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mokelumnekid
McNasty
Joined: 09 Aug 2010
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   Topic: Lower Main Salmon?
Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 3:49pm |
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Like most folks we didn't score a MIddle Fork permit and my amigo with the rafts sez we should think about Lower Main Salmon. It looks like mellow splashy fun with great camping but is there enough action to keep a ww kayaker entertained? I know there is a class IV, "Snow Hole" but I'm thinking more about maybe there is a lot of flat water or?
I welcome insights from those that have done it,
Thanks!
George B.
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BRoss
McNasty
Joined: 27 Sep 2008
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Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 4:10pm |
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It's a great run. I used to guide commercial trips on it. There is a lot of flat water, including a LOT on the Snake after the confluence. I kayaked it two years ago on a small trip, and I don't think i'd do it again. Some good surf waves, but the rapids aren't worth it in a kayak. Way better to spend time on the raft and swimming. You want to be swimming as much as possible on the lower cuz its so hot. Great camping, good scenery. Not much for hikes. Awesome cliff jumping from columnar basalt columns.
The Snake kinda sucks. Lots of jetboats and epic flat water, camps aren't as good and it is sometimes hard to get one since the powerboaters take them. If you have an outboard setup on your raft, that is ideal since you don't have to row out against the wind.
Planning to go this summer myself.
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"That boated a lot better than it looked." "It always does until it doesn't."
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JayN
Paddler
Joined: 18 Jul 2010
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Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 5:00pm |
I love the Lower... Mostly for the reasons that Bross said. I kayaked it last year and I found that Kayaking it totally depends on your raft situation. If you have a grip of rafts with a bunch of room, it would be kind of nice to lounge in a raft, but we had crowded rafts and I kind of liked jumping from boat to boat especially once the beer stash dwindled... The rapids weren't wildly frequent, but they were certainly fun... Also, the water is quite a bit warmer on the lower, so you can man-boat the whole thing. All that said, I think the vessel that got the most use on our last trip was the SUP. If you have one, bring it, because it's a perfect SUPing stretch. Also, snake lake is a total drag if you don't have an outboard. That said, if you don't have one, give yourself some extra days and just chill on that section. Cheers,
Jay
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chipmaney
Big Boofer
Joined: 10 Apr 2008
Location: United States
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Posts: 591
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Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 5:39pm |
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total beer float. SUP would be fantastic.
take a motor. they make mounts for rafts. motor out the last day to avoid to jet boats.
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sitting all alone on a mountain by a river that has no end
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ENDO
Splat Wheeler
Joined: 06 Jun 2010
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Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 8:50pm |
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SUP would be killer on that section... I have run it 5 times in a kayak. It can be pleasant and good for beginners, only worthwhile day is the last two. I was also thinking one of those little river running boogey board deals would be super fun on that section.
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Ellingferd
McNasty
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Posted: 06 Feb 2013 at 7:29am |
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sup would be pretty cool on this stretch. you would likely find a lot of waves to surf that just aren't that great for kayaks. i would go in late july or early august as that is when the water is super warm. the paddle out on the snake with a board would be effing brutal.
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Ellingferd
McNasty
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Posted: 06 Feb 2013 at 7:32am |
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oh, and if you do decide to do the trip AND you decide to camp on the snake or camp at the confluence with the snake make sure you camp AT LEAST 10 vertical feet from the water. In the mid/late summer they will increase the release in the evenings from time to time. I have seen many groups camped at the confluence or on the snake lose all their gear because it wasn't properly lined. Coolers, kitchens, boats, everything.
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Ellingferd
McNasty
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Posted: 07 Feb 2013 at 7:42am |
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If you are considering the Illinois you need to be confident there will be no significant rainfall in the entire drainage when you are on the river. The Illinois is notorious for going from runnable to flood stage when it rains and has caused more than one accident and a few deaths.
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mokelumnekid
McNasty
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Posted: 07 Feb 2013 at 8:51am |
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Thanks for the input everyone, very helpful. My buddy with the rafts lives in Moscow ID, and that conditions in part the footprint of available rivers. He has run the Rogue many times and I was on it last summer, so thinking of something closer to his 'hood. We may try to hook a cancellation permit on the Main Salmon or the Grande Ronde in early June.
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shap
Viener Schnitzel
Joined: 17 Jan 2010
Location: United States
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Posted: 07 Feb 2013 at 10:28pm |
I like the lower, there are some good rapids, but it isn't much, barely enough to be entertaining in a raft. The small mouth fishing is good during late summer base flow, and the beaches are great.
Speaking of camps on the Snake and them being taken, we were on a 1 boat trip in 2007, and it was getting late looking for a camp on the Snake rowing endless flat water, a big commerical trip was at this sweet camp, they looked at us and hailed our ship over for a cocktail, turned out they invited us over to stay the night and even cooked lasagna and fed us entirely. They even gave us all the booze we wanted too! not sh*t. Then once all the clients and every body got liquered up we set up a rope and made a circle in the sand for a little summo/battleram competion using thier commerical trip dry bags! All we did was wash dishes. They even fed us breakfast. If I remember the story right, they said that they flipped a boat either in Granite or Wildsheep (they were doing Hells Canyon) and a bunch of european clients got freaked and bailed at Pittsburgh so they had a bunch of extra food and booze left over. It was there last night so party on! One of the best river nights I ever had and defenitely unexpected. It was a ROW outfit that hooked a couple brodha's up! Thanks Aldo and Sea
picasa web album
Edited by shap - 07 Feb 2013 at 10:36pm
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James
Admin
Sum Dum Guy
Joined: 31 Dec 2004
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Posted: 08 Feb 2013 at 12:44pm |
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Shap, I have had the same thing happen on rivers too. Once my wife and I rolled into a camp that was a family reunion and all they did an annual reunion every year. They had the set up down. A full buffet line with steak tips, lobster and a pasta bar. Then after dinner they clear the buffet line and roll out a full on wet bar. They insisted that we spend the evening eating and drinking with them. As a camp neighbor I felt like it was my duty to oblige and so I graciously gorged myself and then allowed myself to become the jester of the evening... The next morning I woke up in one of their rafts to the sweet smell of Dungness crab omlettes being cooked and as I stumbled out of their raft I was handed a bloody mary and told to have a seat and enjoy my breakfast for such a show the prior night. It was amazing and they were so gracious.
I was so impressed that we followed them down the river and did it a couple more nights out of sheer respect for their capacity to plan such splendid river evenings.
I went back to the same run same time the following year hoping to see them but to no avail... I do of course look forward to the day our paths meet again...
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shap
Viener Schnitzel
Joined: 17 Jan 2010
Location: United States
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Posted: 08 Feb 2013 at 5:01pm |
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Dude! Lobster and crab beat lasagna any day! Your story is way better
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