Despite its apparent short length, a descent of the EF
Kaweah below Oak Grove Bridge presents a formidable physical challenge to potential descenders.
The difficulty is sustained, the objective hazards very real, and the gorge is, for the most
part, inescapable with river level scouting and portaging often impossible. Small groups of
star paddlers with the lines well worked out can make the run in 5 hours, larger groups of
first timers are likely to be closer to 10 hours before catching the welcome sight of the MF
Kaweah confluence. Numerous mandatory short portages around sieves are required and the 3
largest rapids, whilst they have all been paddled with mixed success, are commonly portaged via
slow and grueling terrain. Given all this one might wonder why anyone would bother to paddle
this stretch at all, and the answer is simple with 1250 feet of descent over 4.3 miles nearly
all via clean but serious granite bedrock rapids.
The traditional putin is at the Oak Grove bridge, however, as of Winter 2006/2007 a large
piece of a mid stream boulder that had previously formed a large runable or easily portagable
drop ("The cave drop") broke away, falling into the water downstream and forming a river wide
sieve that is extremely difficult and dangerous (impossible at higher flows) to portage. As of
spring 2007 parties have taken to parking at the bridge but then walking downstream along the
road for a 1/4 mile until a shabby looking trailer is encountered ("The crack shack"). No one
has yet to be encountered in residence at the trailer, and a retasked swimming pool ladder
marks the start of a quick and easy trail down to the river, bypassing the new portage. This
trail is undoubtedly private land and keeping a low profile hence advised. Another trail that
leaves from the old helipad some distance downstream near the Skyhook
Ranch has been used by some parties to do a shorter run
that eliminates the
Skyhook portage, however this trail is brutal and could take an
hour to negotiate itself, as well as requiring a rope to be left to complete the final part of
the descent.
Once on the river blind and steep drops will be frequently encountered and if there is any
uncertainty about what the drop entails then a scout is indicated given the very real chance of
dropping into a fatal sieve. Nevertheless teams will need to be efficient and expeditious in
maintaining a good pace or else they will finish paddling in the dark.
When a large deck can be spied overlooking the river high on the left and the river is about to
enter a smooth walled bedrock gorge then
Skyhook has been reached. This rapid starts
with several very doable drops but eventually a much larger drop leads into the final drop
where most of the current smashes into a pocket on the left wall whilst falling over a tall
drop. Likely failure to execute a line to the hard right here could result in very serious
injury and this whole sequence is very commonly portaged on the left. The portage is physically
demanding running across slick bedrock ledges and through as fine an example of California
poison oak jungle as you will ever see. It is only the dedicated gardening instincts of those
who pioneered much of current popularity of this run that save you from a certain case of the
rash from hell. Beware, once the first drops of this rapid are run, you are committed, the
smooth walls offer no purchase for those with a change of heart. Immediately after Skyhook,
across a rare large and still pool another short portage is immediately encountered on the
left. This portage ends with an intimidating 8 foot seal launch straight into the whitewater of
the portage drop and another 10 foot drop to be immediately run 50 feet downstream. This blind
drop should be boofed right with
some right boat angle.
After a brief section of more open canyon and more mellow rapids a large wide horizon line is
encountered. This is one of the sweetest drops on the run, Double Drop, with initial
15 foot boof into a 20 foot slide with outflow slamming the right wall. Further downstream the
second potential mega portage is encountered below a pool marked with a large but friendly cave
on the right and a river level tree on the left next to an ominous horizon line (You will
likely have portaged the small drop above this). This is Triple Drop, a huge but clean
series of three drops in a mini gorge. This drop would perhaps not be run as often as it is
were the portage not so nerve racking. 10 feet of chain will be found dangling onto a slick
slab, river left, at the lip of the drop. Whilst the chain looks reassuringly strong, once it
has been climbed hand over hand to the top, the visual of the rusted 1/4 inch bolt that secures
it will likely have you scampering up and right to relative safety very quickly. Parties are
strongly advised to adopt rock climbing strategies to protect climbers using a throwline as a
belay rope, otherwise failure of the chain or a slip will likely prove fatal. A small oak tree
60 feet directly above the riverside slab and chain provides a good anchor and point to haul
boats from, and good team work is needed to get this portage done safely and efficiently.
Anyone with a bolt kit and a desire to spend some time here to upgrade this fixed hardware will
be doing the boating community a big favor. [UPDATE: 1June 2008, the 1/4" bolt was finally
changed for 2 3/8" stainless bolts this weekend and not a moment too soon. The old description
is left here for historic posterity]
After passing through a more open wooded area for some time the river makes a sharp left turn
and immediately a large horizon line is presented with a gorge beyond. This is the the 3rd and
final large portage which can either be done less dramatically by climbing a tree filled gully
on the
right of the pool and then following a well defined
trail up to the historic wagon road for a portage of the whole gorge or lower by running the
initial 10 foot drop and immediately eddying right in moving water at the lip of the mega drop
then seal launching back into the heart of the gorge. The final gorge is long and on a grander
scale than previous gorges, however the nature of the rapids changes and large slides with
moderate consequence are found back to back. In this gorge a 30 foot waterfall,
Driftwood, is encountered which may be portaged left via delicate seal launch or throw
and go. The waterfall itself is rather perplexing requiring paddlers to slide down a barely wet
slab into a mass of whitewater confined between narrow walls from where upon its a complete
whiteout. Some manky rapids and the occasional consequential larger drop are encountered after
this gorge opens out but the MF Kaweah is soon reached.
Other Sources of Information:
Jefferson
State Creeking: East Fork Kaweah V-V+ (P)
No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. 
