Confluence with the Salmon River

Mile 96

You can see the confluence coming a mile away, and it's a bittersweet feeling. Your Middle Fork journey is coming to an end. As it mixes with the waters of the main Salmon, you can see just how clear the Middle Fork is. The Main Salmon is one of the cleanest rivers in the country, but compared to the Middle Fork, it looks dark and dirty. But you console yourself with the thought that soon you'll be able to use a real toilet again.

You've floated through the heart of the 2.3 million acre Frank Church River of No Return wilderness. If you started at Boundary Creek put-in, you've traveled about 100 miles through more than forty rapids. And within the last hour, you survived Rubber and Hancock rapids. The only other big rapid you face is Cramer Rapids, on the Main Salmon, which at certain flows can be the most difficult rapid of your journey.

Some intrepid boaters, with proper permits, continue on down the Main Salmon River, taking out at Vinegar Creek or farther on down the Main. Check out our Web site on the famous River of No Return.