Salmon, North Fork

The Mule Bridge Run is a stunning upstream add-on to the Idlewild Run when flows allow. A dirt road parallels the run on river right but is usually out-of-sight and the run feels wild, like a river that has just flowed from the wilderness. Mostly the domain of kayaks, IKs, and packrafts, it is possible to navigate in a small raft when flows are high.

This run is set in a small gorge with frequent views of tall snow-clad peaks in winter and spring. The riverbed is bouldery and rapids are generally Class III with a couple steeper IV- surprises thrown in. Some rapids are chunky and bumpy, even at higher flows and encroaching willows sometimes narrow the usable width of channel. Be sure to watch for wood in the river: the 2017 Wallow Fire has increased the amount of wood moving through the river system in this zone.

The water is cold up here in winter and spring, fresh out of the Marble Mountain Wilderness Area where it was likely in frozen form not long ago. The put-in is close to 3,000 feet elevation and winter stream temps can be as low as 38ºF (3.3ºC). Besides the potential for being cold, the water here is simply magical. Much of the time it is transparent emerald green and as clean and pure as water gets. Prepare for a baptismal experience.

Flows

The flows on this run don't always correlate well to the USGS gage on the Salmon River, located nearly 40 miles downstream. You may find it higher or lower than you expect; it all depends on rainfall and melt patterns, but the Salmon River gage is still the best indicator of flow available.

This run is in at medium flows between 5,000 and 7,000 cfs but has a wider range of runnable flows, particularly on the upper end of that range.

Use the public phone at the Idlewild Campground fee station to get the latest gage reading from Waterline 1-800-452-1737 and enter 063221 to get the Salmon River at Somes B

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