Hiking on the Middle Fork

Every time you have a chance, take advantage of opportunities to go hiking on the Middle Fork. It will give you a completely different perspective on your river trip. There might be a chance to join the guides on a rapids-scouting adventure where you might see the remains of old homesteads, relics of old mining operations, or primitive hydropower equipment. What would it have been like to try to carve out an existence in the middle of the wilderness during the pioneer days? A different kind of perspective sets in while you might ponder the challenges with trying to survive in such a remote place … How did they even get there? How to haul heavy equipment through extremely rugged mountains overland from some far-away semblance of civilization? What did they eat? Where did they sleep? Ultimately, the challenges were so severe than no one managed to live in the Middle Fork country on a continuous basis except for the Sheepeater band of the Shoshone Indians and a few very creative, tenacious miners, like Earl Parrott.

There also will be opportunities to take a short hike after making camp on the Middle Fork. In less than 5 minutes, you might pause to take a breath and notice the utter quietude of the wilderness canyon. Looking at the big canyon from points above the river, everything looks different, even larger than you imagined. You might see some wildflowers popping up amid the bear grass. Or chance upon some elk, deer, bighorn sheep or mountain goats quietly grazing on the mountainside. A golden eagle patrolling the ridge above. A redtail hawk circling the sky. This is their home. You are a visitor. More steps away from the river, you feel increasingly small, surrounded by an endless sea of mountains, inside the largest wilderness in the lower 48. Humbling moment for the soul. Quiet reflection.

On the last day on the Middle Fork, there are so many things to see in the Impassible Canyon. You must do the hike to Veil Falls. Take your time on the hike to the giant alcove in the canyon wall. Watch your footing. It’s like a stairway to heaven. Approach quietly, and you may see some bighorn sheep in the cave. Once in that giant room of wonders, you’ll see a misting waterfall wavering in the wind. Stand underneath the waterfall and reach for the heavens. This is a seminal moment. All of the external worries in your world have disappeared after 5 days of wilderness bliss, and now this experience under the weeping waterfall is mesmerizing and transformative. Close your eyes. Enjoy the magic of the Middle Fork moment. You will be touched by this experience forever.

Visit Rattlesnake Cave or other super powerful spots where you can see Native American pictographs. Hike to see these ancient art forms on the canyon walls. The images are like a journal of their primitive life in the canyon – you’ll see depictions of wildlife, hunting, native peoples, and other symbols that have perplexed professional archaeologists for decades. Respect these spiritual places, do not touch, and leave no trace.

Soak up all of these off-river experiences while you can, knowing the end of the trip is near, but at the same time, civilization can wait. Like most, you’ll come back.

Hike On!!

Middle Fork of the Salmon River

The Middle Fork of the Salmon river is the most prized wilderness river trip in North America, if not world.  Far and Away adds a unique, multi-dimensional luxury component to the Middle Fork experience, making it a trip-of-a-lifetime, a truly memorable and comfortable experience for your family and friends.