Hypothermic Happenings on the Middle Fork
Ted & Helen Sparks on Middle Fork Photo by Evelyn Hopkins
Who would have thunk it? Almost July on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho and there I was, an aging kid from Topsham, Maine, accustomed to the frigid waters and cold winters of New England and the Maritimes, near hypothermic.
We were at the end of our third day on the river and had experienced a continuous diet of cold air temperatures, colder water and raw rainy weather. Adding to the challenge were exceptionally high river levels that were still climbing as a result of a late snow melt and a couple of gloomy weeks of rain. We’d just pitched our tents and most of the group was beginning a hike up Loon Creek to hot springs estimated to be about a mile away. Not me. The skies were threatening more rain and I was in dry clothes and staying dry. After a bone chilling day of kayaking, I had one goal in mind – a lengthy siesta in my warm sleeping bag where I hoped to raise my body temperature to at least a balmy 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Earlier, one member of the group had remarked that after three days their dirty laundry was accumulating. “I have a different standard,” I remarked, “If it’s dry, it’s clean.” While others were running out of clothes, I was accumulating more. I was begging or borrowing anything made of neoprene or fleece and on river looked more like a colorful version of the Pillsbury Doughboy out of his element rather than a whitewater kayaker. Just moments before, Kim, who was riding one of the rafts, offered the use her heavy fleece sweater for the following day. “Sure,” was my instantaneous response as I wondered to myself if her fleece pants would fit my under paddle pants?
Called the River of No Return because of its numerous challenging rapids, the Middle Fork of the Salmon River is one of the most spectacular and exciting whitewater expeditions in North America. Located in the 2.3 million acre Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness Area in remote central Idaho, it flows tumultuously through steep canyons for about a hundred miles before joining the Main Salmon. Along the way, there are dozens of exciting rapids, campsites located where Natives Americans lived 10 to 12 thousand years past and enough history and geology to fill volumes. Wildlife is abundant as significant populations of bear, deer, moose, sheep and goats inhabit the canyons. Pictographs painted by the Sheepeater Indians and earlier Native American peoples can be found in several locations and soothing hot springs offer relief after long days of paddling. For me, just one thing was missing, “Warmth.”
Our “group” consisted of paddling friends and acquaintances from New England, the southeast and Midwest. Most of us had previously shared whitewater river adventures on the Middle Fork, Grand Canyon, Costa Rica, Quebec, Ontario and numerous other trips. We paddled kayaks, canoes, C1 boats and a shredder (two-person inflatable whitewater boat). The Middle Fork is a permit river and we hired the services Canyons, Inc., located in McCall, Idaho, to provide raft support. Canyons has regularly scheduled raft trips on the Middle Fork and can carry camping gear, food, stoves and that essential for overnight trips, toilets – called groovers. The raft guides are familiar with the rapids, although no one seemed to know the lines at the high water levels we experienced. Lack of familiarity with the rapids resulted in what I affectionately called “scouting till we dropped.”
The trip began at Boundary Creek about an hour northwest of Stanley on June 19th, approximately three weeks earlier than our previous trip in 2002. Everyday was gloriously warm and sunny on that memorable outing. Our goal this time was to maximize water levels by starting earlier and taking advantage of “spring” snowmelt. In that respect, our plan was a howling success. Arguably, too successful, as unusually heavy rains and snow had raised the river to much higher levels than we had anticipated. Presumably it’s one of Newton’s Laws – snow and ice that has just melted is wicked cold. Maybe that’s one of Murphy’s Laws.
Initially, the river flow was only moderate and more technical in character than big volume. Rapids such as Velvet Falls, Lake Creek Falls and Pistol required precise moves to avoid intimidating holes and hydraulics. Pistol was particularly challenging for our group with multiple flips, rolls and a couple of swims. Lake Creek Falls is a new and interesting rapid that was formed by a creek “blowout” a couple of years prior. Formerly a gentle pool above Pistol, now the water tumbles precipitously into a powerful hole that must be skirted to the left and then quickly feeds into Pistol creating the potential for a long, unpleasant swim.
On Day Four, the river gods smiled on our rain sopped group. The sun greeted us at dawn. For the first time on the trip, I could see my shadow when I awoke, which I interpreted as an omen portending favorable weather for our remaining three days on the river. The warm temperatures were particularly fortuitous as several creeks had dumped thousands of cfs in the river and from that point on most rapids were pushy, big volume Class IV runs with large waves and scary looking holes. Running rapids like Tappan Falls, Haystack, Redside, and Weber, our journey on the Middle Fork culminated with the huge waves and sticky holes of Rubber Falls. Some in our group attempted to skirt the main wave train by dodging holes on river left while others challenged the big breaking swells in the center of the river. Each option had its casualties, but all boats and paddlers were safely reunited at the bottom. We finished our trip with a couple of miles of enormous, Grand Canyon-like waves and nearly 30,000 cfs on the Main Salmon. Next time, I’ll wear a dry suit or maybe a survival suit! I might not fit in my kayak, but I’ll be warm sitting on the raft looking like a undersized version of the Goodyear Blimp.
For additional information on more outdoor adventures, visit my website at www.ronchaseoutdoors.com. Obtain a copy of our book, Mountains for Mortals – New England, for details on the best mountain hikes in New England.