More Main Salmon Action!!!

On the Main Salmon this year, the Skipper trip was on July 24th.  Here at WRO everyone looks forward to this trip each year.  Skipper Tonsmeire is family and comes out every year for a Middle Fork or Main Salmon trip.  When Skipper organizes a trip you know everyone he invites is going to be a lot of fun!  This year we had a great crew of both family and friends.  Skipper brought his daughter Elizabeth and girlfriend Susan with daughter Clara.  Greer Radcliff, who has been on several trips with us, rowed is own boat this time and did great.  Greer and girlfriend Adair also invited some of his family which were a great addition to the group.  Veronica Herndon, a great friend and long time guest here at WRO, brought her nephew.  Veronica and Skipper are both members of the WRO Grand Slam Club!  We also had Mac Tonsmeire and his family as well.  It was great to spend some time with them.  Safe travels to Mac Tonsmeire on his current tour in Afghanistan.  We are all be thinking of you at WRO!  Skipper also invited Fairhope, AL friend Richie Parsons and daughter Rachel.  Richie provided some great campfire entertainment with his guitar.  Another Fairhope friend, Jim Veal and daughter Madelyn, were also fun to have along.  Jim always had a good joke and a great sense of humor.

This group shot was taken at one of the homesteads along the Salmon River.  The Francis Zaunmiller homestead is one of the interesting historical sites of the Main Salmon.  In the late 1800’s through the 1900’s there were some real characters living in the Salmon River Canyon.  Francis being one of these for sure!  Check out a short video of Francis on YouTube to get to know her!

Like most of the 2011 summer, we had great water for the middle of July.  For myself and Henry it was great because we turned the corner off the July 19th Middle Fork trip onto this one.  Anytime you can stay on the river for 11-days straight for the Middle Fork Main Salmon combination life is good!  This is a multi-day classic of North America.

When we came around the corner at the Buckskin Bill Museum we saw a couple bighorn rams on the hillside.  After looking closer we saw there were eight different rams hanging around together.  It’s a special occasion to see a nice herd of rams just off the river.

There were a good number of takers for the rappelling and rock climbing on this trip.  Greer’s nephew Webb and Madelyn Veal both put forth an awesome effort in the rock climbing.  Madelyn made it all the way to last few moves at the top.  For anyone that has been there, you know that the handholds start to get pretty small, few, and far between.  Webb was able to push through and make it to the top.  We usually have very few people, if anyone, make it to the top each summer.  Nice work Webb!  I think he may have even earned $50 from Hutch who was providing a little extra incentive. Henry got some good GoPro footage throughout the week that I used to put together the short video below.  Also check out the new motion graphic we are using for our internet videos.  Enjoy!

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With the season now over, I am now finding time to sort through more photos and video from the 2011 season.  Also it is clean up time around the shop.  Cleaning and washing all our rafts is quite the chore at the end of the season.  Check back for the next posting soon.  I have some great shots of a historic wooden scow on the Main Salmon in September, definitely going to want to check those photos out! ~ Seth Tonsmeire