Clearwater River - Upper Upper

When the main Clearwater is low a drive up into the beautiful Wells Gray National Park is well worth it for a new section with a variety of water features.

From the town of Clearwater take the North exit from the roundabout and keep driving for 1 hours until you reach Clearwater Lake Campground. You will cross the Murtle River and don't confuse this for what you are going to paddle, it has a massive unrunnable waterfall downstream, but is worth a stop to check out Dawson Falls (which has been paddled). If you arrive at the "boat ramp" you've gone too far up the lake. 

At the lake there is parking near the campsite and there's a nice spot to launch just by the cafe, the take-out is on your route up near Baileys Chute, two options of parking, one on the road left about 1km below the rapid or one on the right about 100m before Baileys.

Put on at Clearwater Lake, and look out at the horizon line at the edge of the lake.  Finding the best line here is tricky, there are many to choose from.  You can scout from river right but you've got to paddle back up the lake to get across to your probably line choice somewhere down the middle.  Or go hard river left (without going passed any major islands), you can scout, and send people off a lip on the left side of Osprey Falls.  Beware... at one point of the lip there is a large boulder to piton (visible in the far left of the photo below), it has destroyed boats so be sure you avoid that part!

Shortly after Osprey Falls there is a small creek which enters from river left in dramatic style. It used to be possible to walk up here and huck the drop, but to do this now you need to take out at a small eddy at the last channel from Osprey Falls and walk up. If you've already floated down to the falls it's too late, it's possible to ferry across the river and paddle/hike back up to get back to the eddy but it'd be a lot of effort.

Then follows a few kms of class 2 which feels very chill then the river builds into several large wave-train rapids which are read and run and rather fun.  The river then becomes fairly continuous big volume wave-trains for about 2km, lots of fun waves to catch.  The river will mellow out and just around a right corner a horizon line will greet you at Myanth Falls.  You can scout either side and there are many line options here, river right being the most challenging line.  A few ledges lower down make for a 200m long rapid, could be portaged either side. Generally scout on the left first to see the rapid, then go over to the right scout the right line, once you are there you are fairly committed to either running the right line or portaging.

Some more boogie water and you're up next at Donkey Falls/Marcus Falls.  You can scout either side, easily from the left side where there is a trail to the take out for those that don't want to run the lower drops, or just want to portage Donkey.  The left side is fast ramp move into a boof, the right side can be dropped down to for a closer look and then a couple of steeper drops.

Below is a fun Staircase Rapid with some big holes, start on river right, you want to push left to eddy out above Bailey's Chute.  If people swim on Staircase typically their boats will go down and run through Baileys, and the swimmer will end up on river right above Baileys and involve a time-consuming bush-whack down to below Baileys.  If you have nervous boaters who are already portaging Donkey Falls they can continue down the trail to Baileys instead.

This rapid is optional, you can take out here and walk to the vehicles, or take out after the rapid.  There is a large boulder which creates piton/rooster tail that you want to avoid. This drop is Class 5, Nouria Newman had one of her worst swims here apparently.

An alternative take-out is about 2km downstream at a rec site.

Consider stopping at Helmcken falls on your way home, the afternoon sun often creates the famous rainbow.