Willow Creek, NF
1. Grey Mt. Campground to Chilkoot Campground(upper)
| Difficulty | V |
| Length | 3.1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 300 fpm |
| Gauge | N Fk Willow Ck Nr Sugar Pine |
| Flow Rate as of 2 hours | 26 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | January 28, 2009 |
River Description
This is an interesting creek with some big, and steep bedrock sections.
Take-out: Take highway 41 to the Oakhurst area and to the Bass Lake road. Go to Bass Lake and take Beasore Rd to Chilkoot campground. There are other spots where the creek is semi-close to the road, but you will need to study a map to figure them out. Chilkoot ought to be good enough. Hike down from your car to scout the creek wherever you decide to exit, so you recognize the right place. topozone map, google map.
Put-in: Drive about a mile past Chilkoot and turn left onto a gravel road going 3 miles to Grey Mt Campground. Put in at the bridge crossing the creek. topozone map, google map.
The flow will seem pitiful at the start, but within a few hundred yards or so, you will hit bedrock dropping away and then the flow will seem just fine.
This creek has long sections of beautiful, steep bedrock slides and falls which are mostly runnable. All of the major drops have been run, but many people will portage some of them. Portages around big drops tend to be across steep dirty slopes on small trails.
Alternating with the nice bedrock sections are fairly long sections of steep, technical slalom boating. Much of these technical sections are still boat scoutable, but there will be many place
...River Features
Grey Mt. Campground
Clean Break
Steep slides and ledges begin immediately and curve out of sight to the left. Worth looking at.
Back Scratcher
This is another sweet slide. There are multiple lines to choose from. All can be boat scouted.
Land Mine
Boulder garden with a small slide into a 3 foot drop.
Whack Whack
Split Wheel Slide
Rocket Flume
Broken Elbow
This small drop takes you through a narrow chute. Elbow pads will keep you safe on this one.
Skull Crusher
This rapid has 3 drops. The 1st on can be run center, or far right. Be careful that you don't get sucked under the water fall.
The 2nd drop should be run far right down a narrow slot that slides into a pool.
The 3rd drop is best run on the right with a right boof stroke.
This rapid has a sticky hole at the bottom that will keep you and your boat for quite some time.
Junkie Section
This part of the run is a real bummer. The creek constricts into a series of log portages and manky drops. This section goes on for almost a mile. Make your way through it and keep your head high. Good things will follow.
Paddle Snatcher
The creek drops through a narrow defile into a small pool. Paddlers then have to climb the eddy fence to boof over a very narrow slot into a narrow pool. The recirculation in this bottom pool could be bad, so set a safety next to it on river right.
The whole drop plus 3 smaller drops can be portaged on the river left side. The best scout is on the right and the only safety spots are also on the right side.
Chilkoot Creek Falls
A very distinctive rapid is just before Chilkoot Creek comes in on the left. A long slide suddenly drops 10 feet into a pool with an angular boulder. The trick is to avoid smacking the boulder. Scout or portage on left. Then follow the trail around to the left up and across Chilkoot Creek, then up the hill to the campgrounds.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportA shot of the last drop on the upper section of North Fork Willow Creek. The take out is just below, less than 50 yards on river left. Immediately after this drop it is a tight fit between the rocks to exit the pool, at this low level.
One of the better, cleaner drops near the end of this section on North Fork Willow Creek.
This biggest waterfall on the run has now been descended a few times. Dan seemed think it was just fine!
Charge past the log out onto the rock to avoid the undercut. Then enjoy a steep slide into pool.
Overview of entrance to Whack Whack, a big ledgy falls. This comes very early in the run.
Dan's boat produced a loud distinctive sound at this point in the falls.
Typical slalom rapids just upstream of the Rocket Flume.
One of the most distinctive rapids on this section. An amazing narrow sluice, ending in a flight off a waterfall.
Dan Hogg and Daniel Lundberg ready to launch onto NF Willow Creek near Bass Lake California. Yes, that is snow in the background, and the camera imprinted 5:01 PM as the time. What were we thinking?
A wide shot just to give a better sense of the terrain and to show the whole rapid.
Passing the undercut was not a problem.
This picture makes the backwash look impressive, but it was not a big deal at this flow. Our speed was so great that we blasted through and sped across the pool.
Just picking up speed at this point.