We believe that being a small outfitter operating on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon who are involved with all aspects of your trip, from the initial contact through most likely being one of the raft guides on your trip, and employing a very experienced guide crew, “typical” is somewhat relative. We have the ability to customize almost every aspect of your trip and take pride in being able to do so somewhat on the fly.
Below is a general outline of what a “typical” day on an Idaho River Adventures trip looks like.
Typical Day Agenda
5:45 AM
Crew up, starting water for coffee, tea and cocoa first thing. Making 3 gallons takes time and hot coffee is ready by 6:30. We use freshly roasted coffee from our good friends Hannah and Jon Binninger of Landgrove Coffee of Troy, Idaho, brewed in a custom built French press invented by Jon and Dustin: The Detonator.
7:30 AM
Breakfast is served. We make a hot breakfast each morning. Typical menus might feature biscuits and gravy, breakfast burritos, frittata or Granny’s famous baked oatmeal with smoked pork chops.
9:30 AM
Camp broke down, cleaned up and on the river. Our philosophy is the sooner we get on the river each day the more time we will have to make stops. Guests choose what river craft they want to experience in the morning and we get in the flow.
Noon(ish)
Lunch stop. We prepare a made-from-scratch lunch each day. Deli sandwiches, fresh salads, smoked salmon and cream cheese are a few examples. Many times our lunch stop coincides with a point of interest such as a native American cultural site, a pioneer cultural site, a hike or a hot spring. After lunch, we get back on the river, enjoying the sights and sounds of the Middle Fork or Main Salmon, and do some fishing, if so inclined.
4:30 PM
Arrive at that evening’s camp. Upon arrival, the camp will be mostly set up, tents and all. This gives our guests the most amount of time to enjoy the Middle Fork or Main Salmon rivers and get settled into another amazing riverside camp.
5:30 PM
Appetizers, wine and other drinks. Most camps are in very close proximity to various points of interest, native American cultural sites, hot springs, as well as on or very near the Middle Fork or Main Salmon trail. We encourage our guests to explore as much as you wish and many times a crew member or two will join you. Even with all of the trips we get to do, we are still finding wonderful vantage points that are new to us.
7:30 PM
Dinner served. Our meals are mostly made from scratch with as many locally-sourced ingredients as possible. We use charcoal to grill fresh meats and fish, Dutch ovens to bake main courses, as well as breads and desserts, and often utilize a propane stove.
After Dinner
If conditions allow we always enjoy having a campfire. As Middle Fork and Main Salmon River outfitters we follow all Forest Service regulations for Leave No Trace Camping, including having our evening fire in a metal fire pan we bring. On many trips, one of the guides will play music and/or tell stories.
You can choose to end your day in your roomy 3 person tents for no more than 2 people, and a tent of your own upon request, or if you are a solo traveler. We do encourage folks to sleep under the stars, which is an amazing way to fall asleep that many folks do not otherwise get the chance to do. The Middle Fork and Main Salmon are two of the best places on earth to view the galaxy.
