Redwood Creek

With recent nonstop rains, a group of 6 intermediate packrafters set sail from 299 on an ill-fated attempt to do the full Redwood Creek run. Not a quarter mile in, our lead boater had a long, consequential swim and learned quickly we were unprepared for this run, at least in medium-high flows with its lack of eddies. With the rain still coming down, we made a safe call to abandon the trip at the first bridge. Good thing, too, in hindsight – the rain ended up pushing the gage over 3,500cfs later that day, which is the threshold we were told where the mandatory Rocky Gap portage becomes near-impossible. Nevertheless, it was a good lesson in many aspects of group trips for the lot of us and just how important it is to establish good communications and if necessary, a boating order.