Lewis, E. Fork

Lovely day on the river, with high enough water to launch at the Sandy Beach a couple miles above Sunset.  On that top section there is a wood hazard that was there last year and is still in play.  It's passable but can cause trouble for the unsuspecting.  Where: in a constricted class 3 to the right of an island.  To pass: it is possible to paddle the R channel if under control and going far R to avoid the wood, OR you can eddy in the willows and slide down the rocky ledge to the left of the island (far left has most water).

There was also a piece just right of the entrance slot in Sky Pilot.  It is unclear if that will be more in play as levels drop.

I finally ran the L slot at Horseshoe--went fine!  Photo by Wally Fitch.

This run is a delight to run on snowmelt.  If you're used to using the Heisson gauge during rainy season you will find the flows higher for the same reading, because the snowmelt comes in from the top, which allows us to put in farther up the potholed dirt road above Sunset.  The road is in rough shape right now.  The water quality is still stellar.  Yes, there's always wood somewhere but as of last weekend somebody cut the log out of Hippie John's, and the gorge below Screaming Left has been clean all season.  The eddy that used to exist above Screaming Left on the right seems to just not be there anymore.  The left line at Horseshoe still slaps people in the face then plugs them in at the bottom.  Good clean fun.  This is one of my favorite local runs.

Hippie John's Boulder Garden has several large logs tilting in, narrowing the lines. Still read and run. The large vertical log in the gorge below Dragon's Back is still in place.

Gorge below Dragon's back is clean except for one large vertical log on right at bottom. Rest of run is clean.

John Weidie driving right on the Dragon's Back, right after Screaming Left. February, 2018 @ 700cfs.

Carrying a raft up the trail to re-run Sunset fall at the annual Northwest Creeking Competition. Photo Credit: Priscilla Macy

Giant log jam overhead at bottom of gorge below Dragon's back is dropping logs in one by one. Caution.

Low water trip on the East Fork Lewis. I was able to get out and photograph the main rapids.

The tree referenced in the 2010-12-21 report is no longer present at Screaming Left. Beavers apparently moved it up onto the left bank.

Roadside Park and Huck or the start of the 'Falls Section' on the East Fork Lewis.

Justin running the left side of Sunset Falls at moderate flow (1000 cfs?)

Jonathan Fowlkes running Sunset Falls at ~2500 cfs on the Heisson gauge (ca. 2001)

Justin Ashworth running Sunset Falls at around 2500 on the Heisson gauge (ca. 2001)

The two major waterfalls on the EF Lewis.