A week in the largest wilderness area in the Lower 48? Canyons so deep they turned back Lewis & Clark? Glacially carved high altitude lakes nestled amid the Bighorn Crags? Yeah!
the lowdown: The River of No Return Wilderness, 2,400,000 square acres, is located in central Idaho. So remote, the trailhead is a 2hr drive from the nearest town, the bustling metropolis of Challis, population 900. This is as remote a place as one can find south of Alaska.
The wilderness is dominated by the Salmon River mountains, topping out around 10,000'. The Salmon River bisects from east to west, carving canyons over 6000' deep. The Middle Fork of the Salmon runs south to north; both of these rivers are designated wild and scenic and are considered among the finest whitewater rafting rivers in North America.
High among the jagged peaks of the Bighorn Crags are trout filled, crystal blue lakes in glacial cirques surrounded by spruce-fir forests. Descending into the canyons, the forests give way to open, grassy meadows dotted with ponderosa pine.
dates: 7/8-13
mileage, elevation +/-, pinnacle: 55mi, +/-8900', 9500' (and 10 miles rafting!)
conditions: still plenty of snow at altitude, even in mid-July. trails were well established, and there was no storm or fire damage of note
weather: sun, lots of it. i might have seen a cloud one day. high 60's/high 40's in the mountains, 90's/50's in the canyons.
highlights: really cool new friends, rafting the Middle Fork, diverse ecosystems, unreal fishing (video clip)
challenges: lots of rattlesnakes, getting schooled in "nut-toss," the game my rafting friends taught me, hiking the 5000' 11mi ascent into the Crags
the hike: I reached the Crags Trailhead in the early evening of July 8th, a 2 hr drive from Route 93 over well maintained dirt roads. After a trailhead camp that evening, I set out the next day through the heart of the Bighorn Crags, past Cathedral Rock and along Fishfin Ridge. This high altitude section of the wilderness is dominated by the namesake Crags, which loom over beautiful, crystal clear, trout filled lakes(below, top.) Halfway through the day i caught up with three guys from Idaho, out on a week-long fishing trip. They were on their way to Airplane Lake (below, bottom) to set up a base camp.
From this location, they planned on day hiking to the numerous lakes in the area. I was invited to spend the night in camp with them, an offer i was glad to accept. Within half an hour of arriving in camp we had caught enough (delicious) trout for dinner.
The next morning the 4 of us headed for nearby Shoban and Sheepeater Lakes, both gorgeous alpine lakes, nestled in glacial cirques. I spent the first half of the day in fine company, with fine fishing to match. My mid-day, i realized that a morning spent fishing (and not hiking) had jeopardized by goal of reaching the Middle Fork of the Salmon by nightfall. So, time to re-evaluate and improvise:
I had planned on backtracking to Airplane Lake, then following trails that would take me around Fishfin Ridge, past Wilson, Harbor and Heart Lakes before arriving at the Terrace lakes basin which marked the starting point for the 5000' descent to the Middle Fork. This meant a good 5-6 miles of hiking, with the 11 mi descent still follow; an impossible amount of distance and elevation for an afternoon.
However, a good alternative had presented itself in the form of a steep couloir at the southern end of Sheepeater Lake. The word couloir means "passage" in French and if i could successfully ascend this ridge and descend to the other side i would find my passage to the Terrace Lakes basin, saving at least 5 miles of hiking and keeping my goal of reaching the Middle Fork in reach.
Of course, this meant hiking a 50 degree slope up a few hundred feet of elevation on late season, possibly unstable, snowpack. After carefully scouting the route and testing the snowpack, i headed up.
(the couloir is located on the right side of the ridge below)
(a view of the couloir on my way up)
The ascent was easier than i had hoped, and i soon found myself at the top of the ridge, looking back on Sheepeater and Shoban Lakes.
Soon i was in the Terrace Lakes Basin, and before starting the long descent down to the Middle Fork i couldn't resist the temptation to do a little fishing in these beautiful lakes. The fishing was excellent (of course) and after landing a particularly nice trout, i went for my camera to capture it for posterity. I had placed the camera close by on a rock near the shore for easy access; too close apparently, as it had fallen and tumbled into the lake. Just to refresh, this is the camera that had already been dropped about 200' down a rocky slope in Colorado and into the sand in the Utah desert, yet still worked. Surely it couldn't withstand total submersion in water, and when i attempted to power it on, i was greeted with a blank LCD display and a hideous sound.
Hoping against hope, i disassembled the camera as best as i could and laid it out in the afternoon sun to dry. An hour passed and a significant amount of moisture was still visible. Another hour (i passed the time fishing, naturally) and still it wouldn't power on. Finally, as 5pm approached and my plan of reaching the Middle Fork by dark was again in jeopardy i decided to reassemble the camera and hope for the best. Lo and behold, the camera powered up and took pictures! There was still residual moisture in the display, but it worked! (and still does to this day)
So, a few hours behind schedule, i headed down towards the Middle Fork, 11 miles below, at a quick clip, following Watefall Creek.
Soon the spruce-fir forest gave way to open grasslands and i was moving at a good clip over easy trail, feeling that nothing could slow me down. Until i heard the 1st rattle, behind me, which meant that i had rambled past a snake without seeing it. Not being bitten was clearly a good thing, but i was concerned that i was unaware of the snake's presence until after i was already past it. Clearly, i was moving too fast and spending too much time admiring the unfolding valleys below me and not paying enough attention to the trail ahead of me. Over the next few days at lower elevation i was rattled a few more times and on one occasion i needed to freeze in my tracks to allow a rattler to clear off the trail; I must admit that i really respect an animal that will warn before striking.
(a view of the Middle Fork on the descent from the Bighorn Crags)
Just after dark I reached the Middle Fork of the Salmon and made camp at the confluence of Big Creek. It was an exhausting day; 14 miles hiked, 4000' gained and 9000' lost. I took solace in the fact that i wouldn't have to hike up that route, as i planned to hike up the river and make a much more gentle ascent back towards the Crags.
The next day's hike was to take me 18 miles up the river to Camus Creek. After making camp there, i would head up towards Middle Fork peak the following day. The hiking along the river was hot and tiring despite the relatively gentle elevation changes along the river.
Mid-afternoon i was looking for a shaded area to enjoy a late lunch when i happened upon a beautiful, leggy blonde. I was sure that i was the victim of sunstroke, but was more than happy to enjoy the hallucination. In fact, i had come across a party of rafters on a week long trip down the Middle Fork.
They were well equipped (having the benefit of the river carrying their supplies) and insisted on having me for dinner. At first i declined, needing to make another 8 miles that day, but as soon as they began to set up their buffet spread, i couldn't resist. Fresh salad, roast pork tenderloin, cowboy potatoes; who was i to say "no thanks, i'd rather rehydrate some beef jerky and vegetables..."
(Summer tending bar and setting up the buffet)
The group was headed by 2 former river guides who were able to use their connections to snag a coveted permit. And did they travel in style; in addition to the aforementioned edibles they traveled with a full bar and portable drinking game, "nut toss." After dinner and a few rounds of nut toss, i was in no condition to continue on, so i accepted the offer to share camp for the evening.
We shared a great night around the fire, and i must have made some decent impression, as the next morning they offered me the opportunity to raft the Middle Fork with them. Of course, this was in the opposite direction that i was heading, but one doesn't turn down the chance to raft the Middle Fork. Once again, i needed to re-evaluate my plan. The only way that i could make it work was to bite the bullet and accept the fact that i would have to retrace my route down from the Crags, this time going uphill all 5000'!!
So we headed off down river, which was beautiful beyond all measure.
They deposited me on the banks of the Middle Fork at the confluence of Big Creek, where i had camped 2 nights previous. After a light lunch, i began the long, arduous climb back up towards the Crags. The 11 miles and 5000' were a lot more difficult going up, and i was acutely aware of rattlers this time. I made it back to the Terrace Lakes basin just before dark, caught a beautiful trout for dinner, and settled in for the night.
The following day I made my way back to the trailhead, this time following the route around Heart, Harbor and Wilson Lakes that i had eschewed earlier in the week when i cut across the couloir. The fishing was fantastic at all the lakes and i had time to scramble to the top of an unnamed peak for incredible panoramic views of the Crags.
I made it back to the trailhead by nightfall and headed down to Challis for a night in the local saloon with some cowboys.
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