Pallets with nails and class 5 for breakfast

Well, seeing as how the Cali snowpack is melting faster than an ice cream cone that just fell out of a 4 year-old's hand onto the sidewalk on a hot summer day, I've spent the last week up in Washington. Where the snowpack has been melting fastern than an ice cream cone that just fell out of a 4 year-old's hand onto the sidewalk on a hot summer day. Huh.
First stop was the Wenatchee, which by the good ol' semi-reliable Northwest River Forecast Center (go NOAA!) was predicted to rise and level out at about 12k, which is the primo play level for some really big waves. First day it was about 9k, and the play was mediocre, but levels were rising so high hopes for the next day were had by everyone.
Woke up the next morning to the sound of boulders moving along the creekbed where I was camping and 90 degree temps by 9am (gonna be a warm one!) and as I drove back into Leavenworth plenty of trees and old-growth forests were making their way through Tumwater Canyon. I don't know if you've ever seen Tumwater at high water, but it would take some serious balls to run it in a kayak. These trees, man, must have the biggest balls ever. Not even catching eddies. Just routing gigantic class 5+ right down the middle. I'm sure all their buddies on shore were scouting and yelling out beta, but damn!
Down at Rodeo Hole we were a little afraid of surfing. Not due to the size of the feature, which was at an absolute perfect level, but due to trees, 2x4s telephone poles, pallets, etc... coming downstream and taking rides alongside you in the pile. Not super fun to see a tree with the "Claw of DEATH" branches sticking off of it throwing 20 point cartwheels in the hole while you're waiting in the eddy. Or the pallets with lots of rusty nails floating downstream. Or the full size old-growth TREE that decided to stop off in the eddy for a bit.
Ugh.
The rest of the run was sweet, with the exception of Drunkards' being washed out. Level must be a little high. Turkey Shoot, normally a benign little wave, was pretty fun. Managed to work leftie air blunts, stabs, flashbacks and attempt the occasional McNasty or loop. Good times. Snowblind was epic. More waves than you could shake a stick at.
And good ol' Suffacator. Never dissapoints above 14k. Skook on a river, that's all I'll say.

I left that evening for the west side of the Cascades to meet up with some friends and rallied up to Bellingham, where some small drainages had decent water levels. Just about the only places in the state (or coast) with reasonable levels.
There was a catch. It was still so hot, that you had to get on things early in the morning before the snowmelt kicked in and bumped the flow up super high. All right! You guys want some class 5 for breakfast?

--Selander