"What a pleasure to see our children so happily entertained by skipping rocks, and playing tag and cards with other children. Nintendo, Gameboys, and TV were forgotten."

-S. Hendler, San Francisco, CA (Rogue)

Many of ECHO’s rafting guests are families with kids. Because rafting offers something for people of all ages and interests to enjoy, a river trip is the perfect family vacation. ECHO even offers luxury rafting vacations for children and adults on the Rogue and Middle Fork that specifically cater to families.

Sometimes parents get nervous when they think about taking kids whitewater rafting for the first time. An article was written by Cindy Hirschfeld in the Rocky Mountain News in October that has useful information for parents who are at all apprehensive about going on a river trip with their kids. The article explores the challenges and rewards of being with children in the wilderness. A mother who recently took her 10-year-old son on the Middle Fork of the Salmon said he “found his inner river rat” on the trip.

At ECHO, we see kids (and adults) delight in more than just the whitewater excitement. Often children’s favorite part of the trip is in camp, competing in a Koob match, discovering Native American artifacts, and swimming in the river. Our guides love leading kids to new experiences such as watching otters play in the river, soaking in a “natural jacuzzi” (aka hotspring), or baking a Dutch oven birthday cake in the “middle of nowhere.” Ear-to-ear smiles are common on both children and parents faces when kids make it through a big rapid in a ducky or discover the art of skipping rocks.

On a Middle Fork trip last summer, a group of teenagers decided to ditch their luxury tent packages on the last night and sleep out on a sandy beach under the stars. Although they were only a few feet from their parents’ deluxe tents, they were thrilled about the freedom they found from sleeping outside.

The article points out that adults do not have to give up an adventurous, active lifestyle simply because they have kids. Although it takes more patience and spontaneity to do adventurous activities with kids, there are many rewards as well. Hirschfeld writes, “There are distinct advantages to slowing down and viewing your surroundings from a child’s perspective. The kids are the ones taking it all in and noticing the details.” So, join ECHO for a luxury river rafting vacation on the Rogue River or the Middle Fork of the Salmon in 2007. And make sure to bring the kids!

Recommended reading: Extreme Kids: How to Connect with Your Children Through Today’s Extreme (and Not So Extreme) Outdoor Sports, Scott Graham, Wilderness Press

Twas the night before put-in when all through the town,
Everyone gathered for the head guide’s low-down.
He gave us our dry sacks, sleeping bags and pads,
And told us the trip plan, boy were we glad.

“Duckies,” he said, “are definitely a blast,
“And fishing boats are perfect for those who can cast.”
The children were wiggling in their seats with glee,
Thrilled for the river trip when they could roam free.

After talk of fun whitewater, bighorns, and more,
We made a last-minute trip to grab stuff from the store.
The kids got Nalgenes, headlamps, and chapstick.
Mom grabbed gin, I got the tonic.

Later that evening after packing our things,
We called the front desk to get our wake-up rings.
Then we curled up in bed, to get a good sleep,
The kids were out fast, without even a peep.

Twas late the night before put-in, when all through the Lodge
Not a person was stirring except from a dreamer’s collage.
The camera and film were packed with great care,
In hopes that good photos would be taken out there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of rapids danced in their heads,
And Mamma and I, in our new capilene,
of soaking in hotsprings, and wine we did dream.

Twas the morning of put-in, at seven we did wake,
Grabbed our dry bags and headed to the bus we would take.
The guides greeted us with smiles as they lent us a hand,
And lucky for us, there was also a bluegrass band.

The guides rigged our bags and last minute stuff,
And we oohed and aahed, “they’re so strong and so buff.”
We jumped in our boats, and made quite a racket,
As we raced to get ready and put on our life jackets.

The river was flowing clear and clean,
A rip-roaring, free falling, big mountain stream.
The kids and I were in kayaks, shouting with glee,
Ecstatically immersed in whitewater sea.

Some folks fished with incredible skill (and luck),
The salmon and trout, were like magnets (they stuck!)
We stopped and feasted on a gourmet lunch,
I looked around - what a happy bunch.

After more rapids, thrills, and excitement,
We pulled into camp and made our way to our tents.
We grabbed our chairs and filled our cups,
Sat down for happy hour and jokes about ducks.

We ate brie and chipotle for an appetizer snack,
Then I took five for a pre-dinner nap.
That evening, by the campfire, a feast we did eat,
Pesto Pasta, Teriyaki Salmon, and a Dutch Oven treat.

My son turned to me, his face covered with cake,
He got an extra piece for keeping watch while it did bake.
“Life doesn’t get any better than this, Dad,
I don’t want it to end, it will be way too sad!”

“We have five more days, Son, we’ll all enjoy floatin’,
“Adventures we’ll have while we’re whitewater boatin’”
Well the days they went by, too quickly it seemed,
But fun times were had by all, great times indeed.

The last night we told our favorite stories from the vacation,
For some it was a surprise swim, others loved the relaxation.
We hugged and cheered, and said our good byes,
Glad that together we’d had the time of our lives.

We hope you enjoyed our poetic holiday spoof,
Although we sometimes exaggerate, this is all the truth!
We’re counting the days ’till rafting starts in the spring,
For now, Happy Holidays from ECHO, river dreams we do bring.

by ECHO guide Tessa Sibbet

Last summer, to the delight of many of ECHO’s Idaho guides and guests, a new guide book became available for the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. The Middle Fok of the Salmon River: A Comprehensive Guide, by Matt Leidecker, is not just a mile-by-mile guide to the rapids on the Middle Fork, but also an excellent resource for history, geology, campsites, hiking trails, and wildlife in the canyon. It also contains outstanding photographs and stories about the Middle Fork . Rafting guests enjoyed following along in the book as they floated down the river, pointing out waterfalls, plants, and marvelling at photos of the rapids at high water levels. The book also provides descriptions for running eight of the biggest rapids on the Middle Fork including Pistol Creek, the Tappan Rapids, Devil’s Tooth, Redside, and Webber. These descriptions are very useful visuals for adventurous folks who choose to go in an inflatable kayak, or “ducky.”

Because of the vast information it provides about the Middle Fork canyon, the high-quality guide recently won for the outdoor advenutre guide book category at the National Outdoor Book Awards. The book awards are part of the larger National Conference on Outdoor Recreation and Education. Matt Leidecker a photographer and river guide on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, is also the author of Impassable Canyon - A Journey Down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Both of these books would make excellent gifts for anyone who has ever been, or is planning to go on a rafting trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon. You can purchase them online at Matt Leidecker’s Web Site.

A few hearty souls have prompted us to bring back the “Salmon Supreme.” This is a seven day combination of the Middle Fork and Main Salmon when we expect the water to be it’s highest and the weather to be it’s coldest. This trip would normally take twelve days to finish the 161 to 186 miles, but with high water we can do it in seven.

This is a trip for those of you that want to experience an adventure. If the water is too high, we’ll have to fly in to Indian Creek and only run 161 miles. If the weather is too bad, we’ll have to spend the day playing cards under tarps and in our tents. This is the kind of trip that legends are made of and stories are told about for years to come.

Learn more about the “Salmon Supreme”

In that valley, where eagles fly
Where the river cuts our path
Where flies buzz
And fish swim
We raft

We start in the morning
We end before dark
Through rapids and forests
And sometimes just floating
We raft

We start off the day
By packing our tents
And then we are ready
To head out again
We raft

We reach the new camp
We set up again
Maybe take a nap
In a chair by the bank
We rest

When all is quiet
And the night is done
We wait for tomorrow
Boy is this fun
We rest

In that valley where eagles fly
Where the river has cut our path
Where flies buzz
And fish swim
We raft

Written by Jacob Judd, age 13, after a summer ‘06 Middle Fork of the Salmon trip.

First hand account of the Lake Creek blowout and Pistol Creek logjam that occured on July 26, 2006 by ECHO guide Colleen Winters.

We camped at Fire Island, the night before Lake Creek blew out and caused the total closure of the river, due to a logjam. Lightning colored the sky in the early morning, but few raindrops came down on our camp. We left Fire Island around 9:30 and started floating down the river just like any other day.

As we approached Lake creek, a few of us noticed the lack of current and that the high water line was just barely out of the water. We knew then that Lake creek had dammed up the river at some point during the early morning. We soon caught up to our Sweep boat, along with many other float groups. They were parked on river left, just below a river bench on the river. Rumors were already coming back that logs had jammed up Pistol Creek Rapid, and that the river was not runable. After a short walk we were all staring down at the huge mess, wondering what was going to happen. We had three commercial groups and at least two privates who had already arrived and floating down the river was going to be impossible any time soon.

The Forest Service had gotten word by radio, and because they were camped right above us on the river, they had shown up by the time be got back to our boats. For us, we had to start making lunch, and setting up tents knowing we would at least have to spend the night. That evening, we heard the Forest Service might be able to bring some explosives in, and may or may not blow the logjam in the next few days. We made the decision to fly our guests out from Pistol Creek Ranch, and made the phone calls. We had a nice dinner with our guests and had everybody up around 7:00am the next day. Once everyone had their bags packed, we headed down the trail to the ranch and had one last look at the jam.

All day long the Forest Service crew pulled log after log out of the pile. The logs actually started flowing at one point, but then really got jammed up. The Forest Service than decided that in the morning they would use the explosives to get rid of the river hazard. We arose early, had our coffee and breakfast, and headed out to see the event. We weren’t able to be very close to where the explosives were going to be going off, so we spent all morning trying to figure out where the best view would be from. Some headed up the hill to get a view and some headed down river where we had a pretty good shot. With the guards on the trail to stop traffic, and an explosion time that kept getting pushed back, we waited. The logjam finally exploded and we were able to get some good photos.

A few seconds after the explosion, the debris started flowing down the river, and amazingly left a good channel down the right side. The Forest Service claimed that it was ninety-five percent clear, and that they should have the river open by the next morning. A few of the forest service kayaked all the way down to Indian Creek to make sure it was run able, and then declared the river was back open that evening. Since it was so late in the day, everyone camped once more on the river bench, and celebrated a job well done.

The sun is rising on our 2007 Middle Fork trips, and have just updated our 2007 Middle Fork availability page.

This in in response to a unusually large number of requests for charter trips. A charter trip is a trip where a group organzier puts a trip together for as multiple families or friends with a maximum group size of 23. In order to do this, the date must be selected early before anyone else books the trip. If you’re interested in chartering a trip, please contact as as soon as possible with your deposit.

Click here for 2007 dates, availability and prices. Trips with 23 available spaces can be made available as charter trips.

We just got off a fantastic five day Middle Fork trip on Tuesday. We lucked out with gorgeous, warm, sunny weather and awesome medium-high water flows! The first day was full of adventure with Velvet Falls and The Chutes, plus enormous wave trains. Some of the haystacks (big waves) made the Salmon River feel like the middle of the ocean. Folks kept asking what the rapids were called and were shocked to discover that many of them don’t even have names. By the time we got to camp the first night we were all exhausted from so much paddling, so we devoured dinner and headed to bed pretty early.

The whitewater over the next few days was a little less technical, but the rapids provided some of the biggest waves and wettest splashes. We stopped for a long soak in the Sunflower Hot Springs along the way, enjoying the spectacular views of the river and the canyon from the warm baths above. In the evenings we enjoyed time around the campfire, telling stories, playing games, and listening to Catfish perform a Hamlet soliloquy (photo at right). One of the afternoons, Scott took us on a short hike to some hiding coves built by the Sheepeater Indians as part of their hunting strategies. The group huddled around Scott as he re-enacted the Native Americans’ hunt and how they trapped their prey. On the last night, we feasted on lasana and played Mafia, a wonderful camp game, under a gorgeous starry sky.

We woke up early on the last morning in preparation for a 25 mile stretch of huge whitewater. The Impassable Canyon turned out to be “passable” and we squealed with glee as we crashed through the house-size waves at Rubber. Cramer Creek was the final hurrah and it definitely ended the river trip with an enormous bang (see photo). It was the wave of all waves, but we paddled hard and managed to punch through it. Sun-kissed faces grinned from ear-to-ear as we did paddle high fives down to take-out.

The Middle Fork is normally a 5 or 6 day trip covering 75 or 100 miles. There is no road access to the river between the put-in point and the take-out. But there are some airstrips along the river, and we are using two of these to offer shorter trips.

MIDDLE FORK 4-DAY TRIP August 20 - 23 $1295 per person
On this trip we begin by flying in to the Thomas airstrip at the Middle Fork Lodge and floating 65 miles to the regular take-out at Cache Bar. This trip gives us two days of relatively easy water before we enter Impassable Canyon, with the best and most challenging rapids the Middle Fork has to offer. Some highlights of the trip are natural hot springs, Indian pictographs, and such great rapids as Earthquake, Redside, Webber, Hancock, Rubber, House Rock and Devil’s Tooth before we reach the confluence with the Main Salmon, or River of No Return. We end with Cramer Creek, the four-year-old rapid on the Main Salmon and the biggest of them all.

MIDDLE FORK 3-DAY TRIP September 1-3 $995 per person
On this trip we fly into an airstrip at The Flying B Ranch and float the last 35 miles of the Middle Fork. The river starts gaining momentum shortly after leaving the Ranch, and continues to build as we float through Impassable Canyon before running onto the Main Salmon.

Price includes:
- charter flight from the town of Stanley to the river the morning of the first day
- Tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses and camp chairs
- All meals, beginning with lunch the first day and ending with lunch the last day
- Beer, wine and soft drinks with meals
- Bus transportation from the river to the town of Salmon the last day

Price does not include:
- Transportation to Stanley before the trip and from Salmon after the trip
- Pre- and post-trip lodging

The Idaho Water Supply Outlook Report for March states that Idaho saw lighter than expected snowfall in February and that the forecast for runoff has dropped slightly from last month, but is still well above average. The Northern part of the state has a snowpack that is 90-100% of average. Central and Southern Idaho have snowpacks in the range of 130-155% of average.

The report forecasts that streamflow runoff will be 135% of average for the Middle Fork of the Salmon from a snowpack that is 123% of average. Congratulations to Stephen Gauvain who guessed this correctly (as part of a contest in our e-News) and won an ECHO baseball cap.