Rutherford Creek
Columbia Rock Road to Duck River
| Difficulty | I-II(III) |
| Length | 2.7 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Reach Info Last Updated | December 20, 2016 |
River Description
I'd like to offer a rule of thumb on rainfall, but there seems to be no standard that offers consistency. Sometimes a short afternoon shower can bring it up for a brief but runnable period. Sometimes it will just get muddy and not even offer to rise. When those good half-day rains come it will usually cooperate. Springtime rains can sometimes keep it runnable for a week at a time.Low levels are a small seal launch from the upstream side of the bridge.
There're some very slight ripples just a minute after the put in- sometimes things/ trees get hung there- but basically it's a very insignificant float for the first few minutes.
Soon there will be bluffs on river right and you might notice an old car halfway submerged- actually there are two depending on river level and foliage. That means the first rapid is near- it can usually be heard a good way before you get there. This rapid is created from the man made dam used to hold back water for the rock crusher on river left- thus this rapid is called 'Rock Crusher' or 'Crusher Rapid,' not hard to scout from boat and can be scouted from bank. The landowners are real touchy since it's a chemical plant that is under presuure from several groups and govt agencies to clean up 'stuff' - so I wouldn't get on the bank if anyone's around. The road above was once used freely by locals to park and fish and now they press trespassing charges.
Depending on water level this one is always class II, sometimes II+ and in my humble opinion it reaches class III under the right circumstnaces. At lower levels the water funnels to river left and it's a downstream v with a little curl on rapid left. Good eddies on both sides. Pretty good place for enders and surfing, ferries, peel-outs and such. There are rocks that can bop your head if you flip- especially if you're to the right of the main current. At medium to high levels there a pretty good wave train that forms and it can extend all the way across the pool and under
...River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportLook up and left when you see the remains of the old RR bridge on the left- this is after the Canyon and almost to the Duck River. It's fairly difficult to get to- no place to leave boats and bank to steep to pull them out. Also the Gazebo is in very questionable condition- the photo doesn't show the cracks that make it seem like the top could fall at any time.
This is the first rapid, the Rock Crusher. River level for this photo was 8-10 inches from the bottom of the gauge.
This is the gauge- an aluminum yard stick located on the downstream side of the bridge on a support from an old bridge. The thumb nail is small enough that is hardly visible- look at the full size pic. The pic also shows the dirt/ water marks of where the stream spends most if it's time. It's taken looking back toward HWY 31. Notice the bicycle too- lot's of trash in this stream.
Look for this standing bridge pillar and make a note of where the submerged pillar is- there are two pieces of rebar that stick upstream. At any runable level this is hard if not impossible to see.
The best play spot on the creek. Funky eddy lines and mini whirlpools make it challenging. It's deep and the pool or swimming hole that it empties into is usually a big whirlpool.
This is about half way down the Canyon. This feature is part of the 'cool' factor for this run- but as I've said in the text- visibility is limited when entering the Canyon and I hope this shows that nature of commitment involved. Once you're in- you're in. On a day like the one this pic was taken on there was not enough current to cause any worries. On a high water day a strainer could be worst case scenario. When in doubt- scout. Same with the Exit rapid- it can't be seen from the entrance and I have seen a mature tree, roots and all stuck, in the very end of the Canyon.