Middle Fork or Main Salmon rivers is the best way to do just that.

To cure Nature Deficit Disorder the river is wating. Come find Idaho River Rafting with Middle Fork RIver Expeditions this summer.

Best, Ellsworth

MFRE is proud to announce the building of a new 18 foot Briggs Wooden Dory.  Willis McAleese, our head fishing guide, is building the Dory with a stitch and glue process.  The dory will be designed after the Briggs dory, which is specifically made for big water boating in the Grand Canyon and the Main Salmon River.  The MFRE warehouse in Stanley has been converted with plastic tarps to keep the warmth up, as it is still in the teens at night and snow flurries are still happening.  MFRE has a Middle Fork Salmon trip on May 17, so we hope to have a hull on the new dory by then. Not sure what to name her.  Maybe we should have a contest?

Hen Wen will have a sister, and she will be self bailing, and beautiful.  Middle Fork River Expeditions hopes you can come see her this summer on the Main Salmon River.  The Middle Fork of the Salmon is too rocky for a wooden boat, but the Main Salmon is the perfect river for these boats.

We have a lodge to lodge dory trip available on the Main Salmon River. We know these boats are so much more beautiful to ride in verses the ugly rubber rafts we have.  Only thing is they do not bounce off of rocks so the guides have to know the river and be skilled oarsmen.

Riding on a dory on the Main Salmon is a trip thru time.  You feel the nostalgia for the 1800’s at the time of Lewis and Clark and this river of history. It is like floating on a gondola in Venice, but you have the backdrop of the largest roadless wilderness area in the US.

So come on out and celebrate a new dory on the Main Salmon River this summer.  You may even have the opportunity to name her. After all, a boat cannot be named until you get to know her.

See you in Stanley or Salmon this summer.

Yours for river adventures,

James Ellsworth, owner, MFRE

Idaho River Rafting has abundant options, from day trips to multi day river trips. Idaho Rivers run more than 13,000 miles in Idaho, the most river miles than any state. Idaho River rafting is fun as the Middle Fork and Main salmon Rivers run through the Frank Church Wilderness of No Return, the largest roadless wilderness area in the US outside of Alaska. Idaho river rafting can be enjoyed by anyone with an adventurous spirit. River rafting in Idaho has many hiking options and also hot springs to soak your weary bones. River rafting in Idaho takes on a whole new meaning to vacation and a trip of a lifetime. You can raft the Middle Fork salmon for 6 days, or raft the Main Salmon River in 5 days. Or you can do both in 11 days for the ultimate river vacation.

So whether you join us rafting on the Middle Fork or Main Salmon, you will be rafting the best Idaho rivers in the state, if not the country. There is always fun around very bend of the river. Idaho River rafting at it’s best with Middle Fork River Expeditions.

Join us this summer on the Idaho River Rafting adventure that suits your timeframe and desire.

We hope to see you in Idaho this summer on the Middle Fork or the Main Salmon Rivers.

There are no strangers here, only friends we have not met.

Check out the new Outfitter Recommended Gear for Middle FOrk River Expeditions on the NRS website at www.nrsweb.com.

Middle Fork River Expeditions gives you both an optional gear and recommended gear list. With a click of the mouse, you can have all the good river booty and get ready for your trip down the Middle Fork or Main Salmon.

Middle Fork River Expeditions, licensed and bonded outfitter, has run safe and well-managed river trips on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon River in Idaho for over three decades. Our equipment is specially designed for wilderness whitewater rafting, and offers mild and wild boat choices (oar boats, paddle boats, inflatable kayaks and stand up paddling surf boards!). Our river guides are seasoned professionals, licensed by the state of Idaho and First Aid Certified. They are expert river runners, magnificent cooks, great storytellers, and knowledgeable, helpful outdoorsmen.

The current lists are for all Middle Fork and Salmon River expeditions. The “Recommended” list includes items that Middle Fork River Expeditions suggests their clients have. Please review the information supplied in your Middle Fork River Expeditions trip packet for more details on MFRE Packing List.