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Alpine Adventures |
800-723-8386 |
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North Cascades River Expeditions |
800-634-8433 |
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Orion Expeditions |
800-553-7466 |
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Wild and Scenic River Tours |
800-413-6840 |
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Downstream River Runners |
800-234-4644 |
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| Section |
White
Chuck Campground to Darrington |
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Location |
Snohomish
County, southeast of Darrington, western Washington |
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Driving Time |
Seattle—2
hours |
|
Difficulty |
Class
II-III, IV |
|
Trip Length |
10
miles (16 km) |
|
Trip Options |
Paddle
raft, paddle/oar raft, inflatable kayak; one day |
|
Season |
May-July |
The silt-laden waters of
the middle Sauk River, between its confluence with the White Chuck
and Suiattle rivers near Darrington, is becoming one of western
Washington's more popular whitewater rafting trips. The heavily
forested banks of the river and views of Cascade foothills, seen on
the lower portion of the trip, provide a gorgeous backdrop to the
Sauk River trip.
The
Sauk provides ample opportunity for all paddlers to improve their
navigation skills on the not-to- difficult boulder-filled Class II
rapids; Class III Alligator Drop, Whirlpool, Popeye, and Sue; and
the Class III-IV Jaws. Early-season rafters often return after
summertime water levels become too low for rafting and test their
paddling skills on inflatable kayak trips.
While
Glacier Peak, the origin of the Sauk's glacial waters, cannot be
seen from the river, its cold waters most certainly can be felt. Wet
suits are a must.
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