Pigeon

Three of us paddled Hepco at around 950 and falling on a cool sunny day. This was my first trip after Hurricane Helene and most of the changes were subtle with a couple exceptions, and the water quality was spectacularly improved. It helps that it hadn't rained in a few days. We saw three bald eagles, a couple beaver, and some fish. The surfing was great at this level, with perhaps a handful of standout fast waves and a bunch of smaller fluffy ones that allow for spins. This seems to be a goldilocks level where there is lots of play, between lower flows at which the features shrink, and higher flows in which some of them wash out (but others form).

The biggest change was at the dam rapid. The drop at the dam itself is not much smaller, and is just a nice wave on the left, followed by a taller drop below that is also just a wave down the left of a boof on the right, with a big eddy in between. The rapid has gotten easier but cleaner and arguably more fun. The rapid right below now demains that paddlers take the main fun line down the right which is clean and classy.

With the newly improved water quality, Hepco is a great alternative to Section 9 of the FB when there is adequate water. It is similar in difficulty but has much better play and a different character.