East Canyon Creek

Really great after work adventure. I did this before the gate was open which opens after April 31 every year. Good practice for beginner kayakers to hoan their boat handling skills with how the creek meanders constantly. Really no rapids, just more obsticles and lots of winding bends in the creek. The obsticles include the culverts which I thought were really fun at 150cfs, barbed wire fence stretching across the river (more on that later), and the bramble on the river banks. The bramble is no joke and could really cause a straining hazard with the flows I experienced them at. You have to really be able to paddle hard out of the current to avoid them. A good handle on your boat is required. I recommend taking out at the large metal bridge at big bear hollow and not floating all the way to Mormon Flat Campground. Below here there was far more annoying bramble to deal with and it was tighter creek so harder to avoid it. Also the barbed wire is no joke. The barbed wire apears after the second bridge near Dry Hollow if I remember correctly. They are not that far apart from wire fence #1 to wire fence #2. Maybe 1000ft or approximately 5min float between. The first one at the flows I had was fine. Could easily just lean back under it in your boat, but the second went much lower in the water and required a very tricky portage if hopping the fence. Since these are navicable waters I don't think this barbed wire is legal and its extremely unsafe without the any curtious signage from the land owner given the lack of eddy out options near the fence. It is very annoying. Getting out at Mormong flat on these flows was also quite intense. Not a clear eddy out point and getting sucked under that bridge is bad news. The walk back from the main truss bridge is easy and fun. Would take about 45min. From Mormon Flats it's about 1hr - 1.5hr. Not really worth the driving shuttle if you have a packraft. It is really fun to practice your packrafting skills by packing everything up and walking back or biking back. Nice mini-adventure.

Ran this in 1 IK and 1 PackRaft. Here are our trip notes from a post work friday run down East Canyon Creek. Put In Miles Starting at Daybreak Dr & Dirt Road. Notes:

-1st Culvert(Optional Portage) at .9 miles, elevation 6,188ft. Eddy on river right if portaging. Watch for sharp metal at the end of pipe on the left/inside edge if running pipe.

-1st Fence: Sharp razor wire(Mandatory Portage) at 4.9 miles, elevation 6,074 ft.

Comes on a blind left turn after second low bridge, eddy river left, portage river left.

-2nd Culvert(Optional Portage) at 5.4 miles, elevation 6,058 ft. Comes after a left turn, plenty of time if you want to portage, eddy right & portage right if you choose to. Fences & private property will make you want to run the culvert. There is a drop in the culvert partway through it. No wood or obstruction on this run.

-2nd Fence: Worse Razor Wire Than 1st Fence(Mandatory Portage) at 5.9 miles, elevation 6,034 ft. Comes on a blind left turn, just below a series of S turns. You know your close when you see the remnants of old fence post on either side after running the second pipe. Head on a swivel.

-Take out at Mormon Flats BEFORE the low pedestrian bridge(Mandatory Portage).

Ran on 4/30/2023 at 320 cfs, from start of dirt road at Daybreaker Dr.  One easy portage around culvert where creek goes under road, no other wood or obstacles.  Would recommend getting out at county line, barbwire fence across river right after that, and culvert under driveway that is unrunnable, can't see any other option but to tresspass on private land at that point.

Put-in coordinates need to be changed - 40.769155, -111.583866, corner of Jeremy Ranch Road and Daybreaker Dr.

Ran it at 140 and nice easy run.

Duckies and barb wire don't do well together, so wouldn't go past Mormon Flat.

~100 is a nice level for this run in packrafts at least. The first half is pretty mellow and has numerous beaver ponds. From Mormon Flat to East canyon current picks up and there is some brush making some tight sections. This would be the better half but numerous barb-wire fences (some hard to see) ruins it.