640 cfs at BREITENBUSH R ABV FRENCH CR NR DETROIT, OR.
Flow
Low Runnable
This was my first visit since the burn. It's still beautiful. Crystal water quality, wild birds, forests more green near the river than on the ridges.
Fom Cleator Bend to the Bridge 1/2 mile downstream from Humbug Creek and Campground. Group of six.
Flow: 643 cfs and dropping. Gage shows 'snow bumps' with peak flows in the early morning, dropping until the afternoon. At this flow the rapids are slow; there’s plenty of time to make the required moves, lots of nice eddies.
There are a few stiff holes and pocket eddies that will beat down a boater.
At the first and only braided spot, go far right to avoid a giant log bridging the left/main channel.
Next is the log angling down into the middle of the river from the left, with most water going into it. This is visible from the road. We portaged right though it was completely runnable, it just required a decisive move to the right to avoid death on a stick.
The “Slot” rapid was next, starting with the 4' ledge that you run on the right, then a short intense gorge. The gorge looks gnarly at this flow but it runs easier than it looks.
Our second portage was at a ledge called the Notch. To scout or portage you must stop well above the rapid on the right because there's a log in the river parallel to the right bank that prevents you from accessing what used to be the get-out eddy. And there wasn't much of an eddy there anyway. To portage you heave your boat over one log and under the next and it floats down to where you can drag it up on the bank. WHY WE WALKED: On the right side of the right ledge there's a toiletbowl sieve (see photo) where most of the water goes under the root ball. No go. This rapid would be a simple ledge on the left but there’s a tree hanging in the water over there making that line less appealing.
There were TWO lowish overhead logjams which we were able to go under but that wouldn’t go so well with much more water.
There’s one cobble bar where the far left channel is the non-obvious correct choice—the right gets stupid bony.
The rest of the wood is avoidable for an under-control boater.
There were surfing waves and little 360 holes everywhere.
At the bridge where we took out there’s a steep trail up after the piling on the left, and below the next riffle there’s a lower-angle trail to reach the parking area.
On the drive out I got a peek at Barbell from the road and it looked like the right would go at this flow, but the left side has a huge log jam on top of it. I only got a glance though so look for yourself.
From the road I saw no other game-stopping wood in the section below Barbell, and Wu man chu looked clean. Remember: you can't see it all from the road.
