Running the Skagit for New Year's Day

I rafted the Skagit today with my neighbors, latching onto a trip with some wonderful birders and rafters who make this an annual New Year’s Day tradition. I fell into this at the last minute--pretty cool way to start the year!
-
We launched at Goodell Creek near Newhalem, and rode the river for two or three hours down to Marblemount. Nine miles of emerald, glacier fed river. This was an experienced group (or they fooled me), and they prefer the upper Skagit, whereas most commercial eagle watching trips start in Marblemount and pull out in Rockport. No one else was on the river.
-
We saw approximately 25 eagles, total. The eagles were regal, sometimes flying, sometimes sitting, mostly alone, but a few pairs. Just spectacular—I don't want to overwrite it, but this was so cool. The eagles really stand out in the leafless alder trees lining the river, or you can see them from half a mile away at a river turn, perched at the very top of a tree, checking things out. I wasn't able to get many eagle pictures, because I had to paddle, and I really didn't have a worthy camera.
-
We also got a little bit of white water, the only white water in Washington this weekend, I’m told. Class 3 rapids, 6000 CFS, with some mild flooding. It rained the whole day---the clouds moving through the hills and trees were spectacular. It was cold, probably about 40 degrees--the water was freezing and we did get wet, and there was snow on the banks early on. But we wore drysuits and goretex, and so I was pretty comfortable the whole float.
-
Happy New Year, peeps!
-