Stillaguamish, S. Fork

At the corner above the Gold Basin Campground, 2 new fallen trees have been added to the old log. Now one big tree across the river and a smaller tree in the direction of the current are below the old log. At 6.53 feet, a few of us could bump down the right, ferry over the submerged old log and boof over the big tree. Easy portage on the gravel bar on the right.

The river-wide log seen on 3/24/2025 moved to the side. No longer an issue at all. The log above the Gold Basin at the right bend toward the log wall became more tricky. Not a new log, has been there for some time. At 6.8 ft today, we could run on the very right, but the right line would be too rocky at lower water, and all water will go toward the log. We were glad we had scouted it on the way to the put-in.

About half a mile below the Boardman Creek access spot is a large tree fully blocking the river. You can see it from the road. Portage right.

No more portage needed as of 12/10/2024

There are two river wide logs on the Silly Stilly, the 2nd of which requires a portage and is a new one. There are both just above the log wall project at Gold Basin. The first log, we were able to go under left side at 5.59ft but that might not be true at higher levels. Be sure you are in control because you'll need to edy out on right side just after first log to portage 2nd log on right gravel bar. It is a easy portage. You can easily scout logs on your shuttle if you know where to pull off the road. See logs at min 2:45+ on this video.
https://gopro.com/v/V60wap7w245PJ

There's a few trees in the river in the section leading up to the Gold Basin re-channel project including one that spans the main flow. At 5.9 feet there was a sneak line to the right. After this initial tree there's a few more along the left bank. They don't exend out too far but do make you need to run further right as you approach the new channel/log wall (where you want to keep left) so approach this section with caution. The rest of the run ( ran from just upstream from Wiley Creek to Verlot CG) was pretty clean with logs in a few spots that were easy to spot. It's a dynamic river channel so always keep an eye out for wood.

The newly created channel at Gold Basin has another issue aside from logs. As the new channel is scoured out by the river, clay ledges have appeared along with rocks that are not river-worn and have sharp edges. There is also the possibility of sharp objects being left behind during the digging of the channel. A recent trip resulted in a ripped inflatable tube in this channel. Keep an eye out and keep to the deeper channels.

Recent high water events have ripped out multiple logs from the channel project at Gold Basin. Be extra vigilant looking out for wood at and below Gold Basin.

In summer 2021, a huge channel diversion project took place near Gold Creek Campground, or rather IN the campground. The river channel was diverted to a new riverbed that cuts through what was previously part of the campground. The new right bank has been filled with large logs and root balls. As of 10/10/2021 the channel looked clear, but the right bank presents a hazard to boaters. Keep left here and keep an eye out for wood in this section and downstream, as high water events may dislodge and move logs around.