Upper Kalama River

Joe Sauve in the Upper Kalama Canyon.

On saturday, Mike Evans, Eric Klien, Kate Lucas, Joe Sauve, Mark Yauney and I ran the Upper Kalama. We put-in at road 7300 and took out at the gate above Lower Kalama Falls. Flows were low-medium, with 2300 cfs in the nearby Toutle. We had a great day on the water, with mostly cloudy skies but little rain. We also got to see a group of open boaters running a good sized ledge early in the trip. Would have liked to see their lines at Double Drop!

The run starts with wide, shallow class II water. The first defined drop below Rd 7300 was a nice class III boulder garden, with some decent gradient. Slowly, the run steepens and canyons up. The rapids build to consistent class III rapdis, with a nice variety of small ledges and boulder gardens. Waterfalls and steep side streams add flow throughout the run. Unfortunately, my camera batteries died above double drop.

For the complete gallery, visit the Kalama gallery. And now, to the photos:



Eric Klein in the first well-defined rapid on the Upper Kalama.


Joe Sauve in a typical drop on the first section of the Upper Kalama.


Mark Yauney against a canyon wall.


Kate Lucas, Joe Sauve, Mark Yauney, and Mike Evans in the Upper Kalama Canyon.


Kate Lucas showing off her new boat.


Eric Klein in a typical rapid on the Upper Kalama.


Eric Klein in a typical rapid on the Upper Kalama.


Eric Klein melts through a hole on the Upper Kalama.


A Tilton-esque ledge. Joe Sauve, Eric Klein, Kate Lucas, and Mike Evans.


Kate Lucas puts her new SOTAR through its paces.