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Robert Farmer---Did this 12/16/07. Level was @ 8.5/1900. It seemed high and pushy---the flat sections moved along nicely. I put in at Three Forks bridge. From here to the next, second bridge at Fortney's Mill (unmarked), there is only one trivial rapid, maybe Class 2, and also one peculiar, massive log jam against an anomalous rock. The ledge at the second bridge is 80% blocked by logs, leaving only small channels on the far left and far right; I chose right. I had a perfect line with good momentum, but inexplicably lost all of my momentum about 3 feet from the lip of the 5-foot ledge, apparently due to some funky currents. This was quite distressing. As I boofed as hard as I could, I had visions of dying in the keeper hydraulic in the center of the creek. My tail was sucked down, backendering me slightly, and I was surfed toward the center. I paddled like Grim Death himself was grabbing ahold of my rear grabloop, and I made it out, but it was too close. I'd call it Class 5. I recommend a portage. Below here, some mystery cross-currents backendered me and tossed me around (Class 4). There was a constant barrage of fun waves. I boat-scouted the second ledge, starting center with a strong right angle---easy Class 3 if you're on-line, harder if you miss. I believe that this was downstream of the third bridge, at Victoria, which is a somewhat worn-down neighborhood. Fast water leads to the third ledge, which can be run left or right; I chose left, having scouted it from my car earlier. This is adjacent to a lovingly-landscaped home on river left. Easy rapids lead to the takeout (fourth) bridge, which is on the main road (CR 7) northeast of Grafton. When I did it, there was a bit of a blizzard going on, which made the creek feel serious, but I'll bet that it could be quite fun at low levels in warm weather for novice boaters, portaging the first drop. This creek is suitable for a wide range of boaters, from beginners to experts, depending on the level and the weather. It took me about an hour, but I was paddling steadily to stay warm in the sub-freezing cold. Groups in warm weather would probably want at least two hours, and more to play around. Fortney's Mill is a popular swimming hole at low levels in the summer. I'll post directions later.
