Eel

Absolute gem. What a great season opener. Beautiful enough to keep the advanced boaters happy, plus one fun class III after the Hearst bridge, and the option for the less advanced boaters to take out before the Outlet Creek section. We put in at Van Arsdale, and were immediately in some brush that looked like small trees growing out of the river. At 2k, a swim here would have been scary. Make sure you have a good safety talk about this kind of wood hazard. The key would be just swimming in the channel, rather than trying to get out prematurely or self-rescue and ending up ensnared in the brush where rescue would be extremly challenging. After that all class II to Hearst. Scenery was nice but unspectacular. Things get dramatically more pretty on Hearst to Outlet run, with very little brush, but some fun rapids including one class III that requires a couple cross current move soon after the bridge. The rest of the one was class II, with some flatwater paddling even at 2000cfs. We saw 2 river otters, deer, and 3 bald eagles. Outlet Creek section was fun, as usual, and a great way to end an overnight trip for those of us who wanted more action.