Kings, N. Fork
Dinkey Creek to Main Kings Confluence
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportAnyone know the name of this rapid?
Three of us paddled from Balch Camp on the NF Kings down to Kirch Flat on the main Kings. It was a beautiful warm February day. The flow was from Balch Afterbay, due to the annual winter maintenance on the Kings River Powerhouse. Flow was around 670 cfs, which is a pretty nice flow, mostly clean, pushy but not really big yet. We did portage Chuck's Leap and Dewell's Demise. Eric swam out of the bottom ledge of 3 Ledges when his playboat did not punch through the center and it sucked him back in. Jeff went in the same spot but his bulbous SuperHero punched right through.
This rapid is at about the halfway
point in the run and is easily visible
from the road. Paddlers usually run
the river left channel (right side of
pictuer), boofing off a diagonal fan.
The middle and river right channels are often run at higher flows such as in this picture.
A small but nice 360 spin wave is
just out of this picture, downstream at low to moderate flows.
Looking up stream at one of the trickier, stickier rapids.
Another shot of Red Rock Rapid on the NF Kings River.
This is the first of the three larger rapids in a row visible from the road on the drive up-river.
From top to bottom the visible rapids are Furrow's Filet, Dewell's Demise, and 3 Ledges.
Boaters can either boof far river right and try to clear the recirculation or charge down the tongue far river left and hope to punch the reversal. Riding the tongue is probably more exciting. This recirculation is strong and difficult to swim out of, hence the moniker based on one hapless victum. If you can swim into the main current on the left it will flush you out. I say this from experience.
Chuck and Richard lead me down NF Kings; great day for me.
White boat is Richard Montgomery.
Red boat is Joe Stubbs.
Chuck and Richard lead me down NF Kings; great day for me.
Yellow boat is Chuck Stanley.
Red boat is Joe Stubbs.
Chuck and Richard lead me down NF Kings; great day for me.
Red boat is Joe Stubbs.
Final drop in Dewell's Demise