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huckin harms
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  Quote huckin harms Replybullet Topic: Pilchuck Crk
    Posted: 18 Nov 2012 at 5:27pm

this will be coming back in with the rains headed our way....

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  Quote flowtorch Replybullet Posted: 18 Nov 2012 at 9:56pm
I'm in. I'll be paddling my new liquidlogic Ark. All I wanna knows is, who's with me?
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  Quote WA-Boater Replybullet Posted: 18 Nov 2012 at 10:00pm
Mike -
Do you think this will have enough water tomorrow morning? Any chance you want to go?
 
Darren

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huckin harms
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  Quote huckin harms Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 8:02am
won't be out there today... but looks like its headed up and will likely get to 3k or more. 
 
I maybe able to get up there tommorrow if levels hold.
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 10:28am
Not sure yet, but I may be able to get up there tomorrow
(We may have to rally early)

Edited by jP - 19 Nov 2012 at 10:28am
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  Quote DamonM Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 12:01pm
Any chance anyone's contemplating an afternoon run - like meeting at the takeout at 1:00 or 1:30pm and finishing up before dark?
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  Quote DamonM Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 1:05pm
...referring to Tuesday in the post above...
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  Quote huckin harms Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 1:06pm
I got off the phone with Darren who did a run this morning, and he commented that it was high and going up.  The rock used as a guage at the takeout was a pourover (rock not visible). 
There was one portage below the waterfall downstream of a large Cedar tree.  The wood spans the river. 
I will be checking levels Tuesday and if there's interest....
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 1:37pm
Ok, at this point I want to invite everyone to go to the rivers page for Upper Pilchuck where, awhile back, I outlined some pretty detailed guidelines for anyone interested in catching Pilchuck on the higher side of flows.

And this I encourage for solid class IV and V boaters. Class IV boaters will be challenged, and class V boaters will have fun, depending on how much water you add. I will coment that there is a point where more water doesn't translate to more fun, just more risk.

The rock above the bridge: Personally if that rock is high and dry the run is too low for my tastes if I want to enjoy some class IV flavor onthe Upper and some big water III on the middle (below the falls). I like to see the rock pouring over for sure. If it is a "sunken" pourover, nearly flush with the surrounding current, but not quite a hole, it may be starting to exceed the upper end of what I consider "fun" about Pilchuck. I ran it with Jed last year and we had ample skill to arrive at the take out, but the fun stuff was washing out leaving just big ugly holes in places. We walked the Pil Pusher ledge on the Upper, but it probably still went.

Anyway, if we are talking tuesday afternoon, most likely you will be too late unless you want low boatable flows. You may be scraping by 1pm if you wait to put on. Pilchuck's water comes and goes quick.

If peeps want to rally it early tomorrow I could be down, but I would want to know tonight.
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 1:43pm
The narrows way downstream ("Pilbox Canyon") frequently collects wood that spans across and forces a portage. For this reason you should almost automaticly expect wood here, and be pleasantly surprised if there is none. So the key when approaching the Pilbox is to make sure everyone in your group is keen on this and spaces out accordingly. If you are playing follow the leader, don't crowd the leader. Give them room downstream to work: to assess the scene, maybe wave you down. Eddy out before you end up appraoching a three boat eddy with four boats in front of you.
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 1:47pm
Yeah, Mike: I'm interested. But not if we go late. I'd rather be early and decide its too high, then wait, than go late and be bummed that it dropped out. 1pm is way too late for me.

Call ya later, Mike, and Damon, if its in the cards and you can go earlier, you should consider that.
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  Quote huckin harms Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 3:51pm
I drop J off @ 9 in GoldBar and leave from there... so a little after 10.
 
Lets talk in the am after seeing levels.  3" of rain and counting here...
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  Quote DamonM Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 4:04pm
Unfotunately, I can only do a quick run in the afternoon.  For those going in the morning, have fun!
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  Quote JoesKayak Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 4:16pm
Just an FYI.... As of a couple weeks ago there was riverwide wood in a couple spots in the middle section. Same wood as a year ago, I think. Pretty easy to deal with at lower levels, but could be more interesting with extra h2o. And Pilbox was clean except for wood on the right in one of the first main drops, easily missed on the left.. of course that can always change, have fun out there.
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 4:51pm
Right on Joe.

As far as the flow dropping off, it may not be a huge concern if we keep getting tons of rain for the duration, I've just missed Pilchuck a lot more than I caught it, so earlier seems better. But there could be enough water that it doesn't matter tomorrow.

10ish is probably fine. Anyone else able to break away?
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  Quote tiziak Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 5:14pm
I feel a cold coming on!


If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

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  Quote phil Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 5:47pm
I'm interested in this tomorrow morning.

I'd also like to run the MM up around 10k or better. Guessing it's going to peak and start dropping tonight, but anybody else into that if Pilchuck is looking iffy and it's cranking?
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  Quote FLUID Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 5:51pm
Yo phil If the green doesnt happen or if no one wants to go ill be game to get on the MM tomorrow ....
 
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  Quote WA-Boater Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 6:07pm
What a gem. This is a sweet run. I'd compare is to the Green Gorge at 6k and the Foss at 25k on Sky. I would caution boaters running this at high flows who are not comfortable with pushy water. I found the crux sections to be more difficult then Ken and Barbie or Mercury/Nozzle. And more consequential - a swim would not be good in there.
The wood was moving around a bit. About a mile into the run the river splits at an island and the right side is completely blocked (with lots of current going that way). There were a few other obvious & avoidable pieces here and there. I did portage one log below the waterfall. A giant cedar tree spanning the river around a right hand bend. I portaged left, however it would be easier right. There is also wood blocking the right channel at the take-out bridge.
Here are a couple photos and a video of the falls today for level reference. JP's pour-over rock was covered and making a wave hole - the stick upstream on the right bank was out of the water about 6".
I thought the run felt high. Eddies were scares or absent.

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  Quote WA-Boater Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 6:15pm
Don't know how to post photo or video.


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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 6:43pm
Originally posted by WA-Boater

What a gem. This is a sweet run. I'd compare is to the Green Gorge at 6k and the Foss at 25k on Sky. I would caution boaters running this at high flows who are not comfortable with pushy water.

JP's pour-over rock was covered and making a wave hole - the stick upstream on the right bank was out of the water about 6".
I thought the run felt high. Eddies were scares or absent.


"Eddies were scares".

Scarce, but, scares too, none the less.

Yeah, judging by the S. Stilly's spike, and your description, I'm guessing your flow was a bit higher than the highest I ran it. I figure if the North and South stilly guages are falling off in the morning we should be good. The HWY 9 view should reveal it though.
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 6:44pm
Go to the gallery page and poke around, punching your user name into the search field. You're smart you'll figure it out.
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  Quote WA-Boater Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 7:09pm
photo in gallery.
video here http://www.facecrook.com/tiffany.albright.75

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  Quote ChristianKnight Replybullet Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 8:23pm
Anybody think Pilchuck will be high enough for fun on Thanksgiving morning? And anybody down to paddle it?
Catch your eddies,
Christian
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  Quote huckin harms Replybullet Posted: 20 Nov 2012 at 7:04am
well it's dropping like a rock, which makes sense since it stopped raining last night sometime... SO, jP, YOU WeRe RIGHT!  Yesterday WAS THE DAY, though it did get to 4k so good on Darren for busting it out early.  The rains return this afternoon, so maybe it will bump later today....
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