Deschutes

Steelhead Falls is good to go so long as it is above 500cfs!

I got on this run 10/23/11 and I have to say that this is a classic class 4 run.
My understanding is that it's de-watered from mid-April to mid-October but as the irrigation shuts down in mid Oct. it can reach run-able levels...as it did this year.
Yesterday flow below Bend was approx. 675cfs and flow at Culver was 1,150 cfs...a great flow! For the solid class 4 boater this run has everything you could want; a 18' waterfall, at least a half a dozen loooong, muti-move, hard to scout class 4 to 4+ rapids, lots of class 3/3+, fantastic desert canyon scenery with enough slow pools to aid taking it all in, plus free camping at the Steelhead falls put-in. We were surprised that on a sunny 70 degree late Oct. weekend my buddy and I were the only two people on the run. This run is well worth the time and gas money to get to it, especially considering not much else is running this time of year.
We did the weekend class 4 trip; Leaving from Ashland Or. at 7:30am Sat., getting on the Riverhouse run by 11Am, camping at the put-in for the Canyon run Sat. night, setting shuttle Sun morn. then running the Canyon on Sunday and back home in Ashland at 10PM. I'd bet that is the best October class 4 weekend in Oregon.

Steelhead Falls- 937 cfs

Dave Eveland hitting the auto- boof in the last rapid on the Middle Deschutes.

Steelhead Falls

The lead in to Squaw (Wychus) Creek Rapid. The first of the 2 big holes is just visible on the left edge of the frame.

Trip at low flow with Thomas O'Keefe, Jennie Goldberg, Omar Jepperson, and Megi Morishita. We found you can still weave down the rocky rapids at this flow but it's a little tight. It's a beautiful canyon section as you approach Billy Chinook Reservoir. The take-out is at the bridge that spans the Deschutes River arm of Billy Chinook Reservoir. It is just over a 2 mile flatwater paddle on the reservoir and takes about 40 minutes assuming the up canyon head wind is not too bad.