When people ask me where North Fork is, I usually tell them it's about 20 miles north of Salmon. Most of the time this leads to a blank stare because they don't know where Salmon is, so I have to follow that up with: "It's a few hours north of Sun Valley and a couple hours south of Missoula." I love telling people that it's the best place they've never heard of but also in between so many other popular places: Glacier National Park, the Sawtooths, and Yellowstone. It might as well be the center of the universe as far as I'm concerned.
The first time I visited the area was for a 7-day river trip that began in Salmon and ended in Riggins. When the trip ended, my group and I were pretty bummed. I hated that I had to answer old text messages. The sound of cars annoyed me. All I wanted to do was go back into the Frank Church Wilderness with my family and friends and escape everything forever.
My first day back to work after that was a disaster. I was staring blankly at my computer screen for several minutes when somebody walked by and asked me, "Are you okay?" I shook my head and said, "Not really." Data, charts, and graphs felt pretty pointless. Needless to say, it was kind of a relief and not surprising when I got laid off from that job a while later.
My friends and I often joke about that blank stare I experienced—we call it the front-country glaze. I saw it again after another trip in the backcountry when we had returned to the freeway and my friend was staring despondently through the car window. He looked like he had lost his dog. Unfortunately, the front-country glaze seems to be a common side effect of visiting paradise.
Eventually, the front-country glaze wears off because we forget about the peace of being in nature. Our phones, TVs, and other useful devices have their own kind of gravitational pull that makes it hard to remember what it was like without them in the first place.
Although it sounds romantic to live off the land in the backcountry forever, it's not feasible for everyone. I've met more than a few souls in our neighboring forests who have managed to do it for quite some time, but I, for one, would last less than a couple days without provisions. Yet it's still important to touch base with it as much as possible because it helps restore an equilibrium that's easy to lose with all of our modern distractions.
One of my favorite things about North Fork is that it makes getting away so easy. Some would say it's impossible to be in the middle of nowhere and at the center of everything at the same time; yet North Fork manages to thread that needle for me. I know it's not for everyone, and it might lack a lot of the conveniences that many require, but I love that it's the gateway to the lower 48's largest wilderness. I smile when new guests tell us that they wish they'd scheduled more nights. It's fun to see somebody go rafting for the first time and tell you all about it. The sound of somebody getting excited about seeing a bald eagle is music to my ears. It's a privilege to share North Fork's beauty with so many people, and we're looking forward to seeing so many of you again this summer and fall. Also, as you can see from the photos, spring is springing, so just let us know if you need an escape sooner.
Here's to getting away and being unplugged,
Christian and Team RFL
