Day 8-9 - Bill:

I peeled off and headed back to the Salmon River valley south of Riggins for some river time. As the official navigator for the excursions I am known for over-reaching with optional and interesting routes that appear interminable by 5 or 6 in the evening when it becomes obvious I have underestimated mileage. More than one passing word has been uttered in anger at this time of day. The birds came home to roost as I took an impossibly long and "interesting" route along the back way to Hell's Canyon on Saturday trying to cover about 300 miles of very demanding tight, twisty, low-speed roads on my way to a fishing lodge.. 

My four hour ride was a eight hour affair capped by a nighttime white knuckled ride along dear infested roads in rural Idaho. See Route 2 above.

The Last Resort outside Riggins was my welcome home for the night. Jim Blair, guide and host, was a welcome sight and quickly had me fed and settlled in a comfortable riverside lodge that lulled me to sleep with babbling waters. We hit the Salon River early only to find a deluge of mud from flash upstream rains (remember the threatening weather from 2 days ago when we were in Spokane?) obliterating visibility as we launched. The fishing was a no-go on a world class salmon, trout and steelhead river. Shoot!

This is the big muddy Salmon today. Normally this is crystal clear water. Today visibility was measured in inches. The float was spectacular however and the day became one of relaxing sightseeing, Class 3 rapids and beer. This gorge is one of the deepest in the US and rivals the Grand Canyon in depth but is much narrower. I was not disappointed in the day despite the fluke river conditions.

Jim and Bill launching. 

Bobby, our hostess and shuttle driver.

Fellow river traveller and dog on a paddle board. See the water color.

Hot springs we hiked up to and took a dip in. This is where an old mining shaft accidentally hit a hot springs. The flooded mine shaft is what you swim in! On the way down (in sandals) we scared up a rattlesnake on the trail side. No, I did NOT try to get a picture. 

Bath tub hewn out of a log at the hot springs site.

Downriver view towards the end of the float trip. We are hoping the river clears enough for fishing tomorrow. If not, there are options all around.