Serenade Gorbett
Wilderness Ranger Fellow
Salmon River Trail #96 | Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness
6/4-6/11/2025
Berkeley, Nick, and Josh posing on our jetboat headed to the confluence of Bargamin Creek and the Main Salmon River in the Frank Church Wilderness.
We started our hitch at the Vinegar boat ramp east of Riggins, ID. I had been looking forward to this hitch since I found out we would be taking a jetboat. It has been on my bucket list for a while. It was so much fun. Some of the rapids we went through were the height of the boat. I think I preferred it over the plane on our last hitch.
We were headed to the confluence of Bargamin Creek on the #96 trail. Tasked with building a rock wall and digging tread. The trail had a lot of damage from a fire a couple years back. Building the rock wall put about 6 years on my boots and pants. I’m really glad I had my embroidery thread so I could fix the seat of my pants.
The crew with a rock wall they built on the trail!
The great part about base camping next to the Salmon River is getting to meet awesome people and the free food. One night we met some rafting guides that invited us to dinner. They fed us so much lasagna and cookies. There was even a bowl full of just bread that kept getting passed around until it was empty. It was truly a feast.
The morning commute to work along the Main Salmon.
The other highlight of this hitch was the wildlife. Halfway through the week, I went on a hike along the river. I noticed a weird stick in the water. It turned out to be a river otter. He waddled onto a sandy beach and rolled in the sand like a dog. We also got to see bighorn sheep on the way back to Vinegar boat ramp. It was an amazing time and I can’t wait to get back out there!
Before
After
Serenade Gorbett
Wallowa, OR
Serenade is from a small town in Eastern Oregon. Her early childhood was spent going on cattle drives and pack trips into the Eagle Cap Wilderness. For the last 8 years, she has been living off-grid with her family. These years spent living in the woods are the foundation of her devotion to the wilderness. Her favorite outdoor activity is trail rides with her dogs and miniature mule (Cocoapuff). She also enjoys gardening and going on hiking trips with her brother. Serenade’s future plans are to pursue a career in natural resource management.