Pauley Creek

Quite low relative to the green pipe, but still a great time.

Additional words and photos:

https://forestkan.substack.com/p/return-to-pauley

Ran it today at 260-270 cfs on the dreamflows estimate (which I learned is apparently estimated from Goodyear bar gauge? not sure how that works). Another in our party said the level was 4' below the pipe above Pauley falls, if that gives anyone any gauge of the flow. It felt very low.

This was my first time down Pauley and it was incredible. The holes weren't sticky and the falls were big and fun. We ran the Federal falls autoboof line on river left, which was a point and shoot. Double drop was probably the trickiest of the rapids but very fun and satisfying. The rest of the rapids were very good (we had a great guide). Towards the end, the run definitely got very very boney, often scraping and bumping off of rocks. There was wood, but it was all avoidable at these flows. Higher water may make it more difficult.

Only one in our party ran Pauley, as it was really low. He got hung up at the lip but landed and skipped out. He said it wasn't that fun to run.

Be aware that there is a dark colored cable suspended on the latter half of the run (after the big rapids are done) which originally was suspended 5-10 feet above this water level, but a tree fell on it, making it hang much lower. We were easily able to avoid it, but be aware of this possibily coming into play as water level rises.

Photo courtesy of and copyright by Brett Valle. Check out his excellent stuff in Boof.com.

it was a low, high water year...