One of the great features of most of our wilderness backpacking treks is an abundance of cold clear mountain streams and rivers. This is especially true for our Yellowstone backpack trips, because the Yellowstone region nourishes the headwaters of some of our nations’ major and most iconic river systems, including the Snake/Columbia, the Green/Colorado and the Yellowstone/Missouri/Mississippi! And on some of our guided Yellowstone hikes, we explore either the upper Snake, the upper Yellowstone or other named and unnamed streams and rivers.
Even on treks outside of Yellowstone, in the Gros Ventre Wilderness or the Bob Marshall Wilderness, for example, river fords can be tricky, depending upon high elevation snowpack and weather. Big Wild Adventures has a long-standing policy against clients being swept away by raging icy torrents, and so far, after 39 years, we have held Darwin’s most famous theory at bay with regard to rivers.
In order to keep them from being swept into the evolutionary stream of natural selection, we ask a few basic things of our clients. First, bring a pair of lightweight but sturdy shoes for river crossings. Classic river shoes are lightweight and quick drying. Sneakers are heavier and slow to dry, but they are the sturdiest option. And of course, if you don’t mind wet boots, just cross in your hiking shoes. Removing your socks first will allow your boots to dry fairly quickly once you are back on the trail with dry socks inserted.
Most important, though, we want our guests to follow the guide’s instructions! Each crossing is different, and our guides have vast experience in getting our clients across streams and rivers, large and small, so please, do what they say! This includes waiting for our guide to assess the situation. When you first approach the crossing, be patient! Let the guide consider all options! Do not immediately start making suggestions or looking for a log crossing or testing the waters on your own. Remember, you paid us a lot of money for your trip, so allow our guides to do their job. They are good at it, and safety for the group, with particular consideration for the weakest or least coordinated hiker, is first and foremost in the mind of the Big Wild Adventures guide!
