Snoqualmie, Middle Fork

This is a great pack rafting adventure and the perfect local run to test out your packing system with a five mile hike in followed by a fun, and very scenic, paddle back. Alex and I hiked up to Dingford Creek and put in there. I found a spot on river right on the upstream side of the trail bridge and Alex found a spot on the downstream river left side of the bridge.

We had enough water but I would have preferred a bit more. The run starts off with nearly continuous class III+ boulder gardens for about half a mile that requires good route finding and boat scouting skills. I think 2000 cfs (on the Middle Fork gage; the lower here is much lower) would be about ideal but the lower flows may be preferred by some who want to proceed more cautiously without the push of higher flows. A flow of 1100 cfs as we experienced, while at the low end of the range, provided enough water to get down safely with more time to set up than would be the case at higher flows.

As we approached Cripple Creek we encountered the same river-wide logs that were there last week and will likely be there until a future high water event associated with a fall storm. It was relatively easy to eddy out just above it at the flows we experienced. You would be coming into it faster at higher flows.

After Cripple Creek we were treated to amazing views of Mt. Garfield and passed by a few sites that would make great campsites for an overnight trip. As we approached the island where the flow splits just over a mile upstream of the Taylor River we encountered another portage at the big log jam. Currently only one log blocks the river right channel that now has most of the flow. Just around the corner downstream of this log jam we encountered a solitary tree across the channel that resulted in our third portage of the day. We had more great views as we looked back upstream and soon the Taylor River confluence and Arch Bridge came into view marking the end of the trip.

An objective of our trip was to survey for Harlequin Ducks. We did not see any but did see a solitary merganser. We took out at the Middle Fork Trailhead Arch Bridge.

It took a little over 2 hours to hike in and get geared up. Total float time was approximately 2 hours.