The rivers are raging with a lot of melting snowpack and warm temps, and that’s causing a boatload of problems. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River and one its tributaries, Marsh Creek, claimed another victim on Monday. They’re still looking for Matt Bartley’s body. This time it’s personal, because Matt Bartley was a friend to many in the Bitterroot Valley who also did carpentry work for me last year. I’ve heard from other friends in the Bitterroot that Matt was an excellent, if somewhat cavalier, boatman, with many trips on the Salmon, Selway, and the Grand Canyon to his credit. So it wasn’t a lack of experience that apparently has done him in.
I’ve seen several of these approach tributaries at high water, and wouldn’t go near one even if I was an expert boatman. Yet, Matt and 10 other people I know put everything at risk on Monday by putting into Marsh Creek knowing that water levels were rising fast. Looks like this time, not looking out for the “random event” factor has caused lots of people to suffer and cost Matt his life.
Update: It turns out that Matt Bartley wasn’t wearing a life vest when he drowned on Marsh Creek, the approach tributary to the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, as noted by several other people on the trip. Now why, tell us if you can Matt, why, would you do something so breathtakingly risky?
At high water no less?
