Silver Crk NF Sky
Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9783
Printed Date: 26 Sep 2025 at 1:58am
Topic: Silver Crk NF Sky
Posted By: huckin harms
Subject: Silver Crk NF Sky
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2010 at 9:44am
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So this run has been on the list for a long time. Since I moved to WA in 04 I've heard of the goodness to be found up there. Then in 06 the fall floods reclaimed the roadbed on the NF and ever since access has been pretty limited.
With an empty house (B&J gone to Cali), I took Tuesday to hike a bike around the washouts and ride up the road to Salmon and Silver crks. Spent the better part of the day poking around sussing out what's where and what's not. On the hike out I told myself that it will be worth the wait, and that 2013 isn't that far off, since that was the last date I've heard tossed out for the road fix.
The next morning (Wed) I woke with vague plans to mow the lawn and work on the 'honey to do list.' Problem was my heart just ached to return back up into the lonely reaches of the NF. And so with a window of opportunity closing up, I launched off for the long drive up the NF from home (all of 5miles :) The hike around the washouts to 30 minutes, followed by another 40 minute slog up the road. I reached the proper put-in for Silver creek around 1:30. Took slightly over 2hrs for the hike in.
The level was low but that was fine as I had never done the run and was alone. The first falls was a little heady as the seal launch lands in moving current. The sensation of landing in the bowled out gorge was pretty amazing. Total committment. Ran the L side of falls w/o incident. Continued down to the classic triple drop sequence - Huey, Dewey and Luey. No wood and good to go....
The first wood portage is visible from the landslide rapid. Further down I elected to walk around a steepish drop that had a bit of mank followed immediately by another walk around a small falls that looked to land on rock, but probably would've been fine. Below this the run flattens out with one last wood portage.
I reached the confluence around 4:00, just in time for the safety break. At this point I resigned myself to a flat float down to Trout, having forgotten all about El Nino and Minefield followed by a couple more fun bouldery big water rapids (relatively speaking), making the extra hiking on the road totally worth it.
All in all the run is a Sky gem. The best drops are at the top, basically the section from the seal launch to the landslide. There is some more action above the 'standard' put in, but committment factor goes up as there can be few ways to exit the canyon.
As far as levels are concerned... I did the run on Wed of this last week when the Sky bumped up to 6k on snowmelt. Wouldn't do it any lower, but the Bennet guide does suggest levels around 3-4k (which would be way low). Rob said he'd gone in there at 10k on snowmelt yrs back, but that would make it pretty high. So I'd look for at least 6k as a bottom end depending on how much is coming out of the NF.
Just as a final note... I dedicated this run in the Spirit and Life of my cousin who was recently killed serving with the Army Rangers in Afganastan while on patrol. He died doing what he was passionate about, serving in a way few have too, with honor and true grit. Rest in peace Nathan Cox.
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Replies:
Posted By: huckin harms
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2010 at 9:50am
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I know that a story without pics is almost worthless, esp in today's blog-a-sphere, so I'll post a few pics to the gallery. ------------- |
Posted By: PowWrangler
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2010 at 9:56am
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Nice Mike, you seem to be getting your solo on lately. ;)
Sorry to hear about your cousin.
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Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2010 at 11:26am
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Glad to hear about your explorations, Mike. And I am really sorry to hear about your cousin, may he rest in peace. I wouldn't say that just because you don't have pics it's worthless to post your beta. In fact, type goes a lot further in actually informing people of the details they need to do the run. Can you please, please, please, just post what you've written in the form of a TR? That way the info gets aggregated along with the other details on the river description page. I would love to personally take the time to cut an paste text from everyone's forum posts and make TR's or River Descriptions out of everyone's posts, but I can't always. This being a "community" driven site, let's file our beta somewhere where it won't be buried by new threads as they come along. 'cuz one of these days, the time will be right and I'll be able to go up and check that run out! I just may think to myself... "Now where is that kernel of Beta Mike Harms posted two Junes ago about Silver Creek?"...then a few clicks later: "Oh- right there on the River Description Page for Silver Crk (of the Sky)! Man, it sure was awesome of Mike to file that beta away in the form of a TR" (or River Description-that's up to you)... BTW Mike, let me know when you may be headed down to "Hoody Mc River" ------------- 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋 |
Posted By: huckin harms
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2010 at 12:31pm
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right on JP, good thoughts, and I will try to get that info posted into the river selection area... actually I'm headed to the Hood now... just leaving for the weekend. Hope to see ya down there. ------------- |
Posted By: Erik
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2010 at 1:36pm
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I've always been fond of Silver Creek. Used to be an annual thing until it became such a process to get in there. As far as flows...I've run probably 6 or 7 times, and I keep trying for more water. Never seen this run with too much water. The following trip report had flows of around 9K on The Sky if I remember correctly. Upper canyon is worth the effort (maybe not solo - notch harder & more committing that the lower canyon). Looking forward to having access restored to that run. There was a time you could (easily) drive to where the trail begins, making the hike pretty short & easy.
http://www.bellinghamwhitewater.org/2008/06/08/a-jun-uary-day-on-silver-creek-wa/ - http://www.bellinghamwhitewater.org/2008/06/08/a-jun-uary-day-on-silver-creek-wa/ ------------- |
Posted By: justin
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2010 at 2:01pm
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Here's a link to an old trip report of the same run. http://www.bellinghamwhitewater.org/2008/06/08/a-jun-uary-day-on-silver-creek-wa/ |
Posted By: Erik
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2010 at 2:07pm
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C'mon Justin...a half-hour late, and no hyperlink? You're better than that. ------------- |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2010 at 3:04pm
wow check out that boat "Drew"  is in!!!!Thanks for the link Erik ..... oh yea and justin  |
Posted By: justin
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2010 at 3:40pm
| Your right, I am better than that Erik. I guess my mind is still on the Owyhee. |
Posted By: WA-Boater
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2010 at 12:10pm
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just a note on flows. id say the north fork is runnung less than normal right now (in relation to sky at gold bar). North Fork is probably 1-2000 lower.
I say this due to the Tye running high. The Tye is running high, like 7000-7500 snowmelt feel when guage reads 5500-6000. It's been like this for a few weeks. There is definately more water than normal coming down SF Sky than NF. Not sure what the actual numbers are, but I'd say sky at gold bar reading for silver creek purpose were probably a 4k ish even though guage read 6k.
Sounds like fun mike. ------------- |