Sorry I can't help with dorybuilding, but could you take a few moments
and explain the appeal of the Main and Lower Salmon? Every time we
take out from the Middle Fork, we wonder about this question. Maybe
it's more appealing downstream than it seems at the confluence.

Given how uncomfortable kayaks are, and how hard rafts are to row
against the wind, I certainly understand why you'd want a dory.

Hi Bill,

To be perfectly honest, for some of us that have been doing this sport for
what seems like forever, there are only two kinds of whitewater-- utterly
terrifying (Class V) or banal (anything else). When you have two kids, my
sense of responsibility has sort of made me give up on the first. The
second I like to do in pleasant wilderness scenery, of which the Main and
Lower Salmon has plenty. Think of it as a backpacking trip with as much
warm beer as you can drink.

For aspiring Class III wannabes, both these rivers have lots of small rapids
to bobble through. For me, Class III has turned into about the same amount
of exercise and excitement as walking. So it's just where I choose to walk.

Every now and again, there is a great play wave, and I beat myself senseless
against that for a while. Long raft trips also offer interesting insights
into basic human tribalism. But that's another story.

Hope this helps!

Best,

Chuck