Silver, |
|
| Usual Difficulty | III-V (may vary with level) |
|---|---|
| Avg. Gradient | 150 fpm |
| Max Gradient | 177 fpm |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SILVER RIVER NEAR L'ANSE, MI | ||||
| usgs-04043150 | 7.50 - 9.00 ft | III-V | 02h50m | 6.7 ft (rc= -0.5 ) |
This is one of the definitive South Shore creek runs. First paddled in the seventies, the Silver
has long had an annual pilgrimage of faithfuls, hoping to catch this beauty when the snow melts
and the ice goes out.
The run begins with Hail Mary (a great challenging rapids in three
pitches) and ends with the Cabin Section (an even more demanding stretch which most boaters will
enjoy from shore, and even well seasoned boaters will likely appreciate having good safety
support in a few key locations). At low-to-moderate flows, this section can easily be parsed into
three sequential pitches. At higher flows, the drops tend to 'run together', creating many
opportunities for epic tales to be told later around the bar or campfire. And, between these two
sequences, you'll find a plentiful assortment of good drops to keep you on your toes.
Description and images on Midwest River Inventory
For additional description, see Upper Midwest
PaddleGuide
American Whitewater members can click
here to access AW Journal archives to see an article from the AW Journal way back in
1981!
In addition to this reach, the article also describes the following:
Michigan's
Upper Presque Isle,
Lower Presque Isle,
Middle Black,
Lower Black,
Lower Silver,
Falls, and
Rock,
and Wisconsin's
Lower Brunsweiler,
Montreal, W.Fk., and
Montreal Canyon.
As of September, 2001, a USGS gauge at Skanee Road is online.
According to at least one boater's report:
| 8.50' | 475 cfs | 'moderate' |
| 8.00' | 325 cfs | 'moderate low' |
| 7.43' | everything is runnable, but getting quite scrapey |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SILVER RIVER NEAR L'ANSE, MI | ||||||||||||
| usgs-04043150 | 7.50 - 9.00 ft | III-V | 02h50m | 6.7 ft (rc= -0.5 ) | ||||||||
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver [MI] |
Cabin Section |
n/a | Boris Glick | |
| Silver River [MI] |
Cabin Section |
7.43' (Minimum) | Rob Smage | |
| 1y202d08h34m | Upper Silver [MI] |
Steve runs Hail Mary |
8' | Mike Croak |
| 3y221d08h34m | Silver River [MI] |
Silver Bullet Bob |
263 cfs | Mike Croak |
| 4y232d16h34m | Silver [MI] |
1st Pitch Hail Mary |
8.2-8.3 | Nate Alwine |
| 4y233d16h34m | Silver [MI] |
Silver Bullet |
8.2-8.3 | Nate Alwine |
| 5y235d16h34m | Upper Silver [MI] |
Steep drop on upper Silver |
7.6' | Mark Mastalski |
| 7y197d08h34m | Silver [MI] |
Cabin Section Silver |
220 cfs / 7.6' | Rob Smage |
| 8y220d08h34m | Silver [MI] |
Main Drops on the Upper |
Good | Rob Smage |
| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.4 | Hail Mary (three pitches) | IV | |
| 1.6 | Cabin Section | IV+ |
"Hail Mary" is broken down into three pitches. The first pitch starts with a jumbled slide into a nearly 90-degree left turn, followed by a sequence of holes and waves.
A short pool brings you to the second pitch: A rocky protuberance separates the flow (at low-to-moderate levels, anyway). To the right, water flows over a shallow shelf and dumps into a wrapping hole (the current from the left line). To the left, a sweet slide accelerates you into the flow dropping in from the right, then (with little pause) accelerates you toward a pretty good sized hole, with diagonal 'feeder waves' funneling you into the maw. Punch the hole hard, angled left to catch the left eddy, or you will be fed (by the outflow) right into an undercut wall.
A longer let-up precedes the final pitch. The jagged rock of the riverbed 'humps' down the middle of this pitch. To the left, water spills into a nasty, narrow crease. (You DON'T want to be anywhere near this!) With adequate water, the most opted for route is more-or-less down the center, but more often when I've been there (with low-to-moderate flows), the preferred route has been well to the right. A short initial ledge drops you into a short pool. Sliding out of there, you grunge down toward a wall of rock (right shore), to be diverted sharply to your left. You do your best to avoid banging paddle or right elbow on the wall (or worse, being flipped) as you head toward the hole formed where currents converge (from the left-side slot) as they (hopefully) spit you out downstream.
This is some serious gradient that you will want to take a good look at. As soon as you see the first 'cabin' (house) on the right, get out to scout the whole section. At low-to-moderate flows, you can easily break it down into three or more distinct pitches, each of which is not that difficult. However, taking the whole sequence together (as will be the case at higher flows), it is a huge chunk of gradient to navigate.
User Comments
second pitch, More wood across the river between the second and third pitch, and also some wood at
the bottom of the third pitch. we chose not to run this part on Monday scout carefully if you
choose to do so. Also as noted below the cabin section has wood at the bottom of it right at the
end of the silver bullet. Edit
clump of Birch trees and the root system fell into the river and it is completely blocked. Do not
attempt to run any of the cabin section until you get a look at it. If something happens upstream
of this cluster of Birch it would be bad news. Please exercise caution.
Marquette, MI POSTED: April 19, 2009 L'ANSE - A Houghton man is dead after a kayaking accident that
occurred on the Silver River in Baraga County Friday evening. Richard Honrath Jr., 47, was
pronounced dead at Baraga Memorial Hospital. Baraga County Sheriff's deputies went to the Silver
River in L'Anse Township, shortly after 8:20 p.m. to assist a kayaker who was reportedly "pinned
against a tree." Deputies found Honrath pinned under a tree in fast-moving rapids. He was pulled
from the water and taken to the hospital. Honrath and his partner, Dave Bullock, 38, of downstate
St. Johns had entered the Silver River about two miles upstream from where the incident occurred.
Bullock told police that Honrath had rolled and was separated from his kayak. Bullock attempted a
rescue with a throw rope, but all attempts failed. According to Bullock, he and Honrath had been
kayaking together for about 15 years and were familiar with the Silver River. The L'Anse Fire
Department, Bay Ambulance, Keweenaw Bay Tribal Police and the L'Anse and Baraga village police
departments assisted with the incident.