Slammin Salmon Butler Race 2010

Well, it was unfortunate timing that the road wasn't open yet, but the turnout was excellent and good-times were had by all to make this the premiere Northern Cali Spring event!

Here's my listing of photos: If I don't know you're name, post a comment and gimme some shit!

Here's Alex Wolfgram edging out Chris Hatton for 2nd.

Wolf Still has one coming his way...

The always positive smile of local Chris Hatton, 4th year placing in the top 3

Seth Naman Stepping it up with a fourth

Damon Goodman: 1st place Shortboat, didn't break a sweat

TaZ Soto-2nd place shortboat, 1st descender of Bridge Creek

Girl Alex barely edging out the competition: should it be a tie?

The Competition: Sorry I forget your nombre

Trinity River Kyle Craig: 1st Place Junior, also first time down Butler

Team Wet Makes an appearance as the proud boss-man Steven Lisles looks on

No time to celebrate!

Break out the Keystone Light Victory Brew!

Orion Meredith's 10-pack rolling heavy into second place

Event organizer Paul Gamache getting swirled at the convergence of Wooley Creek and The Salmon with 80 lbs of wet hippie clothes on--In 3rd Place

The Shambles of ORT arrive in 4th...I know of at least one torn drysuit that led to a hike-out

Classic Salmon Spring Weather

Western Oregon Whitewater with a proper celebratory paddle high five!

ORT II Crew battled for placement

Extra special thanks to all who showed face this year!

About to miss the finish line...unknown crew being cheered on by natty-head-mop-Orion

What better way to celebrate than continue on down to Big Ike...and surf it!

And after that...its a Jam & Party Session with Johnny Chin

Hope to see ya'll next year, and more faces too...where's my competition!

Extra Special Big Thanks goes to the event organizer Paul Gamache...the man with the plan!

Thanks to Caliproduct as well, hope you make it next year.

Stuart Fork Trinity River: Wilderness Run

After backpacking to Emerald and Sapphire lakes last summer, I decided my return to kayak the Stuart Fork Trinity was imperative.  This is a beautiful river, whose headwaters share the highest peaks of the Trinity Alps with Canyon Creek, the North Fork Trinity, and South Fork Salmon River.  Because it emerges from these glacially-carved granitic mountains, the channel is primarily continuous boulder gardens with round granite boulders.  The gradient is quite steep, averaging 180 fpm, though the first two miles drop 400 feet.  Towards the end you work your way into bedrock drops with some punch, making the most of the gradient.  This also makes for many even, ledge holes to get worked in and also provides some interesting undercuts.

The Stuart Fork area is rich with mining history, during the hike-in you follow the path of a canal used to divert water for hydraulic mining operations.  It's pretty safe to assume that everything has been mined in one way or a nother.  Though this area is wilderness, its crazy to think that 160 years ago it was the most happening place in Northern California.  Looking down at Emerald.

We decided to hike to Deer Creek, approximately 7 miles up from the trailhead.  I roped my buddy Chris Zawacki into making the trek, and we got an early start, hitting the trail by 7:00 A.M.  The hike took us approximately 4 hours, but including our stops, lunchbreak, and brief losing of the trail (not maintained in winter), we probably didn't hit the water until noonish.  We did manage to hike through snow along several sections of the trail, not so rare in May.  Here's a sweet bedrock rapid next to the trail on our way up.

The first two miles are steep and continuous.  It is also incredibly scenic, with mountain views all along.  It really makes you appreciate kayaking, as the views from the river blow away the views from the trail.  Though we could have used more water (1,200 on Trinity @ Coffee Cr.) we had a good flow.  Eddy's weren't numerous but there were great drops where the river squeezed against bedrock and the scenery was amazing.

More of Chris Zawacki on the Stuart's Fork.

One major memorable rapid was at the Alpine Creek confluence, where a boulder garden with 4 or 5 consecutive moves as well as shady off line consequences awaits.  We were tired and took a quick break here.

Downstream you arrive at the Deep Creek Confluence, the falls on Deep Creek has been run, though we decided not to go for it as the creek was quite low.  The falls drops right under the trail.

This marks the end of the boulder gardens and the beginning of more bedrock rapids.

Zawacki styles yet another Stuart Fork Rapid

We decided to portage this drop due to interesting caves along the right side, though it is runnable.

Here is the view looking down another two-part rapid in the bedrock section.

Chris tackles the rowdy hole in part two

Towards the end, we also portaged the rapid at Cherry Flat, happy just to be back near the take-out.
In retrospect, there were endless rapids, and including the 7 mile hike it made for a very long and tiring day.  I consider this run to be a north coast classic, though as much for the scenery and adventure as for the rapids.  Because you hike along the river, you can go as far as you wish, though Deep Creek is a good halfway point.  Get an early start if you plan on hiking to Deer Creek.

The Stuart Fork is 20 minutes north from Weaverville on Highway 3, alongside Trinity Lake.  Turn left after the bridge and drive approximately 5 miles to the trailhead.

Lower Goose Creek

So, we actually paddled this run back in February, though we did have a great day on the water.  This was probably my fourth trip down Lower Goose Creek, over about a 10 year span.  On my first trip we were able to drive 2 miles down the road to a washed out stream-crossing, and on each successive trip the creek access has doubled, and now tripled in hiking distance to the creek (due to decomissioning of the put-in road).  This year, we had to hike the full 3 miles (downhill, on a road) from the turn-off at Saddle Road.  Despite this less-than perfect access, I still fully recommend Lower Goose, as it is a beautiful creek with great rapids.  Speed-blur: Melissa DeMarie corkscrewing the Honker.

Upon arrival at the creek back in 2001, water was ripping through willows on both banks looking very high, though this turned out to be a great level (12,000 cfs @ Jed Smith).  This year, the level was slightly lower (10,000) though still a great flow.  After a couple miles of steady class III, with fun playspots, you arrive at the first sweet drop, the Gander (Class IV).  This is scouted easily on the right bank, and is basically two consecutive hole-punches over ledge drops.  Miguel charging.

Class III water continues to the next horizon line at the Honker, which is somewhat obscured by large boulders.  This is the largest rapid of the run (Class V), and continues for a couple hundred yards. The easiest portage is probably down the left, which requires eddying out early.  This year I found a great scout angle on the right where you can get an excellent view of the top drop, a boof into a sticky hole, right next to a large undercut.  This would not be a fun place to get worked, though I haven't seen anybody get stuck here.  Miguel sticks his line.

The rapid continues through a boulder garden, before passing an eddy and plunging over the final bouldery exit we ran on the right.  Martin Belden and Miguel showing how its done.

Below here the creek lets up for a couple of miles, with a class III-IV character.  The canyon is incredibly beautiful, and because this run flows north-south it can often be sunny in the middle of winter.
The Ugly Duckling is the final rapid (Class IV), with another slightly obscured horizon line.  The current charges at a big boulder before continuing to drop over a sliding runout.  John Warner sticks the line.

A couple more corners brings you to the confluence with the South Smith, and a wicked fun eddyfence where the currents converge.  At higher flows, there are several fun play-waves and holes between here and Steven's Bridge, the take-out 1 mile downstream on the right.  There is a good eddy and trail on the downstream right side of the bridge.

To reach Steven's Bridge, drive 10 miles up South Fork Road from HWY 199.  There is good parking across the bridge (river right).  To get to the "trailhead", drive upstream, turning right at the Gasquet-Orleans road in one mile.  Two miles up this hill you will reach an obvious "saddle" on the right side, with several random roads and lots of shotgun shells in the large flat area.  The road you want to put-in is in the back, on the left, and proceeds downhill 3 miles to the creek.     Good flows are 6,000 to 14,000 at Jed, though I prefer 8,000+.  Have fun.

South Trinity: HWY 36 to Hyampom--Day Two: Sulfur Glade Creek to Hyampom

In case you haven't read the day one description it is here

The sun rose to the beach about 8:00, coaxing me from my heavy slumber.  It was damp and dewey, Ed claimed he saw some frost, but I must've slept through it.

In the morning I spent about an hour walking around on the enormous flat where we camped.  This area burned during 2008, and is beginning to revegetate nicely.  Upon returning from my jaunt, Ed was in his drysuit, with drybags packed and looking eager to go...

Recap on the camping situation:
Once you are past the river-spirit community a couple of miles (houses on both banks, suspension bridge) good camping is abundant.  I'm not sure exactly where we camped but we passed a gigantic flat and creek on river left that must've been sulfur glade creek, and I'd reckon we made it past there about another mile and a half.
The many enormous campsites are essentially deltas created by the monster floods during 1964.  Widespread logging of steep slopes and road-building practices (e.g. using too small sized culverts) led to enormous hillslope failures (landslides) that poured millions upon millions of yards of sediment into the South Trinity watershed.  This resulted in the "filling" of many pools and the "raising" of the river-bed.  Today, the system is still working all of this sediment through, though sediment inputs from human causes and the naturally soft coastal geology continue to contribute ample supply, keeping the system in stasis (impaired).  The salmon runs have been impacted as a result, but hey, there's tons of great camping!

Putting back on the water, and our stick gauge  

      

This put us about 17 miles into the 25-mile section and meant we would have ample time for scouting and portaging in the Hyampom Gorge.

After paddling for only an hour in the morning we reached Oak Flat and Butter Creek shortly thereafter.  Houses start coming into view, and the canyon opens up.  Butter Creek is the best take-out (unless you know landowners) for people who wish to avoid the gorge.  Taking out here requires an extra half-hour of driving time (St. Johns Road off Hyampom Rd), and it is a short steep hike up to the road (20 yards).  Nonetheless, this may still be less effort than lining/portaging rafts and kayaks through the rocky gorge downstream.  The gradient picks up slightly, and a couple of swift miles bring you to the gorge, which rises abruptly.  There is a large flat (Winton Flat) on the left upstream of the gorge, where we took a nice lunchbreak in the shade, put the elbow pads back on, and hydrated up.

Ed chilling on a beach where there was a goose-egg...We saw several nesting goose pairs.

Ed Scouting the Gorge

I was fortunate enough to get to snorkel this stretch of river, during the summer while doing a fish count.  I had already seen the ugly sieves and nasty pockets, and was happily looking forward to the portage on river left, which had an easy to catch eddy at our flow.  We took a good long scout on the right, however, and marvelled at the beauty of the nastiness.

I like the gi-normous undercut Limestone wall on river right, though taking this photo put me on an uncomfortably precarious slab above a man-eating crack in the wall.

The river forces its way through this notch, with a hidden mystery rock right in the middle, and head-hunting undercut on the right.

After pouring through one more VW Bus eating sieve, the gradient suddenly lets up and fun rapids follow for the next several miles.  The portage was really not that bad, though it was over large, uneven boulders for about 150 yards.  Here is the view, standing above another uncomfortable spot.

The fun continues downstream.

Eventually we reached another big class V rapid that we both fired off.  It had a fun double boof-entry to a ramp that ended with a crazy curler that you rode back to the left (of a sieve).  Ed styled the line, and I followed with a very not smooth line, catching every eddy and barely riding the curl to the left of a smooth rock, which I got a good look at.  I took a video of Ed, and should have it up soon.

A typical off-line consequence

More fun class III-IV continued for about a mile before it tapered off.  As quickly as the gorge began, it tapers off into the Hyampom Valley, with one final display of splendor as you pass an enormous limestone wall.

Two miles of flatwater brings you to the take-out, on the river left side about 1/4 mile upstream of the bridge in Hyampom.  Here you will find a big flat area where you can drive right to the river.  We, however, took out at the bridge, which was not such easy access.

Considering the easy access, high quality of scenery, wilderness and whitewater, likelihood of good flows combining with sunny spring weather and amazing campsites...I'd give the South Fork a definite 4.5 out of 5 stars.  There were certainly some nasty spots to avoid, but the river is generally quite forgiving with plenty of eddies for scouting and fairly easy portaging.  I'll venture to say that a crew of confident class IV boaters would probably make it down this run with maybe 2-3 portages in Klondike Mine, and another 2 in the Hyampom Gorge.

Rafting flows would ideally be slightly higher than what we had, as it would open up some narrow slots and provide more coverage.  In the words of Cassidy/Calhoun, "Any rafter who takes on this run must be a wilderness nut who doesn't mind several long, difficult portages.  Seasoned experts only.  Pack light."  We had ~1,000 cfs @ put-in (Forest Glen)...so I reckon ideal rafting flows would probably be 1200-1500.  The adventure is awesome and has the same remote feel as any other wilderness run that I've paddled.  Unlike all of the mainstream "notorious", permitted wilderness trips, we didn't see a soul for 2-days.  This run could also be extended all the way through to the 3-bears if one were inclined for a hefty 3-day (kayak), or 4 day (raft) trip.  Happy paddling.