Devil's Tea Table
Devil's Tea Table(Warsaw Road Creek)
| Difficulty | V |
| Length | 0.6 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 420 fpm |
| Gauge | Lockatong Creek at Raven Rock Nj |
| Flow Rate as of 3677 days | 5 cfsstale data |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 13, 2019 |
River Description
General Description
This little tributary to the Delaware may offer the best in Class V steep creeking that New Jersey has to offer. For about a 1/2 mile, it offers up non-stop, very steep, technical drops that will get the adrenaline going for just about anyone. This little gem actually doesn't have a name but is located at the base of the cliff/rock formation known as the Devil's Tea Table located just about half way between Stockton and Frenchtown on Rt. 29. Given the nature of the run, the name seems fitting. There are only about 3 or 4 eddies big enough for more than one boat along this entire stretch and only a few more that will even fit one boat. Therefore, don't get on this run unless you are fully confident in your ability to read and react to continuous, steep drops and to catch micro-eddies as needed.
If the area has gotten 1 to 2' of heavy rain and the gauge for the Lock is going straight up and over 1200 cfs or if the Lock and the Wick are already too high, this may be running. My guess is that it will not be runnable more than a few hours after the rain stops. It probably is runnable just a handful of times a year so catch it when you can.
Rapid Description
The hundred yards or so above the first bridge features a continuous series of Class III/IV slides, which is all the warm-up you are going to get. Just above the bridge, the bottom drops out and it would be impossible to describe all the drops in any detail, since it is essentially one continuous rapid to the take-out. There are probably two drops of note though.
Right Out Of Hell:
The first is about 100 yards below the bridge where the creek drops into a very narrow slot on the left. At low flows, you will have to run this tight sketchy left slot, while at higher flow a very sweet 7’ boof off a slab rock opens up on the right side of the slot. The biggest drop of the run, currently d
...River Features
Warm Up, Above Put In Bridge
Till I get better pictures the scouting pictures will have to do. Pictured is the warm up class 2-3 section leading to the bridge.
I would walk up with the boat and put in just about where the upstream horizon line is. It's maybe 2 tenths of a mile above the bridge. A warm up is worth it as this creek kicks off strong just below the bridge. The whole run is about .7 miles long if starting from the 'Warm Up' putin.
Everything downstream of the bridge I call class 5. It's always a wildcard how big the water will be so CL 5 fits this essentially single very long rapid.
Entry to "Right Out Of Hell" at Horizon Line
Note the V notch shimmer of water on the river Left horizon Line. That is the entry to the very ugly Hell slot. This slot catches all the wood. I don't go anywhere near this line. I choose be hard river right. You can see the Van sized large dark unfriendly looking boulder leaning out as if undercut. (click on the picture to see clearly). I drive up over a shallow ledge right next to it and bounce into the eddy that gives me a perfect shot at 'Right From Hell's' 7 foot boof. At Higher water I might cross over in front of the Hell Slot but at my lower levels I felt there was too much guard rock action going on to get right. Jeff did this cross over to right line at low flow and said it was much harder than it looked like in the scout.
Either way Drive the boof hard and try to fall off the boof rock as flat as possible. Is should just be a typical creek hit and not a painful piton even if you screw it up. The landing rock formation seems somewhat friendly. If you roll over you'll be on more rock than water to brace up.
Hell Slot
River Left slot that often traps wood. Always check. Run rapid to the right to run the 7ft boof, 'Right Out Of Hell'. Cross over river Left to river Right moves in front of the Hell Slot are much more difficult than the scout would lead you to believe. I don't suggest this move (especially at lower water) if the Hell Slot is choked with wood.
Cloud 9 Eddy
The Creek starts taking off now and In 50 yards there is a break coming at the biggest eddy on creek Left. Its the only slice of heaven here at Devil's and I like to think of it as 'Cloud 9'. 3 boaters can fit in hear briefly but 2 or 1 is much more manageable.
Cloud 9 swirls pretty fast. A swimmers boat can easily get in here and stay in this eddy for a long time.
Once exiting the eddy be on the look out for a huge tree taking up 75% of the creek on river Left. Look to bounce down in the shallower Right side. You can see the tree coming far away to setup a good line or to get out.
The pace will increase in the middle 2 tenths of a mile so be ready for reactive combative paddling. All the eddies I saw at my Medium-Low run I typically just blew by not wanting to risk boating this beast backwards. It was very exciting reminded me of the excitement level of paddling the Blackwater and Green Narrows.
If you are not having a good time, Cloud 9 is the place to climb out.
Entry to the Jersey Devil
Easy looking start to the 'Jersey Devil'
Jersey Devil
Biggest Fastest section on the creek. It drops down about 20 ft in a series of small smooth ledges. What a blast!
At the top of the rapid is a triangle rock in the middle of the flow that you keep on your right. Skip in for a great ride.
Under Cuts
The Under Cuts follow right after the Jersey Devil. Stay Left.
Exit Tunnel
Towards the end the intensity of the river ramps down just a little. Its more shallow on the right and I used that to bounce and grind to a slower pace so I could really spot a single boat 'eddy' so I could climb out. No trail is available. It's a short steep bushwhack.
-WG
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportThis is what it looks like with a reasonable flow
Before the Tohickon releases this year (March 08) I completely removed all the wood from the Hell slot as well as cut a much larger window 'through' the large creek wide strainer. Anyone who belongs on the run should be able to handle it till more wood collects. Its all easily scouted from the road.
A month ago this run looked low and a bit draggy. The flow didn't seem optimal. We were very concerned about the wood stuffed into the left slot 100 yrd downstream of the bridge. The point here is that this creek was very deceptive in its look from the road. Besides being bigger at creek level which I
expected the speed was way faster. If it looks fast it will be a rocket ride. At our lower level the cross over for the 7ft boof was tricky making us worry about taking the tail into the Left slot with wood for a very bad time. The large strainer a few hundred yards downstream is a major hazard with a tight passible river right line. I was told this week that the log guarding the tunnel was shifted by paddlers to open up the entry line into the tunnel.
I just adopted this AW web page to make some changes since the original creater dropped the page (jamie?) Anyway I just wanted to clean it up, add a pictures and correct the gradient from 400 to 500+ which is what our gps said was the deal....FAST RUN @ FLOW. If the creator wants to do something else with it just let me know.
I cut out the main branch holding lots of wood. Pulled a load of wood out freeing up much extra breathing room for wider right lines. Note the huge log in the pool and the jagged tooth of a log on the left side of the open area. -wg
Friendly Boof landing for Right Out Of Hell. Note the wood of the left slot.
Hell Slot choked with wood prior to 3-16-2008. Note its easy for wood to collect here. Always check.
Exit tunnel with the once trouble log pushed out of the way clearing the entry.
Cleaned up on 3/8/2008
Under Cuts at no flow. These immediately follow the large extremely fast 'Jersey Devil'
This is one of the fastest rapids you'll get on. You fly skipping down 20 feet of smooth ledges. Note the triangle point rock at the top. Enter river Left at the top.
Very concerning strainer nearly consuming the whole creek. This strainer is about mid way between the Right From Hell and the Jersey Devil. At reasonable flows its pretty easy to get right to run or walk.
Picture of long term wood 100% cut out on 3/15/2008. Note the boof of Right Out Of Hell is pictured on right with wood going through it as it appears to head for the right upper corner of the picture.
Low run, cross over to the boof was sketchy low. This was the only Eddy in the middle of the run. This picture makes this run look 5 times easier than it really is.
I've scouted this monkey from Warsaw Rd. before when I worked in Trenton. My initial beta indicated that this run may be called Cain's Run and/or Warsaw Creek. These names originated from the Revolutionary War. I believe the Devil's Tea Table is a far more appropriate name.
The run certainly looks to be very flashy with a mix of some boulders and mostly bedrock slides and technical drops, probably a great compliment to a follow-up high water run on the Lock, Wick, or Tohickon/Geddes. As of my last check, there were at least two formidable strainers in the steep section which might have to be removed before the spring of 08 runs.
Late day scout when the lock and wick were running but not big.
From a Jan 2008 scouting trip. Pictured is all the lead in you want above the bridge. Above the horizon line of this picture is just ditch boating. Nice warm up slides and small ledge when its at flow. Picture taken from Putin Bridge.
Taken from the Putin Bridge this shows the entry leading to the Hellish Left Slot as well as the entry to 'Right From Hell' 7' boof. The V notch of water shimmer at the Left horizon line is the entry to the Left ugly slot that collects wood.
Just an example of a ledge drop. I think that rock on river Right might be the undercut but I'm not positive. Check it out.
Wood Free Hell Slot after it was 100% cleaned out of wood on 3-15-2008 -wg