Little Susitna
2. Mother Lode Cookhouse & Saloon to Shrock Road Bridge
| Difficulty | IV-V |
| Length | 7.1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 171 fpm |
| Gauge | L Susitna R Nr Palmer Ak |
| Flow Rate as of 53 minutes | 106 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 26, 2005 |
River Description
Put-In
The put-in for the Little Su is across the road from the Motherlode Lodge at the Gold Mint trailhead parking. To reach the trailhead, turn off the Glenn Highway north of Palmer at milepost 49.5 onto the Palmer - Fishhook Road. Follow the Palmer Fishhook Road to Hatcher Pass Road, and head north toward the Pass.
Take-Out
Because most of the run is roadside, take out where you stop feeling comfortable. Most people either take out 6.4 miles downstream of the Motherlode at the Willow-Fishhook Road Bridge, or at a few drops below.
Description
The Little Su is a beauty - at most water levels, azure water and white granite boulders make for a spectacular scene. Add the crags of the Talkeetna Mountains looming above, and you've got a setting to rival any whitewater stream in the world. And the river doesn't disappoint either - a nice class III warmup section leads into progressively harder drops, all of them fun and technical. At low to medium flows, most drops can be easily boat scouted, so eddy hop your way down. High flows are much more continuous, so be ready to run-n-gun. Not a stretch to spend much time upside down in, the Little Su will reward the technical advanced paddler.
From the put-in, there is around 3 miles of class III to IV- boulder gardens and gradient drops, warming you up for what comes below. One anomalous drop in this section occurs 2/3 of the way through at a horizon line / slight constriction between overhanging brush from the sides, and seems to be about 1/2 grade more difficult than the rest of the drops. Line up and run the meat on the left side (the Snake Pit) or grovel down the sneak on the left side (the Worm Pit).
The rapids increase in difficulty, and seem to kick off in force as the river again comes right up against the road. This makes a convenient put-in for anyone short on time who wants to
...River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportThe Little Su is a great after work or half day run for paddlers in Southcentral. Easy shuttle and mostly roadside, there is plenty of lap potential and egress if need be.
As the river description says the stretch is continuous and busy even at lower flows. 600 is the lowest that we typically run it, although some go in with playboats as low as 400. The stretch picks up in intensity above 1500 but stays relatively the same between 1500 and 2200 which is the highest I have run it. The 1500 to 2200 range is nice because the rapids start to fill in a bit more, but things become much pushier and faster.
1000 to 1200 is a nice medium flow for first timers still understand the character of the stretch but not so fast that you miss the details. When flows are above 1000 you can put in at gold mint, when below I tend to put in at the culvert and skip the 'warm up' section.
This stretch is defintely not somewhere you want to be upside down or out of your boat. Chances of boat recovery are slim, and the stretch only has a few 2-3 boat eddies to collect yourself. That being said, this a super scenic and rewarding run that can stay in for most of the summer.