RAPID GETAWAY : FIND SERENITY AND ADVENTURE WHILE RAFTING ON THE SALMON.

Byline: Rochelle Kaplan Daily News Staff Writer

Megan Kellison's displeasure was obvious by the dour expression on her face as she loaded her belongings onto the paddle boat.

Spending six days on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River with her younger brother, Nicholas, and father, Craig, was not exactly the 16-year-old's idea of a vacation.

Middle of Nowhere was what it felt like.

``I didn't doubt Nicholas would like it,'' said Craig Kellison, a Susanville, Calif., attorney and part-time federal judge. ``I didn't know about Megan, but she didn't have a choice in the matter.''

By trip's end, after surviving class III and IV rapids alone in a kayak, Megan was courageous enough to steer one of the paddle boats under the watchful eye of river guide Amy Stanton. And 10-year-old Nicholas ended up fly-fishing alone at night.

Thousands of recreation seekers travel to central Idaho each year to be licked by spray from the whitewater of the Salmon's Middle Fork, considered by many to be the country's finest all-around rafting experience.

Along the way visitors can enjoy rafting, kayaking, fishing, hiking, soaking in natural hot springs and being doused by a 1,000-foot waterfall, all while being treated to a variety of flora and fauna that call the ponderosa pine-covered mountainsides home. Bald eagles and hawks can be seen soaring overhead, while otters and minks frolic at the river's edge.

On this trip, a dozen whitewater adventurers would be deprived of all modern conveniences and camp under the stars. They looked forward to paddling and fly-fishing for trout as they made final arrangements.

The rafters put in at Boundary Creek near this sparsely populated town, about a mile above sea level. They would travel north - most rivers in the region flow south - cover nearly 100 miles and drop 3,000 feet in elevation before merging with the main flow of the Salmon.

``Idaho is the most prestigious place for river guides to work,'' said Stanton, a guide with six years' experience working for Point Reyes, Calif.-based Outdoor Adventures. ``There are always more people applying than there are jobs available.

``There are probably more whitewater rapids on (other rivers) but the Middle Fork is physically harder to work because of the six-day trips.''

Six days is the standard for travel on this section because there are few spots to take out safely. Dozens of outfitters compete to attract patrons from the middle of June to early September, when flows and weather are optimal.

Having enjoyed the rapids of Oregon's Rogue River with his wife the year before, Craig Kellison thought his children would derive similar pleasures in Idaho.

``I've known about the (Middle Fork) since I was kid, and I always wanted to see it,'' he said. ``It's one of the premier rivers in the country or in the world.

``It's hard to find rivers that run 100 miles anywhere in the world.''

And few others offer such an abundance of wildlife and natural splendors.

One afternoon, a juvenile brown bear was startled by the presence of rafters and scampered uphill. After finding safe haven behind a boulder, it peered out several times to make sure the coast was clear before moseying off. After dark, bats whizzed through the campsite, fluttering loudly in search of insects but rarely being seen.

Accustomed to the constant industrial hum of urbanism, the group was struck by the utter serenity of the region, except, of course, for the roar of the rapids - 38 in all.

The Middle Fork is designated a ``wild and scenic'' river - the first to receive such a designation from Congress - in 1968. Neither vehicles nor development are allowed.

John Worrell of Austin, Texas, called it the ``most spectacular'' of all he has seen.

``I'm overwhelmed by the whole thing,'' said Worrell, who calls himself a ``river rat.''

``I was surprised the fishing was as good as it was. I didn't think I'd catch anything.''

Those, like Worrell, who opted to fish - catch and release, using barbless hooks only - did so from the paddle boats or by the river's banks during the lunch break.

Even disenchanted Megan Kellison got caught up in the magnificence and began to mellow out by the second day, admitting the trip was ``better than I thought it would be.'' She was especially taken with the stunning height of the mountains - part of the Rockies - that tower over the deep river canyon.

The Middle Fork is one of the toughest rivers to navigate because of its length.

Guides need at least two years' experience before applying to work in Idaho, and they don't merely transport visitors down the river - they ensure their safety and enjoyment. They prepare three gourmet meals a day - plus hors d'oeuvres at dinner - plan afternoon and evening hikes, offer campfire programs and recite anecdotes and histories of the region.

The area, originally inhabited by the Sheepeater Indian tribe - named by the U.S. Army for its preferred meal - drew many prospectors during the gold-rush years, from the mid-1850s through the turn of the century. Vestiges of both cultures - natives and homesteaders - can be found in the region.

Cave drawings depicting the Sheepeater tribe's daily rituals can be found in a steep canyon between Tappen Falls and Rubber Rapid, about midway through the trip.

Gold miner Earl Parrott's 80-year-old cabin sits high atop the river just beyond Rubber Rapid. The reclusive Parrott - who lived off the land, growing his own vegetables and hunting deer - built ladders on the face of the 1,500-foot cliff to climb from the river to his cabin.

Needing to cover more than 15 miles a day in order to reach the main Salmon in the allotted time, the group hit the water by 9 a.m. and set up camp each afternoon by 4. All food, utensils, camping equipment and personal belongings were transported to the next campsite by a ``sweep'' boat - a large oar boat manned by one guide.

The visitors had a choice of traveling on one of two paddle boats or four inflatable kayaks; positions could be rotated after lunch.

In order to get away from his sister, Nicholas Kellison spent much of his time fishing, often after dark. His efforts paid off.

``I wanted to come on this trip so that I could fish and go on the rapids and get away from my friends,'' Nicholas said. ``I caught a lot of fish; I think about 40.

``Maybe I fished faster than I thought.''

At trip's end in the town of Salmon, Megan Kellison had to be encouraged to get on the 10-seat Cessna for the flight back to Boise to start the drive back home.

``I really liked the trip. In fact, I could turn around and do this trip all over again right now.''

MEMO: The Idaho Outfitters & Guides Association lists 29 commercial boating outfitters on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Information: [phone], or write to the group at P.O. Box 95, Boise, Idaho 83701.

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos, Map

Photo: (1-3--color) Above, rafters on a trip down t he Middle Fork of the Salmon River negotiate a narrow rapid. Top left, guide Amy Stanton supervises kayakers through a peaceful, scenic canyon. At right, weary rafters Craig Kellison of Susanville and Sue Cawdry of Tiburon relax in a natural hot spring.

(4) Visitors to the class III and IV rapids of the Middle Fork of Idaho's Salmon River negotiate a tough patch.

Rochelle Kaplan / Daily News

Map: IDAHO -- Salmon River