On August 22, 1978 President Jimmy Carter and his family took Marine One from Boise to Indian Creek Airstrip. This would be the start of their Middle Fork of the Salmon river trip. Being 70 miles from the confluence, they had long mileage days the whole way through. Below is their itinerary, with the official daily diary of the president included. Select quotes from interviews during that time are mixed in and linked to the original articles.
Day zero: August 21, 1978.
The day before the family’s arrival the Secret Service made preparations in the river corridor.
“They were such nice men,” said 73-year-old Audrey Hill, who lives in a cabin with a large, wood-fired stove, of the advance men. “I told them there’d always be some peanut butter cookies and a pot of hot coffee here if the president wants to visit.”
Her husband, Eli Hill, 62, said he had chatted with the Secret Service about the campers and other rafter who may be in the area when Carter is.
“They wanted to put an agent at every campsite,” an awed Hill said. “I said, ‘That’s fine.’ I asked them, ‘What about the backpackers? There are lots of them wandering through the mountain and what are you going to do about them?” “
The Secret Service man didn’t look too happy. ‘We don’t want any people popping up suddenly behind rocks,’ he said.”
-Washington Post “The Traveling White House Descends on Idaho Solitude” (Link)
Day one: August 22, 1978.
Indian Creek to Lower Grouse
President Carter and his family loaded up on a sweep boat and floated to the Middle Fork Lodge, where they spent 30 minutes having cinnamon rolls, and coffee and they did a photo with the staff. Then they floated to Whitie Cox where they had a late lunch at nearly 2PM. From here they floated to Lower Grouse and landed at 5:24 PM.
Day two: August 23, 1978.
Grouse Creek to Elk Bar
The daily diary was short, which was captured well in the below quote. The most excitement was generated shortly after pushing off from Lower Grouse, when the sweep boat driver broke a sweep going over Tappan Falls (imagine having that in the official record) and they spent approximately an hour repairing it. With lunch at Wilson Creek, they then made it to Elk Bar by 5pm.
President Carter continued his slow journey through the Idaho wilderness yesterday, coming about as close as a president could ever come to genuine peace and quiet.
There were no handshakes, dignitaries to greet or protocol observed as the president, his family and a few friends floated gently down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River here. Security, while thorough, was low-keyed. Reporters, though on the river with him, were kept miles behind except for one or two token contacts with the presidential party.
The only sound at his campsite as he slept was the rush of the river.
The only comment he gave during the first two days of his trip was “how nice” it was not to have to make any comments.
Washington Post “Carters Find Peace, Quiet in Idaho Wilderness” (Link)
Day three: August 24, 1978.
Elk Bar to the Main Salmon confluence
With a stop at Nugget Creek to look at Earl Parrott’s cabin, and then lunch at Otter Bar, the trip was nearing the finish line. Not before plenty of fish were caught though, with the President landing 59 trout before takeout. In Jimmy Carter’s book “A Call to Action” he reflected that it was on this trip that his wife, Rosalynn, became interested in fly fishing. After the trip, she would practice her cast at Camp David, and eventually, fly fishing would become a lifelong passion.
At the confluence, they were driven to Colson Creek Meadow. From there, they boarded Marine One and flew to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, concluding their Middle Fork trip.
Central Idaho Wilderness Act
The story doesn’t end at the Main Salmon confluence. Just under two years after his trip, President Jimmy Carter signed the Central Idaho Wilderness Act on July 23, 1980, which protected the Middle Fork of the Salmon and much of the surrounding area. It was the largest protected area in the lower 48. Four years later, in honor of the late Senator Frank Church, the wilderness was renamed the Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness Area.
Photos of the trip
Below is the largest collection of photos of the trip that you can find all in one place. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library releases some occasionally on their social media.
Great article. Thanks Matt.
A nice reminder of a great man. Thanks!
I was a guide with another outfitter (Teton Expeditions) on the river at the time. Our group passed President Carter’s group and vice versa a few times during his trip. One time, as they were floating past us (eating our lunch), we saw Jimmy Carter catch a cutthroat trout about 30 feet from us. Our party gave him a hearty round of applause. We camped at Elk Bar the night after the presidential party camped there. There were still 2 tents full of communications equipment with a couple of Whitehouse Communications Office staff there. They were waiting for rafts to come by to get them. I talked with them. They explained that it was a huge logistical feat to set up repeaters on the tops of nearby mountains and get all the gear in place so that the president could have uninterrupted communication access. They said the cost was in the millions of dollars at the time.
This is in reference to the first photo with the Forest Service folk: It was an unanticipated highlight of my seasonal employee Forest Service life to work with Judy Clapp, Ted Anderson (Judy’s and my boss), and the rest of the support crew in service to President Carter, Secretary of Interior Andrus, their families, the Secret Service detail and the White House nurse on that memorable trip. [The Guth Brothers were the official outfitters for the Carter and Andrus families but we in the Forest Service transported, fed and catered to most of the support team.] When the FS photo-op picture was snapped at lunch on Otter Bar, President Carter was saying he had taken lessons and learned how to roll a kayak (probably the only US president to have had a skill set with the pointy little boats) but that in order to float with family he found canoeing to be a better fit. In camp at Elk bar, the off-duty Secret Service had a great time playing with the kayaks.
Am saddened by Jimmy Carter’s passing today. In my eyes he was a great man. Remember also, the Secret Service team and White House nurse all seemed very impressed by Jimmy’s and Rosalyn’s goodness as down-to-earth, genuinely nice people.
An aside to Matt Volpert: I see you work at the Pacuare Outdoor Center. I worked on the Pacuare River seasonally for three years (Middle Fork off-seasons) during the early 1980s when we (Costa Rica Expeditions) were pretty much the only people on the river, running mostly 2 night/three day trips.
Prior to their departure from the Rodeway Inn, 8 year old me delivered a hand-drawn card addressed to 10 year old Amy Carter. In it I described how to collect hellgrammites and how to use them for fishing. I think I included pictures and diagrams of how to put one on a hook. I wonder if that card was ever delivered to Amy?
Hi Michael. I enjoyed reading about your experiences during President Carter’s family float on the Middle Fork. I wrote about that time as well, albeit a more distant experience while working downriver on the North Fork District, SNF.
I’m Edward (Eddie B) Bringenberg on Facebook in case you’re interested in reading what it was like for us then.
Enjoyed the article. In 1978 I was a first year white water guide for Lewis and Clark expeditions in Jackson, Wyoming. We were aware of the Salmon River trip and I remember discussing with my fellow guides wondering how they were going to protect a president along that stretch. After that trip, President Carter came over to Jackson Hole. One night he went to our rodeo. I attended that night and actually got to shake his hand. I do not remember anyone in the stands being pre-searched by Secret Service for weapons. We were just very excited to have a real President of the United States around. At the rodeo they had some sort of a goat run around with a ribbon on its tail. All of the kids in the stands got to chase it and the first one to remove it won the prize. Lo and behold Amy Carter actually beat all the other kids and did it. It looked very legitimate so I don’t think she got special treatment, but she was just to go getter for a kid. I think she was motivated by being the President’s daughter that she had to give it her all lol.
I also enjoyed the above group photo. Seeing the one kayak patrol guide in his farmer John wetsuit brought back memories. All of us guides had them back then. There was no such thing as a dry suit at that time. I still have mine nearly 47 years later. But I moved onto a dry suit since then for cold water kayaking.
I had the rare privilege of meeting Jimmy Carter and his family on the Middle Fork of the Salmon in August of 1978. I was leading a group of kayakers from Kentucky on a private permit. When we arrived at the Dagger Falls launch there was an extra layer of scrutiny at check in. It was at that point that the Secret Service informed us that the President and his family were floating the Middle Fork. We would be passing World Communication Headquarters Camps during our 5 day whitewater float trip. The river was low being as it was late in the season I am not surprised that a sweep oar was damaged in a rapid. We spoke with the President as he floated by our camp the last day of their trip. They were genuinely salt of the earth people. Am saddened that he has passed. I will always remember him as a great humanitarian.
I retired from commercial rafting after spending many great years with International Aquatic Adventures and Adrift Adventures. My Avon Pro raft and farmer john wetsuit occasionally make it out it the river over 50+ years latter.
Rest in peace.