The Middle Fork of the Salmon...Earth Day is Every Day!
It is an exciting time in the Rocky home office as the Idaho Rafting season is quickly approaching. The phone is ringing with excited guests as they plan and prepare for their magical journey down Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon.
As I talk with guests about our world-class rafting trips and I find myself constantly being poised against our desert counterpart, the majestic Grand Canyon. This comes as no surprise as It is common knowledge that the Middle Fork of the Salmon and the Grand Canyon are America’s (and the world’s) “must-do” river trips. Both have world-renowned whitewater, amazing scenery and great history…but in our humble opinion, it’s not even a contest.
Why?
The obvious reason…the Middle Fork is untouched by mankind. In a world where mankind’s fingerprints have touched nearly everything, it is refreshing to find a place that is the same today as when the Shoshone and Sheepeater Indians called it there home. This fact seems especially poignant with the timing of Earth Day and America’s one day reminder to take their shoes off, walk barefoot in the grass, take a deep breath of fresh air, listen to the birds, and appreciate our natural world. On the Middle Fork, Earth Day is every day. This amazing free-flowing river runs the same course as it did when the dinosaurs roamed. You won’t find National Parks, dams and man-made floods. The Middle Fork has very few endangered species ad even fewer invasive species. What you will find is towering Yellow Pines, cascading crystal clear creeks, native West-Slope cutthroat, returning spawning Salmon and hardly the fingerprint of man. Simply put….like no other place on earth.
Lovers (and future lovers) of the Middle Fork owe this ageless gift to the former US senator from Idaho, Frank Forrester Church III. Senator Church was extremely influential securing protection for the unparalleled wilds of central Idaho. Frank Church lead the charge for the Wilderness Act of 1968, The Wild & Scenic River Act, and the Frank Church –River of No Return Wilderness. The result of these three historic pieces of legislature created the majestic Middle Fork of the Salmon. Nowhere else can one find a designated Wild & Scenic River that slices through the largest protected Wilderness Area in the lower 48.
The Middle Fork remains one of the last places in the United States where young generations can visit and experience wilderness in its pure form. It is no surprise Rocky Mountain River Tours has such a large number of returning clients each summer. Once you experience the magic of the Middle Fork you will swear to return, and share it with your closest family and friends. As a steward of the Frank Church Wilderness and and partner with the US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain River Tours is committed to continuing the legacy of the amazing Frank Church Wilderness and the wild Middle Fork of the Salmon for future generations to visit and enjoy.
Our 2013 trips are filling fast. Give us a call to reserve your week in the wilderness and to learn more about our world-class Idaho river trips.
Cheers,
Jared H.
(208)345-2400
Questions? Call Jared (208) 345-2400 or Email Us
