Lyre

A group of three of us set out to check out the Lyre and see if we thought it was worth running. After some scouting and a drone flight, we determined that there would indeed be at least a few portages, but it didn't look 'full of wood' and decided to drop in. We estimated the flow to be about 500-600cfs.

Although the trail down to the river below the Falls was pretty good, finding an adequate put-in below the Falls was somewhat of a challenge. We eventually figured it out on a small ledge large enough to lower one boat at a time.

After a few class III/IV- rapids about 1/4 of the way down, the first significant hazard was a longer rapid (IV+/V?) that led into a log jam that is not going anywhere anytime soon. After catching a hairy eddy on the left about half-way down the rapid, we portaged river left. This involved scrambling up a cliff, lining the boats up, and then carrying back down below the wood. Running this rapid without scouting would be very hazardous.

We ended up portaging 7 times total, most of which were short and relatively easy, other than the one described above and 2 more larger log jams, one of which was easy to go right over the top of and the last one was also a bit of a chore in a flater section, easiest on the right. There was some good quality whitewater and drops mixed in, and a beautiful gorge. Not something any of us said we wanted to do agian next weekend, but could go back again!

On Jan 8th 2023, a few of us decided to see for ourselves whether the rumors were true and go for a nice paddle/walk down the Lyre. What we found surpassed expectations in terms of wood-free, high-quality whitewater, but still contained a healthy number of portages. As Sam Morrison put it, 'it wants to be good!' Putting in below the first log-choked drop by lowering boats under a vertically-pinned old growth log, we counted 7 portages total; most of them minor and with a couple that should flush or be duckable at lower water. Two of the portages were longer and more tiring. As the alpinists say, start cold (or 'comfortably cold' under your drysuit), because you're going to warm up quickly enough. If you're new to woody OP-style paddling, class V skills would be a plus. One move in particular involved a quick eddy catch after a class IV rapid into a blind left bend (scoutable on the left if you get out well above the rapid). The section directly below the most heinous of portages was the most fun, and had us all grinning from ear to ear. The Lyre is well worth the experience for anyone willing to deal with a little wood. As Korb says, '[despite how dangerous it can be], somehow it's twisting chutes through a hauntingly beautiful basalt gorge keep bringing me back.' I feel like it might be the same way for other wood-tolerating boaters out there... more so if any busy beavers decide to make it a project.

A group of six of us set out to run this river over Thanksgiving 2005. We should have listened to the local fisherman we met before putting on who suggested we'd find the Elwha to be a better kayak run. The portages began from the moment we put on and we were never able to run more than a couple hundred yards without hauling over one of the approximately 3 dozen log jams we encountered. There were several additional places where we made sketchy moves over, under, and around wood hazards. There were a couple good rapids but overall the whitewater was not that great and overshadowed by the time spent hiking along the banks.