Snake River - Alpine Canyon (West Table to Sheep Gulch)

Head east out of Alpine WY on highway 89. You will see a signed turnoff for West Table boat ramp.

Just a few miles east of Alpine WY on highway 89 you will see the signed turn off for Sheep Gulch.

A couple miles west of the West Table Put-In is a parking lot.  There is a small access trail that heads down to the river.

A couple of miles east of the Sheep Gulch take-out is a parking lot for lunch counter and big kahuna access.  A trail heads to both features.  This is also a good place to take pictures of people hitting these rapids.

At higher water this feature washes out a little.  But at medium to lower flows this lateral wave off of the left bank creates a nice wave that looks much like an ocean wave curling at the top.  Surf it or hit it head on with the raft for good times.

Read and run

This is a fun series of waves.  Line up right down the middle of them for the best wave train ride.

Read and run

Hit this at the top left dropping into the main wave as you move right.  Below this rapid are some strong eddies.  The river is deep here and the oxygen in the water bubbles up like champaign.

Read and run

The river bed widens here and at low water the river depth can be quite shallow.  There are lots of rocks in this rapid and the rapid runs for about a quarter of a mile.  This is an area you don't want to swim since getting banged or caught up on a rock is a good possibility.

You will know when you reach this rapid because at the top, just left of center is shipwreck rock.  This is a huge rock you don't want to get caught up on.  You can run left or right of the rock.  At high water this rock can be covered and create some nasty holes around it.

Speckled throughout cottonwood rapid or holes.  Nothing big enough to eat you but they have stopped many kayakers and IK'ers to make them realize the power of the water.

Read and run of follow one of the hundreds of commercial boats down

This feature is mainly used for kayak surfing.  How sticky this hole is depends on the CFS.  Mid levels are usually the best.  Around 6000 to 8000 CFS.  

Check this hole out before getting into it and make sure your skills are up to par.

From river right or pass the feature on river left and pull into the eddy below it and check it out.

This is a benign looking hole that is easy to run into as you come around the corner on the river and just follow the wave train on river left.  Many deaths and accidents have occurred in this hole and it is recommended to simply not hit this feature at any water level.  All commercial guides are not allowed to hit 3 oar deal.  

Stick close to the right bank as you round the corner and you will miss it no problem.