Ran this yesterday after a solid 1-2" hit the Quakertown area. Water was high! (Graterford gauge
was 5000cfs... but eventually hit 9000 later in the day. The Tohickon gauge was 400cfs... but
eventually hit 1200.) 90% of my kayaking experience has been on the Tohickon but was my first time
on this upper part. At this level, it is a more serious creek than the lower would have been. It is
narrower and has more "consequences" if you're forced to swim (rocks, holes, trees growing in the
creek). That said, if you feel very comfortable on the lower, try to get on this part because it
was a blast! (Edit: We did not put-in at Thatcher. Rather, we put-in at the Richlandtown overpass.
Apparently, this cuts off a lot of flat water.)

WARNING: TOHICKON GAGE IS NOT ACCURATE! Use Perkiomen Creek at Graterford, PA Gage. This is Class
III/IV creek when this gage is between 4000 CFS - 6000 CFS (Upper Runnable); watch for strainers.
Class III 2000 CFS - 4000 CFS (Runnable). Class II/III from 800-2000 CFS. The description is for
when the Perkiomen Creek at Graterford, PA gage is between 4000 - 6000 CFS level (at lower levels
the creek is all read and run - no consequences). The best Put-in is on Covered bridge road, next
to the covered bridge. Start out with some flat water past the Tohickon Campground on your right
and then you hit the first rapids/ wave train into a small S turn. Directly after the S turn, you
quickly come upon 2 large holes. The first hole is larger than the 2nd and can be run tight to
river left or tight to river right. The 2nd hole can be punched or run to the left. There are some
large wave trains until you come to some short flat water. The next section of the creek runs left
into a chute of overhanging trees. After the chute opens up you should head right immediately. The
unfortunate kayaker who goes left will have to navigate through general munchiness and 2 large
unavoidable holes. The first hole is punchable the 2nd hole is very difficult to punch through.
River right has some large wave trains into a strainer prone area and flushes into a lake. The lake
spills over a runnable 2 foot low head dam. Run the left side of the dam into a couple hundred
yards of fun wave trains - watch for more strainers. There is a short calm area until you hit the
last section. The last section has continuous large wave trains. There is a signifigant pourover on
river left. The creek finishes with emptying into Lake Nockamixon. The run is a little over a mile
long.

I've run this section when the gage near Pipersville for the Ralph Stover to Point Pleasant section
read 1500cfs. My best estimate is that the actual flow at that time for this Quakertown section is
probably around 600-700cfs. Anyway, It was mostly class I-II for the first half of the run Then
became more steady class III after that up to the lake. Parts of those class III sections were
pretty continous (ie: sections comparably as long as race course on the Ralph Stover section of the
creek. ( a lot of fun). If I recall a lot of it was just read and run - basically just running down
the center - not much to worry about. I probably wouldn't recommend running it at much less than
the 1500 cfs gage reading though - takes some serious rain to get there. So to some up - the second
half of this run can be very fun, I hope I was clear in my evaluation.