# NORTHGATE RUN NORTH PLATTE RIVER



## hiloper (May 3, 2012)

*Tree Still in North Platte*

The sweeper described by kc was still in place Saturday afternoon (5/10/2014) with water levels around 2400 cfs.


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## rsmiller (Jun 28, 2004)

How was the rest of the run? Did you float below 6 mile?


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## hiloper (May 3, 2012)

rsmiller, we pulled out at six mile, the rapids from the tree down were fine, big water on this past Saturday.


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## rsmiller (Jun 28, 2004)

Going to be up there this weekend. Is the tree still in the river?


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## badkins (Oct 30, 2003)

As of yesterday @ 2700 the tree was still there.


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## Razz (Jun 29, 2011)

It is now flowing close to 6300 cfs. I have rafted it at all levels up to 5700 cfs and it gets huge. Has anyone been through there above 6K? We are planning on running it tomorrow and will post any beta on the strainer.


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## whitewater_fishin (Mar 28, 2012)

Strainer was still there at 3400 saturday. Full sized tree.


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## Schutzie (Feb 5, 2013)

Ran it once at 6000. 
Made it from the put in to 6 mile in 45 minutes. Windy Hole will be HUGE, I was rowing an 18' loaded cargo boat and was convinced I was going to go end over on the second wave. I do not know why I didn't. Hit it square and going for all you're worth.

You'll have about 20 minutes of fast water, lots of stuff popping up at you that can get you into trouble; pay attention!
Cowpie kind of washes out, but still has bite.
OFER (Narrows) will try to suck you into the wall, but you have to get close to it to avoid the shit in the middle.
Then the last rapid, the wave train, is your reward; assuming you are still right side up. Long wave train.

If you aren't fully comfortable in class V fast water, with continuous rowing and lots of hazards, stay off this weekend. If you flip you have a long, long swim out.

If you are comfortable in class V fast water, with continuous rowing and lots of hazards, think twice about it and have a rescue plan.


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## mcfarrel (Apr 1, 2006)

We ran on sunday... It was big. Got flipped at the end of teepee and rode on top of my flipped raft through stove pipe! those waves make for a wild ride


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## bill (Oct 13, 2003)

yesterday the tree had been pushed to the side and was still attached to the bank. there was a bit of wood moving down river. big and pushy be on your A game. at narrow falls at this water level you can run right and be no where close to the wall.


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## Schutzie (Feb 5, 2013)

bill said:


> yesterday the tree had been pushed to the side and was still attached to the bank. there was a bit of wood moving down river. big and pushy be on your A game. at narrow falls at this water level you can run right and be no where close to the wall.


Is the strainer running from the right bank most of the way across still there, or just covered?

When I ran it at 6K the strainer was still there, but it looked like you could go over it in a couple of places. I have a healthy fear of strainers, so decided I liked hitting the wall as a better option. I don't think anyone in our group went over it.

The rock next to the wall was completely covered, just a ripple and wave train that barely registered. The wave off the wall was maybe 3' high; I doubt you could actually hit the wall or ride up on it, that wave would just bury you.


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## bill (Oct 13, 2003)

i don't no of any strainers at narrow falls. and i have seen a raft get stuffed into the corner 5000.


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## Razz (Jun 29, 2011)

Thanks for the info, gotta respect that canyon especially at huge levels. That wave in Windy Gap is such an SOB! How were the river left holes in Tootsie Roll? Washed? Here is a great video of what it's like to hit the wall at 5k done by my friend Kev-O.

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


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## rsmiller (Jun 28, 2004)

Had a 13' cat get surfed this weekend in the last hole river left in Tootsie Roll. Broke the frame in 4 places, broken oar, and lost a paddle. 

There was a log river right at the very top of Narrow Falls, between the large river center rock and the right wall. But that was at 4k so it is likely gone now (?). Most of us hit it during the run on Sat as it was unavoidable.


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## skixc (May 16, 2009)

*Northgate at 6k+*

We joined another group from Encampment and ran Northgate on Monday. Waterdata showed 6180 as the flow that day. Windy hole was washing out, big but no hydraulic just waves. Cowpie was waves and very fast leading into Narrow Falls. We took the right side sneak and hit several crashing waves but bashed through. It was smaller than the standard run past the wall. Tootsie Roll had the big holes left of center to miss, they would be flippers for our 13 ft paddle raft. Stove pipe was big and we moved left at the bottom. The takeout still has good eddies to catch and the current there slows. Just back into the channel if you are moving too fast. The weather was as good as it gets for Northgate-sunny and little wind. We had a great strong group of paddlers so we moved where we needed to go. We had not run above 5k before. Have fun with the high water.


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## Razz (Jun 29, 2011)

Thank you for all the info. We ran it today around 5500 cfs and had a great time. Like others have said, Windy Gap was full of nice waves and no real threat of anything pulling a raft back in today. Cowpie was maneuverable and not to difficult to avoid the nasty spots (but there were some to avoid!)

Scouting Narrow falls it appeared that the "sneak" on the right was a no go. Today it was a drop into a nasty looking hole that looked like it would just work you into the worst of the rapid. We picked our lines and ran the traditional line near the wall. It was a great ride with no carnage, although it did look like a wrong move and you could get stuffed into the "thumb."

The strainer above Tootsie roll was pushed to the side and out of play. It looks like it would take a huge increase in flow to move it anywhere now, but anything can happen. The holes in Tootsie were out in force today with a pretty meaty one showing up on the right as well. The river wanted to pull our rafts to the two left of center holes and we had to fight away hard to avoid them. The bottom center left hole was hiding at the bottom of the wave train and could be a huge problem for anyone unsuspecting.

Stovepipe was fantastic, the holes at the bottom were washed and we punched down the center hitting the biggest waves we could find. 

Looks like its on the drop for now, it seems that this run gets some more bite in a lot of places between 3800cfs-5000cfs. It will be changing 

Here is a video from our Narrow Falls scout


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## bill (Oct 13, 2003)

the right hand sneak is there it looks a lot worse than it is.


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## rsmiller (Jun 28, 2004)

Ran at 5300cfs last Saturday. 

Windyhole is worth paying attention too... had 1 swimmer. Big water with many huge holes in Cowpie. Narrow falls was huge but was straight forward. The holes at the end of Tootsie Roll look awful and are keepers. 

Took out at prospect without problems. The river from 6mile to Prospect at this level keeps you on your toes with plenty to avoid.

No wood to report, although there are some sweepers in the upper canyon that may get washed down at some point.


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## Preston H. (Jun 25, 2008)

Any recent info on strainers? Running this weekend.


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