Silver, Michigan, US |
|
| Usual Difficulty | III-V (varies with level) |
|---|---|
| Length | 2.3 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient | 150 fpm |
| Max Gradient | 177 fpm |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SILVER RIVER NEAR L'ANSE, MI | ||||
| usgs-04043150 | 7.47 - 9.00 ft | II-III(IV) | 01h11m | 6.78 ft (rc= -0.2 ) |
Too low for any reasonable whitewater experience. (Under 100 cfs.) Gauge (64.7 Sq.Mi. drainage) is well downstream (at Skanee Road). Gauge flow would considerably exaggerate flow in this reach, so we use stage reading. |
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This is one of the definitive South Shore creek runs. First paddled in the seventies, the Silver
has long had an annual pilgrimage of faithfuls, hoping to catch this beauty when the snow melts
and the ice goes out.
The run begins with Hail Mary (a great challenging rapids in three
pitches) and ends with the Cabin Section (an even more demanding stretch which most boaters will
enjoy from shore, and even well seasoned boaters will likely appreciate having good safety
support in a few key locations). At low-to-moderate flows, this section can easily be parsed into
three sequential pitches. At higher flows, the drops tend to 'run together', creating many
opportunities for epic tales to be told later around the bar or campfire. And, between these two
sequences, you'll find a plentiful assortment of good drops to keep you on your toes.
AW members may click
here for Part 1 of an article from the AW Journal, way back in 1981!
AW members may click
here for Part 2 of the article.
The article describes the following:
Michigan's
Upper Presque
Isle,
Lower Presque
Isle,
Lower Black,
Upper Silver,
(this reach)
Lower Silver,
Falls, and
Rock,
and Wisconsin's
Lower
Brunsweiler,
Montreal, W.Fk.,
and
Montreal Canyon.
As of September, 2001, a USGS gauge at Skanee Road is online. That gauge is sufficiently far downstream (after the end of the lower listed whitewater section of this river) that the flow (cfs) reading is probably misleading for this upper reach.
According to at least one boater's report:
| 8.50' | 475 cfs | 'moderate' |
| 8.00' | 325 cfs | 'moderate low' |
| 7.43' | everything is runnable, but getting quite scrapey |
| minimum mean daily flow | 4 cfs (Aug.17-18, 2007) |
| maximum mean daily flow | 3,180 cfs (May 12, 2003) |
| 90% flow (90% of the time flow equals or exceeds this value) |
13 cfs |
| 10% flow (10% of the time flow equals or exceeds this value) |
160 cfs |
| 10/90 ratio (<3 means fairly even flows, >10 means a rather flashy stream) |
12.3 |
Best months to catch it:
April (runnable days: 14.11 average; low of 2, high of 22),
March (runnable days: 3.67 average; low of 0, high of 9),
October (runnable days: 3.33 average; low of 0, high of 10),
May (runnable days: 3.11 average; low of 0, high of 7),
and it has run in every month but Jan/Feb.
Offseason ('Ice') correlations:
9.00' = 695 cfs
8.75' = 607 cfs
8.50' = 522 cfs
8.25' = 433 cfs
8.00' = 348 cfs
7.75' = 274 cfs
7.50' = 205 cfs
7.40' = 181 cfs
Disclaimer: Be aware that indication of a 'runnable' level by the gauge does not necessarily mean that the river is runnable. In winter, gauge readings may be 'ice affected'. Sections of the river may be impassable due to ice. Use discretion for late fall, winter, and early spring runs.
The 'boaters gauge' is to look at the river downstream of Arvon Road. If it looks a bit rocky ('marginal') you probably have a decent level! If there are no rocks showing, prepare for a beefy run!
Boaters also use a 'measure down' gauge at the bridge at Skanee Road. Measuring down from underside downstream left on NEW bridge there: 72" down appears to equate to -22" on old bridge (I.E. relative minimum level for runnability). Desirable (runnable) levels may be 60" to 69" down, with 70"-73" runnable but getting scrapey.
Also, I have received word that If you measure down from the bottom of the concrete on the bridge on the upstream left side and subtract that number from 14.81 feet, that will give you the gage height (this will correlate very nicely with the USGS gage height that appears on the web).
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SILVER RIVER NEAR L'ANSE, MI | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| usgs-04043150 | 7.47 - 9.00 ft | II-III(IV) | 01h11m | 6.78 ft (rc= -0.2 ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Too low for any reasonable whitewater experience. (Under 100 cfs.) |
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|
Gauge (64.7 Sq.Mi. drainage) is well downstream (at Skanee Road). Gauge flow would considerably exaggerate flow in this reach, so we use stage reading. |
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver [MI] |
Cabin Section
|
n/a | Boris Glick | |
| Silver River [MI] |
Cabin Section
|
7.43' (Minimum) | Rob Smage | |
| 3y283d06h26m | Upper Silver [MI] |
Steve runs Hail Mary
|
8' | Mike Croak |
| 5y302d06h26m | Silver River [MI] |
Silver Bullet Bob
|
263 cfs | Mike Croak |
| 6y313d14h26m | Silver [MI] |
1st Pitch Hail Mary
|
8.2-8.3 | Nate Alwine |
| 6y314d14h26m | Silver [MI] |
Silver Bullet
|
8.2-8.3 | Nate Alwine |
| 7y316d14h26m | Upper Silver [MI] |
Steep drop on upper Silver
|
7.6' | Mark Mastalski |
| 9y278d06h26m | Silver [MI] |
Cabin Section Silver
|
220 cfs / 7.6' | Rob Smage |
| > 10 years | Silver [MI] |
Main Drops on the Upper
|
Good | Rob Smage |
| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | Note! | N/A | |
| 0.5 | Hail Mary (three pitches) | IV |   |
| 0.8 | (don't recall the name!) | IV | |
| 1.3 | Bubble Bath | III+ | |
| 1.8 | Cabin Section | IV+ | |
This is NOT a comprehensive list of the rapids on this reach. We could use some help here. If you know names, have locations (coordinates), or can provide more detailed descriptions for any of the rapids on this reach, we would appreciate your input! Add a comment or report, or email the StreamTeam member for this reach.
Steve runs Hail Mary"Hail Mary" is broken down into three pitches. The first pitch starts with a jumbled slide into a nearly 90-degree left turn, followed by a sequence of holes and waves.
A short pool brings you to the second pitch: A rocky protuberance separates the flow (at low-to-moderate levels, anyway). To the right, water flows over a shallow shelf and dumps into a wrapping hole (the current from the left line). To the left, a sweet slide accelerates you into the flow dropping in from the right, then (with little pause) accelerates you toward a pretty good sized hole, with diagonal 'feeder waves' funneling you into the maw. Punch the hole hard, angled left to catch the left eddy, or you will be fed (by the outflow) right into an undercut wall.
A longer let-up precedes the final pitch. The jagged rock of the riverbed 'humps' down the middle of this pitch. To the left, water spills into a nasty, narrow crease. (You DON'T want to be anywhere near this!) With adequate water, the most opted for route is more-or-less down the center, but more often when I've been there (with low-to-moderate flows), the preferred route has been well to the right. A short initial ledge drops you into a short pool. Sliding out of there, you grunge down toward a wall of rock (right shore), to be diverted sharply to your left. You do your best to avoid banging paddle or right elbow on the wall (or worse, being flipped) as you head toward the hole formed where currents converge (from the left-side slot) as they (hopefully) spit you out downstream.
A great combo drop comes as the river swings to the left. The entrance slides and trips across some ledge/waves, runs headlong toward a large boulder (river-left), then pools briefly before sliding down more medium-angle slides, through a few good wave/holes, before calming a bit below. Don't let up too soon! There is another good combo which follows!
Bubblebath(Map location very approximate)
After a pretty fair relatively flat stretch (maybe a half-mile), this single ledge drop is encountered. The approach is generally quite straight-forward, and there is a good pool below, so this may be a simple drop. However, at good flows, the hole at the base can be quite aggressive, so the recommended line is often a boof on river-right.
Silver BulletThis is some serious gradient that you will want to take a good look at. As soon as you see the first 'cabin' (house) on the right, get out to scout the whole section. At low-to-moderate flows, you can easily break it down into three or more distinct pitches, each of which is not that difficult. However, taking the whole sequence together (as will be the case at higher flows), it is a huge chunk of gradient to navigate.
reach
state
reachlink
A) 'Upper Silver': Silver Rd to Arvon Rd (2.3 miles), Silver Michigan, US (mobile)
User Comments
misleading as to the actual events. The initial problem Richard had was being stopped/caught in the
hole above "Silver Bullet". I'm pretty sure the report was that repeated attempts were made to
throw him a rope while he was in the hole, but he went limp. it was only once he flushed from the
hole that his body ended up pinned on the tree. The hole which stopped him should be of concern and
should be scouted and evaluated by all boaters before deciding to run the drops in the "Cabin
Section".
Marquette, MI POSTED: April 19, 2009 L'ANSE - A Houghton man is dead after a kayaking accident that
occurred on the Silver River in Baraga County Friday evening. Richard Honrath Jr., 47, was
pronounced dead at Baraga Memorial Hospital. Baraga County Sheriff's deputies went to the Silver
River in L'Anse Township, shortly after 8:20 p.m. to assist a kayaker who was reportedly "pinned
against a tree." Deputies found Honrath pinned under a tree in fast-moving rapids. He was pulled
from the water and taken to the hospital. Honrath and his partner, Dave Bullock, 38, of downstate
St. Johns had entered the Silver River about two miles upstream from where the incident occurred.
Bullock told police that Honrath had rolled and was separated from his kayak. Bullock attempted a
rescue with a throw rope, but all attempts failed. According to Bullock, he and Honrath had been
kayaking together for about 15 years and were familiar with the Silver River. The L'Anse Fire
Department, Bay Ambulance, Keweenaw Bay Tribal Police and the L'Anse and Baraga village police
departments assisted with the incident.