I have been thinking about making a kayak run on Big Creek from Dewey Moore to Vines, or maybe down to Cabin Creek this summer. Has anyone ever run this stretch? We are fairly experienced paddlers and will be in whitewater rated Inflatable Kayaks.

I have never really surveyed this water by air specifically considering navigability, but it seems like a pretty mellow run with a couple of class II/III rapids and a strong possibility of needing to portage over/around a few timber obstructions. The word on the interwebs is that the super technical whitewater is from Soldier Bar to the confluence of BC and the Middle Fork, with some up between Big Creek and Monumental Creek.

I imagine that with the low level of snow pack this year that it will be getting pretty bony by late July.

Whee?

It has been a few decades for me,and the fires have added a lot of log jams I understand.

But back then, from Big Creek to Monumental, there seemed to be a number of strainers without a lot of warning to portage. From there on down to Soldier Bar, just a few places prone to strainers. People do the Gorge (at Soldier Bar), but I've never been below the Gorge in a boat. Some choose to sneak down the Middle Fork to the take out on the last morning with or without a permit. Inflatables would be fine. There are some III-IV patches, but none that I recall in the tiny stretch you are interested in.

Dude, I'm thinking the same thing later in June. Here's a nice video of the run you're talking about:



Looks like fun eh??!!

I've been wanting to do Big Creek for years. Several years ago I checked it out from the air and from what I can remember most of the big stuff is from Soldier down. I did hear that there is a ton of wood in it from all the fires and we haven't had a a big run off to flush it out.

Sounds like a great trip. Wish I had a plane so I could invite myself.

scottnt wrote:Dude, I'm thinking the same thing later in June. Here's a nice video of the run you're talking about:

Looks like fun eh??!!

Looks like really good fun! Can you meet up over Independence Day weekend?

Jake, we've got July 4,5,6,7 off, so yeah. Theresa's family gets here on the 7th, so we should probably be back home for that.

scottnt wrote:Jake, we've got July 4,5,6,7 off, so yeah. Theresa's family gets here on the 7th, so we should probably be back home for that.

Let's plan on that then?

Let's do it when your Bearhawk is finished Whee!

Scolopax wrote:Let's do it when your Bearhawk is finished Whee!

Sounds good! I'm working as fast as I can.

You need a permit to put anything that floats in any flowing water in the Frank Church. Usually takes an application a year in advance and then hope you get drawn. Big Creek is different, different ranger district, nicer folks, fewer requests to float. Call them up, give them the date range and how many days during the range you will be on the water. Permit arrives in the mail within a week. The best part is that, since there are no good pull out spots after Soldier Bar, the permit gives you two days on the Middle Fork to get to an extraction point. None of the typical requirements for the Middle Fork apply, like the raft inspection, camping equipment requirement list, etc.

I bought a new Alpaca raft last year intending to float from Dewey to Soldier. Scouted the river by air from Big Creek airport to Soldier Bar. Basically not floatable from BC to Dewey. Sweepers and strainers non stop between those two points. Between Dewey and Soldier it was floatable with a couple portages between Dewey and Vines. Last year there were a lot of winter avalanches that stacked tons of timber in the creek. Lots of scouting would be prudent. Water is cold!

I didn't do the float. Tried to drum up a ride from Soldier Bar back to Dewey, I was going to leave my plane at Dewey. I couldn't find anybody willing to go either place in the time frame I had. Ended up putting in at Cabin Creek and floating down as far as I was willing to walk back up. From the previous post, looks like I could have done a gear drop at Dewey, left the plane at Vines or Cabin Creek and hiked back up. May try that this year.

all that is such awesome country.....

wow I'm not into the float thing but I saw some fantastic trout holding spots... I usually land Cabin and walk either up or down stream to fly fish... maybe should walk further or land Vines... did vines many years ago in my tripacer but haven't landed it yet in the maule...not a problem but i just like Cabin more.. headed up there first week of July for my usual 10 days at JC.....

Mr. Ed wrote:You need a permit to put anything that floats in any flowing water in the Frank Church. Usually takes an application a year in advance and then hope you get drawn. Big Creek is different, different ranger district, nicer folks, fewer requests to float. Call them up, give them the date range and how many days during the range you will be on the water. Permit arrives in the mail within a week. The best part is that, since there are no good pull out spots after Soldier Bar, the permit gives you two days on the Middle Fork to get to an extraction point. None of the typical requirements for the Middle Fork apply, like the raft inspection, camping equipment requirement list, etc.

I bought a new Alpaca raft last year intending to float from Dewey to Soldier. Scouted the river by air from Big Creek airport to Soldier Bar. Basically not floatable from BC to Dewey. Sweepers and strainers non stop between those two points. Between Dewey and Soldier it was floatable with a couple portages between Dewey and Vines. Last year there were a lot of winter avalanches that stacked tons of timber in the creek. Lots of scouting would be prudent. Water is cold!

I didn't do the float. Tried to drum up a ride from Soldier Bar back to Dewey, I was going to leave my plane at Dewey. I couldn't find anybody willing to go either place in the time frame I had. Ended up putting in at Cabin Creek and floating down as far as I was willing to walk back up. From the previous post, looks like I could have done a gear drop at Dewey, left the plane at Vines or Cabin Creek and hiked back up. May try that this year.

Great info Mr Ed! I will call the Ranger Station tomorrow. Is it the Krassel Ranger district that awards permits on Big Creek?

iceman wrote:wow I'm not into the float thing but I saw some fantastic trout holding spots... I usually land Cabin and walk either up or down stream to fly fish... maybe should walk further or land Vines... did vines many years ago in my tripacer but haven't landed it yet in the maule...not a problem but i just like Cabin more.. headed up there first week of July for my usual 10 days at JC.....

Perhaps we will see you out in the area Iceman. We will be camping, floating, hiking and fly fishing while in the Frank.

Big Creek
Krassel district ranger station
208-634-0600

I requested my permit today for this years float. Either I remembered incorrectly or they changed things a little. You are not allowed to camp on the Middle Fork, so you only have one day from the confluence to float to an extraction point. This according to the ranger I talked to today. Again, very pleasant and helpful on the phone.

Can,t camp on the middle fork? Does that mean we can't pitch a tent at say lower loon or Thomas creek or is that just for floaters?

iceman wrote:Can,t camp on the middle fork? Does that mean we can't pitch a tent at say lower loon or Thomas creek or is that just for floaters?

I'm pretty sure that the restriction is for floaters. I've camped several times at the Middle Fork strips before and have never been hassled. The majority of people that access those canyons in the summer are rafters, and they are the ones whose entry and passage is regulated by the USFS. Hopefully we remain few enough to stay off of the radar as a high impact user group, but new regulations imposed by the USFS may be the down side of the Aviation Access Planning Rule.

Never have spent the night at either of them since I just fly in from Johnson creek to fly fish for the day