CRG Spring/Summer Update

*L-Dub - June 22 - 3.8 Feet
It's June 22 and the Little White is still running at 3.8 feet and holding strong! It's been a long time, if ever, since the local paddlers here in the gorge have had this much water in mid June to help float through the summer and fall. There is a new log just above Spirit that has fallen into the river. It broke just enough to leave an entrance to the falls, but stay far left to get around to the normal protage.



* FR 23, Randal to Trout Lake is still closed due to snow - Gail Falls at HIGH water
June 15th 2008, a small group from the CRG made the long drive to Portland, around Mt St. Helens ,and into the Cisup drainage to attempt a run down McCoy Creek. The higher flow drove us away and turned us into the classic tourist traveler. We scouted Gail Falls since with the Cispus river flowing at 2,900cfs. When Nate and I scouted this last fall it was running at 500cfs, needless to say, no one was willing to try it today, but it was impressive to see what the logs would do when we threw them off the falls. We decided to look at FR 23 to see if we could cut a couple hours off of the drive home, unfortunately we were blocked off by snow at about 3,000 feet before the short cut around the land slide. We also found a few more tourists stuck due to the snow covered road. We helped push out their truck and started our drive back around St. Helens and into the Gorge returning 4 hours later.

Gail Falls running @ 2,900 cfs
30 miles from home and still 4 hours away...

*Kenobi Gorge, WA - FR 88 - 6 bolts showing on the culvert gauge
June 1, 2008 - LJ Groth, Lane Jacobs, Michael, Max, Matt Gaudette, & Marshal dropped into Kenobi Gorge at the 40 ft. slide (Kessel Run) and ran through Beggars canyon which had some new wood in it off the right bank and made the exit from Sarlacc Falls and into Suppercollider a much harder line than on previous trips that I've seen. Scout before you drop into the lower canyon! You can check out OregonKayaking.net for more info on Kenobi Gorge.




Matt Gaudette running Sarlacc Falls in Beggars canyon

Lane Jacobs in the middle of the Kessel Run


*North Fork of Green Point Creek of the West Fork of the Hood River Update
Since my last trip on this run the Cascade Mt.'s had a tough winter. Keel & I decided that this creek needed another look at a higher level to determin if this could be a run over and over. It's not very far away, you can drop in on the WF of the Hood and take out at the normal take out if you want to continue down Green Point, and there is no flat water anywhere in the NF. That combined with what harsh winter conditions can do to a small creek made our trip on June 6, a mile long portage through dense undergrowth consisting from small vines, nettles, devils club, and soft loose ground providing little footing. I ran one rapid and was so gripped because of the log jam below my last chance, must make eddy that I decided trying to run this creek was stupid at this point. I hiked the rest of the creek passing by many more logs in bad spots for a kayaker. Bruised and beaten down, Keel & I called it quites, hiked up an unknown road from the confluence with the NF and Green Point, and back up to the put in car 4 miles away. I lost count of the log portages we had, but we only went less than a mile, I paddled one scary rapid, then we hike 4 miles out. A big change from last year where we had two portages and paddled everything else on the NF...maybe this one will clean out sometime, but I won't be returning anytime soon.

Trying to clear out the lead in to the steeps on the NF..


Here are a couple more pics from the past few weeks...

Hiking around Tunnel Falls on Eagle Creek

Rattlesnake over 4 ft, perfect!

*Check out the new video, Spring Update, and enjoy the water, it's a rare year here in the Pacific Northwest