Professor Paddle: upper Ici current observations

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   So I got up to Upper Ici yesterday (6/17) to find a roadblock just upstream of the turn off to Bridge Creek. 

Riding my bike around it and up the road brought me past another roadblock before reaching Log Limbo. This rapid still lives up to its name and had a lot of water pumping through it. The right side has a limbo that would be more manageable with lower water.

    Continuing up the road I came to a backhoe and an earthen baracde that fenced in a sizable little stream. (Apparently the new mud slide after they cleared the old one.) 

Following this little stream through recent mud flow debris led me to Ici's river left bank just below the big rapid known as "Roadside Attraction". Right where the mudslide dumps into the river there is enough freshly arrived detritus that the river left side is essentially filled in. This mudslide debris now crowds the river into a straight narrow channel with two large holes. Yeah its running higher than most prefer for Upper Ici, but I used to run it this high, probably will again. This "mud flow" rapid looks a bit stouter now that the water is so focused into those two consecutive holes.

Anyway the road closure is a bummer but I doubt it will stop me from hiking in the short distance to RV when the water comes down those holes will change. Otherwise, sh*t - just move a fence or two, drive in and drop boats right at the Mudflow Rapid, put in below the holes and run on down to Gray Bridge or further...

Ice Ice, Baby