Frequently Asked Questions
A. Experience is important, and we have plenty of it. Hughes River Expeditions, Inc. is the senior outfitter on Snake River/Hells Canyon and Middle Fork of the Salmon. Jerry and Carole have owned and operated HRE for 32 years with no change in ownership. But experience is only part of the story. No other Idaho outfitter puts as many resources back into its operation as does HRE. Those resources include keeping top, experienced guides year after year, providing excellent equipment (boat, camping gear, vehicles …), providing plenty of wholesome, fresh, delicious food, and maintaining an informative full-time office. Jerry Hughes went on his first river trip in 1963 and 2008 is his 43rd year working as a guide in this region. He has guided for countless river miles on the Snake, Salmon, Middle Fork Salmon, Selway, Yampa, Green, Colorado, Owyhee, and Bruneau rivers. When the Hughes family vacations, they usually go on a river trip. Family history is dotted with numerous boatman holidays. We love river running. We love sharing rivers with our guests. And we take great pride in the quality of our outfitting service and in protecting the invaluable resources where we operate trips. Q. Can beginners go on your river trips? A. Beginners are very welcome. And expect to have a great time!! The Hughes Crew is sensitive to our guest's concerns, and the guides do their best to alleviate any worries you have. You'll be amazed at how comfortable camping Hughes Style is, and we are confident that you'll want to return. Q. What is an appropriate age for river trips? A. These are great multi-generational trips - good for grandparents to grandchildren. So far a maximum age, you are as young as you feel. Call if you'd like to discuss any age related issues or concerns. We have taken many people in their 80's. Minimum age varies with the trip you select. River trips are great family vacations. Jerry and Carole have rafted for years with their kids who now range from 15-22 years of age. The Hughes kids have gone on the rivers since they were tiny. We leave the final decision on the ages of children up to the parents. We routinely take 6-9 year olds, and have taken kids so young as 4 and 5. Young people under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Give us a call, so we can discuss the best rivers and dates for your children based on their experience and age. We love outfitting for families, and the trips are great family vacations! Q. When are the best river flows? A. The Snake is a dam controlled river, and flows are usually about the same throughout the summer. Middle Fork, Salmon Canyon, and Grande Ronde are free flowing rivers, and flows depend on the winter snowpack, spring weather, etc. Check with our office for annual predicitions. Q. How is the weather? A. Hells Canyon is the warmest location in Idaho & eastern Oregon. This low elevation river gorge is arid in nature, and receives less than 10 inches of moisture annually. Salmon Canyon weather is very similar to Hells Canyon. Middle Fork is a high elevation mountain stream that begins at 5700 feet. The weather on the Middle Fork warms up as you go down stream. Grande Ronde is an early season trip (May-early July). May dates can be cool, but the Ronde normally experiences beautiful early summer weather. Spring and fall trips have a greater chance of rain showers. But, spring and fall days can be spectacular. Summer temps often reach the 90's and even the low 100's. Always bring a rain jacket for a possible afternoon thunderstorm, or a summer shower. Check out our Gear List for the trip you are planning. Call the office to chat about weather for your trip and time of year. Q. Do you offer custom trips for groups? A. Yes. We often outfit exclusive charter trips for groups of friends or organizations who want to have their own trip. We can tailor a charter to your group's needs and interests. Call our office to chat about the available options. Some to consider include: fishing charter, various numbers of days, special hike & float combinations, focus on a particular topic (photography, interpretation, corporate retreat …)… Let us know what you have in mind. We'll do our best to make your plans a reality. Q. Who are the guides? A. The Hughes Crew is made up of a wonderful variety of personalities and abilities. The crew is a blend of guys & gals, and everyone is an expert whitewater guide, a great cook, and much more. The guides vary in age from 18-65, and many of have guided for 25 or more years. The crew includes: an antique dealer, college professors, lawyers, a rugby coach, a chef, an officer in the US Navy (he only manages a couple of trips per year), a world champion whitewater & surf kayaker, high school coaches & teachers, a surgical nurse, an international guide, ski patrolmen, … and many more. Jerry Hughes still guides 8-10 trips per summer, and he is joined by his daughter, Ashley, and son, Colin on the Hughes Crew. Carole Finley guided through the early 80's, and still enjoys going on the river today. Q. What is the pace of a typical river day? A. Hot drinks, fresh fruit, & juice by about 7:00 a.m. Breakfast at 8:00 a.m. Break camp and on the river by about 10:00 a.m. Mid day lunch break. Into camp by about 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Hors d'oeuvres by about 6:30 p.m. Dinner around 7:30 p.m. About 4 5 hours on the river is typical, although some river days are shorter and some are longer. We make stops daily to hike to historical sites, take a swim, fish a good hole, or to visit a point of interest. The length of time on the water varies with water levels, and the trip you choose. Once you select a river and dates, call the office if you want to discuss the normal pace for that particular trip and time of the year. Even though we use hours of the day in this description, one of the most delightful parts of a river trip is changing over to "river time". As much as possible, we simply follow the day itself - sunrise, sundown, day light, dark, etc. Q. I've never camped before. How is the camping? A. River camping is easy, comfortable, and great fun. We provide freshly laundered sleeping bags and camp pillows, self inflating sleeping pads, tents, camp chairs, dining tables. The guides pitch and take down your tent. Each evening the river will lull you to sleep. Q. Do you provide the waterproof gear containers for us to use on the river trip? A. Yes, we provide the best bags available for your clothing and other gear. We hand out waterproof duffle bags and camera boxes at the pre-trip meeting the night before your trip and explain how to pack your gear into each. For your trip, we will provide:
Q. What about sanitation and toilet facilities? A. A hand wash system is available whenever we are in camp and at lunch. The guides do the dishes and cleanup after meals. To keep the river environment as clean as possible, solid human waste is collected and transported out of the river canyons in specially designed toilets. These are "camping" trips with no flush toilets, but the toilets we use are the best camp toilets available. Q. What about drinking water? A. We provide unlimited of potable water throughout the trip. We start each trip with water from municipal water systems, and during the trips we use pure springs, or *purify water for drinking through special filter systems. Bring a small plastic water bottle for your personal use. (*Water purification through an EPA approved filter developed by PURA that uses sediment filters, carbon block filters, and a UV light. Probably the cleanest water you will ever drink. Certainly much cleaner than any municipal water system.) Q. How experienced is your organization? A. 2008 is the 32nd year of operation for Hughes River Expeditions, Inc., and the 43rd year that Jerry Hughes has worked as a professional river guide on the rivers of the West. Guide ages vary from early 18-65. Most of the crew range from early 30's to early 50's, and have 10 20+ years of experience guiding. A handful of college aged guides add enthusiasm to the team. Hughes River Expeditions is the senior permittee (longest ownership by same owners) on Snake/Hells Canyon and Middle Fork of the Salmon. Q. What type of boats do you use? A. We provide a selection of top quality, self-bailing equipment: oar rafts (controlled by a guide rowing with oars), paddle rafts (controlled by a team of guests and a guide everybody paddles, and the guide captains the team), and inflatable kayaks (1 man or 2 man craft used in selected portions of a trip). Guests often plan to switch among the various craft. Let us know which boat(s) you prefer. We'll do our best to match up with your interests. Serious fishermen can arrange special fishing boats (McKenzie drift boats or small oar rafts) that accommodate 2 fishermen and a guide. Check for rates. A big custom designed supply pontoon carries duffle, kitchen gear, and extra ice chests. Each day, the supply boat floats ahead, and the gear boatman organizes the evening's camp. When you arrive the tents are pitched, the kitchen is organized, and you can conveniently move in for the evening. Q. Can I spend the entire trip in the craft of my choice? A. I hope so. We do our level best to have the blend of oar rafts, paddle rafts, and inflatable kayaks that our guests want. However, 43 years of experience has proven that it is "virtually impossible" to have the perfect set of craft for every person, for every minute, of an extended 3-6 day river trip. It is important to come with a good attitude about sharing the various boat opportunities among the members of the group on your trip. Our considerations include: We cannot safely us inflatable kayaks in big, difficult rapids. We can only keep track of and offer support to a certain number of inflatable kayaks at one time (water level, water temperature, the river involved, ability of paddlers, etc., are all factors). Also, we are limited in the total number of craft on some rivers by the Forest Service. Once we commit to having a paddle raft on a trip, that paddle raft must be manned by guests for the entire trip. If we bring too many paddle rafts, and we are short of paddlers, the group is stuck in a tough spot. Example, if we are not sure we have sufficient paddlers to man the paddle boats at all times during the trip, we will have to bring along 1 paddle boat, and paddlers will need to share spots on the boat. Also, our guests often think they want to only experience one style of craft, but once they are on the river, they realize they want to try other options. For instance, some people who think they only want to paddle raft, get to the river and realize that the fishing is great. In order to fish, they need to ride on an oar raft. The opposite is true also. Committed oar raft guests occasionally want to try a paddle raft for a portion of the trip. I list all these options, and all this information, in an effort to show you that we are very thoughtful about the boats we bring on a given trip. Safety is always our prime concern. Of course, your wishes and wants are also a prime concern to us. We will do our absolute level best to have the boats that you want on a trip. We ask that you come with an open mind and a good attitude about sharing opportunities within the group. If you have questions, please feel welcome to call our office. Q. What are the meals like? A. Not just food, but FOOD! The menu is wonderful, and there is plenty. The meals feature fresh meats (steaks, salmon, chicken & pork ribs, thick cut pork chops, Rock Cornish game hens, etc.), fresh fruits & vegetables, lunch & dinner salads, evening hors d'oeuvres, and Dutch oven baking (biscuits, cornbreads, muffins, layer cakes, and coffee cakes). Kid's Food is available on request (burgers, hot-dogs, PBJ, cereals, etc.). Let us know if you have a special diet. We'll do our best to provide the foods you prefer, or you may bring them, and we'll provide storage. Q. How should I dress on the river and in camp? A. Our gear list runs through recommended garments. Basically avoid wearing heavy cotton clothes on the rafts because once they become wet, they will take a long time to dry. However, cotton is fine for camp. On the rafts, guides typically wear nylon shorts or pants, light weight or syntetic shirt (collar & long sleeves help beat the sun), cap/visor, sandals (with heal straps) or tennis shoes, and keep rain gear, polypro underwear, polypro socks, etc. handy in a day bag in case the weather turns chilly. A good rule is to always keep your foul weather gear handy in your day bag. In camp light weight athletic pants that can be pulled on & off over shoes are convenient. Check the Gear List for the river you select. Q. What about beverages? A. As our contribution to the trip beverages, we bring a supply of soda, fruit juice, beer, and dinner wine. We provide about 3 canned beverages/day/person. These complimentary beverages are not intended to be the only drinks available on the trip. They are simply our contribution to the trip total. Bring some of your favorites, especially if you prefer particular brands or drinks. We have space to store the beverages you bring. Use canned beverages when possible. Don't pack bottles or cans in your duffels. We have dry box & ice chest space to stow glass and aluminum containers. There is plenty of ice for the trip. When you arrive, the ice chests will be filled to the brim, and some of our beverages will be on ice. At the beginning plan to use the beverages we already have chilled. As the trip proceeds, we can move your own favorite beverages into the ice chests to chill. Q. Is it appropriate to tip the guides? A. Certainly. The guides greatly appreciate gratuities, and the tips received on a trip are shared evenly by all the guides and camp helper on that trip. We are often asked what is an appropriate tip, and of course, that is a question that is impossible to answer. Tips are up to the individual, and they vary in amount from small to very generous. Because so many of our past guests have asked, we've tried to come up with some ballpark numbers that we intend to be helpful, and not as a high pressure effort to secure tips for the crew. Average tips vary from trip to trip and with trip length. The normal range of tips is shown below. Tips for a given trip will often fall below, or exceed these parameters.
Q. Can I bring stereos/boom boxes? A. Please, no. Q. Can I bring a musical instrument? A. Yes. We often have instruments on the river. Don't bring a valuable classic, and have a good protective case. Q. Can I bring cell phone or satellite phone? A. Cell phones "do not" work in the canyons. If you "must" bring a satellite phone, they are to be used only for emergencies, and cannot be used openly around the group. Hughes River Expeditions, Inc. carries a satellite phone for emergencies, that is used at the discretion of the guide crew. Q. I want to fish on the trip. What about gear and licenses? A. Fishing is usually excellent Plan to bring your own fishing rods in protective metal or plastic tubes. For young kids, many of our guests use closed faced inexpensive, disposable rod & reel sets. As part of our service, we bring some rods and tackle for the group to share. We are happy to give fishing instruction. Feel welcome to call to discuss. We recommend that serious fishermen bring their own gear. When customers book fishing boats, we provide all equipment as part of fishing boat service. You can purchase an Idaho fishing license by calling 800-554-8685. Order by phone with either MasterCard or Visa. Another option is the Idaho Fish & Game website: www.state.id.us/fishgame Or, you can purchase a license in Cambridge, Stanley, Lewiston, etc. before your trip. 2007 cost is $11.50 for the 1st day, and $5.00 for each additional day. Juniors (14-17) can purchase a junior fishing license for $13.75 for the year. Non-resident children under 14 do not require a license if accompanied by a licensed adult. You can purchase an Oregon fishing license by calling 503-872-5275. 2006 cost is $12.00 (daily), $22.50 (2 days), $33.00 (3 days), $43.50 (4 Days), and $43.75 (7 Days). Q. Are there lots of biting bugs? A. There are few if any mosquitoes on the rivers. Idaho and eastern Oregon are relatively arid, and we encounter only a few biting bugs. Occasionally, we will experience one day with mosquitoes on the upper Middle Fork. Seasonally and especially during dry years, we encounter yellow jacket wasps. Q. Can I keep prescription medicine cool during the trip? A. Yes. Call our office to explain what you need. We often keep medicines in the raft ice chests during the trips. Q. What about medical emergencies and evacuations due to injury or illness? A. The guides are trained in 1st aid, and many have EMT, Winter Emergency Care, or 1st Responder Training. If we cannot provide 1st Aid for an injury or illness, the Guides will make a decision about possible alternatives for evacuation. Evacuation costs are born by the person being evacuated. This is a good reason to consider purchasing Trip Insurance. Although we spare no effort to assure a safe trip, a river expedition is not without some risks. We are equipped to handle emergency 1st aid. In case of illness or accident, HRE will attempt to provide 1st aid and/or arrange evacuation when your guide determines that evacuation is necessary. Cost of specialized means of evacuation, such as helicopters, or bush planes, etc. and medical care beyond 1st aid are the financial responsibility of the ill or injured person. Q. What about trip insurance? A. We encourage the purchase of vacation trip insurance which covers personal property, personal injury, and cancellation. Many insurance companies offer such policies, and we will send you information on such programs when you make reservations or on request. Q. Can I purchase books, maps, and pamphlets about the area I will be visiting? A. Yes. The following books are available for purchase through the Hughes River Expeditions office (800-262-1882) or through the Hughes Company Store on our website. 6% Idaho State Sales Tax + shipping cost apply to book purchases. We recommend the following:
Q. I've heard about a rating system for white water. What class are the rapids on Snake River? A. Rapids are rated on an International Scale that applies to both difficulty and risk. The application of this scale is very subjective and no definite answers exist. Difficulty and risk vary with many factors, including the actual rapids, water levels, weather conditions, water temperatures, remoteness of the area, number of groups on a river, etc. If you have questions check with our office for details about the river and time you selected.
* (Salmon Canyon is Class IV+ - VI in high water at Slide Rapids. We do not run the Salmon during those early season, high water flows.) International Scale of River
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