# North Fork Payette at 8000cfs pics..



## Mike Reid (Jun 4, 2009)

A group of 7 extreme kayakers did a top to bottom on the North Fork at 8000cfs last week. I followed them all the way top to bottom, with a portage at the monster that is Jacobs Ladder at 8000cfs.
The North Fork is a challenging river at normal summer flows of 1800cfs, at 8000cfs is is a grinding 15 mile long monster.
Here is the gallery link:
North Fork of the Payette, Top to Bottom at 8000 CFS. Extreme Whitewater Kayaking Free Gallery - All Outdoor Photography, Boise Wedding and Outdoor Portrait Photographer


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## CGM (Jun 18, 2004)

Thanks for sharing the pic's, and huge props to all those that are firing up the NF at these historic levels! Definitely the next level of possibility and awe inspiring!
Any pics from golf course, jaws, etc?


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## Mike Reid (Jun 4, 2009)

Thanks.
There are couple pics in there of Jakes with the guys portaging out at the top of the shot.
I am really glad nobody decided to run it, anybody would be taking their life in their hands to do it.
Tristan McClaren did successfully run it at 8000 a couple days earlier but I was not there.


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## bobbuilds (May 12, 2007)

are you sure? this looks like justin on the filter plant run last sunday.

nice photos!!!


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## Fluid Dreams (Jan 9, 2007)

Yeah Tristan! Wicked pictures at those flows... props to the paddlers.


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## phlyingfish (Nov 15, 2006)

Yeah, things have been pretty splashy on the Upper Upper Main Payette. 

http://www.vimeo.com/12563837

There's a zoomed out shot of Tristan in Golfcourse in that link. What you can't see is the giant river-wide breaking feature at the end of the rapid; I had doubts about punching it if I was fresh and at the top of a rapid. The boys running Jake's were punching it after running about a mile of what I would call "quality class VI."


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## Shitouta (Apr 17, 2008)

Jake's at 8,000? Sounds a little loose...


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## Ken Vanatta (May 29, 2004)

Y'ow! NFP at 1800 is big and one of the very best runs anywhere. 8000 looks awesome. I look forward to seeing go-pro footy of it. Huge props to the crew. 

Cheers!


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

How long did the runs take? Half an hour? Again, wow.


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## d.e. (Apr 5, 2005)

WildWater North Fork Payette Teaser on Vimeo


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## rg5hole (May 24, 2007)

I stood on the banks of the NF Payette at flood and literally though seriously about quitting boating. Because in my mind "if this is what I have to aspire to as a boater then I am done, this is bullshit", only to tell one of my friends of the roadside terror I saw. He said, oh shit, nobody runs that this high, it is a good run at around 1600, but never this high.

So you guys fired it up huh. Ohh well, size 10 climbing shoes for me I guess, you fuckers!

In other news congratulations, I am sure that was a thrill of a lifetime that will be hard to compare/follow. Ohh, and by the way the video looks like, and the thought ran through my mind that everything flushes...you would be foolish to think so, that river literally shook the ground I stood on next to it. Unbelievable, good on you all, making the impossible possible-that is quite a feat!


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## Mike Reid (Jun 4, 2009)

lhowemt said:


> How long did the runs take? Half an hour? Again, wow.


Top to bottom at this flow takes about 3 hours.
Pretty much continuous class V or better the whole way except for two short sections in the middle. Pretty much a 15 mile long rapid.


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## -k- (Jul 15, 2005)

Are there any narrative descriptions or quotes from the paddlers from this run. I love reading this kind of feedback from the paddlers perspective: amazing, unreal, jump in an hold on, scary as hell, never again etc. ?


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## st2eelpot (Apr 15, 2008)

That looks awesome! I've run it before around 1500cfs and just laugh looking at this.

I love how fast the guard rail & trees are flying by during the road-side filming. Incredible. 
Way to go guys!


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## Canada (Oct 24, 2006)

*Wow*

Every year I am more amazed by what people are doing. And I thought barrel at high water was awesome. Seems like you couldn't even read the water with how it haystacking and breaking in that video. Simply awesome!


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## ActionJackson (Apr 6, 2005)

-k- said:


> Are there any narrative descriptions or quotes from the paddlers from this run. I love reading this kind of feedback from the paddlers perspective: amazing, unreal, jump in an hold on, scary as hell, never again etc. ?


Not the same crew, but check out this write-up of an epic high-water NF run a few years ago: A Reminder


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## phlyingfish (Nov 15, 2006)

I've only been running the Lower 5, which is huge but pretty low stress compared to the Upper and Middle. Juicer contained the one of the biggest waves I have ever run (the one that gives up the huge rocket move in the video). I didn't step to the upper stuff because I know I'm not in good enough shape to handle a beating at the top of a rapid and make it through without swimming. The Lower had enough lulls to allow a paddler to recover before the next major feature. The middle 5 was one continuous major feature.

While there is little in the way of terminal holes, the danger comes from the fact that you can't really stop once you put on. An imploded skirt or broken paddle would leave you helpless in the middle of a big, fast, cold river full of exploding features, unpredictable boils, and hidden rocks. Even if you manage to keep your head above water in a swim, good luck getting out. The flow naturally funnels into the middle and the shore is a pile of jagged boulders with water going by at a high rate of speed. Also, several people reported hitting rocks in or after big features, which means you don't really want to be upside down either. That's all to say that small problems can spiral out of control really fast and recovery can be extremely difficult.

Bottom line: the North Fork at high flow is an amazing section of water that will totally challenge the very best paddlers in the world. We're lucky that someone decided to build a road next to it because few would consider running it if it was remote.


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## GAtoCSU (Apr 18, 2005)

Were they using implosion straps? I would be so scared that I would get a skirt implosion at that level.


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## upshitscreek (Oct 21, 2007)

that video was amazing, d.e. . thanks.


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## festivus (Apr 22, 2006)

I am with 5hole. Break out the fishing gear.

I thought the stuff we were doing 20 years ago was crazy. The stuff you fools are doing now makes our feats of strength look silly.

Fortunately I am old enough to be content watching from the sidelines.


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## mttodd (Jan 29, 2009)

Beautiful, stunning video with exceptional quality. Big props to the brave ones who ran it. Any pics/vids of inflatable carnage? (not necessarily at this level, but it would be awesome)


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## SummitAP (Jun 23, 2007)

My mind is blown. That was incredible. You all rule. Pure awesome.


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

Mike Reid said:


> Top to bottom at this flow takes about 3 hours.


I didn't make it over there this year. The year I trained with Cascade we had flows up to 6K and I photographed mainly along the lower 5. It seems like they were running that stretch in 30 minutes or less. Granted they were only eddying out once or twice and not so much surfing but those guys were flying at that flow. 


Am I getting old and senile or missing something here?


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## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

thats what i was thinking... 15 miles easily in 1 hour


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## JDX843 (Apr 21, 2006)

Really sweet pics, props on a good run! There are some cover shots in there for sure!


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## Mike Reid (Jun 4, 2009)

They don't just blast the whole thing, they eddy out and rest here and there and sometimes take out for a little bit. Usually takes 3 to 4 hours top to bottom.
Yeah at these flows, blasting top to bottom would be much faster than that.


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## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

that sounds bout right.. good thing im sure id need a beer or 2 dring the epic. remember we talked about what was epic well this is it.


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

mttodd said:


> Beautiful, stunning video with exceptional quality. Big props to the brave ones who ran it. Any pics/vids of inflatable carnage? (not necessarily at this level, but it would be awesome)


I believe the cats stuck to the SFP that weekend, also record flows. I believe one of those guys is a Buzzard, I'll let him link to his video if he wants. The NF looks pretty much unrunnable by cats. Well, the cat could run it, but the cat-boater would probably die when they swam.


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## Mike Reid (Jun 4, 2009)

mttodd said:


> Beautiful, stunning video with exceptional quality. Big props to the brave ones who ran it. Any pics/vids of inflatable carnage? (not necessarily at this level, but it would be awesome)


Here is a gallery of cats running the North Fork last year at 1800cfs.
Shelly Becker and Ted Day are in the group.
Not much for carnage but lots of action.
Catarafting North Fork of the Payette River in Idaho, photos by Mike Reid, Idaho Whitewater. (FREE GALLERY right click and copy) - All Outdoor Photography, Boise Wedding and Outdoor Portrait Photographer


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## schrekenboof (Jun 3, 2010)

Last summer we were out there in the creature crafts rocking the 2050 flow we had. I got worked in nutcracker for 45 seconds with 4 1/2 barrel rolls ripped my facemask off my shredready full face but still had a blast. They also had a 2 minute hole ride on oceanic and ripped right thru jacobs ladder no problems here is some footage from that trip
NF Payette Creature Craft Fun on Vimeo
and here is the hole ride 
YouTube - North fork Payette River July '09 - Creature Craft in Oceanic Wave / Jacob's Ladder Rapid


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## Afogel (Feb 16, 2008)

*Props*

I'm the filmmaker who did the video on vimeo, part of our upcoming film WildWater, a Love Story. 

Just want to point out that Tristan McClaren and James Byrd DID run the incomprehensible piece of whitewat that is Jacob's Ladder/Gold Course at 8K, Tristan we filmed running it. I have filmed whitewater all over and seen a lot. But nothing compared to that - I stood there with Doug Ammons and the North Fork crew (who were walking it) - and almost could not believe it. 1 solid MILE of non stop, class 5+ (6?) power and chaos. There is one shot of tristan in it in the teaser - looking from above (the only place you can see it all) where the bell rings in the video. 

These guys deserve recognition for in my mind, and many others, one of the most significant runs in history. James' was clean, Tristan was upside down once. 

Top to bottom would not take 3 hours at that level, we filmed as they ran, and it was much faster. 

That crew is also super humble, helpful, positive, kind and deserves recognition for that as much as their athleticism.


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

Afogel said:


> I'm the filmmaker who did the video on vimeo, part of our upcoming film WildWater, a Love Story.


fkna man. props to you for some fine, fine filmwork. must have been amazing to see in person. 

good on you for giving the athletes the credit they so deserve.


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