Selway

Ran the Selway from April 15 to 18th. It ran between 7000 to 9000 on the Lowell gauge. Even at these flows the large rapids were still very big with many large holes. At this level this is a Kayak and Cat boat level for those who are not proffesionals. Dry suites at this time of year are a must since a swim in Ladle will leave you swiming for 3 miles. At this flow the sneak line on the right of Double Drop is in. Running Ladle down the middle seemed like the easies and safest choice. Goat rapid was a joy with all its twisting moves. Camping is great all over the place.

This report is specifically intended for rafters and focuses on high-flow conditions on the Selway River.

In my experience, the Paradise foot gauge is not a reliable indicator of true river flow, especially for rafters. Numerous significant tributaries enter the Selway below the gauge, dramatically affecting flow volume downstream. Additionally, there's widespread misinformation and exaggeration regarding foot gauge levels, which contributes to confusion.

The 'foot gauge' at paradise was also replaced in 2018, and now registers lower readings. This further complicates matters related to the foot gauges.

For a more accurate understanding of the river’s behavior—especially concerning the Moose Juice section at mile 27, which is by far the most challenging—the Lowell CFS (cubic feet per second) gauge provides a far more complete, consistent and useful measure.

At high flows, the Selway becomes significantly more hazardous. These conditions are often manageable for experienced kayakers, but for rafters, any swim at high water is extremely dangerous—posing life-threatening risks and severe challenges for recovery and rescue.

The river demonstrates distinct shifts in volatility at key flow thresholds:

• At 14,000 CFS and above (Lowell gauge), the Selway begins to behave like a different river altogether. Rapids become more powerful, rescue becomes difficult, and the entire section demands Class V-level management.
• At 20,000 CFS and above, the river enters a highly volatile state. The canyon walls constrict, eddy access all but disappears, and the stretch becomes solid Class V for both running and managing rafts.
• Beyond 24,000 CFS, I have no personal experience, and I would advise extreme caution.

A key hazard for rafters is the unpredictability of rising flows overnight. It is not uncommon for the Selway to rise from 10,000 to over 20,000 CFS in less than 24 hours. This has serious implications for those who scout “The Juice” the day before running it. Without current flow data, rafters can easily find themselves on a radically different and far more dangerous river than expected.

Before entering the canyon, river runners should posses a full memorized road map of this section, being able to know where they are and what is coming. It is critical to maintain awareness of location in the stretch in the event that you are unable to stop.

Key Hazards at High Flow:

• Double Drop: This is the site of most incidents. At high flows, it develops enormous and unpredictable waves, with a powerful, near-inescapable hole in the bottom right. For most rafts, this rapid is not runnable.
• Grizzly Saddle: Close to Ladle and with almost no eddy below, this rapid is extremely difficult to manage at high water.
• Ladle: At these levels, it becomes a river-wide ledge hole. The narrow right-line route has recently been further compromised by accumulating wood near an existing jam, increasing its hazard level.
• Niagara to Miranda Jane: Characterized by collosal wave trains and several dangerous holes, this section requires intense focus and precise maneuvering.
• Below Moose Juice: Though more manageable, the river remains very fast and should never be underestimated at high flows.

Please use extreme caution when considering a high-water run on the Selway. The dynamics of this river change drastically above 14,000 CFS, and the hazards scale up exponentially. The waves are erratic and irregular, enormous, oceanic - hard to compare if you haven't built up experience in these types of conditions. Recovery is often impossible, and the margin for error is razor-thin. This is not the same river you know at lower flows.

Stay safe so you can have fun.

Great trip with good friends. Paradise gauge read about .6 when we put on, 1200 cfs on the Lowell gauge. We encountered at least six other groups on the river. No issues with camping.  I had to get out of the raft about a half dozen times to get unstuck, including basically walking the boat through Pinball Alley. Washer Woman and Wolf Creek are probably the two trickiest rapids on the run, although most of the run will require your full attention in a raft.

The USFS really needs to evauate the one launch per day limit on the Selway. We had five times that number of groups and I would say that number is at, but not exceding, capacity.

My son and I did a four day trip hiking up from the take-out with packrafts over two days and then paddling back down over two days. We had some great fishing opportunities and also carried swim goggles with us to experience the incredibly clear water and observe all the trout. The water was plenty warm for swimming. The best part about packrafting from the bottom is we did not have to plan a shuttle or worry about flows as there is plenty of water in the river on the whole section below Moose Creek.

We hiked up the first two days when flow was at 870 cfs and 770 cfs respectively and passed about half a dozen groups who were floating down with some who had started at the top at Paradise and others who had flown in to one of the air strips. We went at a slow pace hiking in with frequent fishing and swimming stops on the way making it to Pinchot Creek by the second night. On the third day we left our camping gear and hiked up a bit from Pinchot Creek before inflating our packrafts and beginning the journey back downstream, picking up our overnight gear as we passed Pinchot Creek. Flows on this first day of floating were at 790 cfs. We camped one more night on the river at Cupboard Creek where we had some more great fishing and a bear feasting on the berry bushes at the edge of our camp. On day four we had flows of 755 cfs that took us back to our car at the take-out with more fishing along the way. I highly recommend the August packraft trip of hiking up from the bottom as an option for those who want simple logistics and a spectacular river river trip.

A low water trip at the end of permit system in August still offers good whitewater, in years when the flows remain above average, and some great fishing. The river is also warm enough to swim in. Thomas O'Keefe and Web Peirce did the trip over four days with camps are Bear Creek, Moose Creek, and Pinchot Creek.

Ladle during pre-season run, low water

The electronic gauge at Paradise launch site can be found at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot/ look for the link on the right side of the page. This is not a USGS gauge so most people look at the Lowell gauge and interpolate. Also, the lower stick gauge at the launch which blew out in high water last spring has now been replaced. Paradise Earl

Three day trip on the Selway River with the put-in at Paradise at 1.3' corresponding to 1810 at Lowell and dropping to 1580 cfs. Rare higher than normal flows for the second week in August and dozens of groups were out to take advantage of the unique opportunity. American Whitewater staff and a few friends got out on the river for a trip together.

Dave Steindorf rowing daughter Molly and Mamie Colburn, down the Selway in August 2008. Rafting, Fishing and Fun on the Selway River.