Clear Shade Creek

We did this in September during a flash flood (Ferndale gauge was at 6.5' and rising)...where we got flashed off Dark Shade and ended up here instead. We put in at the bridge on Crumb Road (after some weird turns on back roads). The river was clearly bankfull, but I wouldn't say it was flooded. The first few miles were moving flatwater with the occasional riffle. One river-wide tree we had to portage.

Then, the river picked up to the occasional class II rapid for a little while, and then the last mile or so was fairly consistent class III rapids. Some cool wave trains and LOTS of water coming in from the side streams. There was probably 200cfs at the put-in and about 800 by the take-out. The final dam had a fairly terminal looking hole on the right, but a fairly obvious line on the left that was a III+ move. Would have been easy to take out above it though and portage.

It's a good run as a back-up for when other runs are flooded out, since being on Dark Shade or Stony Gorge as the river rises high can be dangerous

The first few miles of the run are largely moving flatwater, though through a very pretty area. Keep an eye out for the occasional strainer

The run eventually picks up with some Class 2-3 rapids. At higher flows some interesting wave trains develop

Lots of Class 2-3 rapids, with the occasional stand-out Class 3. Most of it is visible from the top of rapids, though the last drop (the dam) is steep enough that its hard to boat-scout.

Rob Farmer---I did this about 10 years ago and remember that it was a nice, very small stream of mostly Class 2 with a few Class 3s. There is an artificial ledge where a pipeline crosses just above the highway and confluence. I ran it; most portaged; it was scrapy. Ten years ago, there was some bulldozing going on along the shore, so there might be houses along part of it now, but I don't know for sure. We enjoyed it, but it requires very heavy rains and probably snowmelt. The western approach to the put-in is crazy-icy at times in the winter; best to find the eastern approach if in doubt.

Ferndale Gauge