Salmon, North Fork

Great run on a day of shifting light and weather and medium flows. It was the first day of the 2023 Salmon River Whitewater Gathering, which is all about getting people together and out exploring as many of the 23 runs in the Salmon River watershed that can be boated in a weekend. Other groups started at Idlewild and paddled thorugh this section later in the day.

The NF Salmon Canyon Run is one of my favorite sections of river here due to its diversity and number of rapids plus the gorgeous scenery and cool canyon. While snowmelt has the South Fork Salmon a bit murky, the North Fork has remained fairly clear and emerald green. I think of 3,750 as a lower liit of medium flow--or upper limit of low flow--for this run: not too low to enjoy but also slower and not powered up.

One change since I last paddled this run four days prior: a tree fell from the left bank just above Getting Going. It blocks most of the channel but can be paddled around on the right at these flows.

It was fun to join Nicole and Sean to see them R2 this section, something that is very rarely done: this run is mostly the domain of kayakers, although it has been rafted before.

We kept the run low key by taking out at Saw Pit Flat rather than paddling the Indian Point Gorge, although flows were ideal for that this day. We went and ran Butler next.