Chasing flipped boat through Velvet Falls at 6.66' - Middle Fork of the Salmon River

[flerno]

Why didn't the person in the front of your raft not simply jump onto the upside raft and flip it upright up using a flip line?

[funhog35]

Great video. We just ran it at 5.3' so it is really nice to see its character at higher flow. Very competent handling of the flip and recovery. I picked up a few technique tips from you. Thanks.

[PowderSkier30]

Great Middle Fork footage and efforts in recovery, but I question the "guide's" Middle Fork High Water experience. Is he really a guide, or just a guide of the 16' red Aire for this private trip? On a lesser note, " there are those who have flipped, and those who will!" I would enjoy the entire trip from this angle, hopefully you have more footage to upload. Looks like great weather, last trip I floated at 7.0' snowed the entire time.

[Idahofuel]

@PowderSkier30 - The guide running the red raft was on his first Middle Fork trip ever. He is a new guide of just a year or two but is in outstanding physical shape and super cool in emergencies. We kept him between our two rafts and also had 3 kayakers around his raft. We evaluated the risk and felt it was manageable. He did great the whole trip. He is not a commercial guide but still a guide on this private trip. I do have a bunch more footage but am just short on time to upload it.

[raferguson1]

What impresses me is that you had the boat right side up within 15 minutes of when it flipped, even though you lost the time (and distance) through Velvet Falls. You must have done this before. ;-)

[beaverdrive]

In my opinion your actions in both videos were outstanding !!! As well as your ability to read and get your boat where it needs to go. We put on the day after you did, and were not aware of the 'left sneak' at Velvet. One of our 5 boats flipped there. Great Job recovering the murph's flip, and quick experienced actions in flipping the boat back over! Nice Job all around & Gr8 Video !!!

[class5rated]

Thanks for the high water video. But didn't that raft flip because you signaled him to go that way? That's what it looked like to me. I am sure everyone was flipping left and right that month.

[Idahofuel]

@class5rated - I signaled to go right. That type of signal is normally used in a general sense as in, don't go left, don't go center, be on the right side of the river. The signal is also used to convey that the river has features coming up that require attention and you should start by moving right. It would be impossible to place a boat exactly where it needs to be by use of a hand signal and I expect the guide to make the final adjustments.

[katboatkeith]

Your first day was a busy one! You're a well prepared Team player for sure!

[MrSTEVEKNIGHT3]

This is an awesome way to see the river!!! These video's of the middle fork are my favorite ever!!!!!

Keep it up, these kick ass!!