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Sneak on Pistol Creek..

5K views 28 replies 15 participants last post by  90Duck 
#1 ·
Hello everyone. I'm running the Middle Fork Salmon next week (8/2 launch). In a video I recently viewed on youtube, it stated the sneak on river right is closed on Pistol Creek. Is this true? Also, is the strainer still there between Sulpher Slide and Rams Horn? Thanks for any feedback.
Warren
 
#3 ·
Yes, the river right sneak will be closed, at least do to the lower water level, that cobble bar cuts it off as the water drops.
Watch out for the fuck you rock on river left, in the main line of pistol, I ran it close to the wall in early July, and it was just stating to come out, with the f you rock just off my right tube.
Not much for scouting hear, but Pistol always seems like a good one to go take a look at, if you don’t run it to often!

A specific strainer between sulphuric and Ramshorn does not stand out in my memory, but there might be one? Plenty of new wood in the river from this spring, all over the place, so head up as always!

Also, take a look at the post that somebody started about a boat slicer down by Mallard, a couple rafts got tore up.

Have fun up there man, mfs is awesome!!
 
#6 ·
This will be my 12th time down the M. Fk. I ran it last year and the sneak was open, but tight. I always look at Lake Creek and Pistol. Have several newbies on this trip so it's a must. Pistol is really the only one I do scout, the rest is read and run. There was a strainer on river right per the Salmon Challis Nat Forest website that ran from river right 3/4ths the way across. I'll have to remember that about Mallard. Will hopefully be running the Main again next year.
 
#8 ·
go left!

Shap will be along in a bit to tell you that you can station a person or two and swing boats into the right sneak at surprisingly low flows, 1.5' even.

But let me advocate for the left run for a moment. It is a thing of beauty to run. You just put your boat on the outside bend, the water does everything for you. A little gentle work to stay just off the bank. pull the bow back right as you line up to clear the fang. It's plenty big slot and the sweeps run it so get in there!

It will look too narrow from the scout. You'll debate whether you can pull right of the fang, and sometimes people do it ok. But don't fall for it!

Don't be half-assed in your committment to stay left. When things go wrong on the left line, it's because it looked good to pull right of the fang and someone made a last minute freelance decision to try to get right. This is an illusion, a siren song. Stay strong, stay left.

It's like a 3 stroke run, one of my favorite moves on the MF. Just how good it is will only become apparent from the boat, after it's too late to go anywhere else.

Go left!
 
#14 ·
Shap will be along in a bit to tell you that you can station a person or two and swing boats into the right sneak at surprisingly low flows, 1.5' even.

But let me advocate for the left run for a moment. It is a thing of beauty to run. You just put your boat on the outside bend, the water does everything for you. A little gentle work to stay just off the bank. pull the bow back right as you line up to clear the fang. It's plenty big slot and the sweeps run it so get in there!

It will look too narrow from the scout. You'll debate whether you can pull right of the fang, and sometimes people do it ok. But don't fall for it!

Don't be half-assed in your committment to stay left. When things go wrong on the left line, it's because it looked good to pull right of the fang and someone made a last minute freelance decision to try to get right. This is an illusion, a siren song. Stay strong, stay left.

It's like a 3 stroke run, one of my favorite moves on the MF. Just how good it is will only become apparent from the boat, after it's too late to go anywhere else.

Go left!
This is a great description, by the way. Makes me wish I had gone left last week instead of taking the "safety" line through the right channel cobble entrance! I'll have to re-think my strategy next time...
 
#11 ·
The rangers mentioned a tree down in the water on river right below sulphur slide. It is a tall skinny tree sticking out into the river. Most all branches appeared to be missing and there was plenty of space to the left of it. I think you would have to go out of your way to get near it.

As far as pistol goes - we ran left avoiding the rock in the center. It seems the gravel has shifted on the left a bit since I was up there 2 years ago. But the left side is the same. Cut it close to the wall and tuck your left oar. Easy
 
#13 ·
We were on the MF last week, launched at 2.3, and we could still make the sneak through the shallow gravel channel for the right side entrance to Pistol... thus completely missing the "fang" or whatever you want to call it (most of the names I have heard are not appropriate for me to type or maybe I'm too prudent)... for your launch next week, it is possible that the channel will be closed out -- but, it's possible that it could still squeak. We made it last week without getting hung up (with careful line choice between the riffles).

But, like others have said, it's not a bad idea to pull over and scout. I think it makes a lot of sense to pull over on the right side eddy just before Lake Creek and enjoy a little stroll to Pistol... it's a nice little trail and you get to look at Lake Creek anyhow. I have found that many people forget about Lake Creek... it's a significant feature, if you don't hit it right. We were able to sneak it on the left last week but that might not be in for you. Anyhow, take a walk down and see if the right sneak is still in at Pistol. I think people overestimate shallowness -- in other words, if there's a few inches of water, you can raft it! Just keep pushing forward and keep your tubes low and you can slarve over most round cobbles. And it beats tearing your floor open on the fang.

if you do run the main left hand channel and thus find yourself trying to avoid the fang, it's easier avoided to the left (against the cliff wall) than to the right, in my opinion, even though it looks tight.

That strainer by ramshorn that folks (and the USFS) have been mentioning is basically a non-issue. Saw it last week -- it's way over on the right side in a mellow straight section where you can see it coming... and you'll probably be drifting on the left side at that point anyhow.

Have fun!
 
#18 ·
Putting together a “left run” club, by the way, partly for myself, as a goal. Left line in: Crystal, upset, Lava, etc. all the left runs that are not necessarily the normal run, I need need to do them, who else is in? What other ones should be on the list?? Regardless of river or drainage.
 
#23 ·
Ok, Rainey and Bedrock would both be good ones, been looking at that left run in Bedrock a few times, I would actually like to give her a try it with the Culebra...
 
#25 ·
I've done the left line in Ladle. The entrance was super tricky and you shoot out into the large undercut boulder. In the middle we actually plugged the drop, the boat filled with water and the weight pulled us thru, the bottom was bony and we ping ponged out of it. I would recommend a boat smaller than 15'.


Left line in Double drop is something I've heard about but not done. There is a recent video on youtube of some guy going left, looks pretty wild. At 2:05 in this video.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl9SKIkwjjY
 
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