Crooked

Season: March or April in years when sufficient release from Ochoco and Prineville Reservoirs occurs. In years of low snowpack there may be no release.

Description:

The Crooked is one of the West's finest whitewater runs and would easily be one of the most popular expert runs in the country if not for the fact that adequate flows appear with short notice and quickly disappear. When the river is in, it's time to drop plans for everything else and make your way to central Oregon. During these rare opportunities, it's not uncommon to see the river attracting folks from the tri-state area of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The river includes several sections of continuous and demanding whitewater and half a dozen signature drops that present an extra challenge. Many, but not all, of the drops have good recovery sections that allow some opportunity to enjoy the spectacular scenery.

The river starts out with 2.5 miles of flatwater from the put-in at Lone Pine Bridge. This provides a good warm up and opportunities to view wildlife that live along the river. As the river approaches the North Unit Main aqueduct, which arches overhead carrying water from the Deschutes, the action begins with a bang: you can hear the roar of the rapids below as you approach. For the next 1.5 mile the river explodes with continuous class III/IV whitewater which builds to IV+ at higher flows. Although rapids on this section are not as challenging as the most difficult drops on the run, it will give you a good idea of what to expect. The river settles back to flatwater as you enter Smith Rock State Park. You will have an incredible view of the rock towers that rise up from the valley floor attracting hundreds of climbers to the thousands of established routes. This is also your last convenient exit before committing to the remainder of the run and if you are having trouble at the start, be warned that more challenging rapids await downstream.<

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