Nate O Taylor

Food, Fishing, and Outdoor Adventures

South Fork of the Flathead Pt. 1-Planning

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The Bob

During the summer of 2017 I recieved interest and commitment from seven other people to go on a week long trip through the Bob Marshall Wilderness area along the South Fork of the Flathead.

“The South Fork” beings at the confluence of Young’s and Danaher Creek just northwest of Ovando Montana. It winds its way through “The Bob” until it pours into Hungry Horse Reservoir near Kalispell. During its journey to Hungry Horse it is an untamed and wild river. Surrounded by The Bob’s 1 million square acres the river is frequented by bear far more than people.

Planning must begin early, as in a year in advance. For trips with rafts or requiring mules/horses those dates fill up fast. I booked and reserved dates in June of 2017 for July of 2018. The prime dates are usually the second week of July as that is when the water is generally high enough still for rafts, yet run off has subsided from its peak. Water level can be a big issue up there, too little water can turn the trip into one where you wished you had brought a pack raft instead of a boat.

While it is possible to just hire mules and do a drop float we elected to do a custom trip through an outfitter that included them bringing a boat and two people. They are also responsible for food and camp, setting up and cooking the meals each day. This offered us significant cost savings over hiring guides for fishing as it allowed us to put three people in a boat, and not have to pay for a guide during the day for fishing.

We are bringing a total of three boats, 2 13ft Aire 130R and a Hyside 10.5ft Mini Max. The frames will be stripped down basic whitewater frames. I had Down River Equipment in town make me some “custom” stern seats that are two dimensional for the packer to take in. With just a few weeks until departure we are making final preparations for has been a very long year of anticipation.

SF Flathead List – Personal Items

Itinerary

Saturday (Day 1)- Hike 20 miles

Sunday (Day 2)-Hike 8 miles and start floating

Monday-Friday (Day 3-7)- Float and fish the river

Saturday (Day 8)- Short float to takeout and return to Base

Sunday (Day 9)- Drive home

Late Summer Day in the Gorge Pt. 2

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Sunrise from Camp

We awoke around 0830 to this view from our kitchen. No one was on the river yet and we packed up and began the second half of our journey. The lower part of the canyon has significantly more technical water and rapids to navigate. At late summer flows it hardly resembles the rapids during higher water but nonetheless it can be somewhat demanding on the oarsman to make a few moves throughout the day.

We did actually do some fishing on this trip, and hoppers were on the menu, big ones. We threw the biggest stuff we had, single dry, right on the bank and had a few great takes. We didn’t break any records, (well maybe just a record for most 7″ fish in a day) but we caught a few average ones as well.

Hopper

More Hopper

The first section that most stop to give notice to is Boulder Garden, which has significantly changed over the years and in my opinion is much easier now. Even so, its worth mentioning because the campsite there is nice, and for me it marks the start of the lower part of the canyon.

Just Upstream of Boulder Garden

Boulder Garden

After this point you are met with a quick succession of rapids that demand in the very least some attention to your surroundings. Cable and Squeeze both require the oarsman to slide through some narrow slots, both on river right (as of this writing at 1000CFS).

Interspersed between these features are vertical walls of basement rocks that are approximately 1.7 billion years old. While the Geology of the area is fascinating, archeology sites along the Gunnison Gorge have yielded discoveries of petroglyphs, baskets, arrowheads, and tools, some of which are up to 14,000 years old. Point being, don’t forget to look up, you are peering back in time like you can only do in a few places on the planet.

Old Rocks

As you come to the Grand Finale rapid the canyon closes down to its tightest corridor yet, the calm waters signaling that you have made it out in on piece.

Dad Bod

The last few miles are a prototypical trout stream accentuated by endless runs and riffles before we pulled out. Fishing through here was excellent even as we began to pass those along the bank that had hiked up several miles to fish the mouth of the canyon.

Last Few Miles

All the information I have gathered and find useful for a trip can be found here.

Get some…

Late Summer Day in the Gorge

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Welcome

It has been some years since I went down the Gunnison Gorge. In that time I feel as though I’ve matured (slightly) and am generally much more prepared to tackle logistical problems that places like the Gorge present. For instance, I’ve learned that the sun is hot on the Chukar Trail, and to leave early, so as to do your hike in the cool morning air, void of the relentless summer sun.

The Gear Going Down

My partner and I arrived at the trail, and despite the fact that we planned accordingly, we failed to take into account the cumbersome anatomy of your standard rowing frame. So while the first trip down was uneventful, the second trip proved to nearly break our spirits. In hindsight, those mules look like a heck of deal.

The Heavy Stuff

Campsites are a premium, and while you may have your pick if you’re early enough, experience is the only way to know which ones offer the best accommodations. This issue was of further importance to us as we had elected to use our hammocks once again. The Gunnison Gorge, while gorgeous isn’t exactly a thicket of pine trees, but rather a collection of small Juniper trees that can easily be mistaken for shrubbery. That being said, we picked the best option that we determined based on some Google Earth images. I get ahead of myself however, there was much that had to happen before we slept for the evening.

Someone Beat Us Down

 

 

The Put In

In an effort to curb the weight on our backs we only brought 2 beers and enough ice for cold cocktails at camp. After that hike that beer tasted so good.

Cold Smoke

Just Some Fishin’

We meandered through the upper canyon, this section is mellow in comparison to the lower half and allows for a more relaxing day of cocktails sight seeing. While the entire run is only 14 miles it is easily broken into a 2 or 3 day jaunt. Just due to the fact you have to carry your equipment down the mountain means you are investing almost half a day worth of effort to get started. Point being, don’t do it as a day trip as there is so much to see and do on the relatively short stretch down there.

Camp was pitched in the early evening, and our selection turned out to be fortuitous. Mature Juniper trees offered several hanging options, and a makeshift bench served as our table to prepare our freeze dried food selection.

Kitchen

Hammocks

Remember how we didn’t bring beer in order to save weight? Instead we put some ice in a Hydroflask to make some bourbon and cokes that evening. Best idea ever. Nothing like a cold drink after a long day in the woods.

Cocktail Hour

Sunset at Camp