First Rapid

Carry up from Eatonville Road (river left, attainment right) to run this rapid.

Most of the following rapid descriptions are based on the post by John Alden (October 19, 2002, at 700+ cfs on the Independence River gage).
The first rapid is a fifteen-foot slide at a thirty degree angle that ends in a deep, but flushy, hole. The entrance required a ferry from river right to left with a turn back to the right at the top of the slide. The hole at the bottom was big enough to flip several boats.
There was also a more straightforward line on the far left side of the slide to avoid the hole at the bottom, but there was a risk of broaching on the numerous upturned flakes of rock on the ledge. More water would open a smaller chute on far river right, but it was not navigable on the day we ran the Otter.
We all ran this rapid at least three times each and explored all of the lines.
The run-out went over some small ledges and ran straight into the next significant drop, a broken five foot ledge with multiple routes available. The far river right was a shallow sneak with little water running over the drop. There was a small hole at the base, but the ledge was significantly undercut in this area. Everyone that ran to the right penciled in, but was not held in the hole. The main flow was over the left side where the water dropped over a steep four foot sluice onto a rock slide and then into a big hole. The hole stopped several people, but they all pulled through the backwash.