Land past the 'arch', maybe 1/4 mile past Cable Drop, is all private as far back as you can go. Historically people would use the fishladder access point and park in their driveway, but relations dissolved and no one is allowed back there anymore (private as well). Good luck, Gordon. I know the WKC has saved about $20,000 to buy some property for access up there, but it's been awhile since I've heard anything on that. Good luck, bro!

Hey Gordon:

Have you already contacted AW via the local rep? Seems like they might know all of the details or be able to put you in touch with someone that does.

hrmm, maybe I am screwed on Sunset, but I may have a claim to the Copper creek portage.

I have run it a few times putting in on both sides of the river.  Every time I did it I had someone drop me off and get the hell out of there.  I always thought once I was on the river they couldn't do anything but I could be wrong.  There are a couple of nice rapids up there and it a damn shame that a nice access point isn't up there for everyone to use. 

The put-in choices for commercial groups on the Sky are crap.  WW uses the cable drop put-in and as a guide for them I bitch and bitch about this.  2 guides have to carry an Avon raft down that damn little narrow trail, twisting and contorting their bodies while the weight of the raft is on your head or shoulders on the thwart.  They say the Index put in is too hard on their boats but who cares about the guides right??

Other groups put-in at the Llama ledge campground which is also a lot of work because the gate is always locked. 

The put-in below the bridge in Index is smaller now and there is now a channel requiring a carry to the river. 

Putting in at the confluence sucks too and you miss a lot of water upstream of either fork.

Someday I hope that local communities will embrace the whitewater community AND industry.  It is absurd to me that West Virginia can lure people to drive 12 hours from New York every spring to raft the New River and we can barely sustain a few companies on the Sky.  More money is made from whitewater than from coal there!!! I'm not trying to say I wish we had thousands of boats on the Sky everyday but it seems to me that around here people DO NOT want others to boat our rivers.  This is especially true if its near their back yard.

I think another problem with the SF access is those people REALLY want their privacy because who knows what the F is going on in some of those places!!!

Sometimes I think people just don't want others to have fun.

It seems to me this is a matter of community support. 

Have you ever been on a trip with a commercial group out east?  Here's what I remember:

I arrived at the facility to find a person greeting me and telling me where to park.  I go to the info booth and they sign me in and tell me where I can camp.  I then am directed to the locker room and shower facility where I can change into my wetsuit and lock up my belongings.  Next we are herded into a bus and we run the river like most operations around here.  At the take out our bus is waiting with a cooler full of beer.  We then get back to the facility where we can SHOWER and change.  Wetsuits are returned and what do you know, there is a bar/eatery right across the driveway from the locker room.  In the bar is the videographer showing the day's films with all the guides hanging out.  You now have the opportunity to tip and buy your videos from the day.   When you are stumbling drunk you can walk down the path to your tent.

In Washington you get a few trees to change behind or maybe some bushes.  You often meet in parking lots and are lucky to even have a Honey bucket for facilities.  After the trip guides awkwardly try to find a decent way to receive tips.  Most clients don't even say anything to their guides before leaving.....

Something ain't right here.....

that was my point exactly, brett.  in addition, i agree with franz; the issue seems to be with parking, not necessarily the driving (although you do drive onto private parking and that is technically trespassing).  i have definitely heard of people getting dropped off and boating it without leaving a car at the put-in.

franz's perspective is visionary, at least.

We need a wild sky festival with good people, good music, and good water. 

Who's gonna help us promote this? Rafters, kayakers, musicians, poets, outdoor recreationalists, minimalists, and ravens.

Let's change the industry and the area for the good of the nation.

Save Town Wall.

-D-train

Yes, there are plenty of places for sale up there, and, yes, that would give you access to the "community property" at Sunset Falls. However, be prepared to pay road dues every year, from a couple hundred up to $1000 a year, because it is a private road and someone has to pay for grading, repairing and snowplowing it to keep it open. That's the main reason the community has not opened it up to the public: not because of any "privacy" issues or anything like that; simply because the more cars drive on that road, the more maintenance it needs, and road maintenance is expensive.

The community pays for maintenance on the Forest Service section of the road (from Highway 2 to the Archway) which is open to the public, but only because of a special arrangement with the Forest Service (the FS had to pay hundreds of thousands to repair the road last year after the big slide, you might recall, but day-to-day maintenance is paid by the owners of land in Mt. Index Riversites).

If you're still interested in buying some land up there, I can hook you up with several people who have lots and/or cabins for sale.

Go for it!

There are about 300 property owners. You can find out who to approach for access by visiting the Mt. Index Riversites website and emailing the board president.

Something tells me they might take to loggers more kindly than boaters.  I just read some of the comments on their site and it doesn't seem that they like boaters to much....

Oof.... I also sent a message to the writer of http://mtindexreporter.com/paddle this page to try to soften relationships between us and the residents there.  I also let him know that there are two "Sunset Falls" and the one shown is not on their land...

It is unfortunate that he calls us "A bunch of wild and crazy Kayakers from Professor Paddle's website."

Maybe he'll get back to me, I think I wrote an eloquent request to open a dialogue between responsible paddlers and landowners.

Let's see.... (If anyone wants the full letter, it's longish... PM me)

Good.  I would love it so much if the community would work with the boating people.  This place seems pretty hostile to our sport as compared to other places I've been.  Don't they realize the money that they could make off us?  I bet if we took them down the river in a raft their tune might change!!!

I hereby offer free rafting trips, as I can handle them, for anyone living up on the SF Sky!

I'm glad the HH dam has forced the Army corps' hand on the Green...