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Pilchuck Crk

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URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12676
Printed Date: 28 Mar 2024 at 5:38am


Topic: Pilchuck Crk
Posted By: huckin harms
Subject: Pilchuck Crk
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2012 at 5:27pm

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




Replies:
Posted By: flowtorch
Date 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?


Posted By: WA-Boater
Date 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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Posted By: huckin harms
Date 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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Posted By: jP
Date 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)


Posted By: DamonM
Date 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?


Posted By: DamonM
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 1:05pm
...referring to Tuesday in the post above...


Posted By: huckin harms
Date 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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Posted By: jP
Date 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.


Posted By: jP
Date 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.


Posted By: jP
Date 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.


Posted By: huckin harms
Date 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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Posted By: DamonM
Date 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!


Posted By: JoesKayak
Date 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.


Posted By: jP
Date 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?


Posted By: tiziak
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 5:14pm
I feel a cold coming on!




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

Daniel Patrinellis
360.434.4616


Posted By: phil
Date 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?


Posted By: FLUID
Date 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 ....
 
 totten
253.230.3307


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



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Posted By: jP
Date 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.


Posted By: jP
Date 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.


Posted By: WA-Boater
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 7:09pm
photo in gallery.
video here http://www.facecrook.com/tiffany.albright.75

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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date 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?

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Catch your eddies,
Christian


Posted By: huckin harms
Date 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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Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2012 at 7:59am
Yup-- for a bit there it looked like there was so much water it might hold for us, not looking so now.

Well Mike, back up plans? I still want to boat today. Christian was hoping for a thanksgiving day reprise on Pilchuck. We'll have to wait and see. I think we missed that boat for now, though.


Posted By: JoesKayak
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2012 at 8:53am
What? It's not über-juicy any more, but it's still goin! Damn high-water snobs. 

Meanwhile... back at the office...


Posted By: James
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2012 at 9:18am
Dog gone it Darren, you are most certainly allbright.

http://professorpaddle.com/media/photoview.asp?File_Id=7481">


Posted By: flowtorch
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2012 at 9:34am
Anybody close by for a quicky?.. Like real close..


Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2012 at 10:41am
Kinda late to rally, now, flowtorch. Mike bailed, and we both saw the water dropping. No one else responded and now I'm at split rick. Its not like we haven't had the last 24+ hours to queue this up. And its not that I'm a "high water snob" either, but I can't afford to drive up there when the flow may not be there and no one commits to paddle it. Flowtorch, why didn't you give us the local water report? Especially if you wanted to hit it today. That's your zone to monitor, kid. sh*t, if you woulda been on it last night or this morning we'd probably already be putting on. Tom n Kira sounded like they ended up out there wanting to run it, but...

I'm in the Sky drainage now where I know there is good water to boat. 11 @ split rock for anyone interested in a Foss Lap (most likely) followed by the Sky or a second Foss lap or three to be determined.




Posted By: flowtorch
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2012 at 10:54am
Ya sorry. I coulda been more help too but im sorta floating between my ladies place in snohomish most of the time and my place near Arlington and my plans are shifty. I'll try to be a better neighborhood Watch monitor.


Posted By: James
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2012 at 11:51am
lol... damn JP is droppin the hammer and getting all demandin, watch out Rain Gods, this boy is gonna nurse your teets like banks are nursing stimulus checks...


Posted By: flowtorch
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2012 at 12:08pm
Ok, really doin it this time. 1:15-30 at takeout.


Posted By: Travisimo
Date Posted: 21 Nov 2012 at 12:09am
Anybody wanna try Wednesday? I'd like to go even if it's "low"...

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H2O please


Posted By: WhiteWaterWheat
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2012 at 9:40am
wonder if this will come in today...  rains were a bit slow to arrive...


Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2012 at 11:53pm
What the fu*k ever, James.
Happy Thanksgiving, BTW- I really am thankful you created this site, you smart ass. Hope your turkey was good, as I've no doubt.

Flowtorch, no big- I got a few good runs on Pilchuck at my personal ideal flows, so no big deal if I never even paddle it again. It is hard to catch. I was just in the neighborhood and I'm currently challenged geographicly. (I mean, I can read maps and navigate, but gas is expensive). If you did get the Pilchuck Passion though, your proximity might help people, and help you lure out peeps to paddle it with you. But you gotta be quicker on the draw. Its one of the flashiest criks in the state, along with Jefferson.

Basicly it looks to me like saturday would have to be an early rally for those wanting to swallow that pill and chuck their plastic into the flow. I'm no longer near there, so if I boat at all it will need to be elsewhere. Peeps should rally it tho.

I really am thankful for this site, as I said. Thankful I don't have to resort to a spam ridden Yahoo Group to connect with paddlers. Thankful for the guages, and of course, thankful for this whole region and all of the abundant waters...

So many options to choose from that I don't need to feel like I'm missing out on the 'Chuckwagon, or the Sitkum, or many other fine but inconvienient creeks to go run, having run most of them by now at some point. Now I just want my repeat favorites.

Thankful for Icicles on Halloween, and Robes that wear me down year round....
'Scuse me while I kiss the Sky, 'cuz that was pretty sweet this week too. Anytime it is 8K or more, you can't go wrong. And nobody was out on it. Almost hard to believe. But there are always a few- enough to run shuttle and run downstream with ya, and that's all ya need.


Posted By: Hulkster
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2012 at 2:02pm
Gauge is spiking! Too late for today but maybe tomorrow........
 
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/wrx/wrx/flows/station.asp?sta=05D070#block2 - https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/wrx/wrx/flows/station.asp?sta=05D070#block2  


Posted By: TastyWaves
Date Posted: 18 Dec 2012 at 2:08pm
I saw this post and and the dates and at first didn't realize most of the posts were from back in November.
 
Sean and I got on this the day in November when the big crew ran it earlier in the morning.
 
I think that day it was saying somewhere around 11.5 on the guage listed here on PP.
 
I just saw that James attached of that middle waterfall drop,  I believe the day we ran it was somewhere between 10-15ft in total vert.
 
On James' picture it looks more like 6ft! I'm curious how juicy that flow was and what level? We had a fun time that day in November but both were thinking it needed to be a good bit higher to warrant the drive.
 
Any thoughts?


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Wise men say forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.


Posted By: WA-Boater
Date Posted: 18 Dec 2012 at 5:45pm
Adrian-
James posted that photo since I couldn't figure out how to. Photo was taken Nov 19. The level spiked to 4500 that day. Not sure how close to the peak I was, but it was likely on the front side of 4500 getting close to 4500. I would say the run is plenty juicy at that flow. I'd compare the push factor to Robe at 6.5' or the Green Gorge at 6000+. Although the crux drops may be harder on Robe or Green, of the three, Pilchuck would be the last I would want to swim at those levels due to its continuous nature. My guess 2500-3500 would be pretty prime.

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Posted By: TastyWaves
Date Posted: 19 Dec 2012 at 12:03am
Time for me to start creating a river log, apparently this is my most accurate description of a day I paddled:

"the day in November when the big crew ran it earlier in the morning"

Hmm, pretty lame on my part.

So this takes me back to my question on my "Robe in CFS" post about how the overall conversion is created from river to river.

You gave me this link for Robe:
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/station/flowplot/textPlot.cgi?id=GFLW1&pe=HG

I went to the root site and see they give you the ability to filter by river and then station for Pilchuck, so I guess that answers my question on that one.

Thanks for your help Darren, guess its time for me to catch up on my reading and start logging these runs!

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Wise men say forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.


Posted By: Hulkster
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2013 at 9:39am

Pilchuck Creek is right around 3500 cfs and on the rise. I can't make it today but if anyone can make it tomorrow and the creek is above 2k I'll be out there.

Jon


Posted By: JoesKayak
Date Posted: 20 Apr 2013 at 5:45pm
Got on upper & middle Pilchuck today. Level was around 1,100. Stick gage was 4.0 at beginning of run and 3.9 at end. Great level for both sections.

The wood in the upper is still there. It's about a mile into the run, riverwide at the first real standout rapid after the initial easier class 3 stuff. The river takes a sharp left bend and there's a big pointy rock, kind of pyramid shaped in the middle of the river. There's multiple trees riverwide. Small eddies to portage from on the right. Approach with caution.

The rest of the upper was pretty clean. A little wood here and there, but nothing major. The wood on the middle section is a bit better now. About mid-way through the middle there is some riverwide wood that's been there for a few years. We were able to just paddle through it though, and the second log that was just 100 feet downstream is gone. Pilbox canyon has less wood than before. It's pretty clean except for one bit of wood on the right.

In the lower part of the run there is still one riverwide log. Easy to paddle under at this flow. Didn't even have to duck. Might be less duckable at high water.


Posted By: jonlcrain
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2013 at 9:41am
I ran both sections Friday evening 4/19. Put on around 0600pm and got to the bridge around 0800pm just as it was getting dark. The level was 4.1 on the stick and held for our run; about 1200 cfs on the online gauge. 
 
Joe, I must have just missed you on Saturday 4/20. I put on the upper around 0400pm and made it to the bridge about 0600pm. Level was 3.8 Ft. on the stick gauge; about 1100 cfs on the online gauge.
 
 
 


Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2013 at 10:13am
Right on- good beta, Joe!

Jonlcrain: how did you find those two comparitive flows for you, which did you prefer and why?

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🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋


Posted By: jonlcrain
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2013 at 12:06pm
JP - I consider 3.8 ft on the stick to be a minimum flow. There is plenty of water to boat and it would certainly go lower but the creek loses some of the sportyness. The upper section is good to go and is still continuous but the holes are friendlier and there is more time to move around but watch the f-u rocks. Carefully run the middle line at the falls or portage. Not worth the loss of plastic to scrape the right side IMO. Good level for intermediate boaters. Your gauge rock is exposed at this level.
 
4.1 ft is a bit sportier flow and really makes the run feel like the continuous whitewater that Pilchuck is known for. The holes in the upper section are starting to get some rententiveness and a swim would suck for sure but would be manageable. Run the right side of the falls or VERY carefully run the middle line. Swirly through the bottom canyon; really fun level for class IV boaters. Water is surging over the gauge rock at this level.
 
4.5 is the best level that I have run the Pilchuck. At this level the upper feels really sporty and fairly pushy. Things are coming up fast so be mindful of the wood situation and being able to deal with things on your toes is important. A swim would totally suck at this level or higher and could easily escalate if it happened in the meat of the upper section. Easily run the right side of the falls without scraping rocks. Really fun swirls of flow through the bottom canyon. The gauge rock is a thin pourover at this level. Solid class IV/V boaters will have a blast at this level.
 
I know the stick gauge is on private property but I have been checking it before every run I have done the last couple months (5 or 6). I don't think it is a big deal as long as your whole crew doesn't go to check it. Just send one person. That being said the rock is a good indicater of flows so why bother?


Posted By: JoesKayak
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2013 at 3:15pm
Originally posted by jonlcrain

I ran both sections Friday evening 4/19. Put on around 0600pm and got to the bridge around 0800pm just as it was getting dark. The level was 4.1 on the stick and held for our run; about 1200 cfs on the online gauge. 
 
Joe, I must have just missed you on Saturday 4/20. I put on the upper around 0400pm and made it to the bridge about 0600pm. Level was 3.8 Ft. on the stick gauge; about 1100 cfs on the online gauge.
 
 
 


Yeah, sounds like it... I think we took off from the take out around 3:30. Great day on the river for sure.

I really like that level... except... I would have liked more h2o at the falls. Got a cut in my floor running the middle chute. DAMN! That slot likes to bite IKs.

Ran the middle section again at low water Sunday with some first timers. We had about 3.3 - 3.4 on the stick and just over 600 cfs. That's actually a great first timers flow because the falls is easy to portage... you can just climb down the far right, and hard boats can seal off the ledge down there and IKs can just flop and drop. Yeah...It's a little bumpy at that flow, but most of the good drops are filled in nicely and there's good holes in there too.





Posted By: JoesKayak
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2013 at 3:24pm
The rock is a great indicator. I've been trying to get photos at different levels when I'm there, recording both DOE gage cfs and stick gage height, so we can have a visual gage guide here.





Originally posted by jonlcrain

JP - I consider 3.8 ft on the stick to be a minimum flow. There is plenty of water to boat and it would certainly go lower but the creek loses some of the sportyness. The upper section is good to go and is still continuous but the holes are friendlier and there is more time to move around but watch the f-u rocks. Carefully run the middle line at the falls or portage. Not worth the loss of plastic to scrape the right side IMO. Good level for intermediate boaters. Your gauge rock is exposed at this level.
 
4.1 ft is a bit sportier flow and really makes the run feel like the continuous whitewater that Pilchuck is known for. The holes in the upper section are starting to get some rententiveness and a swim would suck for sure but would be manageable. Run the right side of the falls or VERY carefully run the middle line. Swirly through the bottom canyon; really fun level for class IV boaters. Water is surging over the gauge rock at this level.
 
4.5 is the best level that I have run the Pilchuck. At this level the upper feels really sporty and fairly pushy. Things are coming up fast so be mindful of the wood situation and being able to deal with things on your toes is important. A swim would totally suck at this level or higher and could easily escalate if it happened in the meat of the upper section. Easily run the right side of the falls without scraping rocks. Really fun swirls of flow through the bottom canyon. The gauge rock is a thin pourover at this level. Solid class IV/V boaters will have a blast at this level.
 
I know the stick gauge is on private property but I have been checking it before every run I have done the last couple months (5 or 6). I don't think it is a big deal as long as your whole crew doesn't go to check it. Just send one person. That being said the rock is a good indicater of flows so why bother?


Posted By: JoesKayak
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2013 at 9:43pm
I forgot to mention one other item of interest on the run now....

On the middle section, about 2 miles into the run is one of the biggest rapids (aside from the falls). It's a steep multi tier drop in a more open section of the riverbed. I don't know if it has a name already but I always refer to it as otter drop ever since witnessing a fantastic hole ride there .

Anyway, a typical line there was usually to start right and then cut back to middle after you miss the two big holes in the middle (as previously mentioned). Now, however there's 2 smallish trees each leaning out over both sides of the river and the one on the right is in the way enough to force you to run left or down the middle. Fortunately, there's a pretty good line on the left too.


Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2013 at 10:36am
Cool. I like the detail both of you guys included in your posts. Always nice to get other peeps' impressions of runs.

I never ran the middle line at the falls, looks bomb. One of these days when I make it back up there

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🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋


Posted By: JoesKayak
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2013 at 10:51am
Originally posted by jP

Cool. I like the detail both of you guys included in your posts. Always nice to get other peeps' impressions of runs.

I never ran the middle line at the falls, looks bomb. One of these days when I make it back up there



Thanks JP. I like to share what I think are important things for someone to know.

I've never run that middle line either. I haven't been in there yet with enough water to make it look tempting enough to try. I would say that I wouldn't recommend anyone running it who hasn't been there at low water and has seen where the ledge juts out at the bottom. If you're too far left or right it's gonna be a hard hit  at the bottom.


Posted By: JayB
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2013 at 1:45pm
Originally posted by JoesKayak

The rock is a great indicator. I've been trying to get photos at different levels when I'm there, recording both DOE gage cfs and stick gage height, so we can have a visual gage guide here.
 


Big thumbs up for that idea. Thanks for investing the effort in that project. That'll be a great community resource when it's online.

Seems like there's a good gauge rock just below one of the bridges on the Little Wenatchee. I've only done the run once ~3 years ago, when the top of the rock was exposed, which I take it was on the lowish side of preferred flows, but maybe some regulars could post their takes on the gauge rock?




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-Jay


Posted By: JoesKayak
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2013 at 2:51pm
Originally posted by JayB

Originally posted by JoesKayak

The rock is a great indicator. I've been trying to get photos at different levels when I'm there, recording both DOE gage cfs and stick gage height, so we can have a visual gage guide here.
 


Big thumbs up for that idea. Thanks for investing the effort in that project. That'll be a great community resource when it's online.

Seems like there's a good gauge rock just below one of the bridges on the Little Wenatchee. I've only done the run once ~3 years ago, when the top of the rock was exposed, which I take it was on the lowish side of preferred flows, but maybe some regulars could post their takes on the gauge rock?





Thanks! And if anyone has pics of the rock to contribute and know what the stick and/or DOE cfs was I'd love to get them to add to this project.



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