Sol Duc

Three packrafters out for the day, put in at the Klahowya campground around 11:25am and took out at the Fish hatchery at 5:15pm (6ish hours) including a lunch break (14.5 Miles). Sol Duc R. nr Quillayute Gauge was at 17.36 feet ‘low runnable’. A fun day in the spring sun, although at this flow level, the river is a bit bony in places. The main river spanning wood noted in a prior report, could be floated over on river right and can be scouted from the gravel bar on the left. the rapid at (48.06500, -124.26575) however, was too low and bony, for passage on the upper section, but a short portage, on river right, allows you to enjoy the lower section of the rapid.

What remains of the hatchery weir is easily floated over on river left. Lots of eagles, and some kind of insect hatch with enough flying insects to mimic a hail storm at times.

Spanning log down river from Bear Ck quite a bit. It’s a little below the drop that has the hard right slot that bypasses where the drift boat was abandoned a couple of years ago. Above the long drop just above the 1st 101 bridge on this river section. At this flow there’s enough water to float over on river right. Another ft lower and the river is going to be blocked. SolDuc Gauge ~18.5'

• Approximate location 48.06832° N, 124.26848° W

We enjoyed Thanksgiving morning on the Sol Duc with a fun paddle from Hillstrom Road down to the hatchery under misty skies. The Mosh Pit was not in but we enjoyed fun class II and III whitewater before Thanksgiving evening with friends. Boaters on the trip included Tom O'Keefe, Omar Jepperson, James Girton, Leanna Girton, and Cassia Tackett.

When we arrived the Sol Duc had not yet crested to 31 feet and large logs were coming down river, so we ran Riverside down to Most Pit, 14 Miles in under 2 hours and when we got back to the Most Pit the logs had subsided and surfers right, river left was friendly. Surfers left river right was sticky.

A fun day on the Sol Duc with a big crew over the Thanksgiving weekend.

A run down the Sol Duc from Hillstrom Road to the hatchery that ended with a session at the Mosh Pit.

Another day on the Sol Duc with high water and some fun waves on the run from Hillstrom Road ending with a session at the Mosh Pit.

High flows made for a fun trip down the Sol Duc with good catch-on-the-fly surfing.

A great day at the Mosh Pit with the Queets gage up to 70k.