Canyon Creek North

Scouting Granite Falls on the SF Stilly after the run.

Canyon Creek is a great run -- 1.3 miles, but plenty of fun pool-drop action. David Chatham, Mike Novak, Joe Sauve and I opted for a relaxing day on the run, with low water of perhaps 300+ cfs.

The run starts with a bang at perhaps the cleanest drop on the run just below a short class II+ warm-up section.


Novak nails his boof on the entry ledge.


David cleans the second ledge.


Joe opts for the right side flake.

After a nice recovery pool, a fun drop offers a boof on the right or a slide on the left. Shortly after this drop, there's a fun tiny line center through a boulder-strewn drop. It is tempting to run this drop left against the wall -- be careful of the waiting rock directly in your line.


Joe nails the narrow center line.


David points out the lurking midstream boulder.

Next up is a manky headwall drop that cleans up quite a bit at higher flows. We had a bit of fun here today when a lost boat careened into the next drop. David dove in, sans paddle, and took a few hits wrangling the wayward boat into an eddy -- saving one member from a nasty hike or swim around the next drop. Eddy out left below this drop to scout the leadin to the crux canyon section, such as it is.


The author and Joe run the leadin to the crux double drop. The headwall drop is visible behind Joe.

At higher water, the left line may be preferrable, but at these flows, the right side run is cleanest. There is currently wood in the left slot.


Wood in the left slot.


Joe nails the entry.


The author runs the right ledge.

After a brief pool, Canyon Creek screams into a long boulder strewn section that starts off class V and eases after a time to continuous IV. There's a weir-like ledge center to wrap up this drop, so sneak right at high flows, and watch swimmers here.


David lines up on the class V entrance, with the double drop in the background.


A little mank at this flow.


David nails the center line ledge.


Novak eddies out in the IV runout.

After a long III leadin, a drop reminescent of Balls to the Wall Right on the Wind lead into a short pool and the final ledge.


Joe gets it done.


Chatham likes to boat. Or perhaps he's planning a new career in modeling ...


Joe says: "it takes balls to run Canyon Creek!"