# Selway River --What can you tell me?



## coalcreekboater (Jul 22, 2009)

Hey there Mountain Buzzers,
My husband landed a permit for the Selway, a June 25th launch. Looks like the gauge is coming down. We are experienced boaters and rafters, but this is our first time on the Selway, and I'd love your insights.

If you had to compare this river to another run, Selway, Main, Grand, etc., what would you compare it to?

How bad were the fires in the Moose Creek section? 

What are some of your favorite camps?
Rapids?

How would you fill in the blank? If I were to do the Selway again, I would _____.

What other local insight can you share? 

-A


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## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

The Selway ain't nothing like the main or grand. Its more like the Lochsa. Tons of good camps. Every time I do the selway, all I think is that I should have spent less time on the water and more time in camps. I feel in the blank with, I wish I brought more beers. Also, Its a long ass haul into paradise. Long ass haul out to 3 rivers. The shuttle feels way longer than it is on mileage.


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## mrbaum (Feb 20, 2015)

If there’s a river that runs through heaven it’s the Selway. Yes agree with previous post, almost nothing like grand or desert rivers , similar to MFS but just an incredible trip, we liked laying over at Moose and hiking down seeing all the class 4s and then hiking up to the fire tower, you can’t go wrong. It’s a sweetheart run, if I could do it again, i would’ve fished up Moose creek ! Have a great trip!


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

I did do it again. Several times. And I brought a fly rod even though it was 'high water' it was crystal clear and the fishing was on. That was somewhere around 4.5 feet on the Paradise gauge. 

The boat fishing isn't awesome as you are moving too fast, but every time I busted it out when we stopped, I had fish on. 

The last time we did five nights, six days and it was awesome. Laid over at Tony Point which is just across from where Moose Creek comes in.


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## Panama Red (Feb 10, 2015)

Watch out for the suburban.


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## td (Apr 7, 2005)

At least one layover day, more if you can...


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## mkashzg (Aug 9, 2006)

On my first and only trip we did a layover at Moose Creek and you can fish or sit in Moose Creek or hike up to an old fire overlook which has amazing views of the Selway bitterroot wilderness area. Highly recommended!


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## cxfire (Jan 20, 2012)

Karen Kidd at Selway River Shuttles for shuttle. selwayshuttles.com Congrats on a great launch date. The airfield at Moose Creek is impressive as well.


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## kwagunt2001 (Jun 9, 2008)

*Fire tower hike beta*



mrbaum said:


> we liked laying over at Moose and hiking down seeing all the class 4s and then hiking up to the fire tower,


First time Selway boater and looking forward to this trip- been applying for over 20 years! 
We are interested in hiking to the fire lookout (I think it is Shissler?) and hoping for some beta on that.

Thanks!
MC


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## coalcreekboater (Jul 22, 2009)

We've been applying for 15 years. What's your launch date?


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## coalcreekboater (Jul 22, 2009)

Cool. We arranged our shuttle with Karen Kidd. I did some reading yesterday and didn't realize one could fly into Moose Creek just for fun! Sounds neat!


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## coalcreekboater (Jul 22, 2009)

Sounds good. We are hoping to layover there and hike down river to scout the "Juice."


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## coalcreekboater (Jul 22, 2009)

Good info! Glad to hear it's somewhat like the MFS! Some of the highwater videos have me a little amped up on adrenaline.


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## Vasevida (May 2, 2017)

Second the camp river left down from Toney Point Bridge. There is also a great beach camp down low on the left for a smaller group. California Bar maybe?
Dropping like a stone over there even with the cooler weather.


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## cowboy907 (May 3, 2017)

Here is my experience:

It was 2006, I pulled an early Selway, May 25ish. We were all experienced boaters, Grand, MFS, Lodore, blah, blah, blah. We organized the trip and had a good crew. Made it to Paradise where the gauge read 5 and 3/4 feet. We were young, mid/early 20's and thought we were the bees knees. Plus we drove from WYO and CO, we figured it will be rowdy, but no way it gets to much higher. We put in and off we went. At the first camp, I forget which one it was, we stuck a rather large stick in the river so we could measure the level. We watched as the stick disappeared under the water in a quick three hours. The next day, I believe was when the carnage began. We could not eddy out to scout rapids, we literally were wrapping our bowlines around the big trees and the boats would get whipped around and slam into the bank, and that was when we could catch an eddy. Someone from our party flipped in, I believe Green Eggs and Ham. They swam for a considerable distance. Once we collected ourselves we still had a full day of rapids. Once we made it to Moose Creek we were met by the forest volunteers, the were adamant that we should not continue. They said "we can't tell you not to go, but don't go". The knew who we were and informed us that we were the only ones who had put on in the last 3 days. At that point it was well over 7.5 feet and rising, it had been in the mid 80's for a couple days, and then rained for a day straight. We told them that we would hike down and look at the stuff. Once we looked at the stuff we decided that it was definitely not a good idea to make the trip. We began to portage all of our stuff, 6 fully loaded rafts up the trail to the Moose Creek runway. We began being airlifted out of the area. It took about 12 Cessna rides to finally get our stuff out of there. Before the last person left the Moose Creek Camp, (me), we buried a bottle of whiskey. 2013 we pulled another Selway permit this time river was a manageable, but still rowdy 4.5 feet. We found our bottle of whiskey and finished the trip. Selway is awesome and is definitely one of THE BEST trips out there. I would recommend a layover day, also rapids below the inner gorge, past Ladle are just as impressive if not more the the infamous ones. Have fun!


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

I only have one Selway float and at more normal water flow. I can only imagine how challenging Selway is at high flow.



We did the layover camp river left just below the bridge on river left. Awesome place to layover and relax.



Highly recommend doing the layover there and hiking down to do a good scout of dbl drop and ladle.


Beautiful river and the entire area is just awesome as well. My other recommendation is take a few days extra just to explore the area. Well worth it.


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## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

coalcreekboater said:


> If you had to compare this river to another run, Selway, Main, Grand, etc., what would you compare it to?


The Selway is like the Middle Fork Salmon on steroids.

If you plan to camp at Tony Point, you should stop at the bridge and check to see if the camp is open or the occupants are willing to share . As you can see by the comments above, it is a popular layover camp and there may not be a suitable camp downstream before you enter the "Moose Juice" section.


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## richjz (May 23, 2012)

Pulled an early June permit hoping for big water and Mother Nature never came through with the snowpack. 1.6 at Paradise when we launched. Lay over at Tony Point with a hike to the fire lookout. Fishing was great with multiple novices catching their first fish on a fly rod. Some hiked down to scout the Moose Juice. Two of us elected to take the duckies down and check them out from river level. Then hauled them up the trail and back to camp. I cannot imagine a better trip than the Selway. 

I would compare the Selway to the Lochsa but wilderness instead of highway. 

I would be sure to take a fly rod. 

Rapids and camps were excellently described in the RiverMaps guidebook. 

When I do it again we will take 7 days instead of 6 with a second layover. Why rush through Eden?


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## atg200 (Apr 24, 2007)

You can put in on White Cap Creek right from the boater camp and avoid the slide at the ramp. It is worth scouting it first though.

I think I saw more rattlesnakes on the Selway than on every other river trip i've ever done combined.

Goat Creek is the most fun rapid i've ever run. Slaloming around all those huge boulders is just magical.

Don't miss the take out! Looking at Selway Falls is really something.


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## kayakfreakus (Mar 3, 2006)

Stop at the camp above the bridge on river right, maybe Tony point bridge camp? It allows you to see if there is already a group laying over at Tony Point as all the recommendations have said. That is a sweet camp and with only one launch a day you at least have a shot to get it. If no one has been on the river before definitely take a look at as much as you can after the confluence.

We were higher water so spent our layover day hiking, scouting, and yelling !no bears! a lot in the bush was one of the more interesting "layover" days I have had. Hope so much to go back soon, that is an awesome place.


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

richjz said:


> Pulled an early June permit hoping for big water and Mother Nature never came through with the snowpack. 1.6 at Paradise when we launched. Lay over at Tony Point with a hike to the fire lookout. Fishing was great with multiple novices catching their first fish on a fly rod. Some hiked down to scout the Moose Juice. Two of us elected to take the duckies down and check them out from river level. Then hauled them up the trail and back to camp. I cannot imagine a better trip than the Selway.
> 
> I would compare the Selway to the Lochsa but wilderness instead of highway.
> 
> ...



When was this? I have run the Selway multiple times on 'low snowpack' years in May and early June and never seen it below 3.7.


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## HYSIDE64 (Nov 17, 2010)

Highly recommend Karen Kidd for the Shuttle. She and her crew saved my trip several years ago when my trailer broke almost in half 2 miles from Paradise on the way in. One of here drivers (Ed I think) managed to drive it back to Darby, weld it up and deliver it on time to the take out for a very reasonable $200 extra. Might not have been able to do the trip without her great service. 
Karen and her crew Rock!!


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## DoubleShadow (May 2, 2013)

If I were to do the Selway again, I would bring my brown pants. And come to think of it socks as well. And maybe shoes.


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## DoStep (Jun 26, 2012)

My one and only mid summer trip at about 2-2.5 ft was as pleasant and low stress as I could hope for. 

BUT: The biting black flies (no-seeum type) did their work and the itching and scratching of the lower leg during the entire ride back to CO and for a week after was severe and unfortunately the last memory I have of the trip. It was never a problem on the river, it set in right after we took out and stayed with us for a while. I've never had that issue elsewhere, but I tend to frequent the CO Plateau.

Almost all hikes were among significant and varied foliage, at river level anyway. I'm sure the biters were in the sand on the beaches for the most part. So lots of opportunity for rash inducing contact with nature.

So ya, I would reiterate that long pants and socks and real shoes and DEET will be appreciated. It is not anything like mosquito net/suit mandatory conditions at Sand Wash, it was something that just snuck up on us.


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## krehl24 (May 30, 2008)

I thought the permit asked for no lay overs at the tony point area because it is the most popular spot to camp.


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## richjz (May 23, 2012)

carvedog said:


> When was this? I have run the Selway multiple times on 'low snowpack' years in May and early June and never seen it below 3.7.



Sorry, I meant end of June. 


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

richjz said:


> Sorry, I meant end of June.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


No worries. Thanks for clarifying. I don't get on there but about every three or four years but I follow the flow quite a bit.


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## Conundrum (Aug 23, 2004)

The rapids are more challenging than MFS when the flows are higher. The fly fishing is awesome. Layover as much as time will allow. Karen Kidd is a bad ass. Watch your flows especially with temp fluctuation and rain. We've been told nothing about laying over or not laying over at Tony Point. The camp at the bridge is really nice too. Watch for lumber if the flows are fluctuating. Fish Moose Creek. On my next trip, I will make sure we have enough time to layover two days.


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## gmyers (Mar 31, 2010)

*Selway*

An amazing river it is. Plush, very technical, and extremely pristine. That should be a great time to go and hopefully above 900 ft. You're so lucky!


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