2 - Sunset Falls to bl. Horshoe Falls (Falls Section)

The East Fork Lewis is best known for a couple of classic waterfalls and a great one mile sequence of rapids that make it a local favorite. The start of the run is Sunset Falls. Many use the access 0.6 mile upstream to get a few warm-up strokes in. Alternatively, if you want to get to business right away you can pull out along the road above Sunset Falls and start hucking. At flows over 1200cfs the 'sandy beach' launch ~2 miles above Sunset is a nice put-in for the class III to IV- creekin' warmup. For Sunset Falls, the middle line is generally preferred above 1000 cfs and the left line at lower flows. You can park at the Forest Service day use site, use the restrooms, and scout all the options before your run. This convenient access makes it easy to get to both the top and bottom of the falls and it's one of the best sites in the entire region to practice waterfall running. It's common to run a couple laps of the falls. About half a mile below Sunset Falls the fun begins with five named rapids in a half mile section. First up is Hippie John's Boulder Garden which is an easy boat scout. Sky Pilot is next which is a steeper boulder garden you may want to scout from the left. Take the right or left line at the top depending on flows and then take the right edge on the next two pitches--or punch the holes. As you see gorge walls on river right and an obvious horizon line grab the eddy on river left and get out to scout the next two rapids: Screaming Left and Dragon's Back. Make the hard move to the left or take the race chute down the right at Screaming Left. The tight river right chute is not an option at lower flows. If you don't like the looks of Screaming Left it is an easy portage on river left. After a short recovery pool, Dragon's Back comes up quickly as the next rapid where the main current flows from river right to left and into a hole that is best avoided. To avoid the hole drive hard right and then head even farther right before straightening for the slide. Below Dragon's Back the river flows through a beautiful little gorge that ends with John's Swimming Hole which is marked by an obvious horizon line and a bedrock wall at the bottom of the drop as the river makes a hard turn to the right. Pull out on river right to scout or portage John's Swimming Hole. The line is once again is hard at the final pitch of the drop to avoid a retentive hole.  At higher flows (1500+) a left line comes in that requires you make a ferry across below the hole and above the headwall. Once you are out of the gorge the river flows through about 2 miles of easy class II and III boogie water and additional tributaries pump up the flow. The last rapid awaits as you approach the horizon line above Horseshoe Falls. You can pull out to scout the falls from the large bedrock platform on river left, and a portage is possible from there. The standard lines are door two (counted from river right) or three and line up for the nice autoboof at the center. The more challenging class V river right line has been run but is generally not recommended. The 'hero line' is an increasingly popular river left channel with a leftie boof.  As with most of the rapids on this run, Horseshoe Falls is bordered by private property. For all drops on the run paddlers need to be cool and stay within the active channel when portaging or scouting. From the base of Horseshoe Falls, you will enjoy another mile of class II and III boogie water to the King Creek take out, or continue on to more challenging whitewater. Check out the East Fork Lewis page on Jason Rackley's site for another take on the intro to creeking section of the EF Lewis. Logistics: From Moulton Falls Park just south of Yacolt, WA, head up Sunset Falls Road (Forest Road 42). At mile 3.6 you will reach the first pull-out providing access for kayakers and steelhead fisherman. You will find space for a couple cars in an unimproved parking spot off the highway. Another parking option can be found at mile 4.2. To reach the put-in continue up to mile 7.5 and the Forest Service Sunset Falls Recreation Site. A Northwest Forest Pass is required if you are parking for more than 15 minutes. A nice network of trails provide easy scouting access. You can put-in above the falls but a popular option is to continue up the road to mile 8.1 and a dispersed campsite where a 100 yard trail heads to the river and a good access point with a nice eddy.