# Anyone run the Selway over 6'? 8'?



## raftus (Jul 20, 2005)

We are launching on Wednesday and right now the Selway is at about 8' and rising. Looking for beta. I have heard that above 6' (at paradise) that it gets fairly epic. Right now the forecast is for the river to peak a bit shy of 10' with a flow of about 35,000 cfs at Lowell. 

Correlation chart for Lowell flows to feet at Paradise: Water Conditions for River Runners


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## DonWP (Jun 17, 2004)

I know of a group of kayakers that ran the Selway at 9 feet in the late 70's or early 80's. Their trip was written up in a whitewater magazine afterwards. 
Epic would be an understatement! One of them had his skirt blown, swam in Ladle, lost his boat and had to hike out to the takeout, all the while the rest of his group thought he drowned.


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## ric (Apr 12, 2004)

*Selway survival run!*

Yep, ran two years in a row above 6ft, 11 yakers three rafts, ranger showed up to informs us of the risk but could not tell us not to go. Two other groups bailed, we did not. Trouble came in the first 6 miles, one wrapped raft in log jam and one eject oarsperson in another raft that got stuck on rock mid river. we had to draw straws to replace oarsperson's first nite in camp. Yakers had to get to camps ahead of rafts with readied throw lines to get them into camp, NO eddies.
Only river I can remember scouting that while standing on the bank looking out at entry the wave volume was over my head, very cool.
It still was a great trip, flood stage and still crystal clear water.absolutely beautiful forest. Don't swim!
make sure all trip peps are aware of what they are getting themselves into!
Have fun, it's an adventure for sure.

We had drownings both years in Ladle on trips behind us and in front of us!


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## tacobob (May 2, 2004)

ric said:


> Yep, ran two years in a row above 6ft, 11 yakers three rafts, ranger showed up to informs us of the risk but could not tell us not to go. Two other groups bailed, we did not. Trouble came in the first 6 miles, one wrapped raft in log jam and one eject oarsperson in another raft that got stuck on rock mid river. we had to draw straws to replace oarsperson's first nite in camp. Yakers had to get to camps ahead of rafts with readied throw lines to get them into camp, NO eddies.
> Only river I can remember scouting that while standing on the bank looking out at entry the wave volume was over my head, very cool.
> It still was a great trip, flood stage and still crystal clear water.absolutely beautiful forest. Don't swim!
> make sure all trip peps are aware of what they are getting themselves into!
> ...


Oh yes...the most carnage I had ever seen in such a short time...but that is why we will never forget that one! we came, we saw action, we laughed at camp, we would do it again...Bob


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

Hey Raftus,
I have run it at 6 and 6.5. I decided for me personally in a raft that my cut off would be around 20K out the bottom at Lowell. Could be higher in a lightly loaded cat. 

We had a good crew of kayakers on the 6.5 trip and had no problems at all. Eddy's were small and hard to catch. We had two cats, three round boats - all very experienced. We also had 11 very experienced yakkers. Several of whom I would call expedition caliber boaters - any conditions, anywhere, any level kind of thing. Made my mind rest easy. 

Have you looked at this?

Selway Snow-Stream Analysis | Idaho NRCS


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## bobw (Mar 13, 2007)

Howdy, I'm launching June 7 and would appreciate an update when you get off. Good luck, safe boating!


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## whip (Oct 23, 2003)

*Selway*

put on bout 5-7 yrs ago 6 1/2 ft went to 8 then 10 or 12. Huge water
laid up at Moose Creek. Water went up. 2 brotheres from Moscow came thru in empty cats in dry suits. Noone else launched. We cached walked out and flew back in 2 weeks later and finished the float. Our kayakers boated out but were glad we didin't try and run it. Dry suits with neo
and strong safety kayakers I'd say. My 14' self bailer was completely under water about 4-5' in Ham rapid. I'll never forget Holy Smokes biggest wave train of my life.


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## mania (Oct 21, 2003)

raftus - if you have to ask... stay home - but I know you can handle it. i think keith can take it too. wish i was going.


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## ric (Apr 12, 2004)

*selway survival run!*

So Bobby B, You picked up on that beta after all these years, and knew it was that trip(s)!!!!! Cool............should we share more detail?


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## willoughby (Mar 15, 2004)

we did it as a kayak self support around that level last spring. rafting seemed like a bad idea. real easy to pick up cancellations though. 
ladle has a couple boat-eaters, but the surprises are at double drop and little niagra was not so little. rig to flip and bring a dry suit.


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

next time i run the selway big i will make sure the crew is super solid and i will certainly perpare to lose rafts. (backup kitchen/wags/food)

it seems unreal, but lose rafts we did. camp sucked as the kitchen and groover were on lost rafts. sacraficial rocket took care of the groover but cooking out of cans on a fire with wet wood isnt fun when you are trying to get people warmed up.

below moose that water is so damn fast. once a boat gets away, if there is any delay, its gone.


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## tacobob (May 2, 2004)

ric said:


> So Bobby B, You picked up on that beta after all these years, and knew it was that trip(s)!!!!! Cool............should we share more detail?


I love the smell of fear in the morning......smells like....... an epic


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## sledhooligan (Mar 12, 2009)

My friend and his trip started at about 8 to 9. Water went up to 11 they tried to lay up for a fee days to see if it would go down. They finally desided to fly out. He has a self taken picture of himself at the putin and then one of himself right before getting on the plane. All I could think about was how similiar it was to the Lincoin befor the civil war photo and after the war photo. But his was over a 7 day period.


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## rafterbrooks (Nov 6, 2004)

Go for it. We need some cleansing of the gene pool.....


raftus said:


> We are launching on Wednesday and right now the Selway is at about 8' and rising. Looking for beta. I have heard that above 6' (at paradise) that it gets fairly epic. Right now the forecast is for the river to peak a bit shy of 10' with a flow of about 35,000 cfs at Lowell.
> 
> Correlation chart for Lowell flows to feet at Paradise: Water Conditions for River Runners


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## wayniac (Mar 31, 2007)

*selway*



raftus said:


> We are launching on Wednesday and right now the Selway is at about 8' and rising. Looking for beta. I have heard that above 6' (at paradise) that it gets fairly epic. Right now the forecast is for the river to peak a bit shy of 10' with a flow of about 35,000 cfs at Lowell.
> 
> Correlation chart for Lowell flows to feet at Paradise: Water Conditions for River Runners


I think Ric says it best here. Have done the run several times (pre-season 3-4+ feet) but nothing near this level, I can't imagine what the moose juice section would look like at that level. Some rivers wash out at very high levels, but this one has features that would just get bigger I would think. It will definitely tax your boating ability, but having run with you, I know you will want to give it a shot. My only suggestion I guess is don't be afraid to load the raft heavy. My favorite thing to say on the Selway as we launch from Paradise is "I'll take your gear- I could use the weight". And by the 2nd day of the trip- people are trying to get their gear off my boat. This might be about as serious as a multi-day trip gets in the lower 48. Plan to do lunch at the confluence of Moose and Selway on river right, then take the path over the bridge up to double drop rapid to at least have a look at what you are in for before starting that section. Take the time for a few pics and trip report for sure.
Good Luck
wayne


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## oopsiflipped (May 9, 2006)

whip said:


> 2 brotheres from Moscow came thru in empty cats in dry suits. Noone else launched.


Haha, that was the Sparks brothers yo! They used to see who could get the most flips on dirty 30 runs on the lochsa and that was probably around the time Galen soloed the Secesh into the SF Canyon at 6'+ at the Krassel gauge


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## dprinmt (Apr 1, 2008)

*selway*



bobw said:


> Howdy, I'm launching June 7 and would appreciate an update when you get off. Good luck, safe boating!


 are you still going the 7th?


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## team_eightyfive (Jun 5, 2009)

we put on at 7.8 on the paradise guage on june 1st 2009, last week. definately the most insane trip ever. make sure you are careful. I was rowing an old rougue inflateable with a newer self bailing floor. it was very heavy and I am sure that having such a heavy raft with five passengers, two with paddles, is what saved us. I cant imagine flipping below moose creek and if you lose your boat you can pick it up below the falls. we couldn't even stop at moose creek it was moving so fast. the only flipover we had was in wolf creek due to low air in one of our rafts,(we lost our pump in ladle). Ham swallowed that raft like a fat kid eating a penny candy. double drop through puzzle creek, in my opinion was all class five. a lighter boat would have probably double flipped in some of the holes we went into. we were with a 15' bucket boat achilles that was over flowing with water from ham through puzzle creek. They had to run double drop, ladel, little niagra and puzzle creek blind, my crew barely got us tied off above ladel to scout. lots of fun, my adrenaline glands were sucked dry. had two people get away from the boat and were saved with throw bags, two others were sucked out of the back of the boat from water sucking the ass end of the boat under in ladel but got back in. some freaky shit, not sure if I would do it again, probably would, it was a blast


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## team_eightyfive (Jun 5, 2009)

if anyone finds a six inch barrel carlson pump somewhere below little niagra, hit me up [email protected]


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## team_eightyfive (Jun 5, 2009)

we put on at 7.8 on the paradise guage on june 1st 2009, last week. definately the most insane trip ever. make sure you are careful. I was rowing an old rougue inflateable with a newer self bailing floor. it was very heavy and I am sure that having such a heavy raft with five passengers, two with paddles, is what saved us. I cant imagine flipping below moose creek and if you lose your boat you can pick it up below the falls. we couldn't even stop at moose creek it was moving so fast. the only flipover we had was in wolf creek due to low air in one of our rafts,(we lost our pump in ladle). Ham swallowed that raft like a fat kid eating a penny candy. double drop through puzzle creek, in my opinion was all class five. a lighter boat would have probably double flipped in some of the holes we went into. we were with a 15' bucket boat achilles that was over flowing with water from ham through puzzle creek. They had to run double drop, ladel, little niagra and puzzle creek blind, my crew barely got us tied off above ladel to scout. lots of fun, my adrenaline glands were sucked dry. had two people get away from the boat and were saved with throw bags, two others were sucked out of the back of the boat from water sucking the ass end of the boat under in ladel but got back in. some freaky shit, not sure if I would do it again, probably would, it was a blast


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## raftus (Jul 20, 2005)

team_eightyfive - thanks for the trip report. Sounds epic. 

We bailed out and ran the Lochsa, Alberton Gorge on the Clark Fork, From Green Bridge to Storm Castle on the Gallitin, something on the Boulder - from a foot bridge below hells canyon to maybe chippy park campground?, Beartrap Canyon on the Madison and the the Snake's Alpine canyon instead. Your report kinda makes me wish we had headed to the Selway. But we had a great trip regardless.


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## wayniac (Mar 31, 2007)

team_eightyfive said:


> we put on at 7.8 on the paradise guage on june 1st 2009, last week. definately the most insane trip ever. make sure you are careful. I was rowing an old rougue inflateable with a newer self bailing floor. it was very heavy and I am sure that having such a heavy raft with five passengers, two with paddles, is what saved us. I cant imagine flipping below moose creek and if you lose your boat you can pick it up below the falls. we couldn't even stop at moose creek it was moving so fast. the only flipover we had was in wolf creek due to low air in one of our rafts,(we lost our pump in ladle). Ham swallowed that raft like a fat kid eating a penny candy. double drop through puzzle creek, in my opinion was all class five. a lighter boat would have probably double flipped in some of the holes we went into. we were with a 15' bucket boat achilles that was over flowing with water from ham through puzzle creek. They had to run double drop, ladel, little niagra and puzzle creek blind, my crew barely got us tied off above ladel to scout. lots of fun, my adrenaline glands were sucked dry. had two people get away from the boat and were saved with throw bags, two others were sucked out of the back of the boat from water sucking the ass end of the boat under in ladel but got back in. some freaky shit, not sure if I would do it again, probably would, it was a blast


Great story-
Glad you and your crew are OK. Could be the definition of what a true multiday class 5 wilderness experience is all about. I know a few boaters who have run this section in the past couple of decades at these levels- some by mistake- and the stories are all the same. But there are always going to be boaters who will want to test these levels. It's great when they make it out. 
wayne


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## MT_Dweller (Dec 17, 2007)

raftus said:


> team_eightyfive - thanks for the trip report. Sounds epic.
> 
> We bailed out and ran the Lochsa, Alberton Gorge on the Clark Fork, From Green Bridge to Storm Castle on the Gallitin, something on the Boulder - from a foot bridge below hells canyon to maybe chippy park campground?, Beartrap Canyon on the Madison and the the Snake's Alpine canyon instead. Your report kinda makes me wish we had headed to the Selway. But we had a great trip regardless.


Raftus, 

You mentioned that you ran the Bible Stretch of the Boulder (foot bridge to Chippy Park)...How was this I have been eyeing to do this for some time, but do not know anyone who has run this. Surf MT rates it as a 3, but when I have driven up the Boulder to check it out, it looks a tad harder. If you have any pics of the run or could provide any beta I would be much appreciative. 

-Ian


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