Radical Earth

     In 2015 I began planning an out and back hike to visit my good pal who just took over as the new caretaker/head guide, of one of the iconic Salmon River wilderness ranches, Shepp Ranch Outfitters. The private ranch is located at the confluence of the Salmon river, and Crooked creek, 15 miles away from the closest road. The first map shows the entire hike, out and back, including a side trip to Black Butte lookout, and a short cut, up a steep ridge we took on the way out.

The White Bird band of the Nimi’ipuu (Nez Perce) Native American tribe, were the first documented humans to utilize this amazing section of ground. A use that stretches back thousands of years. The Tukudeka, or Sheepeater tribe, now part of the Shoshone-Bannock tribe, also utilized this area for winter camps. The Nez Perce, and the Shoshone had a primarily tense relationship, stretching beyond what their oral histories can document. Some inter-tribal alliances between specific bands, including the Shoshone-Bannock and Nez Perce, were forged over the centuries, however. As Lewis and Clark, and the U.S.A. Corps of Discovery made their way West in 1804, they encountered the Nimi’ipuu, or Nez Perce as they chose to call them. If not for the earnest efforts of the Nez Perce to assist, and coordinate with the Lewis and Clark expedition, they would have not been successful crossing the Bitter root Mountains, building canoes, navigating the rapids of the Clear water, Snake, and Columbia rivers, acquiring more horse, emergency food supplies, or interacting with other tribes. The Nez Perce kept the Corp of Discovery from attempting to travel into the Salmon river country, due to its rugged nature, and dangerous rapids, hence the name given to this area, “The river of no return”.  All of this has been thoroughly laid out in the excellent historical book, Lewis and Clark Among the Nez Perce: Strangers in the Land of the Nimiipuu, which I enjoyed reading during my stay at Shepp.
As more European immigrants to the expanding United States of America began making their way West, the Salmon river gorge, and adjacent mountains attracted thousands, as gold was discovered.
Across the Salmon river from Shepp Ranch is the equally historic, Polly Bemis Ranch. The ranch is named for its founder Polly Bemis, the Chinese woman, sold to slavery, who eventually landed in Warren, Idaho, in its boom mining days of the late 1800’s. There she married Charlie Bemis, and they both moved from Warren, and established their mining claim, and ranch on the Salmon River.

Polly Bemis

Polly Bemis National Historic Resgistry

Multiple immigrants came through the area of Shepp ranch, in the late 1800’s. According to the linked PBS piece, in 1872 a miner named Malick, who supposedly married a Nez Perce woman, homesteaded the site. A gentleman by the name of Tom Copenhaver, built a large barn on the site as well. Tom Copenhaver made his way upriver, to the confluence of the South fork Salmon river, and began to homestead a piece of ground, that a large group of Chinese miners had utilized previously, as well as the Nez Perce, Shoshone, and Sheepeater tribes. When Tom died, the Badley family began ranching the piece of ground, and continue to operate the Badley ranch on a portion of the area today. I am good pals with one of the Badley family descendants, who manages the ranch with her brother.
In 1909, Charlie Shepp, and Paul Klinkenhammer partnered up, and moved their families to the Salmon river, and began building Shepp ranch. Some amazing photographic and written history is on display at the lodge they built, that stands today. Over the last hundred years some modern improvements have been accomplished at the ranch, but much of the historic, rustic and remote feel is well intact.

     Before we take a closer look at Shepp Ranch, let’s explore the amazing section of Wilderness I hiked out and back to get to the ranch (My wife did accompany me on the hike out, after she hitched a ride on Shepps jet boat). The first leg I embarked from inside North America’s second deepest river gorge, the Salmon River, at the Wind River pack bridge. The bridge is adjacent to the confluence of these two rivers.  The pack bridge is about 45 minutes upriver from Riggins, Idaho. The drive along the main salmon is mostly single lane, and breathtaking, as roads go.
The Wind River cuts its way through the Clear Water Mountains on the North side of the Salmon, in one of Central Idaho’s most remote Wilderness areas, the Gospel-Hump Wilderness. The trail follows the Wind River for nearly 2 miles, and then forks off the Wind, and begins a rapid ascent to the high ridge off the Salmon river. After roughly 3000 vertical ft. up, the trail follows the canyon upriver, curving in and out of multiple drainages until the trail meets up with the headwaters of Chittam Creek, where I made my first nights camp. The pictures below are a collection of my favorites from the hike in, and out. They are organized chronologically as you would see hiking in, though the pictures with the sunny blue skies were from the hike out.

Construction of a brand new bridge begins on the Big Salmon river road, a few miles down river from the trailhead

Bald eagle standing watch on the banks of the Salmon river, greets me as I get closer to the trail-head

Bald eagle takes flight over the Salmon river, Idaho, U.S.A.

A view of the Wind River pack bridge

Heading out onto the trail

Wind River falls

Wind River

Trail to Sheep Creek

Trail bridge over the Wind River

A mossy rock on the Wind River

A Western Toad on the Wind River

Looking down the Wind River canyon

Flowers on the steep Salmon river breaks

A misty view down the ridge to the Salmon river and the trailhead

A view of the Wind River pack bridge at the confluence of the Salmon and Wind rivers

Ball Head Waterleaf on the trail

Pretty Shooting Stars on the trail

Prairie smoke on the trail

Wild Hyacinth on the trail

A lone pine clings onto a rock

DeeOgee ready to set camp at Chittam after a long day hiking

Camp at Chittam creek headwaters

View into the Salmon River breaks from the headwaters of Chittam Creek

Leg 2 of the hike continued along the high rim of the Salmon River breaks, at the toe of the Black Buttes, an impressive ridgeline of exposed, and exquisitely weathered granite. The Black Buttes can be seen prominently from the Salmon, when travelling down river approaching Chittam rapids. Once past the Black Buttes, the trail arrives at the wonderfully situated Johnson saddle, a high, narrow ridge-line saddle above the impressive Sheep Creek drainage, and main Salmon drainage. On the hike in I continued down the breaks of Sheep Creek, to the confluence of the Salmon. On the hike out, we chose to camp at Johnson Saddle, and enjoy its nearly 360-degree views, of the surrounding mountains, and rivers.

More mist, and sun breaks greet me as I breach the ridge into Johnson creek drainage,

A section of the Black Buttes

Incredible rock formations at the base of the Black Buttes on the trail

Incredible rock formations at the base of the Black Buttes on the trail

Looking back towards the Black Buttes,

Painted Trillium

White Mariposa Lily

Scarlett Paintbrush

Penstemon

A mossy bloom

Johnson Saddle

Impressive rounded ridge at Johnson Saddle

Johnson saddle camp

Patrick Butte in the morning light from Johnson Saddle

Black Buttes in the morning light from Johnson Saddle

Black Butte lookout in the morning light from Johnson Saddle

Wispy clouds above the Black Buttes on the sunny hike out from Johnson Saddle

View from Johnson saddle to the main salmon 3000 ft below

Stunning view of the main Salmon river gorge from Johnson Saddle

Quartzite Butte above Sheep Creek from Johnson Saddle

Buffaloe Hump mountain from Johnson saddle looking up Sheep creek

View down the Sheep creek canyon, to where it meets the Salmon

Sunset camp at the confluence of Sheep Creek, and the Salmon River

     Leg 3 of the hike started at my camp at the confluence of Sheep Creek, and the Main Salmon River, 3000 ft. below the trail I had hiked the previous two days.  Spring time in the Salmon River canyon is a wonderful, and special treat, as the emerald-green colors abound, the creeks, and rivers are swollen from the snow melting up high, and the area is vibrantly alive, with insects, mammals, birds, flowers, greening shrubs, and trees.
The trail to Shepp follows the Salmon for the final 8 miles. I had not seen one person on the hike in, and the only people I saw for the final day of hiking were jet boaters, rafters, and kayaker’s making their way up or down the river. On the hike out we saw only one hunting outfitter on the final day of the hike out, a few miles before we were back at the truck.

Morning view just before the sun crested the canyon of the Salmon River, at the confluence of Sheep Creek

Sunrise hits camp on the Salmon River

Sunrise on the canyon walls, with the moon

A sunny, and spring green view up river on the Salmon River

An un-named creek flows out of an impressive side canyon (Drains Murphy peak)

Layers of sedimentary rock on the banks of the Salmon River

A non-venomous snake enjoying the Sun

A rock is poised above a sandy spit in the Salmon River

Man in the mountain, on the Salmon River

     I have included a selection of photos below, from Shepp Ranch proper. This place has a magical quality, unmatched to any I have visited.  Clearly the remote nature of the ranch, and the history of this place is part of that magic. The stunning beauty of the surrounding mountains, and canyon walls, and powerful merging of two flowing rivers, Crooked Creek, and the main Salmon, create a lasting impression that the folks lucky enough to experience understand. If you are a hunter, a fisher, or an outdoor enthusiast looking for an unmatched back-country experience, I could not recommend highly enough, the outfitting, and guest ranch experience the fine folks at Shepp ranch offer.
Of course, Shepp is surrounded by some of North Americas finest public lands, and anyone can enjoy it, as long as they have the desire, and experience to venture deep into this wild place. Just remember, you do need permission to visit the ranch directly.

Welcome to Shepp Ranch

One of Shepps twin engine jet boats, across the river at Polly Bemis ranch

Catching a nap on the freshly cut grass

Looking towards the guest lodge, through the orchard

A look down onto the orchard, and one of the guest cabins

Spring in the orchard

A look into the historic guest lodge

Enjoying the sun, and a book on the main grounds of the ranch

A path through the Iris at the ranch

A photo history into the past at Shepp Ranch

An impressive collection of National Geographic magazines

Check out the dates on these national Geographic magazines!

A collection of butterflies

Mother hen, and her chioks

Itchy on the loose!

The Mares and Junior the donkey, next to the garden, and the saddle barn

Saddle barn

Old supplies on the saddle barn

A days work bucking, and hauling firewood for the coming winter season

Stuff happens on the ranch

Many hours logged on this workhorse

After a days work on the ranch, time for a beer and a light and sound show from a passing thunderstorm

A misty return to sun on the Salmon, after the thunderstorm

A visit from local Mccall, Idaho back-country pilot Dave Looney

Idaho