Elk River, Back Fork

More on the strainer alert:

The strainer that Mike Mullins referred to is still there. We were on the run for the first time and did not know how soon the Three Falls section was coming up. As mentioned, the strainer looks completely passable on the left side. But what looks like water going over the top of the strainer, actually seems to be water pillowing up on a root ball where it looks passable. Three very competent paddlers in our group wound up going under this strainer because they thought the route was open, and two of them wound up swimming. It was possible at that water level (1150cfs Elk R below Webster Springs) to limbo under the far right side of the strainer, but if the water had been any higher, that option would not have been there. As mentioned, the portage is easy.

Also- if you put on at Sugar Creek, there is another strainer to contend with shortly after the 8-10 foot ledge on the creek. There is a fallen tree extending across the river from the river right bank, and another fallen tree just behind it, extending from the river left bank. At the level listed above, it is possible to eddy out to the left of the first strainer and ferry between the two, but it is a tight move. Might be a good idea to portage this, too, if the level is any higher.