To get to putin, drive down SCE access road 100 yards before park entrance station on Hwy 198. Cross Bridge and go to parking lot of Power Plant. Unload boats etc. and have someone drive your car to the takout. Do not leave your car here as they may lock the gate behind you. If the gate is closed at Hwy 198 unload here and carry 1/4 mile to putin. There is no parking anywhere near this access road. The few parking spots at the park entrance station are for "park employees and emergency vehicles only". Good luck if they let you park here.
Flood of Jan 97 Update:The 5 ton bridge was washed away in the flood and replaced with a 20 ton version. Compliments to Southern California Edison Company for removing all the old wreckage from the river. The boaters really appreciate it.
The river drops 80 feet in .6 miles to the confluence of the East Fork. Drops are evenly spaced and for the most part the river bed is narrow and cut into solid bedrock. This makes for alot of turbulence even at low to moderate flows. Portages are easy and the entire run takes a mear 15 minutes. This section is very runnable between .4 ft and 1.5 ft on the Dinely Bridge Gauge and has been run at 2.5 ft but was reported to be extremely pushy. This section is class 5 at higher flows and a solid class 4 at any level. Most drops are more difficult than anything below Pumpkin Hollow Bridge but not as big as some of the stuff on the North Fork.
Diversion dam feeding flume to SCE Plant No. 2. Runable at some flows. Put in above the dam if you like. You be the judge. 130 cfs leaves the river.
All photos taken at 0.5 ft on the Dinely Gauge (Approx 400 cfs in this section)
No1 from the bridge below
No. 1 (Class 4/4+)
75 yards of whitewater. The most straightforward route is down the left side. A short pool under the bridge gives a brief rest before the next rapid.
Bridge to Southern Calif Edison Plant No. 3 Crosses the river
No2 from the bridge above
No. 2 (Class 4/4+)
Run the weir dam and on through 75 yards of action. The action picks up near the bottom and ends with a right turn up against the left wall and into a pool.
No. 3 (Class 3+)
Short sliding drop left to right.
No. 4 (Class 3+)
Another short left to right sliding drop into a pool. There's some hydraulics at the bottom.
No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5
No. 5 (Class 4)
5 ft. pourover drop with a hole at the bottom. Avoid the hole by running far right where the current is flushing. Eddy out quickly as the pool is fast moving and it's only 50 ft to the next crucial drop.
No. 6 looking downstream
No. 6 (Class 4/5)
Possible PORTAGE on right. Scout right and/or left depending on the side you're thinking of running. The left is runable with more water, the right with less water. Do not pin on any of the rocks in either route. The launch below the portage is a fun 10 foot slide down the smooth granite.No. 7 (Class 2+)
Little riffle.
No. 8
No. 8 (Class 4-)
Larger drop in 2 stages
No. 9 (Class 3)
Sliding drop over smooth granite slabs.
No. 10 (Class 3+)
Entrance rapid to the portage. Marked by dark brown house on the right 30 ft. directly above the river. Run left and stay left. Beach your boat in the willows on the left before going around the next bend to the right.
No. 11 (Very Ugly!)
No. 11 (Class 5/6)
PORTAGE on left. Launch from the rock a bit below the hazardous area. This drop has a couple of dangerous undercut rocks right in the middle of the channel and all the water is going right into them.
Flood of Jan 97 Update: Sorry, the undercut rock is still there and just as ugly as ever. Reports have had Team Kamakazi running this rapid at higher flows but locals who have seen what's under the big boulder at low water know better. It's not worth it.
No. 12
No. 12 (Class 4)
Large pourover type drop with lots of hydraulics at the outflow. It's only a few yards to the next drop so plan your line carefully and execute exactly. Exit the drop on the far left to be set up for the next one.
No. 13 from above
No. 13 from below
No. 13 (Class 4/4+)
A twisting S-turn route wieves among boulders on the left in full view of the customers at Gateway Restaurant sitting on the deck outside. The right side route on this rapid is more difficult and requires more water.
Flood of Jan 97 Update: The route was a center entrance and left exit this year. The center hole at the exit is big and recirculates. Scouting is easier now that a pile of boulders has been deposited for use as a stairway to the top of the previously inaccessable mega boulders on the left of the main drop.
No. 14 Class 3)
Wieve between a couple more boulders right under the noses of the restaurant patrons. Do a roll and they'll throw you a beer.
No. 15
No. 15 (Class 3+)
Short and very steep boat bashing boulder pile decent to confluence of the East Fork. The left side deals the lesser bashing.
Flood of Jan 97 Update: The preferred exit to the confluence is now down the right channel under Pumpkin Hollow Bridge.
Pumpkin Hollow Bridge. Do not take out here.
Look upstream at Hospital Rock Section (Class 5+) or the Ash Mountain Section (Class 5)
Continue downstream Gateway to Dinely Bridge (Class 4)
Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998 by Bill Pooley. All rights reserved.
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Last modified: 04.28.98