# Middle Fork Salmon - Raft or Kayak?



## BarryDingle (Mar 13, 2008)

Hey asshole,is Dirk carrying your share of the gear if you yak it?


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## yakrafter (Aug 7, 2006)

*Take the blue pill.*



BarryDingle said:


> Hey asshole,is Dirk carrying your share of the gear if you yak it?


Hey Dinglebreath,

I assumed Dan was rowing all the gear and injured participants down?


.... Yeah dude, I was going to ask Mr. 18' to carry my stuff if I was able to yak....but I can raft if it is needed....no worries.

Was also just thinking of asking him to strap my yak on and convincing the _Torch_ to run my raft here and there so I could yak a bit. 


I wanted to know if it was worth the effort to bring the yak or what? 

T fn L steps to the plate, yo.


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## mrkyak (Jul 11, 2005)

check flows again, I saw they were at 150% of normal, have fun


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## Big Tuna (Apr 13, 2004)

Yak It!!!!!!! Have "Big Wave" or Dingle carry your gear. Hell, you only wear 1 outfit anyway so just carry it yourself. Have fun!!


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## FLOWTORCH (Mar 5, 2004)

Looky looky, it's Large tuna.

Mike, you know what to do, man. You know what to do.


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## BarryDingle (Mar 13, 2008)

Tuna,STFU. This boats full.....

TL


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

yakrafter said:


> Running the Middle Fork mid June - I want to know what folks think of kayaking it vs rafting it. Flow will be approx 3-4'.
> 
> Which is more fun/appropriate for the river?
> 
> ...


Flow will be 4.5 -5. 

Yak it. Ride the raft for a couple days in the middle. Get drunk on the raft and then try to kayak the Tappans. That's what some of my crew does. At least it's good entertainment. Good yakking off the top, great surfing the last couple day too. There are a couple of one shot waves you have to try for.

There will be some epic surfing at that flow. At least you can choose from fairly fast steep waves, and some great holes. 

Don't tell me your with Stu's shit show too?


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

carvedog said:


> Don't tell me your with Stu's shit show too?


Maybe we'll have to do the "dance of the Buzzards" at boundary...


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## sarahkonamojo (May 20, 2004)

The higher the water the better it is for kayaking. The lower the water the harder it is on your raft. Choices. If it is 5', kayak for sure.


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## Neal Martin (May 20, 2009)

I kayaked 100 miles of the MF last August as a beginner, and although MUCH lower than what you'll be seeing, it was absolutely awesome. Velvet, Dagger, and Tappan rocked, and I just hopped on the back of a raft for the extended flats and worked on my beer curls. Def. some great surf spots at many of the campsites too!


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## BarryDingle (Mar 13, 2008)

He is,indeed,part of Stu's(my) shit show. If your lucky you'll get to see him chop wood....


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

lhowemt said:


> Maybe we'll have to do the "dance of the Buzzards" at boundary...


I'll take pictures. Not much of a dancer, unless it's kind of a spastic discombobulation most often used on punk music in the late 80s and early 90s. :roll: Well...that might work for a buzzard dance actually. 



sarahkonamojo said:


> The higher the water the better it is for kayaking. The lower the water the harder it is on your raft. Choices. If it is 5', kayak for sure.


 Not a very good kayaker, but the surfing is really good between 4 to 6 feet. Above that it seems to be more one shots instead of eddy served, and the waves get a little more irregular.



BarryDingle said:


> He is,indeed,part of Stu's(my) shit show. If your lucky you'll get to see him chop wood....


 I see how it works now. 

We like a real big fire at Boundary Crick, so I hope he gets busy.


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## Dana23 (May 1, 2008)

*snow pack????*

Just talked to my friend in Ketchum about flows there. (curious because I know some folks heading up.) They have something like 160% or so. I've heard horror stories of multiple flipped rafts and swimmers at high flows on the M Fk. My friend said when it gets real real high it tends to flush, but when it is just high it can get pretty ugly for rafts.
For sure it won't be 3-4 feet. He said everything is pretty big right now and still coming up to final peak.


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

Dana23 said:


> Just talked to my friend in Ketchum about flows there. (curious because I know some folks heading up.) They have something like 160% or so. I've heard horror stories of multiple flipped rafts and swimmers at high flows on the M Fk. My friend said when it gets real real high it tends to flush, but when it is just high it can get pretty ugly for rafts.
> For sure it won't be 3-4 feet. He said everything is pretty big right now and still coming up to final peak.


This is _not_ true. We almost made it to 100% of normal snowpack but did not before the warmer and drier weather hit. It's 6 feet and dropping right now. And that is not that big. 
There are two (according to the ranger very inexperienced groups) who got beat up on Marsh Creek and are waiting at Boundary for levels to drop or to hike out. They apparently broke some gear. 

I could only pray that we hit 160% again someday, but alas it is not this year. 

Flows:
USGS Real-Time Water Data for USGS 13309220 MF SALMON RIVER AT MF LODGE NR YELLOW PINE ID

Predictions:
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Boise: Middle Fork Salmon River at Middle Fork Lodge


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## yakrafter (Aug 7, 2006)

carvedog said:


> Flow will be 4.5 -5.
> Don't tell me your with Stu's shit show too?


Gotta flow with the Dingle, it's the only way.

Flow predictions at the time of original post and now are pretty similar...lower than the hype...I think the mega flows only helped this along...

Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Boise: Middle Fork Salmon River at Middle Fork Lodge

At this point there is only a 30-50% chance the flow will be over 3'. Less than 10% chance of it being over 4'. 

I'm good with whatever. 



BarryDingle said:


> He is,indeed,part of Stu's(my) shit show. If your lucky you'll get to see him chop wood....


 yo.


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

yakrafter said:


> Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Boise: Middle Fork Salmon River at Middle Fork Lodge
> 
> At this point there is only a 30-50% chance the flow will be over 3'. Less than 10% chance of it being over 4'.
> 
> ...


These guys are the NOAA crew and I think they have all been hitting the hookah hard these days. Unpossible to be below 3 feet. 

At least I hope. I'm still calling it 4.5 when we launch. I hope. See you there.


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## yakrafter (Aug 7, 2006)

carvedog said:


> These guys are the NOAA crew and I think they have all been hitting the hookah hard these days. Unpossible to be below 3 feet.
> 
> At least I hope. I'm still calling it 4.5 when we launch. I hope. See you there.


More power to them!

Really I claim no expertise in MF flows, only that I found a website that seemed to have the info I wanted. 

Hope you are right!

No worries with wood choppage, gotcha covered. New axe even.


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## bicho (Sep 1, 2006)

if you are asking then you should be in a raft... 

whQUOTE=yakrafter;143366]Running the Middle Fork mid June - I want to know what folks think of kayaking it vs rafting it. Flow will be approx 3-4'.

Which is more fun/appropriate for the river?

For example I have yaked and rafted the Grand. I would suggest that the Colorado in the Grand is a rafters river, the rapids are great and fun in a kayak and there are little nooks and crannies a raft cannot go, but with all the stuff to look at, the the flat water, and the duration...the gear - the raft is really nice. Westy seems like a rafters trip too.

With the MF being much more snappy, and a shorter trip, I could see kayaking being very fun.

Any opinions? esp from folks that have done it both ways.[/QUOTE]


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## BarryDingle (Mar 13, 2008)

Fuck,i dunno,Mike. Think you can handle it?


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## yakrafter (Aug 7, 2006)

bicho said:


> if you are asking then you should be in a raft...


 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non_sequitur_(logic)


Gee, I hope I make it.


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

yakrafter said:


> More power to them!
> 
> Really I claim no expertise in MF flows, only that I found a website that seemed to have the info I wanted.
> 
> ...


Now those idiots are calling for over 6 feet out until the 9th or 10th. Which I doubt will happen too. 6 feet through the upcoming week but I am thinking under 6 by next weekend. 

Going to costco to get some stuff for the trip in the freezer.

 

Let the games begin.


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