# Middle Fork Salmon River - Blowout Comparisons



## Matt Leidecker (May 6, 2009)

Hello Mtn Buzz,

I have been following the thread on the Middle Fork Salmon Blowouts and saw my Facebook report posted the other day. Thanks to whomever shared that. I wanted to share a few comparison photos I put together showing a before and after perspective of the Ramshorn blowout and the debris in Velvet Falls below the Spike Creek blowout. Additionally, you can access high resolution images of all three blowouts at the following online galleries:









082122 Middle Fork Blowouts







www.mattlphoto.com





Enjoy.

-Matt-


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## Matt Leidecker (May 6, 2009)

Some update map images as well... The blue overlay indicated water backed up behind the debris fans and the pink represents a new "re-graded" river bed with debris from the Spike Creek slide.


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## UseTheSpinMove (Nov 16, 2016)

Thanks for sharing! Fascinating


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## Matt Leidecker (May 6, 2009)

UseTheSpinMove said:


> Thanks for sharing! Fascinating


Sure thing. Its fascinating to watch the river evolve over the years. And now the Rogue is on fire...!


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## BenSlaughter (Jun 16, 2017)

I especially appreciate the river-view perspective of the Ramshorn Creek blowout.
The height of the fan is impressive! 
Would have been somethin else to have a front row seat to witness that happen!

I don't think it will take much water to clear most of that debris. But will be fun to watch it evolve!


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## duct tape (Aug 25, 2009)

Wow., looking at the Spike Ck blowout pics, the MFS below Velvet is going to run brown after every sprinkle for years to come!


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## Taku (Apr 7, 2016)

Thanks for posting. Things like this definitely keep the adventure potential high!


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## coult45 (May 14, 2020)

Thank you for posting these. I will post some when we get our pics compiled from the trip from boundary last week


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## sonofdad (Jul 21, 2015)

a buddy just forwarded this today - worth a watch. apologies if it's been posted already.

Middle Fork Salmon Hike - Boundary Creek to Velvet Falls to check out the Ramshorn Creek Blowout


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## silverspurs (7 mo ago)

sonofdad said:


> a buddy just forwarded this today - worth a watch. apologies if it's been posted already.
> 
> Middle Fork Salmon Hike - Boundary Creek to Velvet Falls to check out the Ramshorn Creek Blowout


this is excellent beta on the current situation... thanks for posting it and thanks to your buddy for the good work!... are you guys from the Boise area?


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## sonofdad (Jul 21, 2015)

silverspurs said:


> this is excellent beta on the current situation... thanks for posting it and thanks to your buddy for the good work!... are you guys from the Boise area?


thanks. my buddy is not the creator of this viddy, he just passed it along to me.


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

I know a local went in on Sunday to look at the possibility of removing the pack bridge from the river. Looks like the forest service would like to get that out and let nature take care of the rest.


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## silverspurs (7 mo ago)

codycleve said:


> I know a local went in on Sunday to look at the possibility of removing the pack bridge from the river. Looks like the forest service would like to get that out and let nature take care of the rest.


without getting into the whole "wilderness good or bad debate" I'm all for getting that bridge out of there before high water washes it down into Velvet falls. Obviously, it's going to be a major undertaking. Unless they temporarily suspend wilderness rules; they'll need chain saws, some type of excavater and a Heli to lift it out of there. If they just uncover it and then dismantel it, they won't need the heli. If they stay within the wilderness rules, this looks like a months work of handsawing, digging, winching and dismantling/reassembly? for a crew of 5 or 6 men... if it's even doable. It appears there is several ton of rock, mud and sand on top of the upstream end of the bridge. It will be interesting to follow what happens


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## Inoturtle (Feb 13, 2021)

Crazy thought upon reading this... 

What if they securely tied the bridge off to the bank? Then with the high water runoff it hopefully would shift to the bank and the rest of the log jam could float on unobstructed.


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## silverspurs (7 mo ago)

Inoturtle said:


> Crazy thought upon reading this...
> 
> What if they securely tied the bridge off to the bank? Then with the high water runoff it hopefully would shift to the bank and the rest of the log jam could float on unobstructed.


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## Dangerfield (May 28, 2021)

There might be a bit of log movement after the monsoons from the desert S.W. pushed into Idaho.


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## BenSlaughter (Jun 16, 2017)

That'll move some wood around!


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## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

Wishful thinking according to NWRFC.


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

It went the wrong direction. More blowouts.


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## Dangerfield (May 28, 2021)

Well, my premonition to bail out on my 17th permit was a good idea. My late June permit would probably have screwed me over also since I was going to use Wild River Shuttles at the height of their shenanigans. Looking forward to next year.


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## Taku (Apr 7, 2016)

Not unusual to use helicopters for moving bridges in and out of the wilderness. Being able to keep long bridge pieces together makes the entire job go faster. That being said, have had friends pack in stringers long enough that four mules were used to pack in one stringer. Tight trail turns were insteresting.


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## Dangerfield (May 28, 2021)

There had to be a bunch of hands on work to get the bridge piece/'s untangled from the log jam and then move up the bank which I assume would be river right since it is closer. The plan in the spring to get the pieces out might not involve a helicopter or the USFS could have done that sooner rather than later depending on weather. Makes sense to get the man made stuff out now rather than have it drift down in high water, break up and potentially cause future damage to boats.


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

Talked with they guy that removed the bridge last night. He said there was some saw work that had to be done and it came out fairly easy with cables and mechanical advantages. Where they camped at ramshorn was completely buried about 4 hours after they left... He hiked back up from trail flat after water turned. Said it added about another 5 feet of depth to the fan.


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## Jake D (Jul 7, 2009)

Yeesh, we got lucky. Launched 9/11 from Indian and took off 9/16. Saw three other groups and felt like we had the river to ourselves. It was a little off color and many spots had a layer of mud in slack water. Elk Bar was small compared to years past.

There is a new little store at Loon that sells a few things, hard ice cream included. The outfitter has done a lot of work to that property.


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## cain (Dec 28, 2011)

Any update and photo's of what the River and log jams looks like now? This thread has gone awfully quite.


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

It's kinda that time of year. Here is a picture of the bridge that Helfrich removed. Have not talked to anyone who has rafted it. However a coworker that is in to ultra running ran from boundary to the crags campground. He is not a rafter but said he ran through some camps on the top half so people are coming off the top. Sorry that isn't great info, but it's info.


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

Comparing picture here. From the picture I just posted to these 2 picture "not mine" they removed the bridge river right... you can see the same rock and log in all these pics. Looks like a solid channel there.


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## Jake D (Jul 7, 2009)

We were on last week and ran into two guys that had done it from the top. We flew into Indian. Felt like we had the river to ourselves.


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## runnerdoc (May 19, 2012)

Several groups have gone down from the top since the second blowout and would have expected someone to post and update but apparently not. A little late but just back from a Middle/Main trip with 6 of us launching from Boundary on Sept 18 in two small rafts and 3 pack packrafts. Found out about the second blowout just before we drove in to boundary. Rest of our group flew into Indian Creek. Doubtful our intel is going to help anyone with the Boundary road closure and thing are constantly changing but here’s what we found.....sorry no pics. Saw couple hardshell kayakers launch the day before us and couple Ik self-support same day but we were the biggest group we saw from the top and only rafts. 
Ramshorn had a new river wide log jam above the old one and required pushing through a bunch of floating logs to get to shore. Required a full carry around but solid footing on the gravel bar The original logjam which previously held the pack bridge had a clear channel on the right and the recently removed pack bridge was sitting on the bank on river right. We cut one log to make the launch a little less sketchy. Past that log jam there was another river wide log jam with no easy path for portage, we did some trimming and were able to push and line the rafts over but that log jam was quite unstable and ready to shift in a big way. 
Hell's half mile was unrecognizable with lots of wood piles but clear routes. The new blowout at Spike creek was impressive with a huge amount of gravel and a river wide log jam that required a full carry. Past the log jam there were several fast, narrow tortuous channels in the gravel lined with wood leading to a river wide log just above velvet. We levered that log a bit to lower it in the water, and the rafts ran that section, one raft slid over it the other opted to line over it after barely stopping along the gravel bar above it. The pack rafts all walked around 
Velvet was essentially gone, with small drop between two logs with plenty of room. 
We thought we were home free after that but there was one more river wide log jam around the corner from velvet which required one more short but difficult carry. That ended the problematic wood 
Took us all day but were happy to make it to Trail Flat and collapse in the hot spring. 
Also, happy to make it to Indian Creek and rendezvous with the rest of our group and get off our strict beer ration 
That’s all I know and will be really interested along with everyone else to see how everything moves come Spring. Assume Velvet will get scoured out and return to its previous glory but who knows.....


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