There might be some info for you in it:

The  nutshell answers to your questions follow. I'm more familiar with the Middle Fork than the Main, but if you're ready for the Middle Fork you're probably ready for the Main.
  
  
The Forest service send you a packet of information that covers the vital information that you need to know such as regulations, required equipment, things you need at the put-in, etc. Your put-on date is critical in determining the type of trip you're going to have. Before mid-May it will be a chilly weather low water trip. Once the runnoff starts in earnest you can have up to huge water peaking around Memorial Day or shortly thereafter. Levels up to 7 feet on the Middle Fork Lodge gauge are not unusual during the runnoff and I've seen (but not run) levels as high as 13 feet. I prefer to run the Middle Fork at level of between four and five feet, levels commonly seen in mid-June. Through July the levels usually fall to between 2 and 3 feet and are the classic Middle Fork levels.  
  
  
Shuttles have been in kind of an upheaval lately. The school bus company that our outfitter used has changed and I'm not sure which shuttle company he uses now. For private trips I've always self-shuttled using friends and relatives to deliver the vehicles. The take-out for the Middle Fork is at Cache Bar on the Main Salmon and the takeout for the Main Salmon is at Vinegar Creek or Carey Falls. The Main Salmon shuttle is problematic in that it is a very long ride, over 500 miles IIRC, and the river section is only 80 miles. For a high water Main run many people opt for a unique kind of shuttle that puts to rest once and for all the classic touron question "Are we going to end up where we started?" There are several jetboat companies that have grandfathered permits to operate on the Main Salmon and can shuttle you back to the put-in for the Main at Corn Creek. Usually they don't go all of the way to Vinegar Creek and you'll be picked up probably somewhere above MacKay Bar (say Mack-ee). The ride back up what you just ran down is a very cool experience, I've done it just once. Once the level falls below a certain point that the boats cannot negotiate Salmon Falls then the jetboat shuttle idea is no longer available. The costs for a jetboat shuttle run about $2400, which is about what you'll pay to have all of your vehicles shuttled for you to the take-out. For a 24 person party thats a reasonable 100 bucks each. Arctic Creek Lodge runs one of the jetboat shuttles and is the one we used:  
  
  
http://www.arcticcreeklodge.com/id1.html  
  
  
Raft and equipment rental can be had from Blackadar Boating and they can also help you with a shuttle if you want them to:  
  
  
http://blackadarboating.com/raftrentals.htm  
  
  
When the Middle Fork gets to 2 feet or beow you should consider flying in to a downstream landing strip. You'll miss the steepest and most alpine part of the run, but you won't be scraping and pinning on rocks so much after you pass Indian Creek. The Forest Service operates a landing strip there and the Indian Creek Guard Station is an alternate registration point for putting on and getting your campsite assignments. Camps on the Middle Fork are all assigned with every party drawing one hot spring campsite per trip. The Main Salmon campsites are first-come-first served. Charter companies that do fly-ins are McCall Air Taxi and Salmon Air:  
  
  
http://www.mccallaviation.com/  
  
  
http://www.salmonair.com/  
  
  
An alternative to flying in is to start at Boundary Creek with a minimum of gear in survival mode and have the bulk of your gear flown in to you at Indian Creek. the pilot will leave your gear at the runway for you. I've done this at Indian Creek and at Simplot Ranch. The cool thing at Simplot Ranch was that the rancher, for a small fee, loaded our gear up and delivered it right to the boat beach. That was when we had a split party, half started at Boundary Creek and the other half hiked down Loon Creek where we met up. We flew the hiker's kayaks, gear and food in.  
  
  
The Middle Fork and Main both are short enough if taken individually that DO cooking is not unreasonable, but for a combo trip where you turn the corner, unless you resupply and unload your trash then personally I'd prefer not to mess with it. It's time consuming and weight intensive, the ovens are heavy, the charcoal takes up a lot of room and you have to take the ashes with you. If you are taking the trips individually you could do DO's, but often what happens is that people get carried away trying to impress other's with their culinary skills and meals become an ordeal with extensive prep, long cooking times, a big mess to clean up, and lots of trash and leftovers. Here's my personal philosophy, for shorter trips, have at it, but for longer trips the priorities change and you should choose meals with an eye to minimal prep time and garbage, short cooking times, and minimal cleanup. Also my experience especially with Grand Canyon trips is to carefully gauge how much people will eat to minimize leftovers because they usually don't keep well enough to eat later and you have to take it out with you as garbage. Breakfasts can be an opportunity for a full meal, but consider this, the time you spend preparing, cooking and cleaning is time taken from your river day. There's nothing wrong with continental breakfasts on the river and my personal favorite is lox, bagel and cream cheese. Lunches should be easy to prepare and easily accessible. Cold cuts, packaged foods, for chips Pringles are easy to pack and convenient.  
  
  
My favorite campsites for a medium to large trip are: Joe Bump, Scout, Fire Island, Dolly Lake, Lake Creek (has a hot spring on the riverbank that does not count against your hot spring night), Pungo Creek, Marble Left, State Land Left, State Land Right, Hospital Bar, White Creek, Loon Creek, Johnny Walker, Funston, Survey Creek, Woolard Bar, Elk Bar, Cliffside, and Otter Bar. Loon Creek is my favorite hot spring camp.  
  
  
The good side hikes are, Pungo Mine Adits (White Goat Mine buildings burned two years ago so there's nothing to see there anymore), Marble Creek trail, Cameron Creek (rock art), lunch at Piney Flat and hike to the cabin about a mile downstream on the trail, Loon Creek (hot spring), Veil Cavern (waterfall and rock art), Nugget Creek (Parrot's Cabin, waterfall and grotto), Stottard Bar (best rock art gallery on the river).  
  
  
A private trip usually costs between $400 and $700 depending on number of participants, menu, shuttle, whether you fly in, etc., the least I've done it for was $95 with a self-shuttle.  
  
  
I hope you get your permit and have a good time. Let me know if I can answer anything else for you.  
  
  
Gordo