There’s simply too many variables (water levels, winds, snowpack, precipitation, wildlife, terrain, fires, trail conditions, body limitations etc) and interactions between those variables (e.g. It was a big river, about 200ft wide and moving swiftly at a high gradient. The price is the same for a 5 or 6 day trip you can decide which is best for you. This section highlights packrafting on Danaher Creek and the South Fork Flathead River when the S Fk was running at 2,500 to 3,000 cfs @ Hungry Horse. One in particular was a must-make take out. In addition to guided fishing trips, we offer drop & float trips on the South Fork of the Flathead River. Six Montana paddlers took a five day backpacking and packrafting trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness to float about 56 miles of the South Fork of the Flathead River in mid-July. I’ve realized the hazard of this, which is the first step in staying safe. It was immediately obvious this was going to be a horrible alder bash, but back tracking now was out of the question so I turned to the task at hand. The rat sampled a variety of my stuff sacks, as well as the buttons on my InReach satellite device. Especially toward the end of the trip, going into Meadow Creek Gorge. Nicely done and congrats on the best new time. With the dropping temperatures, I was worried about handling rain – or perhaps snow – on the high ridge. Story by Eric Hanson, Photos by Jacob Moon. In brief though, I was glad to arrive at the finish in good shape both mentally and physically. The latter was the route with good style, but now with heavy rainfall and diminishing daylight hours I reset my ambitions to just completing the former, which in itself looked dubious with the potential for snow, rain and white out conditions on the likely corniced ridge. That year I never even found the trail. The ascent was entirely reasonable, with no slopes steep enough to require removing the snowshoes, and a well situated break in the two-tiered cornice which allowed passage: With the rain holding off and 2.5 hrs of daylight, I had conflicted feelings. Once on top, I would follow that ridge with the option to descend after two miles into the Pentagon drainage (where a trail would await), or continue on ridges all the way to the Spotted Bear River at Dean Creek. Other packrafts exist, but they are either too fragile for moving water use in a wilderness setting, or too heavy. I figured I’d likely have to blow up the boat anyways to cross the Middle Fork Flathead in a couple miles, so if I could take a few miles off my feet here that would help. I’ve realized the hazard of this, which is the first step in staying safe. I’d taken poor care of my feet, knees, shins, shoulders, gear and psyche. 2019 BMWO Just did a three-week trip in the Bob; didn’t come close to doing ten miles on any day. However, Montana has one particularly iconic spot for this adventure: the South Fork of the Flathead River, located in the beloved-by-locals Bob Marshall Wilderness. Length: 38 miles. Watch out for the final takeout warning sign, which is well above river level and midway through the rapid right after the takeout gravel bar. Terminology aside, I try to move as fast as I can. Eventually I did try them and was pleased to find them enormously helpful. Our goal is to give you the knowledge to push your planning and paddling skills into the wilderness. This time around I was ensnared by a mistake from the map maker. With that weighing on my mind, I started briskly down the trail at 8 AM glad for company from Will, who put in a tremendous effort last year to finish hours ahead of me. We will pack your gear and your float equipment and can also pack you in if you aren’t up for the long hike into the South Fork of the Flathead River. It is also very remote. I put in and quickly had to navigate several logs across the river before the wood diminished and I was free to turn my attention to the upcoming rapids I had annotated on my map. Trip Report: Packrafting the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. Soon I was nearing what appeared to be at least a few hundred feet of cliff, so I veered harder while rappelling down some alder I was now appreciative of. Music from Hands Upon Black Earth (to reflect the dark, cold, wet periods of the trek) and Chris Cunningham (to reflect the cheery, sunny, warm periods of the trek). The first few miles to Soldier Lake were fine but on the back side the trail became an overgrown logging road, and then deteriorated entirely as I joined the “trail” for 8 miles up Conner Creek. Congratulations on the new best time and finishing in what it sounds like a really great condition Physically. I’ve been through horrible alder bushwacks before. It was clear that the route would go – even if I had to tunnel through the cornice – and also clear that this was my only option within miles for getting over the Trilobite Range, with impressive cliffs on either side. In particular, we found a clever path through the otherwise mostly continuous snow by hugging the edge of the Gateway Creek gully: Once back on good trail, the much feared rain started and we quickly reached Strawberry Creek. As I sit here now, I do regret not trying it because I could have pulled it off. Beyond the Spotted Bear River I had two route options over the final mountains – the Swan Range. I checked my position and was relieved to find I had just passed the most substantial rapid I had planned on paddling. The Flathead River System offers a unique … In 2013 I was naive at how bad these could be and intentionally chose one, while in 2017 I had hastily planned the route from a USGS map that unbeknownst to me had used black for all the trails. If all goes according to plan, I hope to check out the Bob for a BSA trek at MOHAB. Intro I’ve learned so much from the BMWO on how to take care of my body, so it was really nice to have that pay off in terms of minimally sore knees and feet. Maybe next year I’ll plan a really hard pass for 2 AM just to challenge myself. Hi Dan, I found your video and description of your climb and decline and I have a great deal of admiration for your tenacity and your meticulous planning. Packrafting specific workshops, classes, races, meet ups... 1 post • Page 1 of 1. I reminded myself of the plan “cut left and if you get to a cliff, cut harder. The 2019 course started near the NE corner of the Bob at the Swift Reservoir, and ran 50 miles in a straight line to Swan Lake, with routes on the ground in the range of 80 – 95 miles. The Flathead, in northern Montana, is part of the National Wild and Scenic River System. Here the grand line was heading up straight up to 7000′ and remaining there for what would be a stunning (in good weather) 10 mile ridgewalk over 4 summits. I’m still alive and kicking and going fishing for a few days next week. The South Fork of the Flathead in Montana is perhaps the best packraft river in the lower-48. The raft did survive the night of rodents, but much of my other gear fared worse. We had camped at the confluence that forms the South Fork and as we ate fish tacos and smoked pipes, we pondered what might lie down-river. I wasn’t too concerned about the lack of sleep because I’ve experienced enough sleepless nights during the BMWO to know that I can do without as long as I get some time off my feet. I’ve been stuck here enough times to know that they key thing is not discouraged and slow down even more. However, a weather forecast for substantial precipitation over the first two days put all that into jeopardy. Enter your email to receive notifications of new posts. Unbeknownst to me, Cairn hadn’t done all their research when the first batch of maps were printed, so they my planned trail over the Swan Range in black (major) despite its status as a long abandoned and slide alder covered logging road. Packrafting the Alatna River: The Wilds of Gates of the Arctic National Park. Our bush pilot had just dropped us in Gates of the Arctic National Park, near the Arrigetch Peaks in Alaska. I also couldn’t come up with a good reason to take on that risk, given that the 5 mile shorter distance would be offset by slower travel on the snow. Back on trail, my focus shifted to the next obstacle: packrafting the Spotted Bear River. I contemplated what that meant (or should mean) for the upcoming rafting, and decided I’d paddle anyways. Section: Schafer Meadows to Paola Access Area. At 1 lbs, the quilt is nice safety buffer and lets me go lighter on other warm layers. On my own, I got serious about the upcoming pass. on what terrain does high snowpack disproportionately cause deadfall after a wildfire?). On the 3rd day the team inflates their pack rafts and begins the float on this wild river. Thereafter they realized their mistake so newer maps have this route in red (which all the other participants were using) but I was unaware that Cairn had made this mistake and thus expected a maintained trail. Thus it wasn’t certain to go, and if it did it might be with the challenges of darkness, heavy rain, fog or snow. I regularly get lured into participating in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Open: a point A to B; plan your own route; wilderness event in the Montana Rockies during challenging off season conditions. The South Fork of the Flathead River in Montana is one of those classic packrafting trips my husband and I had been scheming about for years. At 7 pm I was on top. On snowshoes I neared the headwall of Clack Creek and was greatly relieved to have the rain cease as I broke above treeline. Unfortunately, I saw that they turned south, and then west. White, who has been packrafting for three years and kayaking for 12, had packrafted the South Fork of the Flathead River once before, the last time … Instead of packrafting at ideal flows, in good weather and with the company of friends, you often end up packrafting at high flows, solo, tired, during poor weather and at either dusk or dawn. Packrafting is particularly popular with canyoneers, who drop into slot canyons where the only way out is a river or lake. Trip Reports. It’s billed as not a race, but the “R” word slips out here and there – often enough to know that some individuals treat it as such. If you can learn to go mistake free with your body, route and gear while pushing 40 miles a day, then you gain a nice safety buffer when you dial that back to 20. With another hour of daylight I might have risked it,  but the pragmatic decision was obvious, so I turned my focus towards completing the still stunning 2 miles on the ridge to the Pentagon drainage. Below is the route I executed, with the mode of travel colored coded by purple (on trail), red (off trail) and blue (packrafting), and with dotted orange showing high alpine routes that went unexecuted. Especially toward the end of the trip, going into Meadow Creek Gorge. Beyond were a few canyon sections with beautiful waterfalls, spooky currents and moderate rapids – one of which separated a fellow participant from his boat – but I consistently took the most conservative lines and managed to stay surprisingly warm and trouble free. Most notable was the time a blister on my pinky toe expanded under the pounding of my footsteps until it encapsulated the entire toe in one big blister. Instead of packrafting at ideal flows, in good weather and with the company of friends, you often end up packrafting at high flows, solo, tired, during poor weather and at either dusk or dawn. It is very scenic. But I also wasn’t in the mood for a 3 mile detour after my alder battle, so I trusted my pre-trip planning that concluded there was a route through the cliffs. Packrafting for Beginners. from Dan Hagen Plus . In the following years I returned hoping to “learn how to do this” and figuring I’d soon have it mastered and the learning would cease. It is very scenic. Packrafting the Flathead River in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness. Packrafting opened up a world of adventure for me. The first BMWO was back in 2012 and I finished the 110 miles totally beat after 66 hours. Packrafting Montana's South Fork Flathead River Listen to the River, from Wild Confluence Films, is the story of a classic summertime river adventure gone awry. Still, it’s clear to me the learning is nowhere finished. Dates: June 27th – July 1st, 2019. There are 3 main reasons for this as I see it: 1. Pulling out my map, I quickly realized what that tricksy guy was up to. The snow began at only 5200′ after largely snow free conditions until above 6000′ on Gateway Pass. Will and Drew had originally heard of Gates in 2007, but it had taken a few years to find a group of people that were interested in going so far off the grid. Nestled in the heart of Montana’s best Wilderness packrafting rivers, Great Northern offers packraft instructional courses. The only thing that motivates me to suffer for mile after mile is if I’m trying to push as fast as I can. Good to hear from you, Jim! Otherwise I’ll slow dramatically to a pleasant pace. An hour later at 8 PM I reached my departure point from the ridge, still regretful I wasn’t doing the full ridge but not seriously considering it. Thus I stopped early for the night at 10:30 pm to rest on the porch at the Pentagon cabin – likely my earliest ever stop in the BWMO but still with a solid 38 miles completed. The Flathead, in northern Montana, is part of the National Wild and Scenic River System. Post by Tori.newburn » Tue May 12, 2020 3:11 pm After a few discussions, we…, Packrafting the Flathead River in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness, Packrafting the Alatna River: The Wilds of Gates of the Arctic National Park. I like a leisurely 10 miles per day in the summer, with frequent stops to wet a fly line in a likely creek. I wanted to take on the full ridge route but didn’t have the courage given the potential for harsh weather and limited daylight. Getting over a pass and back onto terrain I can handle in darkness or bad weather is always a relief. From there progress finally was straight forward, with a good trail awaiting and large free of snow.  Other trails exist which are typically not maintained at all, and these are illustrated with a red line for “secondary”, which really means a brutal trail if you can find it. It’s time to return once more to the giant ponderosa, the cutthroat, the steep ridge lines and the cold waters of the place that first taught me what a wild river is. I had two passes planned for the first day, with the first one likely to be straight forward as it was a popular and low (6500′) route, but the second pass was intimidating. Hardest hit was my inflatable life jacket which was no where to be seen. Even the calm sections had enough power to pick you up and take you away. The plan was to hike 5 miles up Clack Creek and ascend a steep slope on the headwall which appeared to form a break in the otherwise continuous cliff band of the Trilobite Range – at least on Google Earth. Two days of hiking takes the crew 25 miles up the banks of this roadless river. Our crew– comprised of Will, Amy, Shannon, Drew, and myself– had been planning this trip for months. Seven of us left with Steve “Doom” Fassbinder, an experienced packrafter and guide, to run the North Fork Flathead for thirteen miles to the confluence of the Middle Fork downstream. 6 friends set out into Montana’s legendary Bob Marshall wilderness to float and fly fish the pristine South Fork Flathead River. I broke camp just after 4am and was at the put in spot on the Spotted Bear around 5:30am warmed up from fast hiking despite the steady drizzle. He intended to shortcut straight down the cliff face to Bond lake. It repeated scurried onto my quilt during the night, and I worried it would take a bite out of my raft – leaving me very far upstream with a flat boat. The PFD had at least 15 substantial holes including two large chunks missing. Aug 7, 2018 Take a journey down the green waters of this premier river through a wild and remote wilderness. The two rafting miles on Strawberry Creek passed pleasantly and I reached the Middle Fork of the Flathead at Clack Creek around 4:30pm, where I said goodbye to Will. Like the previous pass, I had left myself a choice between a grand line, or one that were merely good. I've been getting lots of questions concerning what … My feet had only one blister to to this point, so I picked up the pace and finished the final 9 miles in 2.5 hours to stride into the Swan Lake Campground finish at 7:30pm (35.5 hours). The snow was total mush after the recent warm temperatures and now hours of rain, so I began post holing. APA Roundup - Packrafting the North Fork Flathead River. Every strategy for taking care of my feet while walking 30-45 mile days in wet conditions is a losing one, but the trick is to lose slowly enough that my feet aren’t too beat at the end. The deep green water and the canyons … The water was swift and cold, and the weather could not have been better. Immediately I noted that the calming influence of having a partner is a strange phenomena, considering his temporary presence (he would split off after a few hours) did nothing to alleviate the challenges that lay ahead. The scenery is spectacular, as the river flows through a pristine and remote wilderness. Backcountry adventurers discover packrafting In this July 24, 2014 photo, Jared White paddles his packraft through a rapid on the South Fork Flathead River.in Mont. Once again, I am congratulating myself for not being in the BMO. Soon after it popped during one unsuspecting step, and my entire pinky toe shed a sleeve of skin. The ride in is 6-8 hours so at least two of the days will be devoted to riding on horseback. This 5 or 6-day fishing excursion is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fish the famous South Fork Flathead River drainage. Those 8 miles passed quickly in about an hour, and I reached my take out at Soldier Creek around 10 AM. I paddled Class I-III rapids on the North Fork of the Flathead River in Montana in July 2014 with a group of packrafters. With wilderness travel I haven’t been able to find a middle ground. The South Fork of the Flathead River in Montana is one of those classic packrafting trips my husband and I had been scheming about for years. 6 years ago. I hoped to take a much more direct line straight down the far side, which was largely covered in cliffs: At the pass, I realized I was at the juncture of a major route decision that I’d hardly put any recent thought into. We crested the first pass (Gateway) around noon after a largely snow free approach and worked nicely as a team to devise the best route through the soggy meadows and isothermal snow on the north side. Despite the calm appearance of the South Fork Flathead River at the moment this picture was taken, it was actually running at 8,000 cubic feet per second … Heavy rain continued as I moved up Clack Creek and disappointingly, I was greeted by substantial snowpack as well. Packrafting the Flathead River in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness. A brief search revealed a strap sticking out from the under the porch, with the rest of the PFD underneath and riddled with chew holes. He planned to raft the Middle Fork another 30 or so miles and take a later pass (a plan which would be foiled by the onset of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever from Will’s recent tick bite). Heavy rain started but I was comfortable on the protected porch and was able to partially dry some gear near a fire while I semi-napped on my raft in my 20F quilt. The South Fork the Flathead River, a great wilderness float and home to some sublime under-river cobbles. Back in 2012 my blister strategy was simply to let it happen and keep walking, which resulted in a supremely painful final 24 hours. This break in the rain put a new urgency in my step – urging myself to get up and over this ridge before rain, snow, fog or darkness arrived. Read More. Next time you are in the Bob, catch a nice Cutthroat Trout on my behalf. If I stop coming to the BWMO, it won’t be because the event no longer challenges me. Taking care of my feet has been a consistent challenge in the BMWO as they prune up and blister abundantly in sustained wet conditions. Much of the trails in the Bob are well maintained and the popular Cairn maps illustrates these with a black line indicating a “primary” trail. However, one of the problems with packrafting in the BMWO is that the timing of it never works out how you’d wish it would. Backstory. The Adventure That Started A Company Seeing the South Fork of the Flathead River for the first time in 2011, was really where the idea of starting a packraft rental company began. Packrafting Montana’s Wild Flathead River Adventure Travel // Camp // Clymb Life // Explore // Out There // Paddle The South Fork of the Flat­head Riv­er is home to … In minutes rather than hours I was down to Bond lake. Trip Report: Packrafting the Middle Fork of the Flathead River July 15, 2019 by John Nestler in Packrafting , Trip Report , Photography , Camping Packrafting has always interested me, but it wasn’t until I won an AIRE BAKraft at Gauley Fest last year that I seriously considered putting a lightweight river … Jun 6, 2012 - Explore Tiny House Blog's board "Packrafting", followed by 28311 people on Pinterest. It had rained briefly in the night, which served notice that the weather wasn’t going to cooperate this year. in Packrafting, Trip Report, Photography, Camping. Making 1.5 MPH when you wanted to make 3.5 MPH is disappointing, but if you slow further to 1 MPH or 0.5 out of discouragement, then you’ve substantially lengthened the suffering even more. I could go on at great length on post trip thoughts and lessons, but for now I will largely refrain. More broadly, very little to do with packrafting during the BMWO works out how you wish it would. My mishaps when rafting almost always happen from a lapse in attention or judgement, so I used the lack of a PFD as a rallying cry to stay laser focused on hazards ahead. Now I’ve participated six times and while I have learned a ton, I’m no longer naive enough to think that I’m near the point where I’ll know it all. Packrafting the Middle Fork of the Flathead River - YouTube Story and Photos By Heather Balogh The plane sputtered through the water and smoothly sailed into the distance, leaving the five of us standing on the banks of Circle Lake, watching our only link to civilization fly in the opposite direction. I planned to put in 5 miles downstream at Dean Creek. By dropping off here, I had 1.5 hours of daylight to find my way below snowline and onto the Pentagon trail, which I accomplished by 9 PM. I was concerned about the packrat though. The route dropped about 1000 vertical feet over about 250 horizontal yards, which is an average slope around 50 degrees. In this case, to stay on schedule I needed to be rafting the Spotted Bear at sunrise (5:30 AM) during the coolest part of the day and likely during bone chilling rain. Eventually the rapids grew substantial enough that I figured they were at the limit of what was responsible. This year I was trying to be more intentional about taking care of them, including bringing spare dry socks and using those inside the ephemeral dryness of Gore-Tex socks during the rare stretches without substantial fords. Still I was glad for the company and we motored along with Will setting a crisp pace on the flats and me setting the pace on inclines. In this July 24, 2014 photo, Jared White paddles his packraft through a rapid on the South Fork Flathead River.in Mont. Soon after, Will and I put into Strawberry to packraft (downstream of Trail Creek). Soon I caught my first glimpse of the corniced headwall (below). The South Fork of the Flathead in Montana is perhaps the best packraft river in the lower-48. Moving fast isn’t a superior way to experience the wilderness, but it’s good to do occasionally because a stress test exposes weaknesses and amplifies the learning experience. Enter your email to be notified of new posts, The Volumetric Efficiency of Trekking Pole Shelters, BMWO Gear Choices – Where Man Does Not Remain, Ruokien säilyttäminen leirissä – KEVYESTI KAIRASSA. Tori.newburn Posts: 3 Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2020 4:12 pm. I managed to miss the corner of that cliff, and made great time with the soft snow and alder allowing me to slow myself sufficiently, which wouldn’t have been possible on firmer snow. I’ve previously suffered the ill effects of opting for a red trail in both 2013 and 2017. Additionally, I wanted to link the valleys together with interesting passes to add a challenge with the potential reward of a short cut if successful. To do with packrafting during the BMWO as they prune up and take you packrafting flathead river a little but... Headwall ( below ) satellite device crew– comprised of will, Amy, Shannon,,... Line in a wilderness setting, or too heavy much closer this premier River through a pristine and remote.. 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