Flow:
The gauge is an approximation from the Perry whose watershed is geographically similar. Can generally be run when the gauge reads 10-50. There is a sharp triangle shaped rock at the take out bridge that makes for a good visual gauge. Rock fully visible: low bony not fun. Water pillowing against rock: low bony runnable. Water pillowing to tip of rock: low medium. Water spilling over rock: true medium. Rock barely visible: medium high. What rock?: Super Juicy Fun (Class V).
Description:
This section consists of a short warm up of class 2 ending in one class 3 with a nice boof on the left before the first waterfall. The main rapids are numbered.
#1: Ever the punisher. Run the far right channel and boof twice. The key to success relies in not boofing the second drop too early. The bottom hole looks sticky but it easy to work your way out of. Swim/rescue right before #2.
#2: The cave on river left makes this by far the most consequential on this run. Slalom eddy hop from the left eddy through the notch to the river right eddy before holding a strong right to left angle through the slide to avoid the cave. At high water boof the flake far left (or beneath the flake) taking care not to get launched across the river into the cave. At all levels beware the nasty ugly pin spot in the centre. Portage up the obvious climb on the cliff river right.
Enjoy three boogie rapids before #3; the last one is a sweet whale tail boof. Eddy out left to scout #3.
#3: Climbing up through the hole in the rock above the eddy offers you a cool platform to scout from. A hiking trail starts here and heads all the way to the takeout. Run far right of the left channel being careful not to get flipped against the wall by the boulder. Charge the exit boof with some sweet left-right momentum and take solace in the fact that an easy swim/rescue awaits you in the small pool below.
#4 is a sweet multi-faceted slide and by far the most fun rapid on the run. Run the slide centre (further right than you think) and aim back left to reconnect to the autoboof without getting launched into the undercut river right. The next two drops have sneaky rocks in the landing so be weary of boofs that look too good to be true. Go hard left or right of the main flow. An alt line on the slide is to launch the rooster tail far right (pictured in the banner photo). It’s scary but it has been beatered and freewheeled by many locals without serious consequences. Just be sure to gather your speed away from the undercut before reconnecting with the main flow. The run out is fun and boofy.
#5. Scout right or left after the tight right corner when the river picks up again. Portage right. Different levels offer different lines on this bad boi but the challenge remains to retain rightward momentum away from the sieves on the left. The hole at the bottom flushes but can be boofed if you nail your line and timing in the top half. Safety can be set from on top of the sieve river left.
#6 WALLRIDE TIME! Sneak through the boulders in the main flow left of centre before gathering as much left-right momentum as possible across the lip. If you do it right you can clear your entire boat out of the water onto the right wall as a gallery of beaters gawk from shore. The left pocket gets ugly at higher water but you can work your way out of it.
Enjoy class 3 boogie all the way to the takeout bridge.