Snoqualmie, S. Fork

Floated down the river this weekend (April 13, 2014) in two Alpaka packrafts with my dad. We are on the lower-intermediate level in terms of packrafting/kayaking experience. Water was at 335 cfs (recommended range, per site, is 300-2500) -- and at 335 it was still good to float, but I wouldn't have wanted it to be any lower. We put in at the parking lot to Twin Falls, and got out at the 436 Bridge, just as the entry here describes. Float time was just under ~1.5 hours, including a couple of quick stops at a few eddies. It felt shorter than the 5 miles described (not sure if it actually is shorter than 5 miles, or was merely our perception because of the many fast-paced sections).

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The first ~.5 miles from the parking lot (to first bridge over river) had an intermediate amount of waves and wave trains: enough to keep us ready for whitewater, but not too bad. The next mile or so was quite placid and with beautiful scenery. But then the next few miles compensated handily for the relaxation, with lots of rocks to dodge (at least at this low water level), constant maneuvering, and fast-paced action. The river drops surprisingly a lot in those places: you can really see the gradient. Despite the dodging and a few rocks we each ran into, neither one of us ended up in the water.

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There were a couple of fallen trees on the banks and partially on the river, but none that blocked the river fully. All in all, beautiful scenery, and good fast-paced action.