The Great Groover Mix-Up

On remote wilderness rivers like the Salmon, Leave No Trace is not optional. We are required to pack in and pack out everything, including human waste, to preserve the pristine sandy beaches and camps that make these trips so special.

To do this, we use a fully enclosed, sanitary river toilet system known as the groover. We always include a privacy tent, and while privacy is guaranteed, the scenery is hard to beat.

Years ago, on a multi-day trip, the lead guide set up camp and placed the groover a good distance away. It was tucked into a quiet, secluded spot with plenty of privacy, exactly how it should be.

Throughout the evening, people at camp kept asking where the groover was. One by one, they headed off in that direction and returned a short time later. Everything seemed normal.

The next morning, the lead guide walked out to break it down and carry it back to camp.

It was completely unused.

Concern set in quickly. Regulations. Forest Service expectations. The thought that a group might have ignored the system entirely was not a good one. Carrying the empty groover back, the guide confronted the group.

That is when people started speaking up.

Yes, they had used the groover. Multiple people. The same one. Everyone was certain.

The confusion finally made sense when the guide realized they had camped only a few hundred yards upstream from another popular campsite. That group had likely placed their groover upriver from their camp.

Throughout the evening, people had unknowingly wandered downriver and used the other camp’s system. Somehow, no one from either camp crossed paths and no one questioned it.

The trip pushed off shortly after.

To this day, we still wonder what the other guides thought when they picked up their unusually heavy groover and started asking questions.

View Rafting Trips

We’ve also been getting a lot of questions lately about trip planning for youth groups.

Some groups are reevaluating how far they travel for summer activities. We’ve put together a clear breakdown of river options and planning approaches that continue to work well for youth groups.

Read the full guide here:

→ Youth Rafting Trips and Travel Times: What to Know