Piney Creek

As of 12-29-2015 massive log in the middle of Baby Gorilla :( the log is pinned horizontal about 3/4 the way down, not to mention the many other '5 or so' river wide strainers throughout the run. This video shows the wood in Baby Gorilla. Be safe out there.. https://vimeo.com/150545186

Hwy 70 to 27

Class 3+ feel with one legitimate class 4 (baby gorilla) but intimidating due to the amount of strainers and wood. We put on at 2.25 ft on the whites bridge gauge and took out at almost 4 ft.
At the put in we parked on the river left downstream side of the bridge and just left the car on the shoulder of the road. We slid our boats and our butts down the same side under the bridge.
A quarter mile in there is a 2 tier slide that we ran left, immediate following it the river bends to the right and there is baby gorilla. We scouted on the left and it went easy. There is a river wide huge LOG a quarter mile below baby gorilla, the river splits into channels right below the baby gorilla (we ran far left) and the second time it does this the bottom of all channels are blocked by this big log. There are no easy eddies above the log in the left channel (you can grab brush and get out) but the river right channel is barely moving and not hard to get out and walk river right. Lots of boogie rapids, some log jams and lots of living strainers. The Zigzag slide was awesome and went easy down the middle. Mammys and Fall creek come in on river right just before the confluence with Whites. Lots of miles but with the flow we had we did it in 2 hours.

This run is more dangerous than the difficulty. It is only class 2-3+ except for the chimp, 4, but there are some really nasty shelf undercuts and sieves here and there. In particular there is a horrible slot sieve .5-.75 miles below chimp(baby gorilla) on the right. when you cant boat scout real well for the first time you are there. Go far left at medium to low levels and I think there is a manky slot down center, but do not go right. It turns into a slab slide that throws you right into a pinched undercut/sieve. I slid in, tried to hold myself up, but got thrust under it stern first and then completely under and got lodged. It took a couple of frantic seconds to get out and meander my way back to air. This spot kinda reminds me of a miniature initiation on the Gauley. Be careful on this run, there are many spots like this.

For a higher-resolution copy of this picture, click here.

One Great Surf Wave
Another beautifal Jan. day

A good medium low level for the run this rapid just gets better and better as it goes up.......

Todd 'B' executes perfectly the dry line at Baby Gorilla. ITs an easy walk on the left with a seal launch into a deep pool. May not be a great eddy above this drop at higher flows.
Members of Team ELF (Keith Kugley, Todd 'B', Paul Butler)investigate the left side of Baby Gorilla to ponder if its undercut. General consensus was no, but it looked like a meat grinder.
This a good shot of how cool some of the scenery is on this river. Its worth a trip down just for that reason alone. The river really contricts here and the rocks form a sort of Micro Gorge around this rapid.

You can put-in on either side of the bridge. However, river right has a nice pull-off road and a fairly easy trail under the railroad bridge.
Kirk Duchow running Stair Step
Kirk Duchow prepairs to seal launch at Baby Gorilla. The portage is easy and the seal launch is fun.
Peter Horne seal launches at Baby Gorilla. Very few portages are this easy and fun.
Duncan Cottrell runs one of the many unnamed class III rapids
You can't beat the natural beauty of the Piney. Even if Milt is in the picture........

Sort of an intimidating rapid. Near the beginning of the run. Second major rapid on the river after Stairstep.
Big tree on the left side of the first major rapid on Tiny Piney. Probably could be avoided by a far right line. This was 12/2002 and the tree was rocking a little in the current so it will most likely wash out with a big rain and lodge somewheres else.

Todd B (Team ELF)in some boogie on the Tiney Piney.
about a 10 foot seal launch after the dry line at Baby Gorilla
undercut cliff on Tiney Piney