Careful out there - OP water hazards

brownheron · Jan 7, 2023

For those of you that might be coming out to the OP for DIY floats without a local guide - be careful, take the time to scout where you don't have forward visibility and don't assume the easy line is still easy. The big flows haven't been as bad this year at least in the Forks area but there is still a fair amount of new wood in the river and wandering of the usual suspects like the Hoh.

The boat eating strainer below is in my backyard. Every season, a fair number of boats take that inside channel as it looks easier than the boulder garden on the far side of the island. Last year, that was fine but right now that'd be a big mistake. This one is pretty easy to see if you're paying attention but many are further down braids that can't be seen from the top.

iggie · Jan 7, 2023

Thanks for putting this up. This is one thing I don't like about the OP, a shit ton of guides and these things rarely get posted.
Oregon has a web site that anyone can post hazards. it's on the State Marine Board site.

Yard Sale · Jan 7, 2023

I floated the Hoh once after Minnies disappeared. Once.... Ended up barely stopping above a huge log jam, like 300' of solid logs(between park and morgans). Had to walk the boat up about 1/4 mile and grabbed a tiny side channel. The aluminum topped rocks led the way.

Not worth the hassle, plenty of walk in water.

Divad · Jan 7, 2023

I always take the lightest pontoon possible or the drift boat. The former allows me to walk out of any/all forbidden fruit routes and the latter cadillacs over those pokies.

Thank you @Thomas Mitchell for the heads up!

speedbird · Jan 7, 2023

A slightly different type of water hazard, the mud flats around Leyendecker have all been turned into quicksand as of now. I learned the hard way today but I imagine those more experienced could tell from how it looks, it was deceptively solid looking to me

JLT · Jan 7, 2023

Kashf said:
A slightly different type of water hazard, the mud flats around Leyendecker have all been turned into quicksand as of now. I learned the hard way today but I imagine those more experienced could tell from how it looks, it was deceptively solid looking to me

Thanks for this, we were planning on taking out here tomorrow, which invariably means a late day wade in low light.