Crabtree Creek

March 20, 2007. I ran this after on-site inspection. After returning home, I saw that the Savage (Barton) level was 2.7 and 400 cfs and still rising slightly. This was a good, but definitely minimum, level---rocky at times. I couldn't find the in-water gauge at the gauging station. The level was rising due to some (light?) rain on some small amount of snow (possibly heavier residual snow locally on the river-right, north-facing slope---brrr). I put on at the last railroad crossing, 1.7 miles downstream from Swanton. The creek upstream of this point looked trivial and annoying, and there was a wide, dryish rocky bar just before the last tunnel. I'd say that this is the best put-in. The creek seems more natural below this point. I walked the shuttle up the railroad tracks, after leaving my boat at the top. There is a trail down to the water near some RR switches/signals, river left. This would be a great, fabulous, Class 4 (5) run except for about 15+ log jams. Now, I'm better than average at snaking under, over, through, or around log jams without portaging, but they nevertheless severely reduced my enjoyment of this otherwise excellent run. The first time that I swam at a log jam on this trip was merely annoying, even though I had to walk about 300 feet downstream to reclaim my paddle (lost gear doesn't get far on this creek), and I really should have stopped to scout the 4 drops where it jammed, anyway (4, including a 'ledge' formed by a log). (Also, I did pull a large branch out of this slot, before running it, so that was good.) But soon, there I was, headed backwards down a slide toward yet another horrendous log jam after missing a not-really-last-chance pseudo-almost-eddy. I made it over, under, and through that one (but definitely not around), but there is another one down below, soon after where the road appears on river left, where I pinned in a fast, meaty, and blind rapid, and was definitely in fear for my life (can't see it from the road). After pulling my boat loose (lets see: 75 gallons times 8 pounds per gallon . . .), it got away from me (through the barely-boat-size hole under the log, hint) and went 1/4 mile or so downstream through some trivial rapids without me, stopping just above the private bridge. True, I carried or pinned at only four or five log jams, and the creek would be fabulous without the logs, but I can't really recommend this creek under these conditions. Hands down, this is the loggiest creek that I have ever paddled, and I thought (until this) that I had paddled some stinkers!!! Oh, and if, after this 'glowing recommendation,' you still just have to paddle it, watch out for the big roadside ledge below the drainage ditch tributary waterfall. The hole is sticky and the undercut on the right that it feeds into seems deep.

I ran Crabtree on Monday May 15, 2006 and the Savage was running between 1000 and 1100 cfs in Barton. Crabtree should have been raging but it was at a nice level. The upper part was pretty scrapy. As more tribs dumped in, eventually the creek changed to a great level. I ran the lower stretch along the road once at 500 cfs but I doubt you could go any higher upstream at that level.

What a great creek! I ran it for the first time 10 years ago and always love going back!

This is the view as you get ready to go through the long tube under the railroad. You'd better scout this first - as a 10 foot sloping drop awaits you at the other end.
No there aren't 64,000 ledges on this creek, but it feels like it. This is one of the top tier.
This is a nice 10 foot sloping ledge that conjures memories of the not so far away Swallow Falls on the Youghigheny River. Who knows if it already has a name, but an event the day we were there has us thinking Ron's Rugburn.
This is the middle of a long rapid that includes several kinds of chutes and slides. One of the ledges is broken and has the bedrock peeking through looks like teeth.
This is the middle of a long rapid that includes several kinds of chutes and slides. One of the ledges is broken and has the bedrock peeking through looks like teeth.