With this recent rain it looks like the Waterton creeks may be runable. Blackiston is low but probably doable (at least today and tomorrow). Cameron is low and probably doable as well. I would suggest putting in at something nasty to avoid the low water grinds above. Boundary should also be able to be run.
Chris
cgoble72 at gmail
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Ran Blackiston and it was at a nice flow - medium perhaps. The riverbed has changed quite considerably recently. The main rapids have mellowed while a number of new single rapid type drops have appeared in the upper sections. The gravel bed has really got washed away in the main channel so anywhere there was a steep flow, the base is now a nice feature. The surf wave at the put in of the short run is gone - not that it was ever very good. Also the little play spot part way down really doesn't have much play in it right now.
The bridge is free of logs. Lots of silt in the water, so it is hard to see shallow rocks and such. The mountains have really been shedding dirt with this week of rain.
Chris,
I saw your post in the CalPaddle blog and also saw photos of some road wash-outs last week NE of Waterton. We'd been working up in the Beaver Creek area (near Crowsnest and Oldman) and those streams are all low.
With periodic rains, the St. Mary Reservoir is way above normal. The rains and cool weather have also reduced irrigation demand and it's thus very likely that we'll get a late summer/autumn release of the St. Mary Dam.
We're heading west to BC and will be floating the Duncan River, the north arm of Kootenay Lake.
Hope you boaterz get out.
Stew
Stew, they had quite the mini flood up here in the park on Monday. Apparently Blackiston valley got 5 inches of rain in one night. The talus slopes over the front ranges are quite washed out. I saw quite a few signs of recent flooding. The high water marks on the Blackiston creek are about 2 feet above regular levels.
The sediment level is finally trickiling down as the water stops flowing. Quite interesting. The lakes are still quite brown. Not sure what that does for the fishes - I know there were a few Osprey cirling around that seemed to be in a bad mood.
If it rains this week as it is supposed to anyone who wants to paddle should give me a call 892-8348 or email cgoble72 gmail. I am in the park until Thursday. If it is a boating week instead of climbing, I am thinking of hitting the kicking horse for the weekend if anyone is interested (I have a conference in Banff all next week Aug 10-15 and will need something to distract me up there and solo boating is easier than solo sport climbing)
Just back from family floats down the Lardeau and Duncan rivers - into the north end of Kootenay Lake. Large rivers with lots of massive log jams. Lots of interesting looking creeks and small rivers draining into Kootenay Lake along the drive.
In visiting High Level Canoe and Kayak, they're planning a 100 boat float to celebrate the centennial of the High Level Bridge - Aug. 16. We'll probably join in if we're around.
Stew
We're running the lower Elk Canyon tomorrow (Sat.) - grade II+ with a couple of III+ (Roller Coaster and Horizon Line). Meeting at the highway 3 & 93 ice cream bar at 11 am.
Stew
(home tonight at (403) 320-9601)
Hot weather continuing ...
An interesting float on the Bow on Monday and still hoping to paddle some more. So like, we know that the St. Mary is super low but last fall we ran it at 10 cms and still found a few features (and lots of rocks). Maybe this weekend?
Also chatted with Werner the regional hydrologist who reported that the St. Mary diversion to the Milk will run right through Sept. - unfortunately no rise in the flow like we usually get about this time of year.
Still expecting a fall spill of the the St. Mary Dam - will post something if we hear ...
Stew
The American diversion from the St. Mary to the Milk will commence shut-down Sept.and it'll take a week to 'ramp' it down. The releases from Sherburne Reservoir are scheduled to continue to Sept. 29.
The Upper St. Mary should thus come up in flow in a week and increase to the end of the month.
As well as improving the paddling on the upper, this would provide more water to the St. Mary Reservoir and hopefully some water would be released down the lower St. Mary - worth following for an end-of-summer fun.
Stew
Di and I ran the St. Mary with a flow of around 6 cms, the lowest that we've ever run it. Last year we ran it at 10 and it was very low but OK, 6 is much too low.
Perhaps the best description is from Di after the longish boulder garden that's about mid-way down, 'I didn't hit 1 rock ... I hit about 50'.
Definately too low but weather was great (30C, sunny, no wind) and some nice fall color.
Hopefully, it'll come up some when the diversion to the Milk River is closed.
Also chatted with John M. of Ab. Env., who didn't expect a fall release of the St. Mary.
Stew
Nice to hear all the updates Stew. I am still holding out for the fall release of the Swiftcurrent.
Chris
With 33C today, Di and I went for a short afternoon paddle at Boulder Run. An OK level and the small rapids below the slalom zone had a couple of surfable features.
We noticed a memorial cross in the boulders on the bank right next to 'John's wave', the top artificial feature, where the flow from the tunnels joins the river channel. It has plastic flowers but no name or writing on it - anybody know anything? I didn't hear about any drowning there ... ??
Stew
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