Reflections from the Main Salmon IRU Conservation Trip
Idaho Rivers United is partnering with Confluences River Expeditions again in 2022 for a 5-Day Main Salmon Raft Trip. Spaces are limited at the Idaho Rivers United member discount rate, so secure your spot today. You will love this trip of a lifetime!
This summer, I was fortunate to be the Idaho Rivers United staff representative on our Main Salmon IRU raft trip. For five glorious days, I was able to immerse myself in the river and reconnect with the “why” behind IRU’s conservation efforts. I was joined on this trip by eight tremendous Idaho Rivers United members, from brand new supporters to a few who have been with us since nearly the beginning (1990!). We were guided by an energetic and conservation-conscious crew from Confluences River Expeditions, and we were in incredibly capable hands the entire trip. Starting out as mostly strangers, the magic recipe of days on the water and nights spent circled-up on sandy beaches transformed us into a bonded group of paddlers and friends.
Most of the IRU members on this trip had been on a multi-day trip in the past, but for some of us, it was our first time on the Main Salmon stretch of river. We were not disappointed. Almost immediately we were enjoying splashy whitewater bordered by white sandy beaches and abundant wildlife. We soaked in majestic hot springs, swam through crystal clear stretches of flat water, and marveled at pictographs, reminders that we were occupying the traditional lands of the Nez-Perce, Shoshone-Bannock, and Lemhi-Shoshone Tribes. We lost track of time and enjoyed a break from the busyness of daily life.
Every evening after setting up camp, swimming and snorkeling in the river, and pouring our beverage of choice, we ate a delicious supper (prepared by our guides/professional chefs) and connected with Idaho Rivers United’s conservation work. We boated through some of the warmest water on record, organically leading to numerous conversations about salmon recovery and the hurdles faced by Idaho’s wild, migrating fish. We paddled through the Dixie-Jumbo Fires in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest and watched as flames licked the river (a sight I suspect none of us will ever forget), facilitating chats about land and river management plans and IRU’s campaigns for Wild & Scenic River designations. We observed golden eagles perched on pine branches, bighorn sheep scurrying up hillsides, and a juvenile black bear fording the river one evening at camp. The abundant wildlife sightings were the icing on the cake of a spectacular trip, and we all imagined the impacts on their habitat if proposed mines near the put-in and on the South Fork Salmon are realized.
I think all of us left the river with a renewed sense of the importance of wild places. In addition to being exceptionally fun, our week on the Salmon River reaffirmed the need for conservation organizations, like Idaho Rivers United. We are so privileged to have the Salmon River and all that it provides within our state, and I am more determined than ever to ensure that its outstanding scenic, recreational, cultural, and natural values are upheld.