Moose, Middle Branch

This is my backyard run, I do this a lot. We need to update the Range, to a minimum of 3.5 feet up. Personally, I only go to Nelson’s at 3.5’ and will do laps, the rest is brutally scratchy to McKeever. Either paddle back from the railroad bridge to your car below SW, or paddle to where you can hike out using the Nelson Lake trail parking area.

Please be careful at Nelson’s. Wood is constantly finding places to block and obstruct. This rapid sees more wood than any other on the Moose, my opinion.
4.5 is my minimum. Much much better from here up. Creek and RiverRunners work well with this section, considering the nature of the river. With the full slice or half slice boats, there can be lots of play. My feeling is that the Middle is under surfed because of all the creekers. Most of it comes in the form of front surfing waves catching on the fly. The best wave is in the rapid Down the Left after the long Nelson’s flat water paddle. Halfway down, wide wave in mid wave train, best luck of catching from micro eddy on the right to kill momentum, then slide on(Higher levels It can be done from micro eddy on left). At high levels, look out for a hole that appears at the bottom of the wave train (over 10’).

This rapid bleeds into the continuous Boulder Section which has some splattable boulders, some squirt lines and catch on the fly front surfing waves. When the river breaks left again, you can take out here, climbing the hill to the sand pit snowmobile trail area, or continue out. This is the second Down the Left rapid, which is pretty interesting as read and run. Can be play here at times and just below, before the confluence with the S Branch.

The railroad trestle offers a big glassy wave I saw once at 12 plus feet. Takeout normally at McKeever Bridge on right, but if you continue on, head down the left, catch on the fly waves are under the bridge occasionally that you can grab some nice front surfs on.

If you’re in from out of town, at this level Or higher it is best to add on the rest of the Middle to fill out the day. We have been parking at Tannery and throw the first two rapids of the Lower in if you’re up for it.