Skagit

I just floated the Skagit river from Marblemount to Rockport last weekend. The river was at low runnable level but was quite nice. I had intentionally picked a very placid river because I have not canoed a river in a long time and I had three people with my group that are in there seventies. The launch point at Marbelmount is nice with a good amount of open slow water to get settled before you hit the current. There are good places to eat just across the bridge and a selection of good camp sites. I ended up at Marble Creek camp site. That is a Federal park eight miles east of the launch point. It has no drinkable water but is dense forest with comfortable camp sites for tents. On the river there are only two points you would need to have any boat handling skills at all to get through. About one mile from Marblemount there is a shoot in the center/left of the river. If you are not lined up well at low runnable flow the rocks will hang up on your canoe as you try and get in line. The other point is about six and a half miles in. The clear path is on the extreme left edge of the river. It would not be any stress at all but there are about five big rocks in the line you need to cross to get through and at low water they could catch you. Also the channel runs through the branches of a down tree as you exit the shoot. Take out in rock port is easy and you have a selection of parks to exit through. The scenery is beautiful and the locals very nice. It is a tourist trap for the north cascades highway but the prices are not that bad for gas, food an lodgings. Dann