Horse Ridge Trail & my new Mama (3.20.10)

Last Saturday, Emily and I decided to take a trip east of the Cascades to Bend, Oregon for some mountain biking. This trip was actually going to serve a couple of purposes: 1) enjoy some dry trails and sunny weather on the east side, and 2) pick up my new 29er full squish mountain bike frame. The latter was really the driving force behind the trip, but we thought we should get in a ride while we were over there.

Ya see, I've been eying Salsa's "Big Mama" since it came out in 2008, but since I had recently bought my Stumpjumper FSR, I couldn't rationalize adding another horse to the stable, especially since the two bikes would serve the same purpose (all mountain). Fast forward 2 years, and Salsa has decided to start blowing out the old model to make room for the new ones. This, along a few more years out of the Stumpy, helped make my decision, so I called in the order to WebCyclery. I also knew that since I was buying just the frame (and I didn't have the cash to build it up right away), I would get at least one more season out of my old steed. Salsa's discount was also what convinced me to purchase my El Mariachi singlespeed 29er frame a couple of years back, and I've been a fan of their product ever since.

At first, Emily and I were planning to make a weekend of it and camp out. However, due to cold nights and our new dog's surgery (she had just gotten spayed), we decided it would be best done as a day trip. We had prepacked the night before and planned to get out of town between 7 and 7:30am. Because of the daylight savings change the weekend before, it was still dark when the alarm went off. After crawling out of bed (literally) we quickly took the dogs for a walk and ate breakfast before packing our bikes, dogs, and ourselves in the Outback. We were now on our way.

We stopped quickly for coffee in Eugene, and then hit Hwy. 126 up the McKenzie River and over Santiam Pass. We drove through Sisters and into Bend, where we headed east on Hwy. 20 (~15 miles) to the Horse Ridge trailhead at the intersection of Hwy. 20 and Forest Road 2015. The first thing we noticed in the parking area was that there were no trees to provide shade for the dogs. Although the temps were only supposed to get into the high 60s, we knew the car would get much warmer, so we both agreed we would need to find another place to park. After reviewing our Tread Map, we discovered that there was also a trailhead on the southeast side of the ridge. Hoping it would have more shade, we drove a mile or so down a couple of dirt roads to the marked position. To our relief, there were plenty of trees to park under to keep the car cool. The other thing we discovered about this parking lot was how empty it was, in fact we were the only car! This is quite rare for a trailhead near Bend, especially on such a nice day as this one.

While Emily and I changed into our riding gear, we let the dogs out of the car to run free. After we were ready, and the dogs had tired themselves out chasing each other through the dirt, we corralled them to their confines and we were off on our ride.

Tracks and elevation profile of our ride
(yellow arrows indicate our out direction, and
white arrows indicate our back direction)

After spending a couple of minutes trying to find the trailhead, we discovered on the side of the parking area with a trail marker labeled "30". As we began our climb to the top of the ridge, it became very apparent that it was going to be a tough slog through deep sand. I turned around to see Emily dismounting from her singlespeed and preparing to do a little pushing. At this point I was glad that I had brought my geared bike, but the feeling wouldn't last long. As I hit the first steep pitch, I also had to jump off my bike and join Emily in a hike-a-bike to the top. (you gotta love instant karma!) The one nice thing about the climb is that it was short, and soon we were at the top of the east ridge looking out over the high desert valley. Even though I'm relatively out of biking shape and Emily was on her singlespeed, this climb would be almost impossible to make it up all the way without walking at least a few stretches, due to the deep sand on an incline.

Emily says: " Riding uphill in sand sucks!"

After a short distance along the ridge, we found ourselves at the intersection of the main trail, "Has No Horse". We made a left turn onto the trail, and continued along the ridge to the west. This is where the trail started to get fun, and felt more reminiscent of the trail systems right out of Bend. (the Phil's network, etc...) I'm glad we had given the trail a chance, for there was a moment where I considered turning back since I thought the whole trail might be a sand pit, and I'm sure Emily was also feeling the same way!

Emily enjoying the first part of the ridge trail, "Has No Horse"

Although the trail did have a similar feel to the other trails around Bend, it was definitely more technical than most, I would actually compare it to the likes of C.O.D. or Voodoo. The trail pretty much takes you along Horse Ridge from east to west alternating between long, smooth, flowy stretches and short technical rock gardens; super fun stuff. As a bonus, you also get some great views of Mt. Jefferson, and even Mt. Hood in the far distance if you look hard enough.

View of Mt. Jefferson from "Has No Horse"

Emily rides through one of the more
technical stretches on "Has No Horse"

The author rides through a small
rock garden on "Has No Horse"
(photo by Emily G. Pfeifer)

It should be noted that you do have to climb over two sections of barbed-wire fence along the way, since it goes right across the trail marking an environmental research area.

Emily on the other side of the fence that bisects the trail

After a little over 5 miles from the parking lot, we arrived at the lookout at the west side of the ridge. As promised, it delivered great views of the Cascade range, not only could you see Jefferson and Hood, you also got a shot of Bachelor, The Three Sisters, and other peaks in between.

View from the lookout, and our turnaround point.
Bachelor (left) and the Three Sisters (center-right)
are prominent in this picture.

From here, the trail does continue down the southern face to the valley below and up another ridge. However, one of the maps I had said the descent wasn't really worth it, and it's best to just do the trail as an out-and-back to this point. Actually, this worked better for us anyhow, as I was on a tight schedule to get back to Bend and pick up my new frame before 4pm, when the shop closed. We also wanted to try one of the descents off the north side, so after quickly taking in the view and eating a quick snack, we sped back down the trail we had just ridden up (still "Has No Horse").

On a side note, I did walk down the trail a bit, and it actually looked really good if you were up for a challenging technical descent.

A shot of the first rocky pitch of the trail that headed
down the south side of the ridge. (Looked like fun stuff!)

More fun stuff around the first switchback

While riding back, I was surprised with how much descending there was. I really didn't remember climbing that much, so it was a nice surprise. We also ran into the first people of the trip; actually we ran into two sets of 2 riders along the ridge who were going in the opposite direction. Even with seeing these other folks, it still felt like we had the whole area to ourselves, which is unlike any other Bend ride we've ever done.

Instead of heading all the way back on the trail we had come up on, we decided to take a little detour and head down a trail to the left called "Parkway". After riding along some flat terrain and a quick climb, we were faced once again with another fence to climb over. Once past this obstacle, we started down the north face of the ridge as the trail snaked its way back and forth over some pretty technical trail. This is some of my favorite type of terrain, so I was grinning ear to ear as I sped around the corners and over & through the rocks in my way. Once again, I was feeling glad that I was on my full squish, hoping I wouldn't jinx myself this time.

Emily gets some turns in on "Parkway"

Emily drops down a small set of rock stairs on "Parkway"

The author enjoying the ride down "Parkway"
(photo by Emily G. Pfeifer)

Although it was a fairly long downhill, it was over way too quickly, and only left us wanting more. There was an option to extend the downhill by way of a left turn at the intersection we were now stopped at. The map called the trail "Escape from Moscow" and it sounded appealing, however, we were on a race against time and we didn't feel like pushing our luck. With that, we chose to go right, down a dirt double-track, until we reached the old highway below (no longer in use). Although not nearly as nice as the trails we had just come down, I was glad to have some old cracked pavement to ride on instead of deep sand, which I had expected it to be. Our forward progress was also no longer going downhill, instead the road follows the edge of the ridge on a slight incline back to where we had started.

Before the road had a chance to reach the eastern edge of the ridge, we once again saw a trail off to the right marked "30". Knowing that it would probably connect back with the trail we had started on from the trailhead, we decided to take it as a shortcut crossing over the ridge instead of riding around it. Once again we were faced with an unridable sandy hill that we had to push our bikes to the top of. It was fairly short and within a couple of minutes we did rejoin the first trail at the top of the hill.

Emily once again gives the big
"thumbs down" to another sand climb

Luckily, this time we would be riding down the sandy trail we had previously hiked up. It was actually pretty fun in this direction, and as long as you kept your wheel straight and your momentum up, you could float right through the sand; it kind of felt a little like skiing.

Once we were back at the car, we let the dogs out for another run, and quickly changed and loaded up so we could make it to the bike shop in time. With the bike shop's location loaded into the GPS, we made it there with some time to spare, and after talking with one of the guys in the bike shop about components, I walked out the door with my new Mama! Next, we once again followed the directions from the robotic woman in my GPS, but this time she navigated us to Cascade Lakes Brewing Company, also in Bend. We each enjoyed a burger and beer before heading back to Eugene with the dogs.

Our final destination in Bend, Cascades Lakes Brewing Company

By the time we got home we were all pretty tired out. After going out for banana milkshakes and watching some T.V. we called it an early night, and all slept well (including the dogs).

Brice Creek Trail with the Gals (3.14.10)

The Brice Creek area is one of my favorite places. The trail is actually the first hike that Emily and I did after moving to Oregon. Not only does it offer great hiking, it also provides excellent mountain biking by use of the same trails, and some of the best class 4/4+ kayaking in the area during winter months after a good hard rain.

Since Saturday was spent playboating on Lake Creek, and sunny skies were in the forecast for Sunday, I was pretty excited to get back on my bike after some extended down time. For the record, I'm not much of a playboater, and mountain biking in the winter has never really appealed to me; however for some reason this weekend I felt like breaking the norm, and I'm glad I did.

The great thing about Brice Creek, like most river tails, is that the trail surface holds up really well during the wet season, which can be attributed to a greater rock to soil ratio. Another thing I like about Brice Creek Trail is that it's one of the more technical trails in the area. By no means does it rival or come close to places like Moab, Whistler, or even Flagstaff, (where I learned to ride more than 15 years ago) but compared to most of the buffed, flowy trails in the Willamette forest, it does keep you on your toes a bit. Another thing that the trail has is some exposed areas where the side of the trail drops off steeply toward the creek below. Because of these reasons, this may not be the best place to bring a novice, however, an intermediate rider would do just fine. As for physical difficulty, it not very long (~12 miles as an out & back) and only has a couple of climbs, which aren't too tough. That said, if you were really pushin' hard, I'm sure you could wear yourself out. Also note, the trail can be extended and turned into a lollipop by adding the Upper Trestle Creek Falls Trail. Unfortunately, in the winter time this trail gets pretty sloppy and should probably be avoided.

I was actually the latecomer to the trip, which had been planned by my wife Emily (EGP), Emily Coonrod, (Coonabomber) and Kim McGovern. I was looking forward to riding with this all girl crew which typically doesn't generate the competitive atmosphere that can occur with the fellas. Basically, I was just along for the ride, so I loaded my bike and myself into Emily's car and headed to wherever it was taking me. The first stop ended up being LCC, where we met up with Coonabomber and Kim. From there we caravanned about an hours' drive southeast to the lower trailhead of Brice Creek.

My riding buddies for the day
(Coonabomber, Kim, and EGP)

After quickly gearing up in ~40 degree temps, we pedaled around the parking lot a bit to warm up. Once everyone was ready, we crossed the road and started riding up the trail on the other side. The first thing I noticed was how out of practice I was, and after bobbling on some easy rocky sections I told myself to loosen up and get into a flow. Wanting to do a post about mountain biking, I asked the girls if it would be okay if I jumped out ahead so I could get some photos for it. They all agreed, and I set off to find a spot. This is where I also noticed that I was a little out of shape as well. (cardio wise) This, plus the fact that these girls are super fast riders, had me hammering away while still hearing their voices behind me. After some time I was able to make up enough distance to set up for a couple of quick shots.

Coonabomber leadin' the pack

Once they passed by with big smiles, I quickly put my camera away so I could try and catch back up. By the time I did, I was starting to feel a little overdressed and needed to shed a couple of layers. After giving the signal to Coonabomber, she said there was a great spot coming up just past Cedar Creek Falls (a.k.a. Laura's Thighs by the kayaking community). She was right, and we stopped at a nice little pullout overlooking a small rapid leading into the falls.

Cedar Creek Falls (a.k.a. Laura's Thighs)

Emily and me taking a second to strip off
some layers and show some public affection

Once everyone had a chance to un-layer, we were off again with the girls in the lead. As we tore down the trail, I could hear yips and ye-haws as they took turns cleaning some of the more rooty and rocky stretches. Soon after, we approached the first real climb, and once again I tried to get out ahead to take pictures of them coming up. This is where both my lungs and legs really started to burn. Luckily, I was able to get far enough ahead that they couldn't see me walk the last pitch of the climb...hee-hee, they would never know... Just after setting my bike down and grabbing my camera, I caught a glimpse of Coonabomber powerin' through the climb on her 29er single-speed, making it all the way to the top without having to dab. Right on her heels, both EGP and Kim made it up with the same success.

EGP pushes though to the top of
the first hill (Kim just behind her)

Coonabomber takes up the lead
at the the top of the first hill

A couple of quick breaths, and we were back on our way. We had one more hill to climb, and this time I paced myself a little beforehand, so I was able to make it all the way up without touching down. (but still panting!) Once you're past the two hills, the trail starts to gradually head back down to the river, and pretty much stays there for the remaining mile our so to the upper trailhead, near Champion Creek. There is a fun little rock garden in this stretch, which usually isn't a problem getting down, however making it up without dabbing can be tough.

EGP drops down the rock garden near
the end of the trail. No problem!

Coonabomber exits the trail near Champion Creek

Once we made it to the upper trailhead, we lounged around a bit and ate some energy bars and GUs. By this time, the temps had increased and it was turning out to be really nice day. I was looking forward to putting away the camera and just enjoying the ride back. The pace also picks up a bit on the way back since the lower trail head is ~500' lower, that and you don't have to contend with the two hills.

Kim, all smiles, and headed back down the trail

On the way back down the trail, we ran into quite a few hikers. This is a high-use area on the weekends, so it's a good idea to check your speed, especially around blind corners. Everyone that we encountered was pleasant, which was good since biker/hiker confrontations are not uncommon. Another thing we encountered was Emily C's chain falling off a few times. After the third or forth time we decided it would be best to pull over and tighten it up. After turning a couple of bolts she had the tension set nicely, and we were off again. About 2 miles from the trailhead where we had started the ride, there's a nice little root drop that I rolled up on too quickly and ended up dabbing and and walking it down. As I looked behind me the gals had held up to take a look. After a quick talk about what would be the best line they all fired it up and had great lines with no dabs. It's cool to see how good of riders they've turned into.

The girls negotiate a rocky bit
just up from Cedar Creek Falls

The girls heading through one of the flowy
sections toward the lower trailhead

Another shot of the flowy stretch

There is one tricky bridge crossing on the way back down due to a 90 degree turn, step up, log overhead, and slick surface during the wet season. This section has given EGP troubles in the past, but she was determined to clean it this time. With that determination, she flew past and cleared it like it wasn't even there.

EGP defeats her nemesis,
the slimy, 90 degree, elevated,
overhead log having, bridge Thing

Soon enough, the bridge came into view marking the end of ride. What a great day! I'm glad the girls were cool with me comin' along.

My bike, looking as beat as I was after the ride

The Smiths, Day 2: NF Smith (3.7.10)

After completing the Triple Crown of Smith gorges, we loaded up and started heading back to Patrick Creek to find camp for the night. Chris (who boated the gorges with us) had said that if we drove up Patrick Creek that we would find plenty of good spots to choose from. As it turns out his beta was spot on, and we only had to drive a mile (or less) before we found a nice riverside area with a large grassy field and some good tree coverage. I was happy about being next to the river since listening to it always makes me fall asleep easier, when the time comes.

Bob, Aaron, and I quickly went to work gathering firewood while Eric setup the kitchen, which he had provided. Gathering the firewood was not an easy task, there was plenty of it, however it was pretty wet from the recent rains. At this point I was kickin' myself for not picking up a bundle of firewood (or two) from the gas station in Gasquet. Darkness was starting to set in, and after gathering what we felt would be enough for the evening, we went through the process of breaking it up into manageable sizes and stripping off the wet moss. Before we knew it, Bob had got 'er started with a small flame and a lot of smoke.
At this point, the three of us sat down and tried to enjoy the fruits of our labor while Eric slaved away on dinner. His efforts would not go unnoticed, as we all enjoyed a healthy serving of spaghetti with marinara and spicy sausage. Damn, it was good after a day of boating!
About this time the fire started to build and we all took turns telling stories and watching cowboy T.V., the fire on channel one, and the stars on channel 2.
After some good laughs and a couple of beers (or the other way around), we each dispersed to our bedrolls for a good night's sleep, and good it was.

The next morning, I awoke to the sounds of cracking sticks, which I thought at first might be some animal eating food we must have left out. After a quick peek out the zippered door of my tent, I was relieved to see it was just Bob trying to stoke the fire back up. After throwing on some clothes, I joined him, along with some heavy morning fog and a thick layer of dew over everything that wasn't covered.
A couple of yawns and stretches later, I started putting together breakfast for the troops: scrambled eggs and sausage links. The smell was enough to pull Aaron and Eric out of bed, and they started making coffee. After finishing our meal, we started packing up so we could get to Barefoot Brad's house for our scheduled shuttle ride at 9am.

After the short drive to Gasquet, we pulled into Brad's drive. His house is pretty obvious, just look for a one-story castlesque house with a suit of armor proudly displayed the front middle bay window. For the record, Brad is one of my favorite shuttle drivers; he's reliable, knowledgeable about the area, and is just an all around good guy. I've been using him for many years and hope to for many more. Eric was the only one in the group who had not yet met him, and after some "good to see ya's" and "nice to meet ya's", we were on our way to the put-in. Luckily, snow was not an issue for the ~20 mile drive on dirt roads through the Siskiyous. It should also be noted that even when there is snow, Brad is the one who clears a path. He also cleans up all the trash left on the sides of the road, and even is the one the posts the levels for the NF Smith on the Dreamflows website. As he says, "This is my office, so I have to take care of it". Although, even if he wasn't doing shuttles, I think he'd do it anyhow, he's just that kind of guy.

"Barefoot" Brad (left) and his counterpart
Dale when more than one shuttle rig is needed
(photo by Brad Bassi)

Once at the put-in, we quickly unloaded our gear and got changed into our boating attire. Brad, sat on a rock, smoked a cigarette or two, and enjoyed the view from his office window. Once we were all geared up, we bid our farewells to our trusty shuttle driver and set off on our way. After floating down only a couple of hundred yards, Eric started yelling that his thigh hook had broken loose and he needed to pull over to check it out. A quick assessment determined that he had ripped the bolt completely through the side of the boat! He said he must have done it "loopin' on Bob's face", whatever that means. This was going to require more than just a quick fix, so we quickly scrambled to shore and blew our whistles to get Brad's attention, hoping he hadn't driven away already. Luckily, he was still in the parking area, and Eric was able to steal a bolt from his truck and jerry-rig the thigh hook back in place. After about 1/2 hour of tinkering we were back on our way down the river.

As we had projected, the level was on the medium-low side and the first couple of gravel bars were pretty scrapey. Even so, there was still plenty of flow to have a good time, and the NF is a trip done more for scenery and the wilderness setting than exciting whitewater. However, it's still class 3 with a couple of 4ish rapids thrown in , and when the water is high it turns into a classic big water play run (above 3000cfs). On this trip down we had about 1200cfs:

NF Smith Gauge (CFS)

NF Smith Gauge (steel pipe)

It should be noted that if you did run into problems, a hike out would be a real undertaking, and for that reason alone, it may not be the best place for timid class 2/3 boaters. Actually, my first time down I was just that, along with my two companions Jason and Lanny. Somehow we made it down without issue, which I'm sure was partially due to the relatively low water (under 1000cfs if I remember correctly). Brad actually drove directly to the takeout and waited for us. He mentioned that we looked pretty "green" and was prepared to come look for us if need be. That was an exciting trip indeed.

Jason (left) and Lanny on our first trip down the NF Smith
(Look at the fear in their eyes)

After a couple of miles, Diamond Creek pours in from the left at a right-hand bend. Supposedly this is a great alternative (class 4) put-in to the one we used, but Brad said that it didn't have enough water, and since the Biscuit fire, access may be an issue due to downed trees. Diamond Creek also marks the point in the trip where the walls start to gorge up a bit; the color of the rock walls along with its jagged nature make it feel unearthly. It's truly an amazing place, and you feel far away from the daily grind.

The author entering one of the many gorge sections
(photo by Eric Emerson)

Bob (in front) and Aaron relax and enjoy the scenery
(photo by Eric Emerson)

The author paddles past one of the many
side creeks that cascade down the walls
(photo by Eric Emerson)

Another thing to keep your eye open for is Darlingtona, or "pitcher plant". This is a carnivorous plant that feeds on insects that get caught in its trap. It is native to Northern California and Western Oregon, and on the NF Smith can be seen hanging from the walls where water is feeding in. This is a rare plant and it's just one more treat this river provides.

Darlingtona, or "pitcher plant" hangs on

the wall below some cascading water

During our ~15 mile float, we stop to have have lunch where a creek comes in from the right at the end of one of the tighter gorges. It was a great place to get out and stretch the legs, and just enjoy being away from it all. After 15 to 20 minutes we were back in our boats and headed downstream.

Bob in one of the bigger drops on the lower stretch
(photo by Eric Emerson)

Aaron hand paddles though a rapid on
the lower stretch, which he did all trip
(photo by Eric Emerson)

After stopping at a couple of playspots (surf waves/holes) and negotiating some more class 3 rapids, we got to the bottom couple of miles where the river flattens out a bit. The canyon walls open up, and civilization comes into view (by way of homes on hills and stairs down to the water). Soon after this, the steel pipe gauge appears on the left marking the takeout (which was reading 9.25'). We all shouldered our boats and hiked up the rocks to where Eric's truck was to be left. Just as I summited the cliff, Brad came walking down the path toward me; he had just arrived with the truck, talk about prefect timing!

After loading up and saying our goodbyes to Brad, we jump in the truck and started the long journey home. We pulled up to my house around 8pm and sorted gear, which is always fun in the dark (hey, have you guys seen my...). Once the gear was put away and the fellas had left, I walked in the house to see Emily, the two dogs, and the cat. Although it was another great trip down to the Smiths, it was good to be home with my family...

The Smiths, Day 1: "The Triple Crown" (3.6.10)

After months of trying to put together a Smith River trip, it finally came together last weekend. The Smith River drainage is located in the northwest corner of California abutting the coast and Oregon border. As a plus, it is also located right next to, and in Jedediah State Park, home of a couple of giant redwood groves. I have visited the Smiths many times over the years, and it has become almost a yearly pilgrimage. However, as the group has lost and gained members over the years it has been increasingly difficult to generate the interest to make the drive south for a weekend. This is truly a shame since the whitewater, scenery, and overall atmosphere are top-notch. This particular season proved to be the most difficult of all, and after a couple of months of failed attempts, I decided to give it another try. After a week of selling (and some begging) I was able to put a crew of 4 together. From Eugene we would have Bob Lee, Aaron Loft, & myself, and from Corvallis Eric Emerson would be joining us.

After some brief discussions, we decided the plan of attack would be to drive down Saturday morning, do a wilderness run down the North Fork Smith, camp, and then try to boat all 4 gorges in the Smith drainage on Sunday. The four gorges consist of the Siskiyou, Middle Fork (a.k.a. Oregon Hole), the Lower South Fork, and the seldom run Upper South Fork gorge. Once the plan had been set in motion, it was a mad scramble to gather food and supplies to make it happen. Thanks to Eric, we had a vehicle that could haul all 8 boats (a creek and playboat for each), as well as a full kitchen setup (which he also provided) for camp.

Saturday morning everyone met at my house, loaded up in Eric's truck, and we headed out around 8:30am. Unfortunately things took longer than expected and we got a later start than we had planned (not uncommon). Getting a late start did have some consequences, as a run down the North Fork requires the 3 1/2 hour drive to Gasquet (the takeout), a ~1 1/2 hour drive from Gasquet to the put-in (on dirt and gravel roads), and 14 miles of river running. Since we are still in the short days of winter (and not wanting to rush down the NF) we decided it would be best to call our shuttle driver, "Barefoot Brad", and see if we could shift our NF trip to Sunday. After a quick call from the road and Brad's willingness to be flexible, Saturday turned into the day to tackle the gorges.

On the way down, Eric gave a call to a couple of guys coming from Ashland, OR who were also interested in running the gorges. None of us had boated with (or met) them, but contact had been established through Dan Thurber who was unable to come along on this trip. It was agreed that we would meet them near the Patrick Creek lodge, the takeout for the Siskiyou gorge. After a quick stop for fuel on the way down, we pulled into the meeting area around 12pm and met up with both Chris and Jonathan, the fellas from Southern Oregon. After exchanging pleasantries and discussing plans for the day, it was decided that we would only have time for the "Triple Crown": the Siskiyou, MF, and Lower SF gorges. Chris, who had done the Upper SF gorge on previous trips, he thought it would be a little low and we would also be stretched for time due to its longer length and a 2-mile hike in.

The levels looked like they would be perfect for the 3 gorge, but levels were dropping and we knew that the following day the NF would be running a little low.

Gauge for the Middle Fork Gorge

Gauge for the South Fork Gorge

After a quick change into our boating gear, we headed up one mile to the put-in for the Siskiyou Gorge. This gorge is the steepest and tightest, but also has the least volume of the three. Although it is considered by many to be the hardest, for me it is the easiest, since this is the type of boating I'm used to. Well, that, and I always seem to get more nervous on bigger water runs. With that said, it should be noted that this gorge does have vertical walls and although there are places to get out and scout, portaging and/or walking off would be an ordeal. On that note, both a buddy and I swam out of the same undercut in this gorge when the water was really crankin' (~1600cfs). After losing my boat to the fast current, I was forced to scramble up to the road and walk off (along with the other guy who didn't want anymore to do with the gorge at that level). This was not an easy task, and proved to be quite an undertaking. On this day I would estimate the flow in the gorge to be between 500 to 600 cfs. I determined this by taking the MF reading at Gasquet of 750cfs, and subtracting the flow from Patrick Creek which drops in below the gorge and seemed to have a couple hundred cfs.

From the pullout at the top of the gorge it's a short walk down the trail to a pool above the first drop. After running a short, fast lead-in you are quickly deposited at the first big drop of the gorge. You know you are there as there is a waterfall coming in from the left wall. This drop is quite rocky, so we eddy hopped down through and finished center left.

The next major drop is the one that brought my swim mentioned above. At this level the only real line is a chute on the right with the current pushing hard into an undercut on the right wall. The key to making it through is getting a good boof over the hole at the top, with some good left angle (about 10 o'clock). Chris went first and styled the drop, and almost everyone else got thrown into the right wall (including myself) before making it through. Luckily, no major issues occurred, and only paddle and body checks were required.

Now we were sitting in a small pool above the last couple of drops, which were essentially stacked on top of one another. The first was a short boulder drop that everyone ran from left to right over a small boof in the middle, and then hooking back toward the left over the second part of the drop. Only about 30ft of slow-moving water separates this drop from the last ledge, which starts with a boof at the top and either a sliding ramp down the center-right, or threading between two rocks on the left after the boof. Everyone in the group except Chris decided to run the left line. Everyone had clean lines through this one.

Scouting the last couple of drops in the Siskiyou Gorge
(photo by Eric Emerson)

Between the last drop and the take-out at Patrick creek is about 1/8 of a mile of class 2 water and a nice cooldown. This is a really fun gorge, but it's over pretty fast, and leaves you wanting more.

Loadin' up at the takeout of the Siskiyou Gorge

After quickly loading up, we were off to our second destination, The MF Gorge. Since this gorge is only about a mile and a half, the shuttle was quickly set and we were on our way though the warm-up stretch before the true gorge. The first thing that everyone noted was what a contrast there was between this one and the Siskiyou gorge. We were now faced with about 4 times the flow, running at about 2200cfs, and everything about it just felt much bigger. We were now at the lead-in rapid, and everyone dropped through without problems and eddied out on the left to scout the first major drop of this crux section. I have heard of this drop referred to as "Fire Hose", but the watershed map that I received from Barefoot Brad calls it "Nozzle", so I'm gonna go with that. Basically the line is to start river center, and drive right to avoid a large hole on the left. From there you line it up straight down the middle though a large wave train and a couple of flushy holes. I had stayed back to take pictures while the rest of the group went through. After everyone had gone, I packed up my camera, put on my helmet and walked back up to my boat. Being in a gorge like this without sight of your buddies is a lonely feeling. Fortunately I also had a clean line and joined Bob and Aaron in the pool above the next major drop.

Aaron entering "Nozzle"

Eric busts through the entrance of "Nozzle"

Eric makes the move to the right of the hole in "Nozzle"

Bob makes the move to the right of the hole in "Nozzle"

Bob in the run-out of "Nozzle"

Jonathan in the run-out of "Nozzle"

This next drop is called "Hole in the Wall" and is essentially a large S-Turn rapid through pushy (and squirrelly) water. Supposedly there is a ~12" siphon (or suck hole) located on the right side that could be dangerous for a swimmer, although I've never seen it myself. I would assume this is also how the drop gets its name. After a quick look from the rocks above, I entered the drop from center right and followed the current through without issue. However, there is a small drop directly below this one that flipped me and forced me to roll after a couple of missed attempts.

Sebastian runs "Hole in the Wall"
(taken on a previous trip; similar level)

From here is a section of slack water, which leads to the last major drop of the run, "Oregon Hole". The first part is a ~5' ledge on the left, where you must make a strong ferry move back to the right to stay out of the hole, which gives the rapid its name. One by one, the group dropped through the slot and made the move right, with one exception. Aaron was not informed of the hole and ultimately floated into it which resulted in an extended side surf. Since I had been following close behind, I was able to catch a glimpse of the hole ride, and on top of that, I had not come through the slot cleanly and was stuck in hard right brace while moving toward the hole. Luckily I was able to regain control and make a couple of crucial stokes to make the move to the right, at about the same time Aaron had worked himself out.

After Oregon Hole the river is pretty much class II/III to the takeout. Although at this level, there was also a really nice hole for playing and attempting loops in a creekboat. According to Eric this is the best hole he has ever seen for doing this. Quite a bold statement, but I'll take his word for it.

Now it was time to the final run of the day, the lower SF Gorge. What's nice about combining this run with the MF gorge is they both share the same takeout. This allowed us to load everyone into Eric's truck and head up without setting another shuttle. From the takeout it's about a mile and a half up the south fork to Craig's Beach, the put-in.

At ~2000cfs the level is considered to be on the high side of the recommended flow. The river certainly felt full, but I'm not sure I would call it the top end. After playing around a little in the eddylines at the put-in waiting for everyone to get in the water, we made our way down the class III/IV boogie water (a.k.a "Slalom Course") to the the top of the gorge. Once the walls gorge-up, there are a couple of short ledge-drops before you're sitting at the top of the first major rapid in the gorge. Chris had mentioned that this drop was called "Surprise", however the watershed map that I have refers to it as "Good Luck! ". Whatever it's called, there is a huge hole on river right that should be avoided unless you want to have a really bad day. That said, there is also a hole on river left, and although it is not nearly as sticky, it does have the potential for feeding you into the backwash of the hole on the right. Knowing this, probably the best move is to make an S-turn which threads between the two holes. This move can be pretty intimidating as you are essentially riding the seam/shoulder of the nasty hole to the right. Aaron, Bob, and I got out on river left to scout, while the others dropped through using the line described above. Although none had problems, they did not make the line look easy, which added to the fear of a potential beat-down. After evaluating the options, both Aaron and Bob got in their boats to run the drop. Aaron went first, and followed the same line as the others without issue. Both Bob and I had discussed the option of driving hard left, down the tongue though some backwash of another upstream hole to a small line against the left wall. Bob dropped in, and was unable to make the move due to the strong current. Luckily he was able to straighten it back out and bust through the left hole barely getting his head wet. At this point I was feeling lonely once again. After taking a deep breath I got in my boat, and planned to attempt the line that Bob had missed. From the eddy above the drop, I ferried into the main current, and lined up right to left down the tongue. Paddling hard, I threw in a strong boof stroke over the seam and toward the left line. However, like Bob I was overtaken by the current and pushed into the hole on the left. Unfortunately, I was unable to straighten out in time like he had, and I got thrown into the hole sideways. After a quick side surf, it spit me out downstream to the left. Relieved, I paddled down and joined the rest of the group above the next rapid.

Bob entering "Good Luck!"

(photo by Eric Emerson)

Me trying to get left at "Good Luck!"
(photo by Eric Emerson)

This drop was essentially a pinch between tight vertical walls, down a tongue, through some exploding water, before letting up a bit and dropping into a hole with clear passage on the right. By this point, pretty much everyone had gone through except Eric, who was taking pictures. He had given me verbal beta, but not feeling on top of my game, I decided to take a quick look for myself to ensure I was lined up properly for the bottom hole. After a brief scout, I got in my boat and charged the drop. I was able to break through the exploding water perfectly, but as I tried to sneak past the hole to the right, it grabbed my stern and flipped me. Fortunately, I was in the backwash, and rolled up downstream of the hole. As I pulled into the eddy below, Chris told me stories of a few people getting throttled in the hole.

Chris rides the tongue through the top part of the drop
(photo by Eric Emerson)

The tongue ending in some exploding water
(photo by Eric Emerson)

The run-out. The hole that flipped me is on the left side
of the pinch, above where Jonathan is eddied out.
(photo by Eric Emerson)

After Eric made it through, we all headed down to the last series of drops, called on the map "Loy". The first part is a boof on the right around a giant bolder midstream. Once below this, we were faced with sizable hole with no way around, and must be hit head-on. After receiving beta on what part of the hole the others busted through, I lined up about 10ft off of the right wall and hit the beast head on. All I remember heading down the drop was "Jesus, that is a big hole!". Fortunately, it was softer than it looked, and we all made it through no problem and rejoined in the slack water below.

After a 1/4 mile or so of flat water, we were back at the takeout. After changing into our dry gear and drinking a beer or two, we parted ways with Jonathan and Chris, who went up to do another lap. Since we would be camping out and did not want to set up in the dark, lap 2 was not in the cards for the Oregon crew.

To be continued...

Part 2: NF Smith