[eideho]

Attached are two photos, one showing someone's hard time on the Middle Fork last week. I haven't got the story yet, but this boat had a tough time. The ramp is at Corn Creek on the Main Salmon with flows hitting close to 40,000 cfs last week. Corn Creek is about 7 miles from the Middle Fork confluence.

The other is the large log blocking the takeout ramp at Cache Bar on the Main. This is the takeout for the Middle Fork. Several cars and trailers there parked for those on a current trip. They will have a surprise since the water is fast with few eddies not full of timber until you hit Corn Creek. The Forest Service says action is "pending" to remove the log.

 

[yetigonecrazy]

im not sure but i maaaay know the boaters who were on that trip. a good friend of mine said some of his buddies just got off a middle fork trip that turned epic on them, one boat was completely destroyed, the other was torn apart (could be that one?) and a bunch of them ended up having to hike out. and if the pics are not from their group, then that is two different groups that have had epics this year. gotta love flood waters on a wilderness run......

 

[Rich]

This does not look like a whitewater raft. If you blow up the side view, you can see the propeller on the back. Way too big to row on the MF.

Motorized traffic on the Main Salmon is very common. Did also notice the PBR still on the boat. Someone should move that out of the sun!

 

[pearen]

A lot more than two groups had epics on the MFS this year! Our party was on for this year's peak (7.3 ft) and we passed no less than six parties that were freaked out, hiking out, flying out, or out a boat. On the other hand, there are plenty of boaters that can't wait to see the MFS at 10 ft. I guess wilderness runs at peak snowmelt have very different effects of different people.

And, that log at Cache Bar looks strangely familiar

The lesson of our MFS trip was to always look upstream when pulling out of an eddy!

 

[Wadeinthewater]

This does not look like a whitewater raft. If you blow up the side view, you can see the propeller on the back. Way too big to row on the MF. Motorized traffic on the Main Salmon is very common.

Gotta agree with Rich. Why would you have the outboard mounted on a Middle Fork trip? The boat is too big to row on the MFK and has no rigging for sweeps. I do know that it is registered to some folks from Central Point, Oregon.

 

[Rich]

And, that log at Cache Bar looks strangely familiar
The lesson of our MFS trip was to always look upstream when pulling out of an eddy!

Would like to hear that story!

Also yetigonecrazy: let's hear your friends story.

If I can't make this year's high water, I would at least like to hear the stories.

 

[creedence]

Good luck with that!

The MF is a non-motorized river/wilderness area there is no way in hell the ranger at Boundary would even consider allowing that monstrosity to even launch.

Anyone who is interested in seeing the MF @ 10ft is not familiar with the MF, it's not a pretty sight! There are 2 kinds of BIG water MF boaters those that have flipped, and those that will!

 

[yetigonecrazy]

A lot more than two groups had epics on the MFS this year! Our party was on for this year's peak (7.3 ft) and we passed no less than six parties that were freaked out, hiking out, flying out, or out a boat. On the other hand, there are plenty of boaters that can't wait to see the MFS at 10 ft. I guess wilderness runs at peak snowmelt have very different effects of different people.

And, that log at Cache Bar looks strangely familiar

The lesson of our MFS trip was to always look upstream when pulling out of an eddy!

i did not mean to imply there was only two epics this year alone. i merely said it is the second one i have heard about myself.

i dont have the full story yet, i will talk to my buddy today and get the full scoop. all i know is they dropped in, their oar rig surfed really bad and actually sunk somewhere, and they were left with one boat and no gear so a bunch of them hiked out. again, i will get the full scoop today

 

[eideho]

This does not look like a whitewater raft. If you blow up the side view, you can see the propeller on the back. Way too big to row on the MF.

Motorized traffic on the Main Salmon is very common. Did also notice the PBR still on the boat. Someone should move that out of the sun!

No jet boat traffic below Corn Creek has been active this week due to high water- and no float boat w/motors allowed beyond Corn Creek through Frank Church Wilderness corridor. However, I have seen sweeps with motors out of the water on the MF and the Main for use in slack water downriver (NOT NEEDED THIS WEEK!!) beyond the wilderness boundary closer to Riggins. This looked like a sweep boat but I also did not see the rigging which could have gone the way of the pontoons. The sweep boats on the MF resemble this but I never saw the rigging (canvas and captain's chair) on one of those. It will be interesting on how this worked. Strains my imagination to think "oars" on this one.

There was some information from a neighbor who works at Corn Creek on some rescues for those hiking out - helio drops for survival gear and jet boats up the confluence to get gear floating down.

I will get the story for all when my neighbor returns from her training. Her boss runs the NF check in at Corn Creek.

I blew up the picture and there are oarlocks associated with the primary seat. A lot of boat for the oarsman!

 

[raftus]

The MF is a non-motorized river/wilderness area there is no way in hell the ranger at Boundary would even consider allowing that monstrosity to even launch.

Anyone who is interested in seeing the MF @ 10ft is not familiar with the MF, it's not a pretty sight! There are 2 kinds of BIG water MF boaters those that have flipped, and those that will!

There is no ranger at Boundary on the Middle Fork during the early season. The first, and often only, ranger you will see is at Indian Creek. So if someone got that boat down Marsh Creek there would be no one to say a thing about it until Indian Creek.

My friends that have run the Middle Fork at 9 ft say it was a blast with many holes washed out.

 

[lhowemt]

Anyone who is interested in seeing the MF @ 10ft is not familiar with the MF, it's not a pretty sight! There are 2 kinds of BIG water MF boaters those that have flipped, and those that will!

So what's wrong with flipping :wink:

 

[creedence]

So what's wrong with flipping :wink:

Nothings wrong with flipping it's all part of the game. It's getting you rig to shore (in one piece) thats the problem.

 

[pearen]

Anyone who is interested in seeing the MF @ 10ft is not familiar with the MF, it's not a pretty sight!

Alternatively, someone interested in seeing the MFS @ 10ft is extremely competent, knows the river well, has a high gnar threshold, and likes a little adventure. An appreciation of wood could also be beneficial...

 

[carvedog]

I enlarged the photo and couldn't see anything like oars mounts, sweep mounts or and outboard motor.

I know that anyone taking a rig like that on the MF during near peak week is asking for an ass whipping.

Not that I wouldn't be scared.....but I would love to see the Middle Fork at 10 feet. Maybe only need to do it once but WOW that would be a rush.

 

[creedence]

Alternatively, someone interested in seeing the MFS @ 10ft is extremely competent, knows the river well, has a high gnar threshold, and likes a little adventure. An appreciation of wood could also be beneficial...

True, but knowing the river well @ low to medium flow and knowing it at 10ft are 2 different things. i.e. Ski Jump, Murph's hole, Hells-half-mile easy at lower flows but boat eaters at 8+. Of course to achieve the gnar threshold and adventure you must put-in at Marsh creek finishing with a run down Dagger!

 

[GoodTimes]

Anyone know what the highest succesful run of Dagger was at??? I saw her (and rowed it) at 6.3........just wondering when it gets stupid.

 

[Snowhere]

I enlarged the photo and couldn't see anything like oars mounts, sweep mounts or and outboard motor.

In the first pic look at the back of the rig. You can see the motor sticking past the tail.

I think what some are thinking are oar mounts are just the rod holders. He has at least 2 per side on the rig.

I gotta give them some credit, those logs strapped to the boat to allow them to finish must have made the craft very unwieldy. Still they 'duct taped' everything together and went for it. Many might have given up and asked to be rescued. I guess with a big enough motor on the back it was doable.

 

[Matty]

I enlarged the photo and couldn't see anything like oars mounts, sweep mounts or and outboard motor.

If you look at the picture. Double click it and it will open in a new tab(at least with firefox) and Ctrl= will blow it up even more. The metal upright above what looks to be garden hose looks very much like a super beefy oar mount, as well as the regular oar mount pivot just below it. There also seems to be one directly across from it. Not saying they rowed it down the middle fork with that 25 horse engine on it, but it is rigged to be rowed.

 

[Rich]

So what's wrong with flipping :wink:

Spoken like a true Catwoman! Might as well sell the round boat, you might never use it again.


Blown up big, they look like rod holders, not oar locks.
I assumed the logs that are under it were rigged up to roll to on the ramp. They do not look like they are attached for floatation.

Would like to hear the story.

Would also like to see the MF at 10'. Not sure I would want to row it, but I would like to see it!

 

[mgpaddler]

Pretty sure I know that boat. The owners had just completed a MFS at average flows of 6.8 in a 15 foot raft. They had planned to pick up their Snout rig at Corn and continue to Whitebird. They did not take it down the MFS. It is possible a Log took them out while loading it down the ramp or they had problems just below and were towed back. At any rate, the couple is very experienced and I hope they are okay.