Nooksack, N. Fork

Photos

Ran upper misto yesterday after work, put in at milepost 45 and took out at milepost 42 (across from machine gun pillows). We both determined that 475cfs is the absolute bare minimum for this run despite what the description says. 600-700 would be perfect for the first gorge. The braided sections were barely deep enough for us to pass through and the gorge was definitely a bit manky in spots. The first rapid that enters the gorge is a must portage due to wood. The first big drop was pretty messy and I opted to walk around instead of bouncing down the boulders. The second drop had a fun flake on the left. Third drop we started right before the river funneled through a 5 foot slot at the bottom. A couple more little ledges before the last big drop which has a massive boulder in the middle of the gorge with all of the flow going left over a decent drop. My buddy ran this one but after watching him almost get slammed against the rock I opted for the seal launch off the rock instead. The rapids quickly die down in intensity and there are some wood hazards as you transition into the braided channels. There was also a large rainbow shaped piece of rebar in the middle slot of one of the rapids just below the gorge. Trip took about an hour and a half with stops to scout each of the bigger drops