Wildfires shut down rafting trips

An unusually hot summer dried up more than a few plans for people heading into the region’s great outdoors.

Salmon River rafting trips have been prohibited from launching on the main stem starting Aug. 7 because of extreme fire activity on the river downstream. A similar order was issued Aug. 15 for the Middle Fork Salmon.

A private party of Spokane rafters drifted past shoreline flames on the main Salmon days before officials closed the river. “It was fascinating but spooky,” said David Moershel, who snapped flaming forest photos from one of his riverside campsites.

The river closures have been a bitter pill to private parties that might go years before becoming one of the winners in the annual lottery drawing for a coveted permit to float either of the rivers. As a consolation, Forest Service officials said floaters barred from the river by the fire closure would be given priority for permits next season.

But there’s little consolation for the 60 Idaho rafting and jet-boating companies that make a living escorting adventurers through the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The closures are torching a big chunk of revenue from commercial outfitters, who charge $1,200-$1,700 a person for six-day raft trips down the Salmon rivers.

“This is the second time in seven years that our industry is dealing with vast closures on two of America’s premier destination rivers,” said Grant Simonds, executive director of the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association.

Considering all the services involved in getting float trips supplied, staged, shuttled into the wilderness and guided down the remote river, the first week of the Middle Fork closure alone cost outfitters and the local rural economy about $500,000, Simonds said.

As of Monday, 24 commercial launches had been canceled on the Middle Fork and 54 on the main Salmon, he said. “And we have another 35 to 50 land-based outfitters who are unable to do their trips in the backcountry or get camps set up for the upcoming archery hunting seasons.

“Our river outfitters basically float June and July to pay the mortgage and the bills,” he said. “The August trips represent the possibility of a net profit. That’s what we’re missing out on here.”