Feather, N. Fork

950cfs

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Upper Section: Coordinates for the put-in are 40.0703453800481, -121.16588727684635.

At the put-in, just below the dam, a rope spans the entire width of the river. Launching just above it can feel a bit unnerving, as it hangs fairly low, but it’s manageable. Consider having someone temporarily lift or remove the rope before crossing.

The upper section (about the first 4.5 miles) is probably a Class IV, with very few eddies along the way. While there are plenty of trees in the river, they’re all visible from a distance. The first two miles mostly feature large continuous wave trains, after which the channel narrows, requiring more precise maneuvering to dodge holes at high speed.

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Lower Section (about 3 miles from take-out): Just after crossing the bridge, take a sharp left at the bridge’s end. There’s a daytime parking area in the trees at this location: 40.04687898839404, -121.21730836259634. This parking area is a bit steep to drive into, we made it with Subarus. You could also just park at the pull out on the road after crossing the bridge.

The lower section is less continuous but still engaging. At about half a mile before the take-out, there are two strainers right after another. The first spans nearly the entire river width, with an opening on the right side. The second strainer follows immediately after on the river right side. A hard ferry left after passing the first strainer is needed to dodge the second strainer.

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with Sophie, Noelle, Spin, Mark, Lucas, Renee, Scott(s)