The Middle Middle is a class III-IV run on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River near North Bend, WA. WRRR members and friends run this section of the river on Thursday afternoons in the Spring when there is water. We've run this as early as the second week in March, and as late as mid-July, but this river is not very consistent.
We usually meet at the takeout at 5:20PM and leave at 5:30PM. If you have a raft trailer that you want to have at the takeout, or if you need extra time to set up your equipment, you should go to the put-in no later than 4:30PM. It's also a good idea to let people know if you might be a little late. After the trip, we usually go to dinner at the North Bend Bar and Grill.
It's much more common to see raftable flows in mid-April through early June. For most people, enjoyable raft and cataraft flows are 1500cfs-3500cfs, though the run can be done as low as 1000cfs and can be run considerably higher by experts. For inflatable kayaks, most people will prefer 1000cfs-2000cfs, but it is often run as low as 600cfs and as high as 2500cfs, and of course can be run considerably higher. When flows are higher than people are comfortable with, we tend to go across the highway and run the South Fork Snoqualmie, which is a class II+ run that is a lot of fun at high water.
The Middle Middle is a 7 mile class III run with one section of rapids that can be a bit harder at higher flows. This harder section is not practical to portage, and there is not a good way to leave the river at this point.
Access to the Middle Middle is not always easy. The put-in near the concrete bridge requires a 150-foot carry/drag and the entrance is blocked by posts. The First Island Drop put-in is currently filled with debris (large trees), and is not suitable for rafts. The takeout off Tanner Road is rocky and requires a 200-foot carry with a gate. If you're lucky, you might be able to find someone with a gate key, which will help. Make sure to respect the privacy of the landowners next to the gated trail - no undressing or peeing in their bushes and keep the noise down.
Take I-90 to exit 32, 436th Ave SE (this is the exit between the North Bend Factory Stores exit and the Truck Town exit) and go North on 436th. At the end of the road, take a right. Go about a mile and take the first left onto Tanner Rd. Go about a half mile until you see a gate on the left and a gravel parking area on the right.
(These are the easy directions. There is a slightly shorter way, which others can show you.) Go back out to the entrance to Tanner Rd and turn left. Go to the end of this road and turn left. After you leave the Truck Town area, look for Middle Fork Rd on the right as you curve around to the left. Go right on Middle Fork Rd. After about 1.5 miles, you will come to a fork in the road. You can go either way here (though at the time of this writing, the right fork is closed). After the forks rejoin, you will go another half mile before the pavement ends. The First Island Drop access is about 1.5 miles, and the concrete bridge (Granite Creek) access is another 2 miles. The unpaved section of the road is usually full of potholes... get used to it.
You can find details on the run here: American Whitewater Middle Middle Info
Here is a quick link to the USGS flow page:
USGS Flow for the Middle Middle
The gauge is located about a mile below the put-in.
You can see it on the left at the bottom of the rapid just above the first cable crossing.
Here is a quick link to the NOAA flow prediction page: NOAA Predicted Flow for the Middle Middle