The last time I took high water photos was 5/21 when the river was running 6,400 cubic feet per second–it’s the red spike on the hydrograph. We had a freeze and the melt slowed, and then we had a hot wind and the melt increased. Monday the river was at another high–people estimated it was 5,800 cfs.
Kayakers have gotten more practice and are ready to try the big waves. At Smelter Rapids there are about 20 people watching; there is a group of kayakers getting into their dry suits in the parking lot; and there are three kayakers taking turns on a six foot standing wave.
This is the same guy who kayaked alone here last high water. His kayak is facing upstream, and he is being held in place by the backwash created by a big boulder in the river. He has big water flowing downstream, the foaming rush pushing upstream, and he’s balancing in the fulcrum of these forces.
He makes it look easy but it’s not.
It’s pretty hard to settle into the sweet spot when the forces are so enormous.
Dang hard.
I heard that Fire and Rescue is averaging 3 saves a day from here, because there’s a tight eddy on the other side of the river that people can’t get out of, and the water is icy. Of course, it’s not the kayakers who need rescuing.
It’s the rafters who get thrown in the rapids and can’t get to the other side of the river. I’m all in favor of scantily clad rafters in summer, but not in spring. This water is from snowmelt, and it’s fierce.
When it comes to cold water safety, it’s all about the clothes.
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