Description

This rapid is the most technical and consequential rapid of the three and should be scouted and run with caution. The entire flow of the river is funneled into a narrow mini-gorge, creating a continuous and pushy S-turn rapid full of boils and potholes, requiring a series of must-make moves to navigate safely.

Typical line: Drop into the first slot in the middle of the river (where all of the water is going) and drive aggressively toward the right wall, going around the rock in the middle. From the middle of the river, drive left while dropping into the next steep drop (the crux.) Here a strong diagonal wave wants to push you directly into an undercut on the river right wall (safety should be set above this undercut.) Drive left to get enough momentum to punch through and ride on top of this diagonal, missing the undercut. Once through the crux, it's a straightforward paddle out into the pool below.

This rapid becomes more of a Class III+ at lower levels (< 200 cfs) and more of a Class V at high levels (> 800 cfs.)