Wenatchee

A great stretch of river for beginner boaters when most other stretches are blown out and nearly eddy-less. A flow of 10900 cfs on the gauge at Plain makes for a very quick-moving main current with a handful of smaller wave trains, a couple mid-stream eddies behind islands, and some stronger eddy lines alongside cliffs.

A couple of isolated log jams that could be in play for unaware swimmers, but otherwise minimal hazards. The first notable logjam exists river left past the first wave train as the river bends to the left and back right. It is not in play unless someone is in the water and unable to swim away on their own. The second notable jam is slightly downstream of this, approximately .25 mile. It is on river right and composed of two large, old growth logs situated in an upstream V near the right bank. Again, not in play for paddlers in their boats. However, if one is towing a swimmer to avoid the jam on the left, keep heads up and plan on catching an eddy well below the jam on the right.

If you put in at the lake, you’ll have about an hour of flatwater until you reach the intermediate access point that we’ve christened “Mosquito Eddy”. From there, you have about half a mile before it starts to pick up slightly. The surf wave that develops river left below the Railroad Bridge is large, but can be skirted far left to set up to avoid the swirling eddies on the right bank. The wave could also be avoided to the right, but then be aware of stronger eddy lines and swirling eddies that we have affectionately dubbed “Toilet Bowl”. Nothing of major note, just gentle Class Fun read and run.

            As the river’s speed picks up on its way to Plain, there are increasingly difficult eddies to practice catching and gentle currents to work on ferry angles.