A 207 day old warning about this river was added. Click on comments below to read it.

Silver - A) 'Upper Silver': Silver Rd to Arvon Rd (2.3 miles)


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Silver,

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A) 'Upper Silver': Silver Rd to Arvon Rd (2.3 miles)

Usual Difficulty III-V (may vary with level)
Avg. Gradient 150 fpm
Max Gradient 177 fpm

Cabin Section


Cabin Section
Photo of Trish Arana by Rob Smage @ 7.43' (Minimum)

Gauge Information

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 )


River Description

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.



StreamTeam Status: Not Verified
Last Updated: 2009-09-09 02:27:59

Cabin lower sequence

Detail Trip Report Edit  Cabin lower sequence  Silver River, MI(2.50MB .avi)

Cabin Section

Detail Trip Report Edit  Cabin Section  Silver River, MI(13.64KB .jpeg)

Hail Mary, second pitch

Detail Trip Report Edit  Hail Mary, second pitch  Silver River, MI(1.57MB .avi)

Cabin middle sequence

Detail Trip Report Edit  Cabin middle sequence  Silver River, MI(2.32MB .avi)

Hail Mary

Detail Trip Report Edit  Hail Mary  Silver, MI(2.06MB .wmv)

Cabin Section Silver

Detail Trip Report Edit  Cabin Section Silver  Silver, MI(3.25MB .wmv)

Main Drops on the Upper

Detail Trip Report Edit  Main Drops on the Upper  Silver, MI(7.56MB .wmv)

Entire Cabin section of upper Silver

Detail Trip Report Edit  Entire Cabin section of upper Silver  Upper Silver, MI(65.67KB .jpeg)

Steep drop on upper Silver

Detail Trip Report Edit  Steep drop on upper Silver  Upper Silver, MI(56.62KB .jpeg)

Seven foot waterfall on the upper Silver

Detail Trip Report Edit  Seven foot waterfall on the upper Silver  Upper Silver, MI(60.34KB .jpeg)

Cabin section of Upper Silver

Detail Trip Report Edit  Cabin section of Upper Silver  Upper Silver, MI(66.61KB .jpeg)

Upper Cabin Section

Detail Trip Report Edit  Upper Cabin Section  Silver, MI(91.54KB .jpeg)

Silver Bullet

Detail Trip Report Edit  Silver Bullet  Silver, MI(66.93KB .jpeg)

Silver Bullet

Detail Trip Report Edit  Silver Bullet  Silver, MI(119.08KB .jpeg)

Silver Bullet

Detail Trip Report Edit  Silver Bullet  Silver, MI(87.84KB .jpeg)

Upper and entrance to Lower Cabin Section

Detail Trip Report Edit  Upper and entrance to Lower Cabin Section  Silver, MI(107.08KB .jpeg)

Upper Cabin Section

Detail Trip Report Edit  Upper Cabin Section  Silver, MI(107.37KB .jpeg)

Upper Cabin Section

Detail Trip Report Edit  Upper Cabin Section  Silver, MI(113.76KB .jpeg)

Bubblebath

Detail Trip Report Edit  Bubblebath  Silver, MI(104.49KB .jpeg)

Bubblebath

Detail Trip Report Edit  Bubblebath  Silver, MI(105.13KB .jpeg)

Hail Mary Part 1

Detail Trip Report Edit  Hail Mary Part 1  Silver, MI(99.67KB .jpeg)

1st Pitch Hail Mary

Detail Trip Report Edit  1st Pitch Hail Mary  Silver, MI(93.31KB .jpeg)

1st Pitch Hail Mary

Detail Trip Report Edit  1st Pitch Hail Mary  Silver, MI(111.65KB .jpeg)

1st Pitch Hail Mary

Detail Trip Report Edit  1st Pitch Hail Mary  Silver, MI(89.70KB .jpeg)

Rob on 1st picth of Hail Mary

Detail Trip Report Edit  Rob on 1st picth of Hail Mary  Silver, MI(101.68KB .jpeg)

Silver Bullet Bob

Detail Trip Report Edit  Silver Bullet Bob  Silver River, MI(3.57MB .mov)

Steve runs Hail Mary

Detail Trip Report Edit  Steve runs Hail Mary  Upper Silver, MI(410.27KB .jpeg)

Cabin Section

Detail Trip Report Edit  Cabin Section  Silver, MI(130.23KB .jpeg)


Gauge Information

Gauge Description:

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

Based upon six years of data from the USGS gauge,
minimum flow is zero (of course),
maximum flow was 2,660 cfs,
90% flow was 11 cfs (90% of the time flow equals or exceeds this value),
10% flow was 169 cfs (10% of the time flow equals or exceeds this value),
making for a 10/90 ratio of 15 (suggesting a rather flashy stream, no big surprise).

Best month to catch it is April (15 runnable days, on average; low of 9, high of 22),
with March and May being next best (4 runnable days average, low of 0, high of 8-10),
though it has run in June, October, and November.

Offseason ('Ice') correlations:
9.86' =1000 cfs
9.53' = 860 cfs
9.00' = 650 cfs
8.87' = 600 cfs
8.58' = 500 cfs
8.26' = 400 cfs
7.91' = 300 cfs
7.71' = 250 cfs
7.50' = 200 cfs
7.40' = 180 cfs

Disclaimer: Be aware that indication of a 'runnable' level by the gauge does not necessarily mean that the river is runnable. In winter, gauge readings may be 'ice affected'. Sections of the river may be impassable due to ice. Use discretion for late fall, winter, and early spring runs.

The 'boaters gauge' is to look at the river downstream of Arvon Road. If it looks a bit rocky ('marginal') you probably have a decent level! If there are no rocks showing, prepare for a beefy run!

Boaters also use a 'measure down' gauge at the bridge at Skanee Road. Measuring down from underside downstream left on NEW bridge there: 72" down appears to equate to -22" on old bridge (I.E. relative minimum level for runnability). Desirable (runnable) levels may be 60" to 69" down, with 70"-73" runnable but getting scrapey.

Also, I have received word that If you measure down from the bottom of the concrete on the bridge on the upstream left side and subtract that number from 14.81 feet, that will give you the gage height (this will correlate very nicely with the USGS gage height that appears on the web).

Gauge Information

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 )

RangeWater LevelDifficultyComment
7.50 -9.00 ft barely runnable-high runnable III-V

Report - Reports of Silver A) 'Upper Silver': Silver Rd to Arvon Rd (2.3 miles) and related gauges

Reports give the public a chance to report on river conditions throughout the country as well as log the history of a river.

Reports

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

WXPort

News




icon of message No guide books for this stream. If you know of a book that describes this stream please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run.

User Comments


2009-04-28 09:11:10 (207 days ago)
A lot of wood in the Hail Mary section. River wide log partially under water between the fires and
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

2009-04-27 10:00:19 (208 days ago)
Rob SmageDetails
*** As posted by Craig Smerda, on BSBS message board *** at the exit of Silver Bullet there a large
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.

2009-04-20 08:49:19 (215 days ago)
Doug HeymDetails
http://www.miningjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/526038.html?nav=5006 The Mining Journal,
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.
Add a Comment

Rapid Summary

Mile Rapid Name Class Features (Legend)
0.4Hail Mary (three pitches)IV
1.6Cabin SectionIV+

Rapid Descriptions

Hail Mary (three pitches) (Class IV, Mile 0.4)

"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.



Cabin Section (Class IV+, Mile 1.6)

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.





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