Looking for fellow Bozeman/Gardiner/SW MT boaters

[MT4Runner]

Going the "discretion is the better part of valor" route and skipping the Madison this year.

What's the thought on Gallatin flows for this weekend vs. next?
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Great Falls: Gallatin River near Gallatin Gateway
Should be above 2,000cfs this weekend.
1,500cfs or so next weekend. Too low? Good?
I'd like to find some good III-III+ rafting water for my girls, or mellow II water for kayaking with them.

Shawn

[lhowemt]

Wait, you just had your kids on the lochsa? Beartrap at summer flows isn't any worse, wait until it drops to 1600 as long as they walk the sink. Scout whitehorse and the sink. As i've said the sink walk is easy, and there's got to be a rr walk around whitehorse also? Scout is rl on wh.

[MT4Runner]

Kids were just on the Lochsa from Wilderness Gateway to Fish Creek last weekend at 12k. My youngest got flipped in her little kayak and took a swim in the wavetrain on river left below C-loop and did well. She took it in stride and was more upset that she lost her paddle than that she swam, and wasn't really afraid.

I finally got my wife in the raft on the Lower this weekend at 9,000cfs. We had a clean run, and that was still plenty for her.

I'm not ready, though, to chance a swim in anything bigger yet. I don't want to push it and have any of them afraid of whitewater. The girls are young and we have years and years ahead of us.

[glenn]

Gallatin flows should be good. Probably won't get back above 3K but you never know. It keeps getting cold and refreshing the snow pack. If the temps get really warm you could see a peak. 3K or maybe 3.5 is the commercial cutoff for below the bridge. It's still completely runnable but mistakes are easier to make and more consequential in terms of how far downstream you are traveling.

If you wait you could hit the sweet spot where Beartrap is at summer flows or almost summer flows (1500-2200) and the Gallatin is at manageable and fun flows as well (1200-2500). With a portage of kitchen sink Beartrap is definitely an easier run than the lower lochsa at 12K, but it has rocks so almost by default it is more technical.

Also if you wait until the water is actually gone and then come to do beatrap I would be happy to show you down. It's hard for me to get in there when I know it's always got water and the other goods don't.

[MT4Runner]

Originally Posted by glenn

Gallatin flows should be good. Probably won't get back above 3K but you never know. It keeps getting cold and refreshing the snow pack. If the temps get really warm you could see a peak. 3K or maybe 3.5 is the commercial cutoff for below the bridge. It's still completely runnable but mistakes are easier to make and more consequential in terms of how far downstream you are traveling.

Looks like it got close yesterday, but is forecast to drop quickly by Saturday:
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Great Falls: Gallatin River near Gallatin Gateway

We're probably going to hit the Yellowstone on Sunday:
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Billings: Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs