I am new to the area for paddling, living in the Seattle area, and looking to paddle class 3+ or 4 until I have a better lay of the land. If anyone has any tips, advice or is heading out paddling and willing to have someone tag alone please let me know. I have relatively limited availability during the week but free to travel more freely on the weekends.

Neal

Starting with the local runs out of Seattle, I will list the very best three options...

1) Skykomish
2) Skykomish
3) Skykomish

Down on the Little White Salmon, the Turbo Class V Bro Bras refer to it as "Church". Of course, these new comers to the sport are not the first to refer to the LW as such. Not by a long shot.

Up here, at the Skykomish denomination, one need not be a class V disciple to attend service. All denominations (class III, IV, and V) are welcome. It is an "open faith" all inclusive "church".

The Skykomish River recieves the Lion's Share of Washington's annual rain and snow, making it the most robust whitewater drainage in the state because the Main Sky can be boated any day of the calendar year on all but the dryest years. You can enjoy it from 500cfs to upwards of 40,000cfs. Stick around for 10-20yrs and you may see it get up to 100,000 which is impressive to say the least. This makes it like, 10-20 rivers in one when you explore the full spectrum of its flow bracket.

The Skykomish is like a gym with all of the training elements one needs to cultivate or maintain proficient class V skillsets, yet at normal lower flows offers a great introduction to class III, excluding class IV-V Boulder Drop. Deep water channels in the wider medium range give you Big Water push, lower flows get technical and creek like in a very high quality way. High Water provides Varsity Level playboating that is mostly neglected.

Boulder Drop was recently described by a raft guide/kayaker friend of mine as the "Mona Lisa" of rapids. The wide flow brackets and the interchangibility of routes make this 100 rapids in one. Most kayakers consider it class IV at most of the low-medium flows (1,000-6,500cfs or somethin like that). There are class V moves to be discovered by the imaginative boater for sure. Particularly in the "Enchanted Forest" portion of the rapid (where hardly anyone ever goes). And the "Flypaper Zone" is a corner of the rapid that can serve up some class V flavor. Any sandbaggers or skeptics out there haven't scouted it enough or explored it at enough different flows. Not class V enough? Add water and then try some lines and break away from the standard routes. Stickin to this rapid's standard lines will sharpen any aspiring class IV boater's skills. Ned's Needle is all you need to sharpen that boof stroke. And to think this entire rapid basicly fell out of the sky (the sky that has clouds in it) and landed in the Sky(komish) River when I was still in Ohio watching the Jackson Five on saturday mornings playing w/ legos and eating Cap'n Crunch. Pretty mind blowing. So the Sky, mighty as it is, is still rearranging itself.

Boulder Drop can easily be portaged (this is best done on R. Right by going up to the train tracks. So for those not ready for it, they can watch others and learn some sh*t.

When the Sky is in its upper medium bracket (7,000-10,000 is not "high". Its Medium High.) people seem to stay away. This is probably thd Boukder Drop Intimidation Factor at work. 12k? Maybe thats startin to get "High". 25k is a pretty standard fall peak. Fair to call that "floodstage" I think. Keep in mind that the lower half from Split Rock to Big Eddy is awesome Big Water III+ at medium high and higher flows, so more people should come run it higher.

Its oscilating through the 7-9k cycle currently. Once its 6,500 or lower Boulder Drop becomes more accessible to the average boater. That's right around the corner, man.

sh*t, you even got multiple access points including the Sfk Sky and Nfk Sky, with tons of runnable tribs upstream.

Anyway its an awesome class III-IV run at most flows running the standard lines. I imagine I'll be out on it a lot this summer. My availibility is during weekdays, either daytime or after 5pm. Send me a PM if you want to come check it out soon.

Here's my vote for jP as the new Pope of the Skykomish church.  He found me when I was down, took me to church, and I am a believer. Captain Crunch and Jackson Five for everyone....Right on jP!