Ontonagon, Cisco Br., MI

7 Final Sequence

7 Final Sequence
Photo by C.J. Arnold taken 08/26/06 @ 125

Gauge Information

River Description

The Chippewa name for a waterfall is 'ka-ka-bi-ka,' thus this is yet another example of Anglo-redundancy (much like the many 'Bull Falls', where 'bull' is an Anglicised version of a French word for rapids or falls).

While the overall run is class I-II, the opening drops of this reach (the Kakabika Falls sequence) rate the parenthetical class IV. As a result, many advanced boaters will prefer to do this as a 'park-and-huck', carrying back up to their vehicles after running just the opening sequence (Kakabika Falls), while less experienced boaters may either carry down past Kakabika (enjoying the view) or use an alternate put-in (as described below).

From the put-in (road), the river soon enters an increasingly steep series of ledges, dropping almost 50' in the next quarter mile into a mini canyon. As it makes a hook turn to the right, it flumes down into a complicated mini-gorge culminating in a near vertical drop of about 8', with a wicked spline of rock in the landing zone to punish boaters who may be just slightly off their line. Eddies are tiny and rare through this sequence, and wood may be present in the confined course. (This may push into class V range at higher flows.)

Many that float this reach simply put-in below. The river is primarily moving water for the next several miles, followed by a nice long stretch of rockbed rapids culminating in Wolverine Falls, a boulderbed rapid.

An alternate put-in (to avoid Kakabika and the the lower gradient section) may be found from a logging road which is about four miles from Kakabika Falls by road, turn to the left and drive/carry a half mile to the river. This abbreviated section has a length of 4.9 miles and gradient figures of 37'/mile average, 62'/mile max.

Shuttle Length (full run): 9 miles.