I recently floated the Middle Fork from Marsh Creek to Riggins from May 25 to May 27, 2006. We floated the 200 plus miles in three days largely because the river was just coming down from its 2006 peak (8.9 feet). We launched at 6.8 (roughly 15,000 cfs at the mouth)feet and floated to Loon Creek on the first day. I have the following observations of the following rapids around 7 feet.

-Matt-

• Murphs Hole - The right bank I reccomended in the guidebook does not exist at 7 feet of water. You MUST run left to avoid the hole. There is plenty of water to stay well left on the hole, and the inside gravel bar is covered.
• Velvet Falls - The left hand sneak (left of the triangular rock) was blocked by a log. Otherwise there would have been plenty of water to float safely left. The width of the hole narrows at this flow and there is a far right bank run along the wall that would have been an easier run than the hard left pull below the triangular rock
• Big Bend Surf Waves - These are washed out at 7 feet.
• Greyhound Boils - The boils in the UPPER part of this rapid below the small cliff spire are extremely powerful and may catch rafters and passengers by suprise.
• Artillery Ledge Hole - This hole is washed out at 7 feet.
• Cannon Creek - I heard reports that the right side of this rapid was huge at high water. It was not terribly impressive at 7 feet.
• Lake Creek - The slide debris did not was out as much as I was expecting. CAUTION There is a log strainer 10 feet off the left bank in the right turn below the lake creek slide. Watch out for novice kayakers who may get swept into this hazard.
• Pistol Creek - The current pushes hard over the first set of bedrock ledges that jut out from the right bank, and actually creates a pourover at the second set of ledges just downstream. There is hardly any push into the wall on river left at this stage. Keep it straight and watch out for the VERY powerful eddie fences.
• Marble Creek Rapid - The rapids and surf waves were washed out.
• Ski Jump - The large diagonal wave was starting to form off the left bank. Our raft was tipped violently in the right hand run. The currents and eddie boils in this constriction are very deceiving from the approach!!
• Grouse Creek to Tappan IV - This series is pretty much washed out. Fish and Game Rock and the Entrance Boulder in Tappan III were completely covered.
• Haystack/Bernard - Haystack was a minefield of holes, but the big haystack rocks at bottom right were just poking out of the river. The top right side of Bernard Creek has a significant wave hole that we avoided to the left. Both the 1997 Pole Creek and the 2003 Bernard Creek slides were significantly eroded by high water. The "old" haystack (post 1997 slide) may come back at low water.
• Earthquake Rock - The rock itself was completely covered and the rapid was straightforward.
• Jack Creek Canyon - Big, fun, rollicking waves. Not technical. I seem to remember the waves just above Jack Creek to have been bigger around 6 feet??
• Survey Wall - The water was probably 3 feet below floodiing Survey Camp. I would imagine the river needs to be at 9 feet before it buries the camp.
• Wall Creek - Mostly washed out. The large holes on river left should form around 6 feet.
• Redside (Sevy's Rock, Eagle Rock) - I looked briefly for a rumored left hand sneak and could not see a reason why I would pass up the easy, but swirly right hand sneak. The low water center line between the "Airplane Rock" and "Kaisers Helmet" was not really there. Both rocks were making rather large holes. The safe line was to follow the inside right sneak.
• Weber (Corkscrew) - We took our biggest hit on the river from a diagonal wave coming off the left bank at the bottom of this rapid. You might be able to sneak a touch more to the center on the entrance to miss it, but watch out for the holes on top right.
• Mist Falls Rapid - Mostly washed out.
• Lower Cliffside - The inside left run was easy all the way down, but the hole at the top left of center (right of the line) was one of the largest on the river. A center run is still available if you get washed out on the set up, but you are MUCH better off to hug inside left immediately below Cliffside Rapid which is washed out.
• Ouzel - This rapid doesn't start until Stoddard Creek at this level. The holes in front of Stoddard Camp are HUGE!! The run along the left bank is easy to make and it is fun to float by such monster holes.
• Rubber - To be honest, I was a little dissapointed with Rubber. It was a straightforward, but chaotic wave train. There was no "must run" diagonal, and it certainly was not the biggest rapid on the river.
• Hancock - The entrance waves were big and fun. Not terribly violent and w/o much break. The lower rapid was mostly washed out.
• Devil's Tooth - Completely washed out. Not holes, waves, nothing.
• House of Rocks - Immediately below Devil's Tooth the House of Rocks boulders were also completely covered. They did form some impressive, chaotic waves. Nothing too scary.
• Clamshell Rock - Just the top foot (on the upstream side) of the Clamshell was sticking out of the river.
• Cramer Creek - Some very big, non breaking, glassy waves to run here, but nothing compared to the hole at 3.5 feet. The slide did wash out quite a bit more so expect some extra room along the right bank at low water.