Rock Creek (Columbia River trib.)

Gauge under Ryan Allen Br was 9.75'- Upper Wind Gauge was 985cfs when we put on the river. EFL gauge said that this run should have been mid low runnable, but that's not what we found. Definitely on the low end and pretty scrapey through the first mile of class 3 boogey water.

One of the huge old nurse logs has collapsed into the river at the end of the lead in rapids above the first drop. Mandatory portage, and isn't viewable from the river so make sure you scout carefully. There also didn't look like there would be a good spot to eddy out near it and would be a nasty undercut at 10' or above.

After we scouted/portaged around the log on river right we ended up climbing out above the first drop on river left. Would be a really cool run with at least 10' of water

The foot gauge is under the Ryan Allen Rd bridge on the up-stream/river-left side.  The readings stop at 10.10, but a yard stick has been added to extend the gage.  The inches start at the 10.0' mark, so this part of the gage reads as inches + 10 feet. The top of the metal is at 22' or 11'10'.

10' was a nice low flow where the big drops were runnable class V, and the in-between was still enjoyable, but a little rocky.  A previous trip around 11' was a medium/full.  On both trips Three Swims was run, and at the higher flow Heaven and Hell was run too (the lower drop he paddled into the portage chute).  I don't recall wood portages on either trip.

The creek can be run below 10', but some sections become tedius, especially at the beginning, and in the mile or so above Three Swims.

The portage around Heaven and Hell might even be more fun than the drop.

Rick Cooley slides down.