Dinkey Creek

Jeff and I met up with Geno from Isabella and 3 fellows from San Diego for a fun low water trip on the Cherry Bomb Falls section of Dinkey. The painted gauge on the bridge was at 2 at 11:00 AM and about an inch lower at the end of the day.

We were hitting rocks frequently in the shallows but usually not hanging up. The bedrock drops were fun. Hydraulics were generally easy to overpower. Cherry Bomb Falls had a big log and a smaller log in it. We portaged high on the left. Lots of work. Would have been easier to send a climber down on right to set safety and get boaters into the eddy at the lip of the falls. That portage is only a few feet long.

The large rocks on the left are the only landmark at this nondescript location. If you have not been here before, walk down from the car to scout this location.

This view is at the highway bridge (McKinley Grove Road) immediately downstream of the Dinkey Creek Campgrounds. Look at the downstream, river right side.

The water level shown here is fairly low for the Cherry Bomb Falls section, but still excellent fun.

This same level is medium to medium high on the SuperDink! infinislide.

If the rock is covered, flows are getting high for Cherry Bomb and may be too high for SuperDink! This is based on faded memory.

Looking upstream from the Dinkey Creek Truss Bridge. A number of sections much like this seperate sections of bedrock slides and falls.

This is the last and most impressive rapid in a gorge below the highway but above the girl scout camp. Scout on river right and also portage on right with some difficulty.
Bill Murphy paddling a drop that marks the entrance to the second Gorge which eventually leads to Cherry Bomb Falls and Max Headroom.

Note the staff gauge in the background. The gauge is no longer operational, but historical records exist as Dinkey Creek at Dinkey Meadow.

Cherry Bomb Falls is not very big by todays standards, but it seemed intimidating at the time of its naming.
Mike Latendresse paddles down to the top of the falls. There is a small horizon line visible directly ahead of Mike, but the falls itself is just past and very hard see in this photo

One can scout or portage high on river left. The descent back to the river is down dirty gully. Rock climbers can also scout on river right.
Cherry Bomb Falls is not very big by todays standards, but it seemed intimidating at the time of its naming.
A group of kayakers on Dinkey Creek, just below the bridge at Dinkey Campgrounds.