Clearwater (MF Nooksack trib.)

2009 spring update. Most of the rapids are the same as last year except Island drop has some minor changes and a piece of wood at the bottom that could be a issue. Scout! Also the Middle fork guage seems to be about 250 cfs off at flows from 500-2000cfs. So right now this is how we have been predicting whether the creek is running:
1100-1600 while the guage is rising would be a good flow range.
1300-1800 while the guage is dropping would be a good flow range

This is the rapid immediatly below Orange Slice. Approx 4 boofs within 1 minute....
Bark no bite describes the ledges perfectly in great this double-drop rapid.

Slide for Life is in the first and only real gorge on Clearwater. The whole run is non stop, but the beginning of the run is IV/V warm up before it really gets going in this section.
Bark no Bite is a beautiful double drop about half way into the run the lands into the only pool on the whole run. The name was bestowed because the hole at the bottom looks really sticky, but everyone flushes quickly. If there was carnage upriver, this is also a good place to look for gear.
Ski Jump is right after Bark no Bite. The creek splits around an island and comes back together right before the creek ramps down about six feet to a bed rock ramp and launces down about four or six feet depending on water levels. It feels alot cooler than it looks.
When you pull upto the take-out of Clearwater and see this rapid, don't worry the rest of the run is nothing like this. You'll want to know when this rapid is coming though, so you don't get sucked into the sieve at the top. This sieve is the only mandatory portage on the run.

Newer configuration. Line down far river right.

http://plungepool.blogspot.com/2007/03/clearwater-revisited.html