Northgate Canyon flow?

[FLOWTORCH]

In the interest of getting wet, anyone want to join myself and and a buddy for shuttle tomorrow? Were willing to take our chances with the icebridgeofdeath.

[Chip]

You're a kayaker?

[FLOWTORCH]

I've been called alot of things and yes kayaker is one of them. Care to join?

[Chip]

Just e-mailed a Northgate pal, who's the MedBow-Routt hydrologist, for current beta.

I've been studying that reach for several years and there are some wild ice jams and dams that build up early in the season (the air photos are amazing). Which I'd rather not try to drag my catboat over, in a wetsuit & Chacos.

Do you know if the road to Six Mile Gap is open? Some of the dirt roads over there are still drifted in.

[FLOWTORCH]

I doubt the roads open all the way, nothings ever open this early but I'm willing to take my chances. Or do some boat draggin. Ya do what ya gotta do.

[Chip]

For Northgate, two unknowns— ice jams? and driveable takeout road?— are one too many for me. The water's bloody cold and my cat doesn't drag all that well.

Since I love the run, I'll probably go over tomorrow and scout, but without knowing what's up I'm not ready to go for it (and even less ready to get sucked into a search and rescue).

[Jensjustduckie]

I'd wait a little longer, lots of snow this year. Tried to backpack to blue lake back in mid-June of '95 or '96 solo (well, with my husky) but about 1 mile into the Rawah Wilderness I started postholing through thigh deep snow. That sucked, and I was totally unprepared for snow camping so I hiked back out. All the water crossings were well over their banks and the torrent at the last bridge I saw before turning back was freaking scary.

[Chip]

mnpaddler just posted on the Forum, looking for someone to share a Northgate shuttle tomorrow (Tues).

Hope it works out.

[Chip]

Just got back from Northgate & Six Mile Gap. The North Platte is murky olive-green and ice-free, as far as I could tell.

Northgate road is open with a big-ass snowdrift on the concrete ramp: cool runnings for 'yakers.

Six Mile Gap road has a few mudholes and two snowdrifts, at the entrance to the FS campground and at the cattleguard between that and the river parking. I hiked in, but 4wd high-clearance vehicles have driven through both drifts.

Met a 'yaker there, and shuttled him back to Northgate— he's on the river now, so we can expect a report.

[freexbiker]

How hard is Northgate right now?? I'd like to get down there but definitely don't want to spend a lot of time in the water.