Indian Creek

1. PA 381 to Camp Carmel(Indian Creek Gorge)

June 18, 2003

Trip Report

ReporterKarl Whipp

We paddled this creek on Sunday, June 8th, 2003. We caught it at 2.7' on the bridge gauge. I would have liked to have seen at least 3', but 2.7' was good to go. It was free of wood as of this date too. There are countless shoal type rapids with so many side-surf, spin holes its crazy. Definately a playboat run if you dont mind dropping a couple of 6'+ ledges in your playboat. All the ledges are recognized by horizon lines. We ran the first big ledge center right. The second one had a right line and a left boof line. Be sure to take notice of the diagonal hole just downstream on the river left side that feeds directly into a bad undercut with wood sticking out of it. The center line proved to be doable, but if you have no momentum or drop off sideways, yer gonna get munched in the hole below and likely stuck in the curtain (just ask my buddy Adam ;). This ledge is badly back-cut and may form a second hole behind the curtain. If you run the center line, do so with 1:00 angle....not 12:00 and not 2:00....1:00. Lastly is Terminator. There is a clean line all the way down the left side. For those with a real need for adrenaline, run the center line all the way...just be prepared to boof the big hole at the bottom off the rooster tail and for Gods sake, stay away from river right. Its BADLY undercut and the rock sticking out 4/5 of the way through the rapid is not only undercut, but has a bad sieve in it. Overall, fun run of the class II-IV nature. I can see Terminator going class V at high flows. Its visable from the 4-wheel drive road while running shuttle...stop and look at it so you'll recognize it once you're on the river. Terminators lead in looks like the other smaller ledge rapids from above.

Trip Report – Indian Creek Gorge | American Whitewater