• All plans will closely follow the Idaho Governor’s Reopening Guidelines, and our actions will be fluid as we continue to monitor the reopening measures. If we anticipate any important changes or must modify a trip for any reason, our office staff will update all guests.
• Face Masks or Buffs: We will not be requiring guests to wear masks on the river, at the pre-trip meeting, or in camp. During transportation to and from the river on buses and planes if required by the transportation company’s policies.
• Vaccines: We intend to have the entire HRE Crew vaccinated prior to the season beginning and have offered a $100 bonus for each crew member who receives the vaccine to incentivize this aspect of protection from the virus. We strongly encourage all guests to be vaccinated as well. We respect vaccinations as a personal choice and feel we cannot require everyone be vaccinated.
• Personal responsibility: An important takeaway in managing COVID-19 was the effort by everyone to be personally responsible for safely traveling to and from Idaho & Montana, and monitoring oneself during a trip. We ask that if you have been exposed or feel any COVID-19 symptoms, before, during, or after your trip, please let our staff know. Having transparent communication is something that’s necessary for the health of our communities, guides, and guests.
  • Please Self-Screen before traveling to the trip.  If you have been or are suffering any of the following symptoms, please check with a doctor before your trip.
    • Loss of sense of smell and/or taste
    • Body aches
    • Headaches
    • Shortness of breath
    • Sniffles
    • Cough
    • Unusual fatigue
    • Fever
• Sanitation: HRE takes great pride in maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene in wilderness and backcountry environments. Multiple no-touch hand washes and sanitation stations will be dispersed among our camps and at places of interest on the river.
•  Respect: HRE is a family. The crew, the management and the clientele make up a very special community that we respect and value immensely. With the steps being made to get back to “normal life” there are multiple factors that everyone has to take into account and respecting each others personal situations, lifestyle and space will be vital moving forward through this process.

The procedures are based on common-sense efforts to mitigate the risk or spread of COVID-19 on a trip. By working together we can manage this new risk to the best of our abilities. We appreciate the support of new and returning guests alike, guides, staff, and everyone else who supports HRE who have continued to show understanding as we navigate the changes in our industry and society. We look forward to having you join the Hughes Crew this summer!

HRE has improved sanitation on the river, as well.  We have invested in many products for around camp and the boat houses.  Each guide will be wearing a mask/handkerchief/buff while preparing any meal that won’t be cooked, while serving any food, and while in close quarters such as a bus ride to and from the river.  Clients will also be required to wear a mask/handkerchief/buff while serving themselves food or using any group-shared common items (ie.: water cooler, cocktail ice cooler, hot water and coffee dispensers, etc.)  We have also invested in a product called Vital Oxide which has a half life of around 60 seconds and the effectiveness of 100% bleach.  Guides will be moving around the camp spraying down common items with the Vital Oxide routinely.  We have also invested in gallons of hand sanitizer and each shared common item will have a hand sanitizer stationed along side which you will need to use (or wash your hands) before using any shared common camp item.  Between trips, the gear is laundered, washed by our new Hotsy machine and commercial dish washer and/or sprayed down with Vital Oxide and hung to dry.

We are ecstatic to be able to offer our services to the public again, for the 45th season, going into the summer of 2021, and feel confident about offering trips with these increased sanitary protocols.