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Bill Cross
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Posted: Apr 9, 2006 Post Subject: Log on North Fork Salmon
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| There is a recently fallen tree spanning the runnable channel on the Upper North Fork Salmon in the stretch between the bridge at Trooks Flat and the bridge at Sawyers Bar. I am not positive of the exact location, but my best guess is 1. 2 miles below the bridge at Trooks Flat, and 1.6 miles upstream of the Sawyers Bar bridge, just upstream from where Rattlesnake Gulch enters on river right. The tree (doug fir?) is in swift, rocky class II+ water with no sizable eddies, and comes up abruptly around a fast left-hand bend. At our flow yesterday (approx 2,850 on the Somes Bar gauge) there was about two feet of clearance under the tree on river right, and about three feet of clearance on river left. We were able to boat under the tree on the left, but at higher flows -- or if the tree shifts or sags over time -- there might not be room. Be careful!
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scottharding
Member
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| Posted: Apr 26, 2006Post Subject: Additional info on tree in NF Salmon
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The downed tree mentioned is located 1.2 miles downstream of the bridge that crosses the NF Salmon at White's Gulch (the only bridge in the middle of the Idlewild run). It is a 2 foot diameter Douglas fir and it blocks the entire width of usable channel. It is hard to see in time to miss it.
At a flow of 4500 cfs on the Salmon River @ Somes Bar gauge, there is no clearance beneath the tree on the right or middle and just barely enough clearance on the far left to duck a hardshell kayak beneath. The tree is located directly over a small hydraulic. SCOUT!
Don't plan on ducking beneath this tree during spring flows. There isn't much of a good eddy above the tree either. There is absolutely no passage for a raft here--portage on the left from the pool above the rapid.
As mentioned, the tree cannot be seen until you are in the flow above it. The river emerges from a narrow gorge and flows around a left bend and--presto--there's the tree. I put up orange ribbon on the river right in the pool above the tree--look for it! Someone else built a tall cairn on river left--start the portage or scout from here.
Here are the approximate GPS coordinates of the tree:
41°17'42.29"N
123° 6'0.55"W
This location is at the 16.65 mile mark on the Sawyer's Bar Road but you can't see the tree from the road.
If you have Google Earth, here's a link to a placemark that has the tree's location mapped out: http://scotthardingphoto.com/misc/gis/NF%20Salmon%20Hazard%20Placemark.kmz
or see it here:
Also beware of another tree in the river, anchored to a midstream rock at river level immediately below where you put back in after portaging the first tree.
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scottharding
Member
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| Posted: Dec 11, 2006Post Subject: Log still there!
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As we enter the new paddling season, I just wanted to let paddlers know that this same log is still on the North Fork Salmon in the same location as last year.
The flagging on the bank noting the log location may no longer be there. There is no longer a notice at the Idlewild put-in.
Be aware! Read previous posts if you are going to paddle this run.
Scott
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scottharding
Member
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| Posted: Dec 18, 2006Post Subject: NF Salmon hazard log gone for now
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Just after I posted a note on Dec. 11 that this very dangerous log was still spanning the North Fork Salmon near the 16.65 milemark on the road, we had our first winter flood.
On Dec. 13, the hazard log washed away and is no longer blocking the channel.
I believe the log is now on the right side of the channel near the far downstream end of Sawyers Bar (at milemarker 14 on the road), out of the flow for now. It will continue to move downstream when water levels rise again this winter.
Keep an eye out for this and other logs on the North Fork, especially in the popular gorge run which is downstream of Sawyers Bar.
Scott Harding
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Edited once. Last edited by scottharding Dec 18, 2006.
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