Low Water Considerations for the Middle Fork of the Salmon River

Floating the Middle Fork of the Salmon River at a low flow can be exhilarating, rewarding, and super frustrating all at the same time.

Here are a few tips that could make your low water trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River even more enjoyable:

  1. Know what you are getting yourself into! Do as much research as you possibly can before you head to Boundary Creek. Knowledge is power so arm yourself for the journey ahead.
  2. Make sure everyone in your group knows how low water could affect your trip. Prepare mentally/physically for slow going until you get down near Indian Creek. The first few days will NOT be high mileage days!
  3. Dress to get wet. Not because you’ll flip your boat (it is a possibility), but because odds are you will be jumping in the river many times to push your raft off of rocks. Unless you are not a fan of your toenails, wear closed-toe shoes.
  4. Air down. Run your rafts squishy so they can “slime” over the many rock gardens that you will encounter.
  5. Leave a larger gap than normal between boats.”Boat jams” can easily occur during low water trips. Leaving a large gap allows a stuck boat more time to get unstuck, and also allows a boat upstream time to eddy out to assist the downstream boat get unstuck.
  6. If budget allows, you can fly everything, or heavier items, into Indian Creek. It does shorten the trip, but alleviate the rockier first section.

Successfully floating the Middle Fork of the Salmon River during low flow can be very rewarding to those who aren’t afraid of a little extra hard work!