Suck Creek
Suck Confluence to Bridge
| Difficulty | IV-V+ |
| Length | 2 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 250 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 12, 2024 |
River Description
This run was pioneered by Ron Stewart.
Suck gets run fairly frequently by those who possess the appropriate skills. It's not a run to be taken lightly. A boater pinned and died here in Feb. 1987. 'http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/detail/id/41/'>See this account in the Accident Database for more info.
The river bed changes more often than Madonna changes her image.
Sieves, Concrete, Road Blast, Metal Debris and Logs are common hazards on this run.
Please Scout and proceed cautiously after every big rain.
See description of South Suck for information about the steeper upper section first pioneered by Clay Wright.
This run is pool/ drop yet it has a continuous feel to it.
River Features
Put In
Shitty Shitty Bang Bang
This rapid was once a sweet boof it has now collapsed on itself to form a broken slide that currently has some wood in it. It will continue to change as the shale that forms it is eroded away during each flood event.
Optimus Prime
This rapid has changed several times. Once a fast steep slide and one of the biggest rapids on the run it is now a low angle slide with some large trees in the river.
Road Construction
A double drop with several different entrances. The entrances have several pin spots.
There are two main lines. The river left, where the old sieve used to be and right of center.
There is a submerged rock on the right at the bottom and a large exposed rock on the left.
Scout from river right along the concrete wall.
Razor's Edge
This is the site of a pin that resulted in a drowning. It has since changed but is still dangerous. There is an old jeep trail that accesses the creek at this point.
The best line is to thread an S move between the holes for the final slide boof.
Slow and Low
After a trashy entrance you can enter this three part drop on the left or right. Finishing with a nice boof.
Pinnacle
At higher levels a hole and recirculating eddy forms.
Velcro Zipper
Shallow Slide to Boof in the main channel
Higher water opens up a slide line on the right and an interesting boof through a crack.
Sheit Bird Alley
Double drop with a trashy exit
Stan's Rapid
An easy boof at most levels. At higher water it has lead to inadvertent cartwheels by even the most skilled boaters. This drop is just below Shit Bird Alley and just above the gauge and Knuckle Head. This rapid is named after Stan Guy.
Knuckle Head
Take out above this one or continue downstream to the bridge. One of the largest most challenging drops on the run.
Beyond Thunderdome
One of the most complex rapids on the run.
The landing zone has a large rock you must avoid landing your boat or body on.
Hamburger (AKA Lane Brain)
One of the larger rapids on the lower stretch.
The entrance slide has a sticky hole with an eddy that feeds back into the hole from there the paddler must choose to go left or right of the large boulder. Depending on water level one side is better than the other. There is a high pin potential on the left at lower levels, at higher levels the pin rocks get covered and the left is more open.
Cooler Rapid
A fun series of ledges near the takeout. One of the longest rapids of the run. The fun factor increases with the water level.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportNew gage above Knucklehead has 0'' at absolute minimum and 6'' as good low water first time run according to locals. As of Dec of 2016
New log, notice cave on left.
New Log
View from downstream.
View from upstream.
In late fall of '06 Team Jib added 1/2 to 3/4 mile more whitewater on this creek. People have now been making runs down to the bridge. This was made possible by moving a rock away from the landing zone in Knucklehead and removing wood from the rapid after it, named Beyond Thunder Dome. Knucklehead and Beyond Thunder Dome are the largest two rapids of the lower section. There is one other rapid in the lower section that has proved to be tricky. That has been referred to as Lane Brain (aka Hamburger) It consists of a few ledges with the last ledge being just in front of a large boulder. Those going right of the boulder have had a higher success rate of a clean run than those going left. On down from this near the takeout is a nice section of ledges. If you are running Suck Creek low it is recommended that you use the Knucklehead takeout as the lower section starts to get boney at levels around the lower end of 4' on Tony's new gauge. Please be mindful when parking at the bridge. Please do not block the road or visibility of those utilizing the road. Try and leave as few cars at the bridge as possible because parking is limited.
From Clay Wright:
S. Suck is a roadside 1/4 mile sequence of drops I pioneered
left
left
scout first time