Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness
If you like to leave a new place knowing more about it than when you arrive, you will appreciate your time with Aggipah River trips. The geologic, ecologic, historic, economic, and political forces that resulted in the current Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness area have fascinated us for over 40 years.
The difficult access of the Salmon River canyon extended the pioneer period…
When people searched for an empty location to establish a home. It was the last frontier in the lower 48. The old timers who scratched out a living along the river are gone now–but they haven’t been gone long.
We’ll stop at numerous places of historical interest…
During the course of our Salmon River rafting trip. We’ll examine Shoshoni Indian pictographs that are hundreds of years old. A little later we might visit an old homestead, where we’ll have to look carefully so we don’t miss some of the details sinking back into the earth. Maybe we’ll find a chipped plate or a rusted coffee pot. We’ll ponder what that cabin looked like in its day, when a trip to the corner store or to mail a letter meant a day or two or more each way walking or riding a horse over mountain trails, when a trip down the Salmon River bringing winter supplies was in a wooden scow that could be only used once, when if you got sick or hurt you healed up by yourself or you didn‘t.
To learn more about the History of “The River of No Return” Click Here
We’ll return to our nearly indestructible inflatable boats, our modern camp…
Furnished with fire pan to avoid a charcoal scar, self-contained portable toilet, North Face tents, self-inflating sleeping pads, tables and chairs, ice-chests full of fresh meats, crisp produce, and cold drinks. Then we’ll enjoy a thick steak accompanied by a colorful tossed salad, hot baked potatoes and flaming bananas foster for dessert. Even the timeless cast-iron Dutch ovens have evolved into light-weight aluminum versions–and with more reliable results.
And when we head downriver in the morning,
Our camp site will show no sign that we were there, preserving our rivers for generations to enjoy.
