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Snowpack at Great Levels for the Middle Fork and Idaho in General

February 1st, 2012

Recorded and releases by IOGA- Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association

BOISE, Idaho — (Feb. 1, 2012) — A series of major snowstorms boosted snowpacks dramatically in the second half of January, quickly re-positioning Idaho’s world-renowned rivers into an “ideal” scenario with plenty of water for a fun-filled spring and summer season, officials said this week.
“What a difference a week makes,” said Ron Abramovich, Idaho snow survey supervisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Ten days of winter storms caused mountain snowpack levels to jump significantly throughout the state. In some river basins, like the Owyhee in Southwest Idaho, snowpack levels more than doubled. The Boise Basin went from 55 percent of normal in mid-January to 90 percent of normal as of Feb. 1, 2012.
The Salmon River, a popular national destination for family river trips, now has 85 percent of normal snowpack, and the Middle Fork of the Salmon, the second-most popular wilderness river trip in the United States next to the Grand Canyon, made a similar leap to 82 percent.
Idaho outfitters said the water levels associated with those snowpack levels should be “ideal.”
“We’re excited about it, and our customers are excited about it,” said Greg McFadden of Canyons, a Middle Fork and main Salmon outfitter that specializes in whitewater kayak instruction as part of weeklong river trips. “The kayak surfing should be great.”
Alison Steen, owner of Yellow Jacket River Guides who leads trips on the main Salmon, said the water levels “look perfect for us, as long as we continue to get ample amounts of snow the rest of this winter.”
Plenty of moisture will ward off wildfires and the rivers will peak earlier at an 85 percent level, making for a longer summer season, warmer water temperatures, bigger riverside beaches in August, and a longer fishing season, Steen said. “It’s looking pretty darn ideal!”
Outfitters on the Lochsa and Selway rivers also like the way the winter snowpacks are shaping up. The Clearwater River Basin increased from 67 percent to 92 percent of normal snowpack levels as a result of the January storms.
“It’s looking to be a safe, enjoyable level,” said Marty Smith, owner of Three Rivers Rafting, which runs trips on the Salmon, Selway and Lochsa rivers. “If we get too much snow up here, it turns people off.”
Both the Selway and the Lochsa are robust whitewater rivers with a lot of Class 4 rapids (on a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 being an unrunnable waterfall) stacked up one after the other. Ninety percent runoff means the rivers will be plenty high for white-knuckle rafting enthusiasts in the spring months, Smith said, but they won’t be peaking at super-high unsafe levels.
Idaho’s rivers that are fed by reservoirs, such as the Snake River, will have plenty of flows this summer regardless because reservoirs are nearly full throughout the Snake River Basin, Abramovich said. That means Hells Canyon of the Snake is likely to have robust river flows throughout the summer season, providing lots of thrills for whitewater rafters and kayakers.
“It’s looking like a great season,” said Jerry Hughes, owners of Hughes River Expeditions, which offers guided trips on Hells Canyon, the Middle Fork Salmon, Lower Salmon, and Grand Ronde rivers.
An abundance of runoff on the Snake River means there will be a whitewater season on the Class 4+ Murtaugh reach of the Snake River near Twin Falls, and plenty of flows for fishing, floating and camping on two fly fishing jewels — the Henrys Fork and South Fork Snake River in Eastern Idaho.
The only river basins with deficient flows at this point are the Bruneau and Owyhee rivers. Their snowpacks were about 65 percent of normal as of Feb. 1. With more winter storms in the forecast in the coming month, it’s possible that those basins could catch up, Abramovich said. Last year, both desert rivers had the longest season in 20+ years, nearly three months, with well over 180 percent snowpacks.
For more information, contact Grant Simonds at the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, 208-336-3014 or see www.ioga.org.

Grand Canyon Dories on the Main Salmon River Rafting

January 24th, 2012

Grand Canyon Dories on the Main Salmon River Rafting are happening this summer. Grand Canyon Dories on the Main Salmon River Rafting is what it is all about. Grand Canyon Dories on the Main Salmon River Rafting is riding is a classic boat through time. Nothing is like Grand Canyon Dories on the Main Salmon River Rafting as it is enjoyed by all. Grand Canyon Dories on the Main Salmon River Rafting is a great way to family vacation. Rivers in Idaho are perfect for Grand Canyon Dories on the Main Salmon River Rafting trips. Nowhere else can you float gin clear rivers in wooden boats, fishing to your hearts content. Grand Canyon Dories on the Main Salmon River Rafting is amaziing, jsut come try it. This summer. Grand Canyon Dories on the Main Salmon River Rafting at it’s best.

Idaho Whitewater Rafting

January 23rd, 2012

Idaho Whitewater Rafting on the Middle Fork Salmon River or the Main Salmon River are world class. There is not better place to get away fro it all with Idaho Whitewater Rafting. Idaho Whitewater Rafting has over 13,000 navigable river miles to float and fish. Float Boating on the Idaho Whitewater Rafting trips are bar none the best way to connect to nature. Nature Deficit Disorder is real and Idaho Whitewater Rafting is the cure. Idaho Whitewater Rafting is the cure for all the technology that runs our lives. Idaho Whitewater Rafting with Middle Fork River Expeditions is always fun and invigorating.

Come Join us this summer for some super Idaho Whitewater Rafting trips

Yours for rivers, Ellsworth

Main Salmon Outfitter Association

January 20th, 2012

It is high time for the river rafting outfitters on the Main Salmon to get together and create a Main Salmon Outfitter Association, just like the Middle Fork Outfitter Association. It would allow prospective rafters to choose a date on the calender on the Main Salmon Outfitter Association website and see which outfitters offers a launch that day. The Main Salmon Outfitter Association website could also have a page on why the Main Salmon is a better river trip than the Middle Fork in many ways. It is a better family trip and the Main Salmon Outfitter Association can push this. The Main Salmon Outfitter Association could also have a section on the tremendous history of the canyon, in terms of human habitation and exploration. The Main Salmon Outfitter Association website can also have links to the 3 couples who live in the canyon as well, and we visit them often on the river.

It makes a whole lot of sense to create the Main Salmon Outfitter Association as soon as possible, as this canyon river trip is one of the best in the world. The Main Salmon Outfitter Association would be a cohesive on stop shop for all who are interested in the canyon to read about the history and want to join an outfit right from the Main Salmon Outfitter Association website.

Middle Fork River Expeditions supports this effort to create a Main Salmon Outfitter Association. Please support us by telling us how much sense it is to create a Main Salmon Outfitter Association to promote this incredible river canyon in the largest wildneress area in the us outside alaska.

The Main Salmon River rafting trip is fun for everyone. Come join us in the Frank Church Wilderness of No Return.

All the best, Ellsworth

middle fork salmon rapids idaho

January 18th, 2012

middle fork salmon rapids idaho are the most enjoyable rapids you can run, as you can then soak in the river-side hot springs along the way. You will even visit a hotspring shower that pours right into the river and at higher water can paddle a ducky right under the shower.

But middle fork salmon rapids idaho is the place to make the vacation of a lifetime. come join Middle Fork River Expeditions this summer.

Idaho River Rafting at it’s Finest

January 17th, 2012

There is nothing quite like un-plugging from modern life and all the technology for a week or two of wilderness camping fun. Idaho River rafting is most enjoyed by anyone who travels her course.

Whitewater rafting is one of the numerous outdoor sports that anchor Stanley, Idaho, as an adventure hub. Known as the “River of No Return,” the area’s Salmon River offers half-, full- and multi-day trips. Several Stanley-area outfitters run shorter trips that will give you a full taste of the tumultuous river over the course of a few hours. But Middle Fork River Expeditions offers 4, 6 and 10 day river rafting adventures.
Season
Northern Idaho rafting season gets underway in May and runs through September. Raft trips on area rivers like the Salmon and Snake experience their biggest water in late May and early June. The summer months of July, August and September offer calmer but still engaging rapids and warmer weather.

The best option for half- and full-day whitewater trips is the Salmon River right outside the town of Stanley. Several local whitewater operations run trips that start in Stanley, out an hour north of Sun Valley. The Salmon trip offers rapids ranging from Class II to IV. Half-day trips run about 11 miles of the river, while full-day trips run 21 miles. Another option is the Class II, 18-mile North Fork Payette River from Sheeps Bridge to Hartsell Bridge, located just outside McCall. Other nearby rafting trips, such as the Hells Canyon trip, require multiple days.

Idaho River Rafting has never been so accessable to so many people of all ages. Middle Fork River Expeditions caters to all types of people in all aspects of life and geography.

Come join us this summer for some Idaho River Rafting in the heart of the Frank Church Wilderness of No Return. You will want to return, again and again.

See you in Stanley, Ellsworth

Middle Fork Prints

December 1st, 2011

Joshua Roper Photography in Boise, Idaho is offering canvas art prints of stunning images from around Idaho and The West. For the holidays, an image of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River is featured at 10% off to all MFRE clients. Please visit the print gallery for print size options.

Print Gallery: www.joshuaroperphotography.com/prints

Tom Crum Centering Hint

December 1st, 2011

From Tom Crum e-mail, dated Dec 1, 2011. Tom and Cathy Crum have floated with MFRE on the Middle Fork Salmon the past 2 years and are going to raft the Grand Canyon with MFRE and Tour West this April.

“The Magic of Quiet

The snow is falling quietly here in the Colorado Rockies, lightly coming to rest on the naked November branches and creating a soft white blanket on the ground below. The earth is going to bed for the winter. The quiet time is what Mother Nature chooses now, the time for hibernation and recovery – time to rest. Of the many things we have to be grateful for this season, we often forget to give thanks for a very important one: the beauty and healing spirit of quiet.

Some days the world seems to have lost its sense of nature’s quiet time. Everything is digitally alive – phones, computers, televisions, clocks, vehicles – and we all seem so busy about some thing or another. I love the noisy, frenetic craziness of it all, but only in its place.

Nearly 40 years ago I went to a three-month-long intensive meditation training program in the Swiss Alps. Knowing that, within weeks, I would be expected to meditate for six to eight hours a day was daunting to a young guy who had trouble sitting still at all. But I was determined to somehow struggle through, to see if there was anything to that “meditation stuff” that people told me would be so good for me. At first I had to ease into the practice, but by the time I was meditating alone for six to eight hours a day – in 30-40 minute segments with breathing exercises and yoga asanas in between – I didn’t want to stop. Although the length of time I spend meditating nowadays seems like a baby step compared to when I was in Switzerland, it is still a blessing that helps me let go of my addiction to the thinking, ego mind and relax into the big picture, into the mystery – where I find creativity, connection and love.

Isn’t that true in your experience? Isn’t it from the place of mystery – of quiet – that you often become open and awake? Where you recognize that it is not the ego that provides the most fulfilling path, but the quiet, the letting go?

In our lives there is much physical activity, lots of great interaction, lots of information being shared. But we can make a point to start each day learning and practicing the art of meditation and the appreciation of silence. During activity too – such as while skiing – we can periodically return to quiet – listening to the sounds of the mountain and of our skis in the snow. In our Magic of Skiing program we like to end the day with a silent run. Connection to the environment deepens, our awareness expands, and joy and learning accelerate. In quiet we find the moment. We find the magic.

Thomas Crum”

Tom is an amazing man and teacher. We are blessed to have his presence on the river.

Yoga River Trips on the Salmon River in Idaho

November 29th, 2011

Come and join us this summer for some Yoga on the Middle Fork Salmon and the Main Salmon. Meg Ellsworth will lead the yoga every morning and evening, as well as lead some meditation as well, both seated and walking meditation. Yoga is a great way to open up to the wilderness on the river trip. The flow of the form of the body FLOWs like the river. Doing yoga on the river can be a transformative experience.

A little bit about the Yoga and Meditation Teacher

Meg Ellsworth
As a teacher of Hatha Vinyasa Yoga and Vipassana Meditation, Meg Ellsworth’s approach to yoga asana both grounds and opens students to the energetic experience of the practice. With an emphasis on process and focus on clarifying intention, Meg weaves sequences together that allow for exploration in postures and necessary time for meditation.

Meg has been a student of Yoga since 1995, training extensively with Sarah Powers. In 2000, Meg’s devotion to the practice of yoga and meditation, and deep love for the philosophy of Yoga and Buddhism, lead her to a teaching practice. Now, Meg is part of the faculty as an assistant yoga instructor at the Insight Yoga Institute, which offers trainings in Yoga, Buddhism, Mediation, and Spiritual Psychology. Meg assists in the Insight Yoga Institute’s 720-hour Yoga Alliance endorsed certified program.

She is the mother of two daughters and leads Sacred Wisdom Circles workshops for mothers and babies with her partner, Catherine Stone, a doula and lactation specialist. Meg is looking forward to working with you to explore the connections between mind, body, and heart.

We hope to see you on the Middle Fork of the Salmon or the Main Salmon river this summer, doing yoga in the largest wilderness area in the USA.

See you in Stanley!

Ellsworth

Stand Up Paddle Boarding on a River

November 28th, 2011

Middle Fork River Expeditions (www.idahorivers.com) is celebrating it’s 30th Anniversary by offering Stand Up Paddling (SUP) for participants on it’s Middle Fork of the Salmon River trips in Idaho. Stand Up Paddling uses a larger surfboard platform and a large paddle to steer. Middle Fork River Expeditions has partnered with Todd Bradley and C4 Waterman (www.c4waterman.com) to provide Inflatable Stand Up Surf Boards to it’s guests in 2010. We are the first outfitter on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River to provide this option. Please look for the March 2010 article in Standup Journal (www.standupjournal.com) on Stand Up Paddling the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Paul Tefft with Enviro Action Productions (paultefft@enviroactionproductions) has recently produced a video of the 2009 Whitewater Stand Up Paddling Championship (www.riversup.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/53-riversup-dvd-promov2)
Please join us next summer to try this amazing new sport on the Middle Fork!

The Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho is the premier wilderness float trip in the US and flows 100 miles of Wild and Scenic free-flowing river through the largest wilderness area in the US. The canyon is the second deepest in North America. Because of its remote location, human presence in the area was somewhat limited, leaving it in the condition we see today. The Middle Fork of the Salmon is unspoiled, remote and roadless so you can be sure you will “get away from it all”. Simply put, it is the best river run in the West!

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 for 30 years. Trips are 4 and 6 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 Surf Boards). Ask about special river trips with kayak instruction or wine and massage. 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.

Check out our website for photos of Stand Up Paddling from our inaugural trip in 2008.

Join Middle Fork River Expeditions for a magical wilderness river vacation learning how to Stand Up Paddle. Or bring your own board for the more experienced Stand Up Paddler.

For more info contact:
James Ellsworth, owner
Middle Fork River Expeditions
PO Box 70
Stanley, ID 83278
(800) 801-5146
www.idahorivers.com