Wilderness River Outfitters

Grand Canyon 2012

2011-11-14T10:25:00.000-08:00

View from above Deer Creek

Confluence of Little Colorado

Oar Boat in 217 rapid

Lava Falls (Biggest Rapid of the Trip)

Matkat Side Hike

paddle boat

Deer Creek

Horn Rapid, Another Big One

More Main Salmon!!!

2011-10-31T11:52:00.000-07:00

On the Main Salmon this year, the Skipper trip was on July 24th. Here at WRO everyone looks forward to this trip each year. Skipper Tonsmeire is family and comes out every year for a Middle Fork or Main Salmon trip. When Skipper organizes a trip you know everyone he invites is going to be a lot of fun! This year we had a great crew of both family and friends. Skipper brought his daughter Elizabeth and girlfriend Susan with daughter Clara. Greer Radcliff, who has been on several trips with us, rowed is own boat this time and did great. Greer and girlfriend Adair also invited some of his family which were a great addition to the group. Veronica Herndon, a great friend and long time guest here at WRO, brought her nephew. Veronica and Skipper are both members of the WRO Grand Slam Club! We also had Mac Tonsmeire and his family as well. It was great to spend some time with them. Safe travels to Mac Tonsmeire on his current tour in Afghanistan. We are all be thinking of you at WRO! Skipper also invited Fairhope, AL friend Richie Parsons and daughter Rachel. Richie provided some great campfire entertainment with his guitar. Another Fairhope friend, Jim Veal and daughter Madelyn, were also fun to have along. Jim always had a good joke and a great sense of humor.

This group shot was taken at one of the homesteads along the Salmon River. The Francis Zaunmiller homestead is one of the interesting historical sites of the Main Salmon. In the late 1800′s through the 1900′s there were some real characters living in the Salmon River Canyon. Francis being one of these for sure! Check out a short video of Francis on YouTube to get to know her!

Like most of the 2011 summer, we had great water for the middle of July. For myself and Henry it was great because we turned the corner off the July 19th Middle Fork trip onto this one. Anytime you can stay on the river for 11-days straight for the Middle Fork Main Salmon combination life is good! This is a multi-day classic of North America.

When we came around the corner at the Buckskin Bill Museum we saw a couple bighorn rams on the hillside. After looking closer we saw there were eight different rams hanging around together. It’s a special occasion to see a nice herd of rams just off the river.
There were a good number of takers for the rappelling and rock climbing on this Main Salmon trip. Greer’s nephew Webb and Madelyn Veal both put forth an awesome effort in the rock climbing. Madelyn made it all the way to last few moves at the top. For anyone that has been there, you know that the handholds start to get pretty small, few, and far between. Webb was able to push through and make it to the top. We usually have very few people, if anyone, make it to the top each summer. Nice work Webb! I think he may have even earned $50 from Hutch who was providing a little extra incentive.

Henry got some good GoPro footage throughout the week that I used to put together the short video below. Also check out the new motion graphic we are using for our internet videos. Enjoy!

With the season now over, I am now finding time to sort through more photos and video from the 2011 season. Also it is clean up time around the shop. Cleaning and washing all our rafts is quite the chore at the end of the season. Check back for the next posting soon. I have some great shots of a historic wooden scow on the Main Salmon in September, definitely going to want to check those photos out!

~ Seth Tonsmeire

Main Salmon in August

2011-10-31T11:43:00.001-07:00

The Main Salmon is such a great place to be in August! The water has warmed up to a great swimming temperature. It is still very refreshing, but on a hot summer day it is just the ticket. The beaches make for easy camping and it’s just a great river trip for the whole family!

On August 1st we had a great group, a mix of families and adults. The group started with Mac Thornton and his family of four. Mac had joined us on a Middle Owyhee trip a few years back as a kayaker and decided to bring his family back for a Main Salmon this summer. Mac’s brother Larry joined the party as well. After everyone invited a few friends and Mac invited another family, we were quickly up to 16 people on the trip! Everyone did not know each other previous to the trip, but everyone did have some connection with the rest of the group. It turned out to be a really fun group!

In this group there were some outstanding kayakers! Jumping right into the inflatable kayaks, and doing very well at it. There were definitely of few people that joined the Salmon River swim team that week, but that will happen. Also it’s part of the fun! The kayaks are the craft of “high adventure” and are often a quick favorite for those looking for a little extra excitement. The kayaks were definitely a highlight for this group! Other highlights for the group were hiking, rappelling, the hot springs, historical sites, the paddle boat, campfire time, and just spending family time and visiting with old friends!

There are more photos from this trip on the WRO Flickr gallery, as well as a few on the facebook page. I also put together a short video from some of the GoPro footage. The video is in HD, so remember to give it time to load. Andre takes the cake with the best shot in the video! Watch him take a wave to the face in slow motion. The expression on his face made me laugh every time when editing the video. Enjoy!

Thats all for now, but more to come!

~Seth Tonsmeire

July in Idaho

2011-10-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

For our July 19th Middle Fork Salmon date the water was still great for all the rapids, but had also slowed down enough to significantly help out the fishing. Great whitewater, fishing, hot springs, hiking, relaxing around camp, inflatable kayaking, paddle boating, beautiful waterfalls, and just being out in the wilderness with friends and family made this a great trip for everyone!

We had a great bunch of people this week on the Middle Fork! A mix group from all over. David Bohm brought his two sons Joe and Eric. The Bohm crew has been on multiple trips with WRO and are always great to have back. Many fish were caught at the hands of this family. Mimi and daughter Rebecca, also part of the Bohm group were really fun the have along. Mimi was great in the inflatable kayak! Rebecca was a strong player in the paddle boat as well as the kayaks, and always had a smile on her face! Big Cal, Jeff, and Meghan brought a lot of great river experience to the trip and were a true pleasure to have along. Jeff playing the guitar around camp was awesome. Paul and Anthony were great to have along as well. Anthony kept Henry challenged with evening chess matches throughout the trip. Ted and Trillis were a couple of Idaho locals from Challis that joined us for this one. Ted said the Middle Fork was on his list for 28 years and was super excited to finally get it checked off. At the end of the six days Ted was ready to continue on down the Main Salmon on an 11-day trip!

Hope you enjoyed some of the photos from this great trip! There are many more photos that can be seen on our Flickr gallery. There is also a WRO facebook gallery with photos from this trip as well. Below is a short video I put together from some GoPro action footage Henry and myself took throughout the trip. Enjoy!

More photos and videos coming soon from other summer trips.

~Seth Tonsmeire

June Water July Weather!!!

2011-10-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

Fire Island Camp photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Well summer finally decided to show up in Idaho! With the huge snowpack and the cool spring, we are now running on June water with July weather, which is a real treat. We launched on July 3rd at 5.5 ft on the Middle Fork Lodge gauge. Last year we launched with that flow in early June! The water is clear and the rapids are awesome right now. The fishing is also starting to pick up as well. This is going to be an incredible year for late July and August trips on the Middle Fork Salmon.

Go Pro Action Shot photo: Seth Tonsmeire

For this July 3rd trip, we had the Baker family and friends trip. A trip we always look forward to here at WRO. Having taken many of this crew on previous river trip, it feels like a trip with old friends from day one. The Baker family first started coming on trips with WRO in 1996, and have been coming back ever since! With talk of an Alsek or Tat trip in 2013, the Baker family will also be added to the WRO Grand Slam Club. This was their second Middle Fork Salmon trip on July 3rd. With the higher water levels though, there were many comments about how the river seemed totally different from last time.

The weather was incredible! Hot and sunny for almost the entire trip. The second to last day we did have some cloud cover, but it was welcomed after serval hot and sunny days in a row. The hot springs were a huge hit as always with this crew. We took serval short hikes to water falls in the lower canyon that were definitely a high light for everyone! Wine around the campfire in the evenings was also a very much enjoyed by the group. At 5.5 feet the rapids are great, and the Middle Fork has waves for miles and miles. Much of the upper end and well as the Jack Creek Canyon section were continuous wave trains of good fun. Velvet, Pistol, and Cove Creek were definitely some of the biggest rapids of the trip, providing good excitement!

Chair Circle at Survey Camp photo: Seth Tonsmeire

More photos from this trip can be viewed on the WRO Flickr Gallery. If you would like to download any of the photos, that can be done from Flickr as well. If you are a member of Yahoo, you can even order prints from Flickr. Enjoy! Check out the video below from the trip as well. There is also a facebook gallery of some of the best photos from this trip. Feel free to share with your friends!

More trips are coming up in the near further, so check back for more WRO updates on the blog.

Thats all for now!

~Seth Tonsmeire

Spring Time

2011-05-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Rafts Entering Bruneau Canyon photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Spring has finally hit Idaho in full swing. Wildflowers are in full bloom, trees are budded, many seasonal birds are showing up, the snow is receding, and the rivers are on the rise! Snowpack in Idaho is still well above average across the state. It always depends on how the snow comes off, but it is looking like a year for great water late into the summer months.

Bruneau Canyon photo: Seth Tonsmeire

We ran our first trip of the season last week on the Bruneau River. With water levels pushing into flood stage we decided to go to plan B and skip the Jarbidge section and put in for the Bruneau only. When rafting in the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness you always need to be ready for plan B. The Owyhee and Bruneau Rivers are some of the most beautiful and intimate river canyons in the west, and remain that way because of their logistical complications. Those who work through these challenges are rewarded with the ultimate wilderness experience!

Desert Sunsest photo: Seth Tonsmeire

After pushing through the class V put in of the Bruneau River road the trip was under way. Taking away the upper section of the trip allowed for more time to hike and explore the impressive Bruneau River canyon. By the time the group reached Five Mile rapid, the whitewater finish the last day, the water had dropped below flood stage, but Five Mile rapid still provided much whitewater excitement!

“I’ve been on 53 different remote rivers in my life and let me tell you: If you ever want to take a trip with river outfitters who are safe, knowledgeable, affable, fun, and awesome cooks, try floating the Bruneau River with Wilderness River Outfitters. Like me, when your trip is done, you’ll have more than enough memories from just this one river to decorate your mental scrapbook for the rest of your life.” -Mark Lawson 2011

Further North, people have started running the Middle Fork and Main Salmon in the last couple weeks. Those rivers are starting their rise to the spring high water peak. The Owyhee and Bruneau rivers in the Southern Idaho desert are on their way down now, but still have great flows for rafting and definitely above average for this time of year! With much snow still piled in the mountains, these southern rivers are looking to run later than usual this year.

Over the next couple weeks we will start getting into the main part of our river season and are looking forward to seeing everyone planning on joining us for this great water year!

~ Seth Tonsmeire

The New Website is Live

2011-04-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

With our new website came a new blog. The main WRO blog will now be within the new website. I will probably still post on this blog from time to time as well though. Visit the new website at www.wildernessriver.com.

Thanks,

Seth Tonsmeire

New Website Coming Soon!

2011-04-06T23:12:00.000-07:00

Screenshot of New Site

This winter we have been in the process of rebuilding our current website. All the time and effort is about to pay off. Look for the new site to go live in the next week or two. Many new photos and videos to check out!

Music on the Main

2011-01-06T14:20:00.000-08:00

Lil' Smokies in Action!

Exciting News! This coming summer we are offering the first WRO river trip with live music on the Main Salmon. Several members of The Lil' Smokies, a popular bluegrass/folk band from Missoula, Montana will be joining us on our August 17th Main Salmon trip. Their style ranges from traditional to progressive newgrass. While a treat to watch any time, we think that bringing them to play with the stunning backdrop of the Salmon River Canyon is taking it to another level. Check out The Lil' Smokies music on MySpace and see for yourself!

Take this scene: Add in a beautiful big Main Salmon beach, yourself enjoying a glass of wine and delicious food, and you have Music on the Main!

Why not make something that is already great even better? We did just that. Matt Cornette is one of the musicians in the band The Lil' Smokies. In addition to being a talented musician he is also a renowned chef at The Red Bird, one of Missoula's finest restaurants. Check out all the great reviews on Yelp! Matt will be planning the dinner menu on this special trip and treating your taste buds to incredible flavors and fine dining style. With a fine dining menu, fine wines, and great music; this trip is going to be hard to beat!

Call or email for more information. This trip may sell out quick. If this sounds like the trip for you, we recommend reserving your spot soon!

Contact Information

RSVP this event on facebook, and invite your friends!

Local Bread on the River!

2010-12-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

Store Front in Salmon, Idaho.

This past spring the Odd Fellows’ Bakery opened up here is Salmon Idaho. Craig McCallum has been the driving force behind the bakery since its infancy. He spent much of last winter working to get store construction finished, as well as building the wood fired oven. It was exciting to watch progress and see the doors open in the spring of 2010.

All the bread that the bakery serves is baked in the wood fired oven. They build a fire right in the oven. When the optimal temperature is reached the ash and coals are swept out and the oven is ready for action. They offer a variety of different specialty breads, sandwich breads, muffins, scones, and much more.

Wood Fired Oven.

Fresh Sesame Seed Bread.

Their delicious bread fits into our river menu in several different ways. We like to serve at least one loaf of their bread on sandwich days at lunch. Dinner breads are also a great fit. Last summer the Odd Fellows’ Garlic Bread received great reviews on our trips. The whole garlic cloves baked into the bread, creates a flavor that is hard to beat! I remember one comment about the garlic bread at Lower Bull on the Main Salmon, something along the lines of, “this is the best bread I have ever had.”

More Fresh Bread.

With the bread baked from natural and some local ingredients, supporting a local small business, helping build a sustainable local community and economy, and the plain fact that the bread is delicious, it’s a no brainier to serve it on the river! We are proud to serve Odd Fellows’ bread on both our Middle Fork of the Salmon and the Main Salmon trips.

Craig McCallum, one of the proud owners of Odd Fellows' Bakery.

Seth Tonsmeire

2010 Facebook Winner

2010-12-10T12:22:00.000-08:00

Jessica enjoying a day on the Main Salmon.

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

To reward people for being a fan WRO on facebook, we gave away a free 6-day Main Salmon river trip to one lucky fan! Jessica Winans was the winner in last years facebook giveaway.

Jessica and Galen on the Dwyer creek hike, Main Salmon.

Jessica is a teacher at Montana State Western in Dillon Montana, where she teaches geography. She joined our Main Salmon trip on August 9th last summer for her free river trip prize. Jessica and her boyfriend Galen (who also joined the trip) are both avid rafters and were great to have along. Galen is also a kayaker, so he brought along his playboat.

We are looking to giveaway a Middle Fork or Main Salmon trip for the 2011 season sometime this winter! So make sure you "like" our facebook page, and stay posted for how you could be the lucky winner!

Good luck to everyone in the next giveaway.

Seth Tonsmeire

Winter Wonderland!

2010-11-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

Emerald Lake Yoho National Park

photo ~ Seth Tonsmeire

Winter has definitely shown up here in Idaho. With winter storm advisories for the central Idaho area the last few days, the snow has started to pile up. We have accumulated over a foot of snow in the mountains the last couple days. La Nina is treating us well so far. Lets just hope it keeps coming and builds a great snowpack for the up coming river season!

Marble Creek in Kootenay National Park

photo ~ Seth Tonsmeire

Myself and a friend took a short trip up to Canada this last week to check out some National Parks. It turns out the camping season in Canada is coming to an end with recent sub-zero temperatures. We did some hiking around in several different national parks, it was a winter wonderland up there. Also we soaked in some great natural hot-springs which were awesome, but definitely no better than our Idaho hot-springs. I wanted to share a couple photos that I took on our recent trip. Hope you enjoy!

Bull Elk in Banff National Park

photo ~ Seth Tonsmeire

Cool Icicles up Johnson Canyon Banff National Park

photo ~ Seth Tonsmeire

I also just finished up a short video edit of a snake battling it out with a toad from this last summer. Check it out on the video gallery!

Thats all for now.

Hope you are having a great day!

Seth Tonsmeire

Jarbidge Falls Oil Painting

2010-10-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know, my father Joe Tonsmeire went to school at Auburn University. While attending Auburn he became part of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He made many lasting friendships while at Auburn and within Phi Delta Theta. With his passing in 2007, some of his college/fraternity brothers set up the Joe Tonsmeire Leadership Scholarship Fund. This scholarship will be presented to a student each year. That person will be selected based on traits that resemble those of Joe Tonsmeire, a true leader for one. Booth Malone was one of those college friends. Since his college days, he has become a renown oil paint artist. He painted a portrait of my dad running Jarbidge Falls in 2006. The painting turned out amazing. He is selling prints to raise money for the scholarship fund. My family went to Auburn this last weekend to be a part of the unveiling of the painting. Booth presented the original to our family and a print to be left hanging in Phi House. He is selling prints for $200 and there are limited prints with only 125 printed.

photo: Purcie Bennett

The photo that the portrait was painted from, was taken by Purcie Bennett. A long time WRO client and friend. There is also a short video on our webpage of his run through Jarbidge Falls that day.

Also, I figured I would share a poem that my sister wrote about our dad:

With the pace of a mountain goat and the heart of Lion, he never stopped living – he’d rather die trying;

From the top of McKinley or thru raging falls, he’s riding the range and shooting the stars;

The River it called and the trail it began, and the wind always whispered to this special man;

A figure of love, and passion and grace, blue dancing eyes and a smile on his face;

I wonder now what we should do or should say; I’ll follow his tracks and cherish each day;

Well the River it called and the trail it began, and the wind always whispered to this special man.

-Amy Tonsmeire

We returned from Alabama to the first snow of winter on the ground at our house. There are still yellow leaves on the trees, but it is starting to feel like winter is just around the corner.

Hope you are having a great day!

Seth Tonsmeire

Missouri & Texas meet Idaho

2010-09-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

New friends are easy to come by one the river. Thanks for such a great trip Curtis and Josh!

River Discovery!

2010-09-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Sam Myers and crew in Salmon Falls

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

River Discovery is non-profit that was started a few years back to provide cancer survivors with an opportunity to experience a river trip. There are two trips each year at this point, one for adults and one for kids. Many of the participants on these trips would never be able to take a trip like this if it was not for a program like River Discovery. River Discovery provides this trip free of charge for all participants. I was recently lucky to help put on the adult trip in early September. These trips are very special for everyone that is evolved. For all the participants it is a week to just get out in the wilderness, experience nature, and most importantly have fun! For a cancer surviver, spending a week with other people in the outdoors who have also battled cancer and can easily relate with each other has shown to be a powerful experience. The trip puts smiles on the faces of everyone evolved.

Nice Sunny Salmon River Day

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Magpie Creek

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

I brought the GoPro video camera along for the River Discovery trip on the Main Salmon. I was saving my batteries for the best rapid day, but unfortunately it turned out to be a cool and cloudy day. I still got some action shots of some of the rapids. The boom camera mount that I made for the boat makes for a cool perspective of the raft in the rapids. I pieced together a little video of some of the action shots. You can check this video out on YouTube!

Fred and Alice soaking in Barth Hot Springs

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

These trips are made possible by fundraising by River Discovery. If you would be interesting in helping out this great non-profit with a donation, every bit helps work toward putting together these great trips. Donations can be made here! To learn more about this great program, visit the River Discovery website!

Kelley and Kim enjoying Magpie Creek

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Group Shot!

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

If you would like to check out more photos of this great trip, they are available on our Flickr gallery!

Hope you are having a great day!

Seth Tonsmeire

Turning the Corner...

2010-08-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

Elosie stepping off into the Marble pool!

Middle Fork Salmon photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Dusk on the Middle Fork

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Tappan Falls ducky action!!!

Middle Fork Salmon photo: Seth Tonsmeire

In the Idaho river running world, "turning the corner" refers to running the Middle Fork Salmon then continuing down the Main Salmon. This makes for a great 11-day, 185-mile wilderness journey the the heart of Idaho. This is one of the longest wilderness runs in the west. Starting high in the Mountains at Boundary creek launch site at 6000 ft. At this elevation the forest is alpine, made up of lots a fir trees, lodge-pole pine, and more dense and lush vegetation. Over the next 185 miles you make you way down into the Mountain deserts to near 2000 ft. Around Indian creek on the Middle Fork you start to see the transition into a slightly different climate. Ponderosa Pines start to become to dominate vegetation on the landscape. From there to the end of the Main Salmon, you can watch slight changes in the landscapes as you float through the majestic Ponderosa Forests of central Idaho.

Justin and Jeremy getting after some s'mores

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Cousins battling it out "king of the ducky" style!

Main Salmon photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Our Middle Fork and Main trip dates line up in a manner that you can float around the corner and continue your journey down the Main Salmon that same day. There is a switch for some fresh coolers and dry boxes filled with new food. Most people end their Middle Fork trip at Cache Bar. For those people, that 6-days is not enough, Cache Bar is just a mid-point stop and re-supply. Myself and Matt turn to corner a couple weeks ago, and it was a reminder for me of what a great 11-day trip it makes. We were the only ones to go the full 11-days, so we switched groups and other guides. For me it was great, a true Idaho river experience. Two great rivers and two great groups of people all in 11 days, its hard to beat that!

Even though Jimmy did beat Brandon, he still went in the water!

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Grandma and Grandpa Bates enjoying some rapid action!

Main Salmon photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Father daughter battle. Lauren had never been camping before! She got right in there for the action, and loved it.

Main Salmon photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Beach living, Main Salmon style.

photo: Erik Boomer

Donny, Sherry, and Carson on the Dwyer creek hike.

Main Salmon photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Jeremy trying out the rappel.

Main Salmon photo: Seth Tonsmeire

More photos of both the Middle Fork Salmon August 4th and the Main Salmon August 9th can be seen on the WRO flickr photostream. More postings of recent trips coming soon!

Hope your having a great day!

Seth Tonsmeire

More Main Salmon Action

2010-07-30T17:12:00.001-07:00

Ducky Couch at Phantom Camp 1st Night

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

I just got back from another great Main Salmon trip. We had a group from Alabama this week. An extended Sharp family who were awesome. That family combined with a father daughter combo, also from Alabama, made for a great group. Tom and Brinkley Hutchings, long time WRO guests, were rowing their own boat this trip. They both did very well on the oars.

Big Mallard Action Shot

photo: Seth Tonsmerie

We had great weather with many highlights for everyone. The kayaks were a big hit with this group. Tom Sharp who kayaked most of the trip did manage to stay in his boat the whole time with no unintentional flips or swims, quite impressive for how he rode perched on the backrest in the kayak. For most of the other kayakers, I think they all got in a swim or two somewhere on the trip.

Black Bear, number 5 of 7 for the trip.

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

We had success with our fly rods at Chamberlin Creek, which was also a big hit. We also caught fish at Mallard Creek. We had intentions was doing more fishing the last afternoon at Bull creek, but the whole group was quickly side tracked, when a Gardner Snake was seen trying to eat a toad. It was an aggressive battle that lasted for some time. I think the snake finally decided that it had bit off more than it could chew and moved on. Everyone was definitely happy to see the toad hop off into the river after the battle. This battle was a very rare sighting and great entertainment for the last night. More photos of the Snake vs. Toad can be seen on our flickr photostream, as well as many other photos from the trip.

Snake vs. Toad (check back for the video of this epic battle)

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Fun was definitely had by all. Next week we have beginner kayakers heading out on the Main Salmon and a good sized group launching on the Middle Fork. Should be a good week here at WRO.

Group Shot

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Thats all for now. Hope your having a great day!

Seth Tonsmeire

Main Salmon Fun!!!

2010-07-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

Bald Eagle

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

It was great to get back on the Main Salmon this past week. After running many different river lately, I was quickly reminded of why the Main Salmon has always been a favorite. The large sandy beaches for camping and warm water for swimming was awesome. We were able to swim some smaller rapids in our lifejackets which was a highlight for many. With sunny skies and temperatures in the high 90s, swimming was a daily routine. Many of the swims were intentional, and I think a few others came as a surprise for some of the kayakers. Regardless of how you ended up in the river the water felt great.

Inflatable Kayaks in Big Mallard

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

The Salmon River is such a great place for a family river trip. The sandy beaches make for a great introduction into camping. With clear skies, most of the group just threw their pads and sleeping bags right on the beach. With no biting bugs and the stars in full show, nights sleeping out under the open skies are a pretty special experience. With the water to swim in and the beaches to play on the kids had endless entertainment for the week.

Peter going for another swim!

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

On the other end of the spectrum there were a group of adults on the trip that also throughly enjoyed themselves. For a group of old college friends to share the experience of a river trip was great. For the adults highlights included inflatable kayaking, hiking, rapid swimming, fishing, repelling, and also just enjoying beer and wine with great friends. Wildlife was also a big hit for everyone. We were very fortunate to enjoy quite a bear performance at Haney Bar. During dinner we watch six different bears on the other side of the river put on a dinner time show. Two other bears brought the total to eight for the trip, not to mention many big horn sheep, deer, otter, eagles, osprey, and a variety of other bird life just to name a few.

Paddle boat in Big Mallard

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

All that being said. I get to pack up tomorrow and do it all over again. It is a rough job, but someone has to do it. Hope you enjoyed some of the photos. Check out more photos from this trip on our Flickr photostream.

Matt running Big Mallard with Leblanc family.

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Hope you are having a great day!

Seth Tonsmeire

Back in the Lower 48

2010-07-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

Well after I was on a Middle Fork Salmon trip it was straight to the north for me. That started a couple weeks of no computer days for me. Which was great, but I got a little behind on sharing some photos. So I figured better late than never.

On June 16^th this year we had great water levels for some good high water boating. After a below average winter for precipitation, a wet spring kept water levels higher than expected. Which was awesome from a whitewater point of view. Velvet Falls, Rubber, Cove Creek, and Pistol rapids all provided for some great excitement and whitewater fun. The paddle boat was a highlight for some while others enjoyed the cruiser oar boats as a boat of choice through the bigger rapids. Loon Creek hot springs was a welcomed treat for everyone to get in a nice soak in the natural hot waters. The hike up to Veil Cave was also a definite highlight for Sam, who was the only one who when for the shower under the falls (probably because it was a cool day and she was one of the only people wearing a drysuit). Well I hope you enjoy some of the photos. If you would like to check out more of my photos from this trip, check out the Flickr gallery.

The bottom two photos are from a big expedition in the north. Check back later for more photos and details of this custom adventure…

Well it’s off to the Main Salmon for me this week. I am looking forward to the sandy beaches and warm water where the livin is easy.

Hope you are having a great day!

Seth Tonsmeire

2010-07-01T23:23:00.001-07:00

Back from Big Sky Country!

The summer season is underway, and WRO trips are spread out between Canada, Montana, and Idaho. Just back from a great trip on the Middle Fork of the Flathead, I thought I'd share a few photos of the Big Sky Montana is famous for. I didn't get any pics of the close encounters we had with moose, eagles, mountain goats, lots of fish, and even a grizzly bear, and no pictures either of the great whitewater, good food, and great company...but a guide can only do so much! Thanks to the gang, Bruce, Clodagh, Eilish, Nosh, and Greg--they made it a super trip.

Well it's off to the Main Salmon for me now!

Henry Munter

Spring in the Air

2010-05-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

Camas Creek photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Well just when you think spring is here it snows another six inches in the mountains. But we can’t complain about precipitation, because every bit helps to add more water for us to float on this summer. Even with these occasional snowstorms, spring is definitely here. All the aspen and cottonwood trees have finally leafed out. The hillsides around central Idaho are very green with grass and dotted with many different varieties of wildflowers. It is great to have many of the birds back as well. I have been seeing Mountain Bluebirds by the hundreds, which is the state bird of the great state of Idaho. I even have a pair nesting in the bird box I put up outside my house. Also Western Tanagers are starting to show up which are always great to see.

Mountain Bluebirds photo: Seth Tonsmeire

This spring has been a little slow for WRO. As I have realized there are some benefits to not being busy with work. I have been able to do more spring kayaking trips than usual! Of course there is the obvious downside of not making any money, but what can you do except get out there and enjoy some time off. A recent kayaking trip that I was able to put together with some friends was Camas Creek into the Middle Fork Salmon. I have hiked up Camas on many different river trips and it always looked like it would be a great kayak run. So last week, me and some friends loaded up the truck and drove into Myers Cove. This is the headwaters of Camas, and with our loaded kayaks we started our adventure. With average gradient of 100 ft/mile, there was no lack of excitement for sure. There were many logs and some rapids that needed to be portaged. I definitely left some plastic of my kayak on the trail while dragging around several different portages. We were able to run many great drops, which was awesome. The hillsides of Camas were yellow with arrow-leaf balsam root in full bloom. Mountain bluebells and shooting star flowers also added some great color as well. I have included some photos from our trip down Camas, as well a couple fire shots that turned out pretty good from our one night on Camas. The second afternoon, we rendezvoused with our friends that came down the Middle Fork for one last night and a great float out on the Middle Fork. The Middle Fork was around 4.5ft at Middle Fork Lodge, which made for some great rapids. Rubber is in its prime at this level, and we all enjoyed a great hit in our kayaks in that rapid for sure. Well I hope you enjoy some of the photos from our adventure. Also, check out a video on youtube or at the bottom of the page for a shot from one of rapids I got with the GoPro camera that I had along. I have also built a sweet raft mount for the GoPro this summer, so look forward to some great rafting video this summer!

Camas Creek photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Camas Falls photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Waterfall Creek, Middle Fork Salmon photo: Seth Tonsmeire

We are having our annual guide meeting this coming weekend, which will be fun to get everyone together again. This year we decided to incorporate a swiftwater rescue class into our guide meeting. Usually you don’t need these skills that often, but it is good to practice and be prepared just in case. Maybe I will share some photos of some of us swimming in the waters of Idaho in May.

Camas Campfire photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Well that's all for now. Stay tuned for more stories and pictures of adventure!

Seth Tonsmeire

First Days in the Owyhee Canyonlands

2010-04-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

First Camp

Photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Spring is in the air here in Idaho, trees are budding and water levels are rising. For me that puts a smile on my face. River running is in my near future. The Owyhee River is located in Southern Idaho and Eastern Oregon and usually one of the first things to run around here. Watching the gauge, it seemed like it was time to pack my bags, load my kayak, and get down there.

Photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Myself and the other four friends/guides in the group decided that the Lower Owyhee (Rome to Birch Creek) was our best option with the water that we had. We put on late in the afternoon, which put us just into the first canyon section about camp time. We found a small camp that fit us to perfection. The next morning when I woke up to the songs of canyon wrens instead of my barking blackberry alarm, I knew things were on the up and up. We spent the next 4 days just soaking up the canyon. There were many fun rapids and surf waves that I took full advantage of in my kayak. We all got our daily dose of hiking and exploring after some mellow days on the river. That combined with some great food and some beers around the campfire made for a great start to the spring boating season.

Indian Hunting Blind Photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Talking to some of the local ranchers around the Owyhee, last week was the first week that really felt like spring down there. The arrowleaf-balsm root are just starting to bloom on the lower end, which means in the next couple weeks the hill sides with be covered with yellow flowers. Canadian geese, several varieties of ducks, and other mating pairs of birds filled in canyon. The Owyhee River is also home to many different birds of prey.

Photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Guide Shane Moser in his private rig. Photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Hope you enjoyed some of the photos, and if you want for check out more photos of this latest trip visit my new photo albums on the WRO facebook page (you don’t need to be on facebook to look at the pictures). Check back for reports on more adventures in the near future. Hope your having a great day!

Seth Tonsmeire

A Taste of Spring Time In Idaho With a Side of Powder Skiing

2010-03-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

Snow is still falling in the mountains in March, which we need to help our snow-pack in the Salmon River basin. Snow accumulation on Lost Trail pass last week were over 12 inches. Which I must say made for some great March powder skiing!

Photo: Matt Westfall

Down deep in the river canyons there are different stories being told. There is spring green up starting to happen. Which means wildlife cover the river corridor feeding on the sprouting grasses. Guide Shane Moser and a couple friends were getting river fever and decided to put on a Main Salmon trip last week. The report was steelhead are biting and the river canyon was full of wildlife. Elk numbers were estimated to be over the 1,000 count, 60 or more Bighorn Sheep (including many rams), a couple hundred deer also added to the big game count, a group of otters were spotted, and large numbers of bald eagles also add to the list. With fishing being the main focus of their trip, fourteen steelhead were landed on the 6-day trip. Also over the 6 day trip the boys just had one snow day and one day of rain, which isn’t bad for Idaho river tripping in early March.

Photo: Shane Moser

With April just around the corner, I am getting all the river gear ready for the water. We will be heading to the Idaho desert before long to get some of that great Idaho spring whitewater. Check back for more pictures and reports from the desert over the next month or so.

Photo: Shane Moser

Hope you are having a fantastic day!

Seth Tonsmeire

THE PULSE OF IDAHO'S DESERT CANYONS

2010-02-24T07:53:00.000-08:00

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

After spending every summer on rivers in Idaho, Montana, Alaska & Canada for as long as I can remember, my most intimate experience with the wild has been in my own backyard, the Idaho desert.

I was 17 and it was my first time rowing a boat down the Jarbidge/Bruneau River with its headwaters just a few hours south of downtown Boise. This red-walled canyon has been described as one of the prettiest desert rivers in the country, and it strikes me as one of the Grand Canyons reclusive daughters (Colorado). Bighorn sheep, antelope, elk, mountain lions, beaver and a musically diverse list of song-birds all call the canyon home. The view from the rim is always mesmerizing and the rapid sections are exhilarating. You'd never imagine a place teeming with such energy in the middle of a desert.

It was the morning of our fourth day and I had allowed myself to fall back a few river bends behind the rest of our rafts. I liked doing this sometimes as I then could imagine I was out here alone, selfishly absorbing it all myself. This morning, the sun was emerging from the clouds and shooting down warm rays into the tall golden grasses lining the banks. The red-wing black birds were singing from every corner and I was just "blissing out" allowing my oar to make only a few drips as it slipped through the surface. Completely reclined. My eye drifted to a large chunk of drift wood mid-river just 150 feet downstream. I couldn't quite make out the shape, but the rate at which I was approaching had me clamoring back to attention. Whatever it was, it was now alive and swimming for the opposite bank. I blinked and squinted not believing. I don't remember breathing at all. Compulsively, I pulled back a few strokes. What was climbing out of the river just ahead of me was the most powerful example of the wildness that encompasses the Idaho desert. The desert cat. I'd seen mountain lions from a distance, but nothing like this. This cats soaking hair was slicked down as it pulled itself up the muddy bank. The muscles gleamed in the sun revealing the severe definition rippling through its entire body. I was frozen. Are these cats supposed to be this big? The thick tail and massive paws seemed out of place, astonishing. I was sure it had me by at least 20 lbs. No one told me this was some kind of safari adventure. The cat froze mid-stride and looked at me. The eyes were big, yellow and a little wild with surprise, like mine. That second was 10 seconds. Then it was gone.

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

I have never felt luckier, more full of respect and truly immersed in the beauty and wildness of Idaho. For the last 5 years I've returned each spring to this canyon. I haven't seen a cat again like that but each trip brings a new adventure and feeling of freedom and peace one way or another. I got lucky and was introduced by my parents to these river canyons but I can't help but think about all the people that haven't had the opportunity to experience this part of our backyard. Idaho in its element. So this is it. I'm sharing this experience for all of you and hoping it is the encouragement you need to find yourself drifting on the quiet pools or gazing from the rim at these slivers of desert perfection.

Recently (March,25,2009), the Owyhee Canyonlands Initiative has been passed designating 517,000 acres as Wilderness, establishing 316 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers. and developing a plan and infrastructure to properly manage these areas. This area of newly protected river corridor includes the North, South and East Fork of the Owyhee, the Jarbidge and the Bruneau Canyons as well as key tributaries for each. Both the East Fork and South Fork of the Owyhee, the Jarbidge and the Bruneau are run by commercial rafting companies.

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Spring is the perfect time for a trip through the desert. You can travel by trail or river, but to really get to know the canyon, I recommend taking to the water. The river is the life-blood of these canyons and being propelled along by its current is your perfect guide to the most vibrant corners of this desert. Floating these desert rivers require a spring journey to take advantage of water run-off from the surrounding mountains. Late April, May and June are ideal. You travel in comfort, eat well for days on end and spend your time doing exactly what you want. Lose yourself in it, spend a week or just 3 days, and get to know our Idaho desert canyons. You can thank me later.

Amy Tonsmeire

For more information and photos;
www.liskgallery.com/canyonlands/index.html
www.wildernessriver.com/owyhee.htm

Mountain Goats

2010-02-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

Photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Mountain Goats are a large-hoofed mammal only found in North America. Goats are a very sure-footed animal, and are often seen climbing around on rock cliffs. They are the only large mammals found at such elevations of 13,000 ft or more. Throughout most of the year goats stay above tree line, but will migrate to lower elevations seasonally. Goats spend most of their time grazing on grasses, herbs, sedges, ferns, moss, lichen, twigs and leaves on low-growing shrubs and conifers. Mountain Goats usually live between twelve and fifteen years, often being determined be the condition of their teeth. Goats have two coats of hair. The inner coat is a thick dense layer of wool. The outer coat is made up of long and shaggy hollow hair that provides great insulation for surviving in the climates that they do. (Wikipedia) We often see mountain goats on both the Middle Fork of the Flathead at natural salt licks and on Goatherd Mountain on the Alsek River in Canada.

Photo: Seth Tonsmeire

The mountain goat in this picture calls the North Fork of the Salmon River home, near Lost Trail Pass. I was lucky enough to get some photos the other day. This goat will lose the shaggy coat in the spring time. Hope you enjoyed the photos.

Seth Tonsmeire

Top 10 White-Water Rafting Trips in the World by National Geographic

2010-01-18T09:24:00.001-08:00

Upper Alsek #1 ranked river in the World.

photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Alsek and Tatshenshini Rivers ranked #1 for Top 10 white-water rafting adventures in the World by National Geographic. We will be running an Upper Alsek trip on July 12th-23rd, followed by a Tatshenshini trip on July 30th-August 9th. The Middle Fork of the Salmon was ranked #3. We will be running Middle Fork trips throughout the summer. Check out www.wildernessriver.com for dates and prices for next summer.

Fisher Glacier Camp - Upper Alsek

Photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Check out more Alsek photos on a WRO facebook gallery.

Beachview Camp - Upper Alsek

Photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Middle Fork Salmon ranked #3

Photo: Veronica Herdon

Middle Fork Salmon - Veil Cave

Photo: Seth Tonsmeire

Check out more Middle Fork photos on a WRO facebook gallery.

Hope your having a great day!

Seth Tonsmeire

Middle Fork Salmon Kayaking Trip

2009-12-23T22:10:00.000-08:00

The Middle Fork on June 16th is a great time for kayaking. The waves are big and the rapids are fun. For me June is the perfect time to be kayaking on the Middle Fork. The river is dropping at this point, bringing waves and rapid in that have been washed out earlier in the year. The higher water makes it deep enough to wave wheel all the way down. If playboating is not your thing, it is still a great to to get out there and just run some great Idaho whitewater. We are offering a kayak specific trip on June 16th, with a kayak guide and rafts to carry all the gear. The rafts are there if someone wants a break or if other friends and family that don't kayak would like to join the trip. I still have a fleet of Jackson kayaks for rent and would love to have anyone with kayaking experience join this great Middle Fork Salmon kayaking trip. Check out some photos of last years trip at the WRO kayaking photo gallery. RSVP this event on facebook. Also watch a video documentary of last years trip put together by WRO guide Matt Westfall on youtube.

Middle Fork Salmon Kayaking Video

Other attractions to this trip include fishing, hiking, great Idaho hot-springs, great food, good company, just to name a few!!!

“I just wanted to tell you that we had a great time on our Middle Fork kayak trip. I have wanted to do a trip like this with the boys for some time and it was everything I hoped it would be. The river, the camping, the fishing, the side hikes and hot springs were all great. You, Matt, Henry and Tyler really made the trip. Your experience, knowledge, boating skills, the way you put us at ease and your flexibility to what we wanted to do really combined for a great experience. When you can give the teenage playboaters all they can handle, keep the 11 year old in his comfort zone and not wear out the old men, you have accomplished something! I definitely want to talk to you in the future about another trip.”

Thanks,
Jason Darby 09’

Photos: Henry Munter

$1,400 plus $4/day FS fee

(Includes: kayak guide, all meal, transportation to and from river, all camping gear, and an all around great time!!!)

Contact Information:

Seth Tonsmeire

seth@wildernessriver.com

(406) 579 - 8677 cell

(800) 252 - 6581 office

River Poem

2009-11-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

THE RIVER

the river to me will always mean freedom
a selfless gift the earth shares to travel

the wild, perfect places where life connects
where we can feel the rhythm of ages

its energy spills into the scent of an evening breeze
and it creeps into your bones. And we want more.

To feel the ground pulse
to hear the river sing

Strip me down to the beauty
immerse me in sunlight

the eagles screams are holy and the orchestra of crickets bliss
the water slides by easily and consoles

it’s not intimidating and it doesn’t judge
the river is truth and hope and love

all that is wildly beautiful and
all that is perfectly serene

the release that comes is basic and real
the element is pure and complex

out there my blood runs warm and
murmurs secrets that feel like home

Free to me is the peace of my soul
the sound of my heart

We can’t give it to each other but we show each other the way
for that is the only way to be free.

Amy Tonsmeire

Gauley Fest 2009

2009-09-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

I recently went out to Gauley Fest in West Virginia. Gauley Fest is the largest whitewater festival in the world. I figured that a festival like that I should probably check out. I had a WRO booth at the festival where I was giving out information and free stuff. Thanks to everyone for stopping by and visiting. I walked down to the Gauley before the festival started to watch some people run through one of the major rapids, Pillow Rock. I had never seen anything close to what I witnessed at the river that day. So many people!!! People running the rapid at the same time, crashing into each other, people swimming everywhere, boats flipping, people on pool toys, every kind of water craft you could imagine, people in costumes, people jumping into the rapids, complete chaos. I took many photos which was pretty fun, trying to document the chaos. This was my first white-water experience on the east coast. I am sure that it is not this crazy all the time, but people were saying that there is always a line of boats running down the Gauley on the weekends. I was not able to get my kayak out for the festival, so I did not get to run the Gauley unfortunately. I did meet some nice folks that let me jump on the New River with them the last day I was in West Virginia. I did witness the Gauley and know that next year I have to come out with my kayak. It was fun to witness the festivities, but I must say I am glad I live where the rivers aren't so chaotic with people.

After the Gauley Fest I drove down to North Caroline, where I flew into. There I went to the U.S. Whitewater Center in Charlotte. This was another new experience. They had many kayaks to demo which was nice, since I had no kayak. Here at the Whitewater Center people have created a circle river. They pump the water back to the top of the concrete river bed. The people paddle over to a conveyer belt that brings them back to the top. You don't ever get out of your boat, you paddle right on to the conveyer and it pulls you on. From the top there were three different channels you could choose from, some easy and one was actually kind of challenging. From my understanding this center is where the Olympic trials are held, and many people train here. Overall this was a fun place to spend an afternoon. They also had rock climbing, zip lines, and mountain biking. The Center was an outdoor fun zone in the middle of a large metropolitan area. If your ever in Charlotte, I recommend checking this place out.

Now I am back in Idaho and Fall is definitely here. Well I hope you enjoy some of the photos.

Seth Tonsmeire

Flickr Gallery

2009-08-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

I have posted some of my better photos from Alaska and Canada on Flickr. It should be easy to look at the photos of these great adventures. More trips will have pictures posted in the future. For now it I have just posted Upper Alsek and Tatshenshini pictures. Hope you enjoy.

Alsek River (July 12th - July 23rd)

Tatshenshini River (July 30th - Aug. 9th)

Seth

Canadian and Alaskan Adventures

2009-08-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

After 5 weeks in Alaska I have returned to Idaho. My time spent in AK was fantastic, but it does feel good to be home. Taking a new camera to a place like the Upper Alsek and Tat can be dangerous. I returned with around 2,000 photos from my two trips in the North. Going through all of my photos should keep my busy through some of the winter months.

The first trip was down the Alsek, a 12-day adventure. Starting in Kluane National park in Yukon Territory, then entering BC and the Tat-Alsek Provincial Park, and ending in the famous Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. The weather on the trip was wonderfully hot and dry for the most part. The blue skies and clean air allowed for the great views that the Alsek is famous for in the upper portion of the trip. Within 5 minutes of leaving Serpentine Creek the first Grizzly Bear was spotted. Later that day there was a brilliant display put on by a moose running and swimming in the river. The new camera was shooting at full speed, resulting in around 30 moose photos. The first nights camp was at the upper beachview camp, the location of last years winning photo in the contest. With just a few clouds in the skies, the magnificent sunset capped off a great start to the trip. A day like that just sets the pace for a 12-day trip of great views, the discovery of many spectacular natural phenomenon, and little paradise lakes for swimming in this truly wild and wilderness area.

This trip was special because of a celebrity guests we had along. Well maybe not celebrities, but special people with a family history on the Alsek River. Walt Blackadar left his mark on the Alsek in 1971, when he made the first decent of Turnback Canyon. Not only was it the first decent, but he was on a solo mission. Since then, no one has yet to make a high-water decent of the canyon. Elite kayakers today do run the canyon at low flows, but the kayaks and gear technology have come a long way since the 70's. In the 80's the impressive mountain that guards the canyon was designated Mt. Blackadar. Mt. Blackadar and Kennedy are the only two mountains in Canada named after Americans. We were lucky to have two of Walt's daughters along on our trip this summer, Sue Blackadar and Nan Bryant. Bill Blackadar was also guiding for us this summer, a grandchild of Walt. Nan and Sue had never been down the Alsek, making it a special trip for them. When we came around the corner at Range Creek, Mt Blackadar stood in the clear sky in all its glory. This was definitely a special moment for the family. It was arranged for the Blackadar family to get a special ride in the helicopter by Bob Blackadar, brother of Nan and Sue. I was lucky to occupy the 4th seat in the ship for the family tour, a real treat for me. The picture below are the three Blackadars at the Walt memorial.

After leaving the confluence some clouds came in, but how lucky we had been treated with the weather on the upper portion of the trip, it was hard to complain about some rain. From Dry Bay it was back to Haines to start getting ready for the Tatshenshini for me and John. For Bill and Amy it was a plane, boat, plane, car combo to make their way back to Salmon.

On the Tatshenshini we had a smaller trip, just 2 boats. On this trip we also got very lucky with the weather. From weeks of drought there were forest fires burning in the interior which blew in some smoke in the middle of the trip. It was definitely the consensus of the group that we preferred the haze over rain. We got in a great hike up Sediments Creek before we got into the smoke which was nice. After having some great days of white-water, hiking, and camping we reached to confluence with the Alsek. From the confluence down to Walker Glacier was the last of the haze. We had a light rain at Walker which cleaned out the air, which was great. The next morning the clouds lifted and showed us Walker in the pure sun. It just got better from there, all the views opened in the lower canyon. Clear skies gave us great views up the Novatak Glacier. The clouds parted and displayed Fairweather towering above at 15,300 ft. From there it was into Alsek Lake, where the skies turned blue for the day out touring the lake among the giant icebergs. Words can not describe this, so I will substitute pictures. From there it was back to Haines to clean up the trip and start my journey back to my home in the Lemhi Valley.

Walker Glacier

As I sort through my photos I will post them on a Flickr account for people on the trips to download if they wish or for anyone to check out. When I get that done, I will post a link with instructions on how to use that system.

Mt. Fairweather 15,300 ft

Alsek Lake

Indian Paintbrush

Moose

Hikers on Goatherd Mt.

After a few days around the house, its back to the Middle Fork Salmon. Well I hope you enjoy some of the pictures from my new camera.

Seth Tonsmeire

Rescue Mission

2009-07-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

After returning from Montana, I was back on Idaho's Middle Fork Salmon. The last night of the trip we happen to be camped at Stoddard, the same camp where the Foamy incident happened two weeks earlier. I decided I would go on a search and rescue mission for Foamy before dinner. The nasty undercut bank below Stoddard Falls that had claimed Foamy two weeks earlier had opened up with the lower water. With many roots hanging down, it had formed a net that had caught Foamy. As it turns out being a kayaker made of foam has its advantages, and spending two weeks in an undercut seemed to have done no damage. I guess we were a little earlier with the the "Foamy Rest In Peace." After a short trip in the U.S. Postal system, Foamy will be returned to his rightful owner and will certainly live on for many more white-water days.

Well, for me its off to the great north now for an Upper Alsek and Tatshenshini trip. With a new camera in hand, I hope to have many great photos to share when I return.

Seth Tonsmeire

Flathead Update

2009-07-02T23:12:00.000-07:00

Hello from the Flathead! We've just gotten off the second Middle Fork Flathead trip, and so far the season up in Montana is going great. With the trip just off the river, Seth, Shane, and Jessie are on a whirlwind ride back to Idaho for more Salmon River adventures. I'm off to Glacier Park to sneak in a backpacking trip into the wilds of Glacier Park with Joe Biby before we have to prepare our upcoming South Fork trip. Here's a few photos from the Middle Fork...

Richard behind the wheel

Beargrass flowers and hikers on the trail to Mount Bradley

Susan kayaks into the gates at Twenty-five Mile

Wildflowers and Snowpeople

2009-06-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

River Side Kayak Report

Eli drops into Cramer Creek

The first kayak trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon was a huge success. Five kayakers made their way to Idaho from Tennessee for the trip, two father-son combos. Jason Darby brought his two sons, Zack and Eli, ages 15 and 11. Ken Cofer also joined us with his son Taylor, age 14. These five kayakers were perfect for the trip; they brought great enthusiasm to the trip about Idaho's awesome Whitewater and Wilderness. Zack and Taylor are both definitely go-getters, wave-wheeling and surfing any chance they get. Eli at only age 11 paddled a Jackson Sidekick and finished his run with the big waves of Cramer Creek. With Will Parham out for the season with a shoulder injury we had Tyler Maxwell filling in the guest coaching position. I also took the week off of rafting to do some kayak guiding.

Seth shows Jason and Ken the line in Rubber

Zack rippping it up at the Marble Creek Wave

With the Middle Fork running between 4.59 ft and 4.20 ft, it was a great level for kayaking. The water was low enough that not many rapids were washed out, but high enough that lots of great surf waves were scattered throughout the trip. We were able to camp at Marble Creek, with a surf wave and eddy access. These flows also made for some great rapids: Pistol Creek, Cove Creek, Webber, Rubber, and Cramer Creek all provided excitement.

Taylor and Zack

Airtime on the Middle Fork

There were many highlights along the way besides the kayaking: fishing, hiking, bocce ball, river baseball, and watching Foamy putting down some first descents. For those people that don’t know who Foamy is, he is a miniature kayaker that is made out of foam and always pushes the limits in the miniature-kayaking world. Foamy's waterfall decent of Sunflower Shower was definitely record-breaking in the world of miniature kayaking.

Sadly, Foamy would not complete his trip. At the last night's camp, Foamy was putting down some first descents on Stoddard Creek when tragedy struck. On his third descent of Stoddard Falls, Foamy was swept into a deeply undercut bank. Rescue efforts continued after the incident, but Foamy was never recovered. Foamy was a truly great miniature kayaker who was dedicated to doing the miniature things that he loved. Rest in peace Foamy.

I look forward to many more RiverSide trips on rivers in Idaho and beyond with Wilderness River Outfitters.

To see more of Henry's photos from the trip, go to www.flickr.com/henrymunter

The Desert Report

2009-05-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from the deserts of southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. It is always an amazing experience to explore these narrow cracks in the Snake River Plain. We did one trip on the Upper Owyhee, one Middle Owyhee, and a Jarbidge/Bruneau. All three were truly spectacular journeys through a cross-section of an ancient caldera volcano. The Owyhee Canyonlands in one of the most remote areas in the lower 48. Total on all three trips, we only saw one other rafting trip in the three week period.

The remote area, hard to predict spring run-off, challenging white-water, and fluctuating weather of the Owyhee River all combined for epic adventures. The two kayakers, Owyhee enthusiast Marcy St. John, and the guides involved will certainly have stories to tell from the Upper trip. We dealt with just about every kind a weather condition out there, portaging, challenging technical white-water, and low water. With that being said we shared great company and had a memorable time in this remote desert canyon that very few people ever get to see. There was great canyon hiking, brillant displays of birds of prey, good food, and Marcy even found a California Big Horn Ram winter kill (a real treasure of a find). The night before we planned to exit the canyon at Garret Crossing the desert skies put down over an inch a rain. That kind of rain in the Owyhee desert makes for sloppy 4WD conditions. With all four tires chained up and some skilled driving we were able to make it out of the Canyon with all of our gear as planned.

With more rain, the put in for the Middle Owyhee also proved be another 4WD challenge. For this section we were join by three more rafters and one more kayaker. With more water now the white-water excitement picked up, the weather improved, and with wild flowers in full bloom, a variety of bird life, and impressive Indian artifacts this Middle Owyhee trip in Oregon was fantastic.

After the Middle it was a quick turn around for the Jarbidge Bruneau trip. We had long time WRO guest Bill Bush doing a row your own, along with his son Beau also in his own boat. This proved quickly to be exciting for everyone involved. With each of these two in their own boat and two guides with their own boats made for a unique trip. With the Jarbidge section of the trip being fast water the whole way with substantial rapids scattered throughout the whole trip made for good excitement. It was a great trip for practicing river rescue and river safety. All in all though these two texas boys did pretty well in the Idaho desert.

The Owyhee and Jarbidge/Bruneau Rivers have proven to be some of my favorite places I have ever been. Truly special places that few people are fortunate enough to ever see. After returning from guiding trips in these areas always leaves me feeling pretty lucky. Also I am reminded of how when traveling in these areas there will always be adventure, just accessing these rivers can be an adventure in its self. You can always have plan A, but sometime you can quickly find yourself at plan B, C, or sometimes even D when your out there in the desert paradise of Southern Idaho and eastern Oregon.

Seth Tonsmeire

RiverSide Kayak School

2009-04-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

RiverSide Kayak School is a new section of Wilderness River Outfitters. We have been doing kayak and canoe trips in the past, but we just got a little more serious about it. There are now certain trips that are offered to kayakers, ranging from beginner to advanced. I have been kayaking for around 10 years, and learned on the Main Salmon River in Idaho. This river is perfect for someone wanting too learn how to kayak. The warm water and fun but also gentle rapids make for the perfect combo for beginner kayaking. We offer Main Salmon trips throughout the summer. We now have a fleet of kayaks available for rent, as well as instructors can be hired. So for someone wanting to start kayaking: you can fly into Salmon Idaho, spend a day on our private lake with an instructor learning the roll and some basic paddle strokes, then jump onto a WRO six-day Main Salmon trip for a great introduction into the sport of kayaking. Our specific trip for beginner kayaking is offered on August 25th, but a kayaker is welcome to add on any of our trips. This trip is also great choice for someone who has kayaked before, but just wants some help getting more comfortable with class III rapids and basic kayaking skills. From the Main Salmon there are trips that just keep stepping up in difficulty. Middle Fork Kayak Camp is another RiverSide trip, this is an intermediate/advanced play-boating trip on the Middle Fork Salmon in June. Trips also range to class IV-V for experienced kayakers, often providing raft support more than instructional kayaking on these runs. Full web-page coming soon. Feel free to call or e-mail me about different trips, pricing, kayak rentals, or any questions about RiverSide.

Seth Tonsmeire

(406) 579 -8677

seth@wildernessriver.com

Kayak Fleet

Jackson Hero – A full on river-runner. Great for a beginner kayaker just learning, but also a great boat for running harder white-water. This boat fits an average sized adult (140-190 lbs)

Jackson Fun (2) – This boat is a play-boat, but also paddles well down river. If you are a go-getter beginner, this is great boat that will not slow you down in your progression. Also a great boat for more advanced boaters that just like a little more room than todays play-boats have to offer.

Jackson Star – This is one of today’s best play-boats on the market. This boat will not hold you back from any of today’s newest play-boating moves, it’s a freestyle machine. If you can keep up with this boats ability, your going to have a guaranteed good time.

Jackson Sidekick – This is a boat for the kids, or very small adults. If you have a kid who really wants to learn how to kayak, throw him or her in this boat on any Main Salmon trip with an instructor and watch them go.

Jackson Rocker – This boat is designed for creek boating. If you are a solid kayaker and would like to jump on a Jarbidge trip, this boat or the hero would be good choice.

Wavesport Project 52 – Another play-boat. A good play-boat for an average sized adult. This boat will not hold you back from any of today’s wave or hole tricks.

Pyranha S6 (190) – This boat is an older play-boat, but it was ahead of it time. Still a great play-boat for a smaller adult or kids. Once you have your roll down and want to start getting a little more playful, this could make a good choice.

Pyranha H3 (235) – This kayak is a great river-runner or big water boat for a smaller adult. This boat has seen some river miles, it knows the way down.

* Inquire about paddles, spray-skirts, helmets, and other kayaking accessories available.

* Kayaks also available for rent, even if your not joining a RiverSide Trip.

WRO, Behind the Scenes

2009-04-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hello from Hayden Creek Ranch, home base for Wilderness River Outfitters. Folks often ask us so “What do you do in the winter when you’re not on the river.” My job is managing the office in the winter. Besides filling out use reports, renewing permits for the various river trips, and booking folks on trips for this season, we operate a cattle ranch. It is a beautiful spot bordering BLM and Salmon National Forest. We have 300 mother cows that need feeding all winter and we tend to their every need while calving during the months of February and March. This involves looking after them night and day to make sure they calve without any problems. When a cow has her calf, we bring the pair into the barn out of the cold for a day, vaccinate the calf and make sure calf has nursed and is dry. Then they are moved out to pasture, where they are feed until summer pasture is available. While we love this area and lifestyle, we do find time for a little snow skiing when not on the ranch and always look forward to getting back on the river each spring. Hope to see some of you in Idaho this summer. Fran Tonsmeire

An Update From Idaho.

2009-03-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

With the warm weather in February, many thought that winter was over. Turns out that I was skiing power again and waking up to zero degree mornings in March. The warmer February weather did not help out our early heavy snow-pack, but the recent weather change has put us back on track. The Salmon River Basin is currently at 94% of normal, the Flathead basin is holding at 89%, and the Bruneau and Owyhee river basins are holding strong with 95% of normal. The warmer weather in February did on the other hand give me a good window for working on the new WRO guide house. In legislative news, after getting shot down once, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 did make it through the House of Representatives after some minor changes. This bill is now headed to President Obama, who is expected to sign without delay. With this bill passing, over a half million acres of beauty and prestige in the Owyhee Canyon Lands will be protected for future generations to enjoy. Throughout Idaho and Montana, with the snow we have thus far, many great river will continue to flow this summer. Despite the current failing economy. I have also included a picture of the progress I have recently made on my building project. I hope your having a great day.

Seth Tonsmeire

Middle Fork Kayak Camp

2009-02-10T15:39:00.000-08:00

June 16th Kayak Trip!!!

June 16th on the Middle Fork of the Salmon is a great time for someone with some kayak experience to see the canyon. Higher Flows bring more waves and fun big water style rapids. Many great surf opportunities along the way, with the possibility of camping at Marble Creek. The rapid at Marble Creek hold one of the best surf waves in Idaho at the right levels. The Middle Fork is credited for having 100 rapids in 100 miles. Will Parham will be a guest coach along on this trip. You can check out a video of Will on youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weY00ZrQ86c. There will also be other kayak instructors along if you need some pointers. As well as great kayaking, there will also be bocce ball, horseshoes, frisbee, beers with friends, and just a great time in general. This trip is promoted to kayakers, with rafts providing the camping support. If someone needs a break there will be room on the rafts, but the rafts are mostly there for camping support. Most people with adequate experience would most likely want to bring a play-boat for surfing, but river-running boats would be nice if your not into play-boating. We do have some kayaks for rent if you would like to fly to Idaho without a kayak. Any questions or want to join us don't hesitate to give me a call and reserve you spot. Space Limited. There is a discount rate on this WRO trip of $1,200 per person, which is a great deal on a 6-day all inclusive Middle Fork Salmon trip.

Questions:

seth@wildernessriver.com

cell- (406) 579-8677

Seth Tonsmeire

Exciting News in Idaho!!!

2009-02-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

Owyhee Canyon Lands

On January 15^th, 2009 the U.S. Senate passed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009. This act includes the Owyhee Public Lands Management Act, which will protect over a half million acres of wilderness in Owyhee County, and also designates 315 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers in Idaho in the Owyhee and Bruneau river canyons. This Owyhee protection is part of larger legislation that will set aside more than 2 million acres of wilderness in nine states. This new wilderness in Idaho will be the most recent designation is the past 30 years. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has played a major part in the getting this legislation into the senate. In the new Congress the Democrats assembled more than enough votes to push through this legislation, 73-21. Now the bill will moves to the House of Representatives and will probably be decided on shortly. Getting this legislation through the senate, there is a good chance it will also make it through the House. With a good snow pack in this region so far, next spring could be a great time to be rafting in a new Idaho Wilderness. Give us a call and reserve your spot soon!!!

Photo: Henry Munter

"By voting to protect mountains and pristine wildlands, Congress is starting out on the right foot," said Christy Goldfuss of Environment America, an advocacy group. "This Congress is serious about protecting the environment and the outstanding lands that Americans treasure."

Seth Tonsmeire

Steep and Cheap

2009-01-15T16:50:00.000-08:00

This is a heads up to you and anyone looking to score great deals on outdoor gear. Steep and Cheap is a website that sells one outdoor gear item at a time, and for a great price. The deals range from 80% to no less than 50% off retail price. Since the deals are so hot they go quick, so the one product they are selling at a time changes constantly throughout each day. Tents, sunglasses, clothing, sleeping bags, shoes, headlamps, and many more items can be found on Steep and Cheap. How they offer such great deals I am not really sure, but this is not a scam. There are two rules that need to be followed though: not more than three items per household and no resale of products purchases on Steep and Cheap. If you follow these two rules, the hot deals will keep flowing all day long. This is a great place to shop for outdoor gear without paying top dollar at a retail store. Go check it out at www.steepandcheap.com.

Seth Tonsmeire

Photo Contest Results

2009-01-14T18:17:00.000-08:00

First I would like to thank everyone that participated in the WRO 2008 photo contest. There were many photos submitted, which make for a good contest. We had Shannon Miller, a local Salmon photographer help with the judging, to make the contest fair and non-bias opinion. She had a hard time judging with so many great photos to chose from. The photo that was chosen for first place was taken by Kate McSpadden on the Upper Alsek River in Kluane National Park, Canada. The view from camp that evening was hard to beat.

First Place: Kate McSpadden (Free River Trip)

Second place was a great action shot caught by Courtney Coen. Sevy Falls is hidden down in the desert canyon of the Jarbidge River in Southern Idaho.

Second Place: Courtney Coen (50% discount)

Third place went to Bob Carlson. Bob was on another one of our far north trips the Tatshenshini River. This photo was taken on one of our lay-over days at Alsek Lake. Alsek Lake is located in Glacier Bay National Park Alsaka. There is no better way to see Glacier Bay National Park than a river trip. If it looks like there are lots of people and not much stuff on the boat, its because we are just out for a cruise on the Alsek Lake and return to our camp afterward.

Third Place: Bob Carlson (25% discount)

Here are some other photos that deserve at least honorable mention:

Photo: Nick Wild, Walker Glacier (Tatshenshini)

Photo: Colin Wild, Walker Glacier (Tatshenshini)

Photo: Kate McSpadden, Lowell Lake (Upper Alsek)

Submitted by Fred Knier. He is in the picture though, must have had help.

Thanks again to everyone that participated!!! Hope you enjoyed the Photos.

Seth Tonsmeire

WRO Drift Boat Options

2008-12-29T19:34:00.000-08:00

WRO will now be offering drift boat options. We now have two Koffler aluminum drift boats for people who have a special fishing interest. Each boat can carry two passengers. On the Middle Fork of the Salmon a drift boat makes for an unparalleled trout fishing experience. Being able to hold in a particular fishing hole better than a raft makes catching fish much easier and even more enjoyable. On the Main Salmon we will be offering some late season steelhead fishing trips. Steelhead are an anadromous (ocean going) rainbow trout. Like salmon, steelhead also return to their original breeding grounds to spawn. Unlike salmon, steelhead usually do not die after spawning, and can even rejuvenate and return to the ocean and start the cycle over. Steelhead range from 20-40 inches in length and can weigh up to 20 pounds. Combined with an aggressive and territorial demeanor, steelhead are prized by anglers for their size and strength in fight. A major migration artery for both native and hatchery steelhead, the Main Salmon in the fall is an ideal sport fishing river trip. Steelhead trips will be offered in early November on the Main Salmon River. Call to check on date and drift boat availability on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers in Idaho.

Seth Tonsmeire

The Snow is Falling.

2008-12-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

In central Idaho the snow has finally started to pile up. It was a little later than normal, but now winter is here in full force. The last two days the Lost Trail Ski Resort (Salmons local mountain) has counted 28 inches of new snow, with lots more fresh the week before. Me, my family, and a hand full of other WRO crew have all been enjoying the great powder days lately. This also bring fourth a bright light on next summer. More snow now mean more water in the rivers next summer. In Idaho the Salmon River Basin is now at 90% of normal snow pack right now. The Bruneau and Owyhee River basins are currently well over a 100% of normal snow pack, this is good news. It means good chances of having water in the desert for next years spring river trips. The Flathead River Basin in Montana is 78% of normal so far, with still plenty of time to get up around 100%. SNOTEL for Alaska is not currently available, but I will guarantee those glacial rivers will have plenty of water. This data can be found at NRCS SNOTEL (www.nrcs.usda.gov). I will keep you posted on snow packs for WRO trips through out the winter. In the photo Matt Westfall, a WRO guide from Salmon.

Seth Tonsmeire

WRO Building Project

2008-12-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

The beginnings of the addition to the warehouse have been a struggle to finish all the needed dirt work and concrete before winter sets in for good. It has been a mild fall around Salmon, which has been nice for the project. Today though there has been a change in the weather, I woke up to 4 inches of snow and its still coming down. A couple more things with the septic system and the framing should begin later this week. Hopefully we can get the framing done quickly, so we can move into the shell and work in the indoors since it will be the middle of winter before long. With colder weather and snow in the future, will make for a good challenge to build anything. I am very excited to be building my own house, which will surely be a great learning process. The addition will be 1200 sq feet, with 600 in the basement. The addition will be one bedroom, small office, one bathroom, small kitchen, and in the basement will be a living room with hopefully a ping-pong table. I have a spot for a horseshoe pit out back and might try to put in a Frisbee golf course in the lower field. The new addition should make for a fun guide house for the following summers, and lucky for me year around.

Seth Tonsmeire

Amy's First Steelhead!!!

2008-12-13T00:55:00.001-08:00

Me, my sister, and my mother went out steelhead fishing this fall for Amy's birthday in October. We got down to a favorite fishing hole on the Main Salmon later in the afternoon. Having not done much steelhead fishing before I got my new drift-boat we were trying a couple of different methods trying to get one of those elusive steelhead on for Amy on her birthday. Not long after being in the hole, she looked back at me and said, "I think I may have something." Sure enough she did have a wild Idaho steelhead on. When the excitement hit the boat it was a little chaotic, not going to tell you otherwise because it was. After this wild steelhead fought all the way to the boat, I got it with the net. It was a wild fish, so we let it swim away to continue on with its migratory path. Here is even picture evidence that this is not just another fish story.

Seth Tonsmeire

A message from Seth.

2008-12-13T00:11:00.000-08:00

When I first heard someone say blog, I had no idea what that meant. So many new things are come out with the Internet it is hard to keep up with it all. A blog is an easy way to keep current news on the web, a place to post current pictures, and most importantly a way to keep in touch with our greatly valued clients, YOU. I will try to keep current WRO news posted on our blog. If you are curious what we do in off-season this will be a great way to keep you up to date. This will also be a great way to find out how our WRO guides are spending there time when they are not on the river, that is if I can talk them into posting anything. Well now that you know what a blog is, if you did not already know, here is ours wildernessriver@blogspot.com. Go check it out the next time your clicking around out there on the Internet! If you are reading this message here, you did check it out. Nice Work.

Leading into this next year there are many pieces to put in order, the preparation has already started. After cleaning and fixing anything that was broken last year it is time to move into getting ready for next year. I am also building an addition onto our warehouse for somewhere to call a permanent home. This project should be fun and challenging, a great winter project. With this building project, steelhead fishing coming to an end, and snowboarding/skiing season coming right up, I have been anything but bored since summer has ended.

I have set up an e-mail that you can reach me at on the go, which is seth@wildernessriver.com. This email is by no way replacing our other email address, just a way that you can drop me a quick question that I can get anywhere. Also just because I am posting news on our blog and using e-mail, don’t think that this means that you can’t pick up the phone and give us a call the old fashion way: (800) 252-6581. Well I hope that this finds you well, and I look forward to seeing some of you on the river next summer.

Seth Tonsmeire

2008-12-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

Wilderness River Outfitters now has a blog.