Packrafting the Obed National Wild & Scenic River

[@FrankKrahenbuhl]

Nice job, awesome trip

[@thelifeofdavid859]

Your hike/raft trips are always awesome to see 🤙

[@desertratky75]

Thanks man! These boats have changed the game for what’s possible. Lots more adventures coming up!

[@wolfriveroutdoors]

Great video! The Obed Wild & Scenic system is a magical place indeed!

[@desertratky75]

Thanks! It’s my favorite place to paddle. We need more rain to get those creeks filled up!

[@wolfriveroutdoors]

We desperately need some rain! I really want to get on Clear Creek (Jett-Nemo) and possibly kayak camp this winter/early Spring.

[@kentwilliams13]

Really cool trip! I am having a hard time following your route. It looks like you started from Rock Creek and hiked to the Obed Up Stream of OMG rapid, then reversed and went back to Daddy’s Creek? Do you remember the CFS flow? Great job and keep the videos coming.

[@desertratky75]

I broke it up over two days. Yep…day one you are correct. 8 mile hike from Rock Creek to where the CMT follows the river above 90 right 90 left and OMG rapids. Paddled 9 miles back to the CG. Day two I drove to Devils Breakfast Table and paddled the lower two miles of Daddys Creek to Obed and started hiking where I left off the day before. 5 mile paddle 5 mile hike. Completed the linkup. Obed was around 8-900cfs on day one almost all that flow was from Daddys Creek. Daddy’s on day two was around 350cfs. Not much more on the Obed, hardly any water coming down at OBJ. Daddys Creek watershed getting hit hard by rain a few days before made this one possible.

[@petehalupka1]

This looks like an amazing time! Holy moly. What water data site would you use? The water levels look amazing for one year ago in the summer?

[@desertratky75]

Last summer was a wet one! I’ve rarely run these in summer. Water was low but great for solo packrafting. I’ve been running these rivers for years, know them well. I use American Whitewater, or the Rivers Run app for water levels.

[@petehalupka1]

@@desertratky75 Amazing. Done a lot of backpacking, but want to get into pack rafting.

[@jamtastical3]

Thanks for the video! I did a bit of this in the spring at similar water level. Nice line on Oh My God. That’s ballsy doing the Obed section first 😬 I swam a couple times on the Obed (Submarine?) but felt like Daddy’s Creek from DBT down was a lot more relaxed. Did you split it up just to make two smaller trips? I think you’d love Lower Clear Creek at low water, if you haven’t done it already. More technical but less pushy than the Obed. It has a road-walk shuttle, but I think it’s worth it.

[@desertratky75]

I used to whitewater kayak these at lots of water levels but it had been awhile. Remembered most of it pretty well. OMG is a blast, and I’ve always walked Rock Garden. Much easier portage with a packraft :) Clear Creek is one of my favorite runs. Jett bridge to Nemo is one we used to hit a lot. Haven’t packrafted it yet. Hoping to get a low water Upper Daddy’s Creek and walking the CT back. 7 mile paddle 8 mile hike. Kayaked it enough years ago I think I remember the lines 😄. It’s a beauty.

[@jamtastical3]

It makes sense that you’ve done a lot of this before, you seem to know your way around the area.