Metolius

We ran this on May 19th 2021. Flow on the gauge was about 1600 cfs. We put-in right next to Gorge Campground. 30 yards or so from the Gorge Campground gate (which was closed) there is a pull-off right on the river. Note that this is the campground road that parallels the main access road. For take-out we used Candle Creek campground. The run took us about 1h and 40 min, but we didn't play much. There are some nice boofs and a few small surfing waves. The rapids are class FUN. I think 3, but nothing too hard. We were giggling all the time. The last 2 miles or so into that campground are on a dirt road that is good-quality and all vehicles can go (I had a minivan) on it. You must mark your take-out well, it is very easy to miss because you're in the middle of a rapid. We took a few marks on the side of the river but what helped the most was the car parked right at the end of the campground in sight from the river. There are 4 bridges in total on this stretch. 3 of them were no problem in packrafts (probably also easy in kayaks). One bridge (Wizzard Falls hatchery - 3rd one) was bordeline low. I jumped out of my boat and floated under it holding the boat, my friend leaned way back and made it, but I am not that flexible. The first 2 bridges are on private property with signs saying please do not stop or get out of the river. There was 1 new tree in the river right near the put-in but you can either float under it on one end or around it at the other end. Apart from this there are other trees in the river that have been there for a while that have vegetation on them already, that are not a problem to go around. This is a very beautiful stretch of river with unique water features and river bed. Crystal clear water that is also cold. Bonus points that it can be done on a school night from Bend. I regretted not taking my poggies. I would not recommend this to total beginners because you need to be able to control the boat well, there are plenty of places to get snagged or swim under a log if not careful. There are also trees and logs on the river bottom, so it is best to stay in your boat. A swim in one of the rapids would probably end with some bruises.