# Pistol Creek Rapid - Left or Right at low flow?



## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

I haven't seen that run available the last couple of years. Used to be tight and right and now it seems like you gotta play dodgeball with the fang. Not hard to miss just hold tight to the 'island'. Quite the pourover on the left side. 

Could have changed but it wasn't a particularly potent runoff this spring.


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## cmharris (Apr 30, 2013)

*Pistol*

I asked a guide at Boundary and he said they went right last year down to 1.4 (did it get down to 1.4?). So apparently that channel is open. I ran left and left of the fang next to the rocks because it worked out that way but right of the fang, bumping along next to the island, might be easier. I think you are good either way. 

If you run right, watch your right oar. It gets tight and is not the best place to pop an oar.


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

All guides are full of shit. Sometimes. Sounds like someone is trolling you to me. I looked last year at 1.45 ( no it didn't get lower ) and it wasn't in.


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## cmharris (Apr 30, 2013)

*Pistol*

Yep. That's probably the case. It may have been Boundary BS or a misunderstanding - who knows? I went left, despite his assurance that right is open, because I know from experience that left will work and get me down the river safe and sound.


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## oarframe (Jun 25, 2008)

It looked open (there was water flowing anyway) a few weeks ago at 1.67.... but I still went left. I have some video that shows some of it, but it might be hard to see exactly "how open" it really is. I wanted to stop and scout but was more interested in getting into camp and having a beer.


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## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

Riverwild said:


> Just wondering if that right channel is still open below 1.6'.


Went right Sept 2 with 1.59 on the gauge. Shallow but no hangups. Run soft tubes.


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

I talked to a bunch of people and the consensus was always go right at all levels... Don't commit too early though.. right before the island pull right... there is a nice little run, I was actually amazed as to how much there was. granted I was at 1.76 or so but there was a lots of water and a pretty good little channel...


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## shappattack (Jul 17, 2008)

We took the right cannel last year in mid-August at around 1.54 feet. It was open for us. We scouted it and found that you had to get right long before the island in the middle. If you went down toward the top of the gravel bar/island then there would be no way to get into the right channel without significant dragging. I suspect this area adjusts from year to year. My understanding is that after some of the bigger blow outs the right channel closed down at low flow for a few years and it has been scouring back out again in the last few years.

FYI - last summer/fall it did get below 1.45 during September (i.e. below 485 cfs) but not below 1.4 (449 cfs).


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## climbdenali (Apr 2, 2006)

Last year at around 1.5' with 18' commercially loaded boats IIRC 3 went right with little trouble- maybe 1 of them got stuck for a moment- and the other two wend left with no trouble. Left was quite a big drop, though, and I could definitely see things going badly there.

To go right you need to be committed to going right well above the island/cobble bar, but not all the way along the bank. It's a waiting move where you float past 2 good sized marker rocks, then cut right. It's shallow, and tight, but not too fast. If you go right too soon you'll have a tougher time. I'll see if I can find some video of this line.


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## jdpaddle (Feb 22, 2015)

Went right last week at1.6, stuck for a little bit but no prob.
The guide at Boundry was rite-on
You'll hurt ur boat on the left! To all 


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


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## Riverwild (Jun 19, 2015)

Thanks for the info. Seems like it's better to go for the right shot and possibly do a little dragging. I'm doing a solo trip so for me I'd rather not flirt with the possibility of snagging that fang rock on the left side and end up having to do a repair. I know it's eaten a lot of boat floors in the past.


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## paulster (May 27, 2011)

Good info, thanks. I'll report back with an update in 2 weeks. Years ago, a guide told me at Boundary that the line at Velvet had just changed, that the best line at 6 ft was dead center, even though it didn't look that way on the approach. I survived and wound up right side up, but that taught me to trust but verify.


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

paulster said:


> Good info, thanks. I'll report back with an update in 2 weeks. Years ago, a guide told me at Boundary that the line at Velvet had just changed, that the best line at 6 ft was dead center, even though it didn't look that way on the approach. I survived and wound up right side up, but that taught me to trust but verify.


You are not the first to be trolled by a commercial guide. That's what I thought the go right talk was. I will look hard but really didn't see it last year.


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## shappattack (Jul 17, 2008)

Plenty of water for us last mid-August at about 1.5 feet. Nick had some footage of himself running the right side channel from our trip last year. No problem, entrance into Pistol right side starts at 0:27 on the vid. It was actual August 18 (not Aug 15 as shown on the vid, we launched on Aug 16 and spent 2 nights upstream).
Uh...er...I mean its a total shit show at low flow, stay away, or fly in to Indian!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5D5EJZ90Xc


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## ob1coby (Jul 25, 2013)

Anyone with a video of Pistol in higher water? like around 4.5??


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