Whitewater rafting Idaho and Oregon’s Wild & Scenic rivers requires not only a permit for the most popular rivers but also patience and perseverance.

Last Valentine’s Day, a Monday, was when those who applied to run permitted rivers across the West, like me, to receive an email from Recreation.gov. Definitely not a valentine, my message read, “Hi Paul, Thank you for applying for the Middle Fork of the Salmon River Lottery 2022. The lottery drawing recently took place, and, unfortunately, your application wasn’t selected for a permit…”

I got the same message regarding my applications for the (Main) Salmon River, Oregon’s Rogue River, and the Southwest desert run on the Green River through Desolation Canyon. But I’m hardly alone it turns out. Tens of thousands of other river runners received the same jilt that their hopes of enjoying the special solitude a couple dozen permitted rivers in the West offer.

River Permit Arithmetic

Idaho’s permitted rivers include the Salmon River (Main and Middle Fork), Selway River, and Hells Canyon of the Snake River. Lotteries are administered through the Recreation.gov portal. It’s a starting point for coordinating more than just river permits. Camp spots, cabin rentals, and many, many more pursuits are covered.

If someone put in for a permit on the Main Salmon, their odds for 2021 of earning a launch were about one in 16, with 568 winners out of 8,932 lottery players. For the more coveted Middle Fork stretch of the Salmon River, it was a 1-in-19 chance with 597 in-season launches out of 11,432 applicants. Requests for numbers for Hells Canyon and Montana’s Smith River went unanswered.

And if you were chasing after arguably the crown jewel run—Idaho’s Selway River—that falls into the Mega Millions lottery category. For its 62 private party and 78 total launches over the period of May 15 to July 31, 2021, your chances are one in 174. Better put, there is a 99.4% chance that a permit applicant for the Selway will not run the challenging rapids like the Ladle, Wolf Creek, or Ham rapids (all class IV).

Despite yet another permit-less year in a decades-long drought, I cannot complain. In over 40 years of river running, I have been fortunate to run each of the six permitted rivers in the Pacific Northwest, the Smith included, and all except Hells Canyon successfully right side up.

Most have been from invites offered by other successful permit applicants, or a cancellation, except for my daughter snagging a 2008 Selway launch on the last day of permit season. Even at very skimpy flows, just 1.1 feet at the Paradise gauge, one word describes the Selway—spectacular!

A Bit of Idaho Whitewater River History

For decades prior to World War II, Idaho’s Main Salmon was a workhorse river with wooden scows plying its length top to bottom as the best means for supplying the needs of the sparsely populated region. The so-called “River of No Return” got its nickname as these boats were later dismantled following their journey, never to return to starting points like Salmon, Idaho.

Following the introduction of recreational rafting after World War II, the need to try to maintain the pristine setting of the river became necessary. Part of that protection came with inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act—the Middle Fork as an original in 1968 and Main being added in 1980. Permitting for river trips started in 1976.

River Permit Supply and Demand

The demand has only increased since as with most all recreational pursuits, and participation in whitewater rafting continues to grow rapidly.

“I think people like to blame Recreation.gov as the source of their frustration,” says Kai Allen, outdoor recreation planner from the Bureau of Land Management in Grants Pass, Oregon. “But I think the story is actually much bigger. There’s just this huge demand for incredible iconic experiences in these places, and there just aren’t very many of them.”

There are just 23 permitted rivers in the West, with a quarter of those flowing through the Pacific Northwest. Those, and all other rivers, are getting increasingly popular with recreationalists.

According to America Outdoors, which represents a variety of professional outfitters, “Overall guided rafting visitation has increased by 36% from 837,499 visits to 1,529,909 visits [2018] since data began in 1990.” Anecdotal evidence from the private boating community would likely offer a similar growth pattern when one visits their favorite river.

Inside Look at the Permit Process

For many, the big question is just how does that Wizard-of-Oz-like process go once their application has been received? Rather than try to put it in layperson language, Recreation.gov’s website offers this:

“Each lottery is randomized by shuffling all the applications using the Fisher-Yates Shuffle, which produces an unbiased and random ordering of results. We also use a Cryptographically Secure Pseudo Random Number Generator (CSPRNG) to prevent any inadvertent bias in the lottery process. These random number generators are vetted to produce random numbers that cannot be predicted based upon past outputs, and they don’t allow anyone to predict future or past numbers generated.”

Understand? Sure, it’s as clear as Spokane County’s Latah Creek at flood stage. From complex lottery process, explained above, coveted launch dates magically emerge. For 2022, on the Main Salmon, that’s June 20–Sept. 7; May 28–Sept. 3 for the Middle Fork; and May 27–Sept. 10 for Hells Canyon. Launches vary from five per day on the Snake, to seven each on the Main and Middle, with a maximum party size of 24 per launch.

Oregon’s Rogue River is also one of the original eight streams included in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. It has embraced a different means to its end result of allowing rafters down the 34 miles of its wilderness stretch west of Grants Pass.

Put in place in 1978, the Rogue’s permit system is also administered by Recreation.gov but caps its use on a person-per-day quota of 120. That’s equally split between private and commercial use for the season that runs annually from May 15 to Oct. 15 with successful applicants having their party size fit into the matrix.

A Few Northwest Wilderness River Alternatives

By now, many river runners in the region are taking a “wait until next year” approach to the prospect of a multiday wilderness rafting experience. But that need not be the case. Even though the more famous and hugely sought-after experiences might not be in the cards this year or next, if you have the necessary whitewater river skills and your own or rented gear, consider alternatives like these nonpermitted but potentially crowded opportunities:

• Deschutes River: The Deschutes (central Oregon) has two sections that include up to Class IV rapids. But it’s a major rail corridor, so a wilderness it is not, especially along its approximately 96-mile course from U.S. 26 access to the Columbia.
• Grande Ronde River: The Grande Ronde (northeast Oregon) offers multiple stretches of roadless river with Class II and a few Class III rapids over nearly 90 miles from Minam to the Snake River.
• John Day River: The John Day (eastern Oregon) forks run about 130 miles with Class II and III rapids in traditional desert canyon landscape.
• Owyhee River: The Owyhee (SE Oregon-SE Idaho) from Rome to Leslie Gulch might be one of the most remote landscapes of any wild river in the Lower 48. It’s 67 miles of high-desert (4,000 feet-plus elevation), has limited windows dictated by snowpack; however, it offers spectacular canyons featuring primarily Class III rapids.
• Lower Salmon River: The Lower Salmon (central Idaho, near Riggins) is often the alternative to jilted permit applicants. It is a true roadless experience with incredible sandy beaches and Class IV rapids.

Recommended Guidebooks

My river running addiction began when his wife bought him Oregon River Tours by John Garren back in 1979 (Garren Publishing, 1979). If you are planning multiday river trips in the region, I strongly suggest having your own library that includes Garren’s other guidebook, Idaho River Tours (Garren Publishing, revised edition 1987) and one written by Willamette Kayak & Canoe Club titled Soggy Sneakers: A Paddler’s Guide To Oregon Rivers (Mountaineers Books, 2016).

Originally published as “River Permit Arithmetic” in the May-June 2022 print issue.

Paul Delaney began his whitewater adventures over 40 years ago and now has 42 rivers and creeks on his resume. He wrote about rafting the Owyhee River in the June 2020 issue. Contact Paul at spokanerafterguy@comcast.net.

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Spokane, Wash.

In 2021, Washington Senator Patty Murray and Governor Jay Inslee acknowledged the serious salmon and steelhead crisis in the Snake River basin and the call for bold action to reverse steep fish declines and preserve the jobs, recreation, communities and orca that depend on them. Murray and Inslee committed to develop a long-term plan to restore Snake River fisheries by August 31, 2022. 

Scientists, anglers, conservationists and Tribes have long advocated for removal of the four lower Snake River dams to bring salmon and steelhead back to healthy numbers.   

As a first step this spring, an effort called the Salmon Initiative will begin exploring options for replacing the benefits the dams provide, including energy, irrigation, and barging in collaboration with stakeholders and Tribes throughout the region. Salmon advocates hope that this process will include studies that have already been done over the past few years and that the process can create a blueprint for doing what the salmon, steelhead and orca ultimately need—restoration of the lower Snake River.  

Murray and Inslee have not committed to a plan that includes dam removal, but salmon advocates hope that with enough public support from people who care about these iconic fish, the dream of dam removal and salmon and steelhead recovery will be realized. This Initiative represents the best chance Snake River salmon have ever had for recovery. Once the report is released, there will be a public comment period beginning mid-May. By or before July 31, a final report and action plan will be released. Keep up to date on the Initiative at LSRDoptions.org.

With the right economic investments, restoring the lower Snake River and removing dams will be an economic boon for the Inland Northwest and a positive step for our fisheries, recreation, and river towns. Republican Congressman Mike Simpson from Idaho put forth a draft plan to do just that a year ago, pledging to invest in our region as part of dam removal. Salmon advocates hope that the Murray-Inslee Initiative can build on that approach.               

Coming up April 26, Spokane Falls Trout Unlimited is excited to announce that National Trout Unlimited CEO Chris Wood will be giving a keynote talk in Spokane with a focus on both science and the tremendous economic opportunity dam removal can bring to the Inland Northwest.

Read more stories about the lower Snake River dams.

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It makes this a great time for a road trip through countryside that’s been compared to Tuscany. And there’s a lot more to do than just admire the view—the Palouse offers fall biking, hiking, fishing, disc golf, and more.

On the drive from Spokane to Pullman, take a quick stop at Steptoe Butte State Park, a tall quartzite bluff just off highway 195 with a stunning 360-degree view of the fields around you. With a paved road spiraling to the top, you can walk or drive your way up to the informational signs that explain some of the geological phenomena that shaped this area.

Once you’ve arrived in the Pullman/Moscow area, take in the fall scene at the Moscow Farmers’ Market (Saturday 8 a.m.-1 p.m.) Alongside artisan goods such as pottery and woodwork, produce will be on-point as local vendors bring in their harvest from the year.

Locally-owned lunch spots include Humble Burger, Maialina Pizzeria, and Mikey’s Gyros. From Moscow, you can walk or run in the University of Idaho arboretum area, bike or hike the trails of Moscow Mountain, or hit up the paved, 8-mile Bill Chipman Palouse Trail spanning from Moscow to Pullman.

From the Pullman area, fish or paddleboard on the nearby Snake River, a wide body of water framed by steep hills.

Bring your own disc golf set and play at the hilly Sunnyside Park course for a chill afternoon.

If you’re looking for a hike, check out the 298-acre Kamiak Butte, an intersect of field and pines that will make it feel like you’re exploring a small, landlocked island.

Post-adventuring, Pullman offers beer tasting at Paradise Creek Brewery, wine tasting at Merry Cellars, and bites at local restaurants such as Birch & Barley or South Fork.

It can’t go without mentioning that you can catch football at either university—U of I Vandals or WSU Cougars—on a home-game Saturday to experience serious small-town passion for the sport.

In October, the city of Palouse puts on “Haunted Palouse,” an event with pumpkins, beer, live music, and a hayride where you may be chased through the haunted woods. (Canceled for 2021.)

Stay in any town you’d like in this area, but on day two make your way back to Moscow to The Breakfast Club for endless diner coffee and huckleberry-stuffed French toast.

However you decide to experience the Palouse, fall is the season to take it slow and take it in.

Originally published as “Find Fall Hiking, Biking, Food/Drink, & Family Fun In The Palouse” in the September-October 2021 issue.

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For decades, federal agencies and Northwest elected leaders have failed to take meaningful actions to reverse the steady declines of Snake River wild salmon and steelhead. Anglers, river advocates, and Tribes have watched these irreplaceable fish decline to a fraction of historic numbers. For many of us, it has been a slow, sustained heartbreak. 

Fisheries scientists have long told us that any effective plan to restore wild salmon and steelhead to healthy, fishable numbers must include removal of the four lower Snake River dams to allow salmon easier access into the 5,000+ miles of pristine upstream river habitat. Orca scientists also tell us that the best single action we can take to provide more Chinook salmon to starving Puget Sound orca is to restore the Snake River and its populations of spring/summer chinook. 

Proposed Columbia Basin Fund Brings New Hope for Fish and Communities 

There is hope today. Earlier this year Congressman Mike Simpson, an Idaho Republican, unveiled a bold proposal to restore salmon by removing the lower Snake dams and replacing the transportation, energy and other benefits with new investments. Called the Columbia Basin Fund, the $33.5 billion initiative calls for fundamental changes in how salmon are managed. If the price tag sounds high, consider that we’ve spent $17 billion already on measures that haven’t worked.  

Clarkston and Lewiston would be given funds for waterfront development and a technology education center. Eastern Washington would get a new National Recreation Area along a free-flowing lower Snake River, where more than 14,400 acres of land will be restored. New boat launches, campgrounds, and hiking trails would be established, a huge boon for outdoor recreation close to Spokane. 

Simpson’s proposal also supports funding for fish passage over a set of dams that completely block salmon migration today. It would support the visionary work of the Spokane and Colville Tribes to re-establish salmon above Grand Coulee Dam into rivers devoid of salmon for decades.   

Simpson’s Proposal is a Work in Progress 

Rep. Simpson released his draft as a starting point—and invited other Northwest politicians to work with him to improve it. While river advocates have applauded Simpson’s courage and genuine desire to restore salmon, his proposal is not perfect. There are serious concerns, for example, about broad restrictions on future litigation in the basin. But his approach—crafting a dam removal plan that gives all communities and stakeholders what they need to thrive—is the right one. And it has transformed discussions across the Northwest.  

With a big infrastructure bill anticipated to move forward in Congress and with President Biden in the White House, 2021 is the year to act. Support from Washington State’s Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell is essential. As senior members of a Democrat-controlled Senate, our senators are at the apex of their influence today. Now is the time to act. So far, unfortunately, they have largely ducked the issue, and Senator Cantwell recently dismissed Simpson’s proposal in the media. Criticism is fine. Inaction is not. If Cantwell and Murray have concerns with Simpson’s first cut, then we should hope they would offer improvements or come up with a new plan. 

The Clock Is Ticking for Snake River Salmon & Steelhead 

The fish can’t wait any longer. Fish returns will be bleak in 2021—some of the lowest ever. Just 8,150 wild spring Chinook are predicted to return to the Snake basin this year. Steelhead returns are likewise in steep decline. And while we celebrated three new orca calves this year, only 75 whales remain. They won’t survive without more salmon to eat. Without urgent action, we will lose them forever. 

Fortunately, political momentum is growing. While Gov. Inslee has not taken a position yet, Oregon Gov. Brown has endorsed Simpson’s effort. Eleven Columbia Basin Tribes including the Nez Perce, Yakama, Umatilla, Spokane, Colville, and Kootenai Tribes recently released a statement praising Simpson’s approach to invest in the region and restore salmon to healthy, harvestable numbers.  

The Time to Act Is Now 

What will it take to bring salmon home? In solidarity with tribes, it’s time for anglers, river advocates, business owners, and community leaders to call on our senators and other elected leaders to take decisive action. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restore salmon abundance, invest in the Inland Northwest communities and infrastructure, honor our promises to Native American tribes, and leave a better future for generations to come.  

Right now, Senators Cantwell and Murray need to hear from you and your friends and family. Call and write them today. Ditto for Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers—let them know that you, their constituents, want real and lasting solutions for our salmon and orcas, for tribes, and for all of us. Go to wildsalmon.org for action links and to learn more about the “Columbia Basin Fund.” To view what a restored river could look like go to Tinyurl.com/snakerivervision.

Sam Mace is the Inland Northwest Director for Save Our Wild Salmon. Reach her at sam@wildsalmon.org. 

Read more stories about this issues in our archives: https://outthereventure.com/tag/save-our-wild-salmon/

[Feature photo by Josh Mills.]

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The Blue Mountains Trail, a work in progress for decades, has evolved into a 566-mile point-to-point long-distance trail with a spiral shape connecting its two ends, Wallowa Lake State Park near Joseph and John Day.

Like most thru-hikes, this one is still a work in progress. The trail traverses some challenging terrain, including canyons choked with debris following recent burns, unmaintained trails overgrown with salmonberry, Ceanothus, blackberry, and poison ivy, and a section that was flooded out in early 2020. It may take years to solve these challenges, so alternate routes provide safe walking passage for hikers wishing to avoid these pitfalls.

Greater Hells Canyon Council

The trail also has a new champion that is helping make an improved route more accessible. The Greater Hells Canyon Council (GHCC) has announced that the conservation organization is prioritizing the development of the Blue Mountains Trail in order to change how the recreation infrastructure of the region is maintained and to engage more people to utilize and appreciate the beauty of these landscapes. The group also hopes that more hikers using the trail will translate into more people getting involved in conservation efforts in the incredibly beautiful and unique landscapes and ecosystems of the greater Hells Canyon region.

GHCC is picking back up where the Blue Mountains Heritage Trail left off, a monumental lift by longtime conservationist and Hells Canyon Preservation Council (GHCC’s former name) board member Loren Hughes, who began working on the idea in the late 1970s.

Current Trail Route

The current route covers seven wilderness areas of northeast Oregon, including the Eagle Cap Wilderness, the Elkhorn Crest section of the North Fork John Day Wilderness, and the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. It crosses the summit ridges of the subranges composing the Blues: the Wallowas, Elkhorns, Greenhorns and Strawberries. It descends to the Snake River in the heart of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. And it requires no new trails to be built and limits both road walks and bushwhacks. And it connects hikers to some of northeast Oregon’s most inviting and recreation-minded communities.

Also referred to as the Greater Hells Canyon Region, the Blue Mountains are a unique region composed of multiple eco-regions. The mountains and valleys of the Blues connect the Rockies, Cascades, and Great Basin, and with a small human population density, they serve as a critical wildlife corridor.  This poorly-understood corner of Oregon has pockets of overwhelmed recreation destinations, while many true wilderness trails are now neglected.

First Successful Thru-Hiking Group

Last October, volunteer hikers Whitney “Allgood” La Ruffa from Portland-based Six Moon Designs, Naomi “The Punisher” Hudetz from Treeline Review and Mike “Iron Mike” Unger, were the first thru hikers to successfully complete a 588-mile version of the new trail route and provide valuable feedback to GHCC. Learn more about their journey and findings at the Oregon Adventure Lab YouTube channel (video below).

“As one of the first thru hikers of the new Blue Mountains Trail, I am thrilled that Six Moon Designs is the first business partner with GHCC to move things forward for future hikers on this amazing trail, said Whitney La Ruffa, Six Moon Designs VP of Marketing and Sales. “Our love of exploring wild places and our company’s deep ties to Oregon make this the perfect project for us to support, and we’re looking forward to doing more trail work with GHCC this summer.”

More Information

Sign up for trail news and updates, visit Hellscanyon.org/blue-mountains-trail. More resources, including maps and trail guides, will be published to the GHCC website in the coming months.

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Fishermen, recreation businesses, and friends of Northwest rivers welcomed two recent developments in a year of little good news for Snake River salmon and steelhead. 

Returns of wild fish up the Snake to their home in Idaho are so meager that fisheries have already closed, affecting outfitters and rural communities throughout the basin. Mere hundreds of wild salmon and steelhead are returning to rivers where thousands should be. But there is reason for hope. Some cracks have appeared in the dam of opposition. 

In recent months the salmon crisis has spurred action in both Washington and Idaho. First, as part of a package of actions to help starving southern resident killer whales, the Washington legislature earmarked $750,000 for a stakeholder forum. The forum will explore what investments would be needed if a decision were made to restore the lower Snake River.

The very same week, Congressman Mike Simpson, senior Idaho Republican, committed to restoring Idaho’s salmon in a keynote address at the Boise-based Andrus Center. Concerned about the future of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and its ability to continue providing low-cost power to the region, Simpson proposed working on a plan to save both salmon and BPA by asking the “hard questions” and putting all options on the table. 

Neither action endorsed dam removal. Both, however, were calls for an honest conversation about what river restoration and dam removal would mean for the region if it occurs. While many stakeholders have long called for an open and creative dialogue with ports, shippers, farmers, and others who use or rely on the river in one way or another, some have fought to stop any conversation where dam removal is even mentioned. Just last month, Reps. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers and Dan Newhouse launched a full-on campaign against Governor Inslee’s support for stakeholder talks in an attempt to silence any discussion of a future without the dams.

What are they so afraid of? 

If, in fact, four aging dams on the lower Snake River are the linchpin of the regional economy as the opposition claims, an honest transition planning process would surely reflect that. 

But what if transition planning shows we can affordably replace the declining transportation and energy benefits? That irrigation can continue with modest infrastructure investments? And what if it shows that a restored river, fisheries, and recreation economy would be an economic boon in towns from Riggins to Clarkston, Walla Walla to Tri-Cities, and reaching as far as Spokane? 

We won’t know unless we, as Rep. Simpson has urged, “ask the hard questions.”

While the status quo may be working fine now for some ports, farmers, and irrigators, it’s not working well at all for our fisheries, the businesses that depend on them, the tribes that require them, and the recreational fishermen who live for catching them. More and more, it also is not working for BPA, on which so many of us depend for reliable, inexpensive, and clean power. In short, BPA is in a financial bind and the future does not look good. 

The Inland Northwest should jump at the opportunity to reimagine the Snake River as it once was, and what a restored river could be. Done right, a stakeholder process would look both at how we replace the benefits of the dams and how we take advantage of the resources and amenities a restored lower Snake River would bring.

Imagine a free-flowing river coursing through a revitalized urban waterfront in downtown Clarkston/Lewiston, continuing 144 miles through the Palouse to Tri-Cities; more than 14,000 acres of riverfront land no longer under water, providing bird and wildlife habitat, hiking trails, hunting opportunities and camping; beautiful canyon walls, sweeping benches, river islands, and the Palouse River free flowing to its confluence with the Snake; boat launches supporting both motorized and non-motorized boating—and, let’s not forget the abundant fishing.

Perhaps there is a place for long-lost agriculture to return? Many small farming communities were inundated by the dams, drowning productive fruit orchards. And, we can’t forget this land first belonged to the tribes. What lands could be returned and restored for cultural and traditional uses? What investments could we provide to towns near the river so they could take advantage of the new recreation economy, predicted by various independent economists to generate hundreds of millions of dollars and more annually in Eastern Washington alone? 

Elected leaders in both Washington and Idaho have opened up a public space for envisioning what the largest river restoration in history could bring to the culture and economy of the Inland Northwest. However, entrenched interests are working overtime to squash any questioning of business-as-usual, of envisioning another future—one that includes abundant salmon, a restored river, and thriving local economies. We can’t let them do that.

Originally published in the June 2019 issue.

Sam Mace is the Inland Northwest Director for Save Our Wild Salmon, a coalition of sport fishing groups and businesses, commercial fishing associations, and conservation organizations working to restore Columbia-Snake wild salmon and steelhead.  She looks forward to one day launching on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River and boating and camping all the way to Pasco, Wash. Reach her at sam@wildsalmon.org.

Read more articles about the Snake River and the plight of wild salmon in the OTO story archives.

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