Thought I posted this last night in here but apparently it didn't go through.
As many of you already know I am on the upper Skagit or Sauk just about every day. Yesterday was the first day since last weeks high water that I ran my sled down below Rockport.
HOLLY SHIZNIT!!!!!!!
Major change on the Sauk. New mouth of the Sauk is now about 1/4 of a mile down river from where it was three weeks ago. River cut a new path straight through the woods.
MAJOR SWEEPER WARNING!!!!!!!!! This one will definately clame a boat!!! I wouldn't even attempt to row it!!!!! There's a 3 1/2 foot in diameter Cottonwood that spans the entire river on a hard corner with some major flow.

NO GETTIN' AWAY FROM THIS ONE!!!!!!

I have a good logger friend that will be going out with me one evening here after fishing to help get it out of there before the weekend if possible. Only problem is that it is a Cottonwood under pressure and there's always a chance it will "Barber Chair" and pop. He's the Pro and I'll let him make the call on it. May end up having to wait for another real high water and just hope it goes away. By ther looks of it now it would take a major high water to take it out.

I will update this as soon as its taken care of and hope that Bob and RT will keep this up for all to see before someone attempts to float the lower Sauk.

Thanks for the update, JohoCoho. (Hey, that would be a cool moniker!)

I was on the Ranch this last weekend. It's changed quite a bit. I can only guess that the float from the Mill on down has changed substantially in some areas. Haven't personally floated it yet, so it's only speculation on my part.

Be careful everyone when floating the Sauk for the first time this year. If you do float it, please post about any real dangers. We will when we float it soon.

SWEEPER JUST SEEMED TO GO AWAY, BY ITSELF,...AT LEAST THE TOP PORTION OF IT ANYWAYS!! (wink, wink)

Someone must have beat me to it!!

Anyways, the sweeper that was accross the entire lower Sauk is for the most part out of the way. At least the part that could be safely cut away.

Still,...
MAJOR WARNING HERE!!!!

When guys used to call me and ask me about floating the Sauk and they'd say they were experienced on the oars. Id ask if they'd rowed the Upper Hoh before or the Duc, if so, I'd always suggest they row the lower Sauk first if they weren't going to follow someone down.
Now,... It's a real LULU!!!! If you can row the double rapids on the Duc "comfortably", below 5 bricks, and not just cause' Ya know the path to take but because Yer' comfortable on the oars; then I'd say go for it, but be prepared.
I guess what the river reminds me of now down lower where its all changed is, imagine rowing the Bogey from HWY101 down to the Hatchery with the river flowing 10 times the speed it normally does, with the height of the Duc when it is running at 1 brick.
....Only thing is that the Sauk really does flow about 10 times as fast as the Bogey with lots more big drops and a whole hell of a lot more trees in the river now.
If Yer gonna' float it, go with or follow someone that really knows what their doing on the oars.
Middle stretch remains unchanged except for maybe a little more drop now through the boulder garden bellow the slide hole, other than that its the same.
Mouth of the Suiattle is more dangerous than ever. Dont let it fool you from the road looking at it. Last year was the first year in the past 5 that I know of that a boat has not been lost here, maybe due to the early closure. Suiattle is more powerful than it looks and now it dumps into the Sauk at an up-river angle creating more of a whirl pool effect than before.
Haven't floated the upper streatch yet and definately plan on doing it for the first time this season with a chain-saw and without clients. Doesn't usually turn on until after X-Mas anyways.

Not trying to scare anyone off here, just callin'
it as I see it!!! Would feel guilty as snot if someone lost a boat and I didn't warn them first.

J-------<")(/(/(/)>{
"There's a thin red line between genius and insanity, not only have most of you crossed it many times,...You have completely erased it!!"

[ 11-30-2001: Message edited by: JohnnyCoho ]

Right on, John, really appreciate the heads up! I am going to dump in at the mill and float down to my place or down to the Suiattle in the very near future. I'll let you know what's going on up there if you don't beat me to it

If you want to meet up there and float it together in your boat or mine just holler. It seems that I also have good luck on the Sauk and sweepers seem to disappear shortly after we float it (wink, wink). Thanks for keeping us posted on the Sauk situation, John, and let me know if you need a big powerhouse like me to row you down the harsh stuff on the Sauk (just kidding, I know you can handle it better than me )

Peace

WOW! That sounds like fun!