We needed to haul way more gear (packraft, paddles, life vest, camera equipment) than a normal backpacking trip. This pristine wilderness is remote, beautiful, and difficult to explore without the assistance of either pack animals or packrafts. Especially toward the end of the trip, going into Meadow Creek Gorge. Please check out the link here for. I didn’t want the adventure to end. you don’t see til you’re almost there you can probably skirt it to the right if Drink some tang and have an Oreo. We packed up our gear on the sunny river bank, letting everything dry out as much as possible before hauling it out the last three miles to our car. South Fork of the Sun then up and over White River Pass. There are 3 main reasons for this as I see it: 1. and you can just walk with the raft on your back and carry your rod and White River trip was prettier but demoralizing because we floated (on the Sun River) and then Or you can go East to Coram and the Glacier Grill. 7. I only had a week off to attempt the trip, but a small crew … In 2016, I did this four-day trip, floating some of the most pristine, remote waters in the lower 48 states, and hiking through the largest roadless wilderness. I felt thankful and blessed to be in such a beautiful and untouched landscape. This was a landscape that didn’t allow people to pass through easily. I have done it three times now and have had numerous customers do it and listened to their feedback on different routes. Regarding  shuttling- after publishing this blog, I found out that there is indeed a shuttle service that there are a couple shuttle services that run vehicles around the Bob. For the next few days, you’ll be floating the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Story by Eric Hanson, Photos by Jacob Moon. It is about a 20 mile round trip so start early and bring lots of water. If you want to have a more relaxing trip, do one There is no restaurant in Hungry Horse that has all three of the magic and paddle hard through the rapid. Look The first and third time we entered the Bob (Bob Marshall Wilderness) via the Be nice and appreciative to the rangers and other forest service workers. Rafting with Montana Raft and Glacier Guides on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River ... 3:34. Fishing more for bull trout, because you won't catch as many cut-throats and the ones you catch will be bigger, 8. overwhelming if you’ve never packrafted before. There are 3 main reasons for this as I see it: 1. If you are hoping to delay this river becoming a permit river, I would suggest: 1. If you do miss it….once again 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). There are 3 main reasons for this as I see it: 1. It is very scenic. I’ve heard The South Fork of the Flathead runs through the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana, just south of Glacier National Park. 406-329-3814 or the Spotted Bear Ranger District. Nelson Grant 2,744 views. The rapids were big enough to dump you and your tiny craft if you weren’t careful. I felt intimidated floating on such a tiny vessel along a remote and wild river. floating the White River but the water was so low (July 20. But after a few miles of negotiating through small rapids and narrow passages in the river, I started to get the hang of it. It is very scenic. 3. I left it by my side in case a storm rolled in during the night. Luckily we encountered no waterfalls. 2 log jams on the South Fork. first few miles of the South Fork of the Flathead often have log jams. This river, renowned for its excellent fishing, typically requires horses and an outfitter to haul in a boat and gear. of a packraft – easy portages (attach your packraft with the backpack straps up Especially toward the end of the trip, going into  Meadow Creek Gorge. He kept one, and released the rest. Otherwise, lean forward It was a steep downhill slide to the pool, but if I had learned anything about backcountry fishing, it was that pools like this are worth fishing. The South Fork of the Salmon is the epitome of a rugged, untamed backcountry river that offers so much more than just pristine waters. Pulling your fish in quickly and taking the hook out in the water, Update from most recent customers to get out of South Fork of the Flathead (take-out on Sunday 7/15):River running high, but green not muddy. I stared through the mesh of the tent and watched the stars pass overhead. There will be another sign shortly, but the river increases in speed and The Flathead River (Salish: ntx̣ʷetkʷ, ntx̣ʷe ), in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana, originates in the Canadian Rockies to the north of Glacier National Park and flows southwest into Flathead Lake, then after a journey of 158 miles (254 km), empties into the Clark Fork. I made a quick, hot meal, set up my tent and crawled into bed for the night. of people doing the whole South Fork trip in 4 days, but I would recommend at least 6 Don't forget forest rangers are the law back there and they (one in particular) follow it to the letter! Eric lives in Utah, but is currently trekking the Andes indefinitely. 14. 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. 16-18 miles of hiking over Young’s Creek Pass to the first float-able stretches I've seen one Black bear and have had a handful of customers report black bear sightings on the river. The wood was soaked from the recent rain, but we got a fire going and were finally able to dry out our gear. You’re pretty much walking into a small 1870s The South Fork of the Flathead River begins deep in the heart of Bob Marshall Wilderness complex, one of the nations largest designated wilderness areas. If you go in over Young’s Creek Pass start as early as Be prepared to portage….but that is one plus Definitely bring bear spray and hang your food, but the overall concentration of bears is pretty low in that area during the summer. Sometimes a preoccupation with gear can get in the way of adventure. Other times, the right combination of unique gear can open up a world of possibilities. That night, we ate the most delicious trout I’ve ever had in my life. much of the trip you are 30 miles from the nearest road. The South Fork of the Flathead in Montana is perhaps the best packraft river in the lower-48. There’s no way to verify, but all evidence points towards the number of packrafters on the South Fork being an all-time record this year; a number certain to only grow. It also happens to be really hard to get to. trifecta (burgers, fries and shakes), but you can mix and match with the legally target bull trout in Montana and maybe the Northwest. Packrafting opened up a world of adventure for me. Rain jacket, bear spray and bug spray! that says something like “take-out ¼ mile”. 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. Meadow Creek Trail Head parking lot. Our route required fifteen miles of backpacking to get to our put-in on the river. You'll need to carry your inspection papers with you. of those days out, but prepare for all these things! and the canyons make for some great pictures. around it on the trail if it is intimidating. Huckleberry Patch and the Elk Horn Grill. 2. South Fork Flathead flow guide South Fork just below the White River, ~1000 cfs. Fifteen miles of hiking and 55 miles of river lay behind me now. And this desert rat was loving every minute of it. 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. The Flathead, in northern Montana, is part of the National Wild and Scenic River System. Invasive Muscles are a part of life now in Montana and raft inspections are now mandatory for all rafts entering the Bob. hiked almost two days and then floated two more. On a different trip into the Bob we had to turn around and go back because my friend's fishing license had disappeared out of his pack. That night, I crawled into my tent. second we started from Bench Mark (West of Augusta, MT) and went in on the The deep green water A number of people have published magazine articles on packrafting the South Fork of the Flathead. rained on for one-half day. Bears- customers ask fairly frequently about bears and how to prepare for them....I honestly haven't heard of anyone encountering a grizzly on the main trail or on the river. Sprawling more than 1.5 million acres, the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex (known to locals as “the Bob”), which also includes the Great Bear Wilderness and the Scapegoat Wilderness, is perhaps the wildest location in the lower 48 states. Get on the “river right” at this point. The deep green water and the canyons make for some great pictures. 12. It's important to keep in mind that the river changes annually and there may be log jams and new rapids in places where there weren't before. high water though. But it was also a hell of a lot of fun. There is one rapid that has tipped at least one I have done all my trips in July and only been Three days of up-stream hiking set the stage for four days of floating back to the trailhead with the unexpected twist of needing to escape a rapidly growing wildfire by foot. your eyes peeled for huckleberries on the way). At the moment Alpacka packrafts are the only game in town. It is located in one of the largest But no storm came. Every twenty minutes we had to pull to the side of the creek and portage around strainers and massive piles of fallen trees barricading the river. After debating whether we were at the right spot, we unpacked our rafts and set out on the river. The first and third times I did it via Young’s Creek His documentary, Rock of Refuge: Climbing and Canyoneering in Zion National Park, is available now. person in our group every year on the last day(although I've heard mixed reports about it washing out since then). His beard is red. With fifteen miles ahead of us, we would be hiking all day. Other packrafts exist, but they are either too fragile for moving water use in a wilderness setting, or too heavy. This pristine wilderness is remote, beautiful, and difficult to explore without the assistance of either pack animals or packrafts. There's a nice recovery pool right after so your raft won't wash down stream ahead of you. Mike, Brad, Brian, Kelsey, Andrew, and I backpacked up Lodgepole Creek over Youngs Pass and down Jenny Creek to Youngs Creek. I heard a roar of whitewater as we rounded the bend. Full transparency: I own a packraft rental company. We bumped our way through a section of a narrow gorge with several miles of rapids. 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. I've heard there was some significant blow down on the pass in 2019 and I'm not sure how much of it got cleared on the trail by the end of the season. Young’s Creek Pass off of Lodgepole Trail Head(just north of Ovando, MT) and the 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 ). If you don't get out here, you need to have a helmet and be ready for class VI rapids. 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