The river is at a classic summer flow of 7,300 cfs today, but the weather is doing its best to ruin it. We are looking at 20 mph sustained winds from the southwest and heavy rain throughout the day. If you are on the water, expect a brutal headwind and zero dry gear. Inventory is completely full, so we are operating at max capacity despite the conditions.
Keep an eye on the gauge for the weekend and early next week. Flows are projected to spike to 21,000 cfs by Monday. At those levels, the sandbars start disappearing fast and camping becomes a gamble. The easy summer paddling we've had is shifting into a high-water scenario quickly.
Enjoy the sandbars while they are still above the surface, but prepare for the current to pick up and the available real estate to shrink. If the forecast holds, the river will look completely different by Sunday afternoon.