# MFS Indian Creek Flight Thoughts.



## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

We did this last year... but we took two days above indian creek... we camped at big bend the first night and dolly lake the second .. We had a friend of ours fly in our coolers on the night before our third day. but a morning flight that day shouldnt be a problem.. I think you would be happier with two days above boundary, but it is doable. 




Whetstone said:


> Our group launches 7/13 @ Boundary Creek. Expecting flows of about 1.6'. 6 boats 12 people. Mixed intermediate to advanced skills.
> I'm thinking of flying my wife (the weakest physical member) and several hundred pounds of gear into Indian Creek on the afternoon of the 14th. Gives me two days to get boats down and meet her with our heavy stuff.
> 
> What problems can you all find with this? Delays on the river, etc. . Anyone done this? How did it work out?
> ...


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## wshutt (Jun 20, 2013)

Some say that top piece is really slow work at those flows. As long as your wife knows you might be late and not to worry. She can fly in with all her necessary gear to hang for an extra night - the worse thing is saying you will be there at a certain time and not making it as then people worry like crazy. If you start out saying that you are AIMING for a time but make it clear that it could be the next day then a book, shade, comfy chair and bed for the night (plus all that beer in your coolers!) should be just the ticket! In fact it all sounds very peaceful & idyllic considering you will be working your butt off ping ponging off the rocks 

We just decided to fly gear in next week, not sure if we have yet decided to whether to get the drop day 3 or 4. Nervous and excited, only done the river at 41/2 feet so it will be a very different beast.


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

I would try and camp not far above indain creek your second night and have her fly in that next morning.. to me this would be about the most fool proof plan and wouldnt keep anyone waiting for long stretches.. dolly lake and big snag are nice camps that put you close and will fit your group size just fine..


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## Whetstone (May 17, 2013)

codycleve said:


> I would try and camp not far above indain creek your second night and have her fly in that next morning.. to me this would be about the most fool proof plan and wouldnt keep anyone waiting for long stretches.. dolly lake and big snag are nice camps that put you close and will fit your group size just fine..


Great thoughts. Im liking the two nights above Indian Creek idea. It would change a lot of the front end logistics though. Instead of the wife dropping us at Boundary crk and spending one day goofing around in Stanley before her flight, I would have to do a standard vehicle shuttle and she would drive to Stanley or Chalis with gear to catch her flight 48 hours later. Leaves a second vehicle to be recoverd on our drive back to Boise. 

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## paulster (May 27, 2011)

I think you are looking at this wrong. There are a lot worse things in life than to be sitting at Indian Cr with camping, fishing, and hiking gear and several hundred pounds of group food and beverage for an extra day. With it this warm, an early am flight is likely to be the most practical


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## Whetstone (May 17, 2013)

paulster said:


> I think you are looking at this wrong. There are a lot worse things in life than to be sitting at Indian Cr with camping, fishing, and hiking gear and several hundred pounds of group food and beverage for an extra day. With it this warm, an early am flight is likely to be the most practical


For me or you ,yes, thats perfect. For my wife a night alone at Indian Creek would be very stressful. She would be up all night worried sick. Silly perhaps but true.

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## fiya79 (Feb 9, 2010)

If the group has time fly her in the 15th. The first day can be a little rough for intermediates. Short mileage in the norm. The second day miles are easier but you could still manage to come up short if you have a repair. If she is the type that would be nervous about a night alone she would have fit over being alone unexpectedly while you wait for glue to dry upstream.

The planes have a STRONG preference for morning flights. The upper river is the best fishing and, to me, the most scenic. The lower canyon is easy to make miles. Indian to tappan has little to give a rafter pause and you can really blow through there if necessary.
Camas to big creek is another high mileage opportunity.

Launch by noon the 13th. make 10ish miles
on the 14th make it near indian creek or possibly to indian creek
Fly in morning of the 15th, re-rig, lunch on the beach. 
Float to Lost Oak and soak in sunflower hot spring that night. 
32 miles in 3 super fun days.
the next day go big and get to loon. 
that leaves abour 15 miles average the rest of the trip. Perfect.



For reference in 2012 I ran solo Camas creek to Cache bar at 1.6' in a loooong day to finish a 3 day low water fall trip. 15' cat with all required gear. If you can't make miles it is your own fault.


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## Whetstone (May 17, 2013)

fiya79 said:


> Launch by noon the 13th. make 10ish miles
> on the 14th make it near indian creek or possibly to indian creek
> Fly in morning of the 15th, re-rig, lunch on the beach.
> Float to Lost Oak and soak in sunflower hot spring that night.
> ...


This is exactly what Im thinking. GOOD PLAN. THANKS ALL.

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## cahatch52 (Jan 6, 2010)

We launched from Boundary at 1.7. We ran small boats. I was in an Aire Puma and my friends were in Mini Me's. It was really boney. Go light as possible. Plan on a lot of lifting and maybe a patch or two. Some commercial guides launched a deadhead to Indian the same day. Except for personal gear and a couple of meals they were totally empty. It's a beautiful river. Have fun.


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## wshutt (Jun 20, 2013)

Just wondering if there have been any issues with coolers/gear sitting at Stanley airport for a couple of days? Seems like bad bear bait. Or any place in town that will store stuff for us and get it out to the airport?


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## ron peck (Feb 27, 2015)

I'm in a similar situation, leaving July 11. For the people who have rigged "as light as possible" and flown stuff into Indian Creek.... Can you enlighten me as to what you left with and what you flew into Indian Creek?


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## Whetstone (May 17, 2013)

ron peck said:


> I'm in a similar situation, leaving July 11. For the people who have rigged "as light as possible" and flown stuff into Indian Creek.... Can you enlighten me as to what you left with and what you flew into Indian Creek?


The general idea is to go backpacker light from the top and fly in your coolers, dry boxs, heavy group gear. 

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## cahatch52 (Jan 6, 2010)

Flying the heavy gear from Stanley may not be the best option. Check out flying the gear from Chalis, Salmon or Pocatello before you decide. I am sure flying from the airlines home base would be cheaper than having them fly to Stanley to pick it up. I have never heard of any issues with folks having their gear sit at Indian Creek for a day or two. Send in a good tarp to cover it with.


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## wshutt (Jun 20, 2013)

cahatch52 said:


> Flying the heavy gear from Stanley may not be the best option. Check out flying the gear from Chalis, Salmon or Pocatello before you decide. I am sure flying from the airlines home base would be cheaper than having them fly to Stanley to pick it up. I have never heard of any issues with folks having their gear sit at Indian Creek for a day or two. Send in a good tarp to cover it with.


I understand they have a plane based in Stanley at the moment. Gear would be sitting at Stanley airport for a couple of days before being flown in.


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

Holding at 1.9 today. We did have a bit of rain but I don't think this will drop back to that 1.6 level after the rain bump settles down. I personally am pissed at muyself if I get stuck at 1.9 to 1.8. I have heard of others getting the ass whipping of their life at that level. But keep in mind 30+ trips at under 2 feet. I have been stuck on every rock possible to be stuck on, so I remember and try not to let it happen again. 

I would keep with your plan of flying in as much gear as you can. If wife is flying I would try to have her go with the gear on the morning of the 18th. 

Have you booked your flight? Which plane? I know some folks in Stanley who may be able to help with parts of this. The couple of times we sent gear in without a passenger we tarped it well with our name on it and had no problems. There is quite a bit of traffic at that airport and I have never heard of problems. Find out if the plane can backhaul anything for you and have it ready. But make it easy for them. 

Good luck.


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## Whetstone (May 17, 2013)

Carvedog, we put in on the 13th, wife n gear fly in on the 15th. I have her booked with SP Aviation (Andrew Patrick's co.). They are based in Boise but she is flying out of Stanley. She is bring some cargo with her and some folks are staging gear, marked with my name, at the airfield for her to put on the plane. All seems to be coming together nicely. I have also aquired a sat phone so delays of the flight or delays on the river can be relayed. 

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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

Whetstone said:


> Carvedog, we put in on the 13th, wife n gear fly in on the 15th. I have her booked with SP Aviation (Andrew Patrick's co.). They are based in Boise but she is flying out of Stanley. She is bring some cargo with her and some folks are staging gear, marked with my name, at the airfield for her to put on the plane. All seems to be coming together nicely. I have also aquired a sat phone so delays of the flight or delays on the river can be relayed.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G386T using Mountain Buzz mobile app


Oops. Sorry I got the dates wrong, sounds like you are on it. Once when my wife and kids flew in, we had a cooler of hard frozen food that we transferred ice and contents into two drybags for the flight in and then into empty coolers, because they could only fit one cooler in plane with four seats. Just a thought depending on how much you have going in.


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## Whetstone (May 17, 2013)

3-4 coolers, my wife (she tiny) and her personal gear. Maybe a rollup table.

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## dthurbs (Mar 11, 2010)

cahatch52 said:


> We launched from Boundary at 1.7. We ran small boats. I was in an Aire Puma and my friends were in Mini Me's. It was really boney.


This is the mistake most people make with low water Middle Fork trips. Smaller boats are not necessarily better. The reason people get stuck is shallow channels, not narrow channels. Pack light and fly coolers/people in, yes. But bring a 16' boat if you've got one and run it with low air pressure. It'll disperse the weight and draw less water. Then when you are stuck in one spot, you've still got the whole surface area of the raft grabbing the current.

Expect to hit rocks. Do so with intention and get yourself stuck in ways that'll be easy to get off. And for god's sake, don't row upstream!!!!! You want as much speed as you can get to slip and slide your way over stuff. Push *everything.*


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## Whetstone (May 17, 2013)

dthurbs said:


> Expect to hit rocks. Do so with intention and get yourself stuck in ways that'll be easy to get off. And for god's sake, don't row upstream!!!!! You want as much speed as you can get to slip and slide your way over stuff. Push *everything.*


All great advice. We are running a 16' and 2 ea. 14' rafts and 3 ea. 16ft cats. The cats are running ultra light. The rafts get the heavy stuff off a plane at Indian Creek. Should be a grand expedition. Push, push push. 


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## BlueTurf (Mar 9, 2013)

We leave for Boundary tomorrow and put in Thursday. The whole group is putting in on top with all gear. I know another group launching the same day and they have some starting on top and some flying in. 

Looks like it might cool off with a chance of rain through the weekend before heating back up next week. I'll take the rain bounce if we can get it. 

Stay safe out there and SYOTR.


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## Whetstone (May 17, 2013)

BlueTurf said:


> We leave for Boundary tomorrow and put in Thursday. The whole group is putting in on top with all gear. I know another group launching the same day and they have some starting on top and some flying in.
> 
> Looks like it might cool off with a chance of rain through the weekend before heating back up next week. I'll take the rain bounce if we can get it.
> 
> Stay safe out there and SYOTR.


Right on! It looks like a little rain bump over the next few days is a real possibility. Have a great float y'all 
Cheers

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## cahatch52 (Jan 6, 2010)

I have a launch the day after you. The 14th. I have run the M.F. at 1.6 before. Plan on doing it again. Many times. With giving deference to the poster that said that a bigger boats run soft would be the solution, I dis agree. Most rivers the person is correct. The upper M.F. Of the Salmon I have a different opinion. Go small.
Craig.
Would you like to join trips?


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## Whetstone (May 17, 2013)

Cahatch52, We'll syotr. I'm rowing a orange Maravia Diablo. Hope we bump into you and have a great float.

Cant join trips. Its not my permit. 

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## gmmccalden (Apr 23, 2013)

We're currently thinking of doing something similar to this. We have a launch date on the 26th of July. 3 rafts, 2 cats. 9 people and one dog. Thinking of having 4 coolers and all the beer we can fit flown into Indian creek on the 28th. Just debating if it's worth the price tag. Most of us are used to running low water but never run the mfs before. 

How reliable are the flight schedules with rain/wind? And how safe is your gear? Wouldn't want to show up at Indian Creek with no food for the next few days....or beer for that matter.


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## Whetstone (May 17, 2013)

gmmccalden said:


> We're currently thinking of doing something similar to this. We have a launch date on the 26th of July. 3 rafts, 2 cats. 9 people and one dog. Thinking of having 4 coolers and all the beer we can fit flown into Indian creek on the 28th. Just debating if it's worth the price tag. Most of us are used to running low water but never run the mfs before.
> 
> How reliable are the flight schedules with rain/wind? And how safe is your gear? Wouldn't want to show up at Indian Creek with no food for the next few days....or beer for that matter.


The flights are charter per load. They like to fly early morning when possible because weather builds in the afternoon. The Stanely airfield is busy and your gear is not attended but everyone is very good about keeping an eye on things and I've heard of no issues. If you want to pm me i will get back to you with more insights on how to make this work easiest. I am leaving to Boundary Creek this weekend and meeting a flight at Indian creek in a few days. We are using SP Aicraft
out of Boise for our flight support. 
Cheers

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## gmmccalden (Apr 23, 2013)

Anyone used Middle Fork Aviation before? Or have another recommendation?


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

gmmccalden said:


> Anyone used Middle Fork Aviation before? Or have another recommendation?


Great company. I have used them several times with no issues. 

But I haven't heard of anyone having issues with any air service now that I think about it.


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