Horner Run
Cook Road to I-275
| Difficulty | III-IV |
| Length | 1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 120 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 15, 2009 |
River Description
Strainers can appear quickly on this creek, so be careful! I ran it on 5/7/02 and 3 new strainers were there in the first 1/3 of a mile. The third one was very bad and required portaging. It was laying at the bottom of a good rapid. The next day I ran it again and the first two strainers were gone.
Two forks come together at the put-in, and both of them sport 4 foot ledges. Soon the creek starts to drop down fun, easy class II-III drops including fun little 3 to 5 foot ledges. Within a quarter mile you'll reach the first of two riverwide five foot ledges. Below them is the best multiple ledge rapid on the creek, and a smaller one after that with a strainer at the bottom. It can be run carefully on river left.
After that you'll come to the first big drop. A ten foot not quite vertical cascade. Run this one to the left. There is a big tree laying across the creek just above this drop, blocking the left side approach. It can be paddled under on the right into a micro-eddy, after which you must make a serious ferry move to get to river left. Or it might possibly be paddled over or around on the left at higher water, but I'm not sure yet. You will see the tree and the horizon line ahead of you so there is time to get out and scout it. River left is easier.
The creek eases up for a hundred yards of class II boogie water, but it is non-stop. Shortly after a tributary enters on river right with a three foot ledge, there is an island with strainers nearly blocking the right channel with a full tree pulled away from the bank and honeysuckle bushes hanging down into the creek. A large stump looks as though it is blocking the left channel, but sneak behind it and down the left channel.
Then a few class IIs leads you to Backyard, a double waterfall which drops about 10 feet. You can tell it is coming up when you see a house right there on river right. GET OUT AND SCOUT THIS DROP! TWO REASONS!! FIRST, this rapid has a siphon hole in the center of the ri
...River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportAfter the backyard drops, if you do not exit the river you run into this tunnel that goes under 275. Its about 90-100 yards long.
Checked this run out on 10/5/11. Looks like an awesome run, class 3 & 4 for sure. Lots of small ledge drop offs. A couple double drops and even a triple drop. Only thing to watch out for is that there are a lot of potential strainers and fallen trees. Looks like me and my kayaking buddy are gonna be cutting down some logs...
Bryan, I have walked through the tunnels in the past and they are always clear. If you were to go through them'checking them out 1st' you could take out on Price Rd. at the boy scout camp.
Runnin' the big drop on Horner Run.
If you drop into 'the fold' just right,
you get accellerated out of the bottom of the falls like toothpaste squeezed out of a tube.
Dave slides down the left line on the big drop.
Matt gets a little air before landing in the fold.
I hate to say it, but it is eazier to walk up the huge hill than to walk the trail out. At higher water, after the 10 footer there is a sizeable creek that drops in and cuts off the trail. Not adviseable to try and cross. I have located the owners of the old house at 'Backyard' and am tring to work a deal to use the driveway as a takeout. But for now it is off limits (ie. NO TRESSPASSING signs.)