Sheep Creek (Bruneau trib)

I ran Marys Creek with three others in 2005. To my knowledge, this was the third and last descent. Over all, the willows were as bad if not worse than Sheep Creek. They were so thick and sturdy in one area that it was literally impassable, necessitating a portage. And I'm sure, like the other runs out there (Clover, Shp, EF, WF), this stream bed has seen substantial growth since.

As far as the run itself, the canyon looks much like Sheep above the confluence. The gradient is steeper and sustained though giving it the potential to have some of the best whitewater in the basin. All runnable. However, besides the willows, it would take an unusually high runoff event to provide enough flow to realize its potential. What looks to be more than enough water at the put-in proves low and terribly boat abusive downstream. Not recommended.

May 17-19, 2016, three of us Portlanders completed the run starting from the 4780 Simplot Ranch Bridge, South East of Grasmere, making the section of Sheep Creek ~31 miles in length. The Mary's creek confluence is ~10 miles downstream from where we launched. The first 18 miles of the run is willow-choked. We quickly learned how big of a willow patch we could just bust through. James' place (on GPS) is about 1 hour downstream from the launch and would make a good first camp.

The first class IV rapid is at mile 7 after a left bend. There are numerous class III and a few class IV rapids that are in the willows, meaning that they are claustrophobic and difficult to scout.

When the canyon walls get vertical and the channel is deeper, the willows abate. There is a class V named Slide or Gushy at mile 20, easy to recognize, portage left. This rapid is more runnable at higher flows. There's a camp on river right around the next right bend from here.

A couple miles downstream are a III and two IV's in the narrow gorge. Then the canyon opens up and the willows return. In the next gorge section at around mile 26 there is another class V-VI called Redwall, which comes after a left bend and where there is a sheer wall on the left. Portage on the rock pile on the right. The last eddy above the drop is small but if you are gutsy enough to go there the portage is short. It is possible to portage from the next eddy up which is larger and does not require a ferry above a class VI.

There is one more complex class IV below this point and lots of II and III before the confluence with the Bruneau. The Bruneau moves fast and we were able to paddle the 30 miles to the takeout at 1800cfs in under 5 hours. Fivemile rapid on the Bruneau is truly read and run for a class IV paddler who is comfortable in big water; very fun.

There are many small camp sites scattered throughout the run, but very few large sites. I would not attempt this run with a group larger than 4 boats, and I would not recommend bringing a raft because of the willows.

FLOWS
There is no gauge on Sheep Creek however you can estimate the flow by calculations. Subtract the West fork (Bruneau at Rowland NV) and 2x the Jarbidge flow (because the gauge is on one of two forks) from the Bruneau at Hotsprings flow. The remainder is ~60% Sheep creek and 40% East fork aka Clover Creek. Six hundred is a reasonable flow on Sheep. Sheep Creek and the EFB both run off earlier than the Jarbidge because they are lower elevation. Locals say that you can also run Sheep Creek on rainfall if the Bruneau is over 2500 on rain only.

We ran 31 miles of Sheep creek into the Bruneau on May 17-19, 2016, starting from the bridge at the White ranch, and continuing past James Place (on GPS, there's a stone cabin there). The major challenge of the run is the willows growing in the streambed, blocking visibility and making downstream progress laborious at times. Mary's Creek which is listed as the launch point does cut off several miles of willow-bashing, however it looks very small and may also be congested with willows. There are numerous class III and IV rapids in the willows which are difficult to scout, the first of which is at mile 7 after a sharp left bend.

There are two portages, the first at mile 20 (from the ranch) is a rapid called 'Gushy' or the slide. It is an obvious biggie and an easy walk on the left. There is a class III and two IV's in the narrow gorge a couple miles below this drop, then the canyon opens up and the willows get thick again.

The next gorge section is mostly class II. The second portage is 'Redwall' rapid at mile 26, after a left bend. Portage right. If you are gutsy enough to paddle to the very last eddy, the portage is easy, otherwise you will be hauling boats over small cliffs. The last eddy is small, however, so scout before committing to anything.