Cispus: Super Slides

Photos:  Priscilla Macy

BETA

More beta for this run can be found here, and here.

Stream: If you put in on Goat Creek with a similar configuration of trees as we found in 2017, you will find a small stream with numerous portages around logs and some loose boating.  If you put in on the Cispus, you might have a quick portage or two before the slides start.  Of the two approaches, I preferred the second.  It requires about 30 minutes of downhill walking through open forest, the classic Northwest forest allowed for easy dragging.

Once you reach the Cispus, the stream is consolidated and there are a couple class III-IV rapids before the first horizon line which can be easily scouted on the right.  From this point to a point less than 1/4 mile above Walupt Creek Falls the stream is continuous slides.  All fun, all straight forward.

The trick is finding eddies, when there is enough water for the run to be fun, you need to scout eddy to eddy which can take a fair bit of time/effort.  The first lap took us 4-5 hours, the second lap (once we knew the run) took us less than 15 minutes.  

The scouting and eddy situation starts out friendly once on the Cispus and slowly works its way towards tricky as the slides bend around sharper corners.  Nannie Creek enters the Cispus over the below pictured waterfall.  This falls is a good indicator of having reached the finale, the rapid above it is the first corner that requires creativity to scout.

The river bends right below the Nannie Creek confluence (last easy eddy), back to the left and then drops away steeply into the finale.  Once past the horizon line, paddlers are committed to nearly 1/2 mile of continuous slides.  It took about an hour to scout the first time high on river right, which we were able to do thanks to Adam making a dicey eddy and pulling us in out of the slide one at a time.  Once at Nannie Creek Falls, don't leave any eddies until you know how to get into the next one, or are comfortable committing to the next half mile of slides.  The second trip we knew it was clear so didn't scout and it took just a couple minutes to run.  The line for us was to stay center, justified to the inside of any corners.  

                            The steepest part of the final 1/4 mile, from Adam Edward's perspective.


This final 1/2 mile rapid below Nannie Creek ranks up there with one of my favorite rapids of all time, I felt the effort of the run was totally justified by the largest scale class III-IV rapid Iv'e ever run.  Giggles all around.  The whitewater soon peters out and then ends where Walupt Creek falls enters on the left.  There was a surf wave and rocky beach here, making for a nice lunch stop.

After taking in Walupt Creek Falls, it's time to head downstream.  If you are taking the trail out (a little under 1/2 mile downstream of Walupt Creek), keep an eye on river left.  After passing the second notable rockslide, there will be a 30 foot high cliff on river left visible downstream.  Eddy out just below the cliff on river left.  Walk up to the bench 10 feet above river level, you should see another rockslide at this point.  Parallel the river along the bench until you come across a trail, follow this trail up to the vehicles.

If you are using the bridge take out, you will enter the swamp a short distance below the final rockslide.  Downstream progress will become difficult for 1/4 mile as you portage through the swamp.  The river re-consolidates a short distance above the bridge.


  
Flows:  We ran this twice in June 2017, The Cispus was flowing from snowmelt with bumps from significant rain.  June 16 was a fun, friendly flow.  June 18 was a little lower, but still worth it.  Word is 3,000 is medium, give or take 1,000 cfs to get the range of low to high, 500 cfs or more than that in either direction are pushing into the distant edges of runnable.  Eddies are the limiting factor on this run, they were scarce at low flows.  So if you knew the run and that it was clear of wood, you might be able to push the flow levels up a bit if you were willing to forgo scouting.

Access:  The standard route into the area (NF-23 out of Randle) was not passable due to the road being washed out by the Cispus River near Blue Lake.  We took NF-21 paralleling Johnson Creek (which looked like it was at a friendly flow).  For that route, leaving Hwy 12, take NF-21 16 miles and turn left toward Walupt Lake.  Cross the Cispus 1.5 miles later.  This would be the preferred take out, except there is a 1/4 mile long portage through a swamp if you choose that route.  We chose to continue another 1.7 miles to a trailhead, where you can hike about 3/4 of a mile uphill at the end of the day to avoid the portage.

Bridge Take Out:  46.4146, -121.5244
Trail Take Out:  46.4234, -121.5011

To get to the put in return to the bridge across the Cispus and head back towards NF-21.  If you have a high clearance vehicle you may choose to take a short cut shortly before reaching NF-21 on NF-2152.  If you have a Subaru, continue to NF-21 and turn right.  There is a map below that lines it out, but here are the step by step directions as well


 Continue 2.9 miles and turn right again on NF-2150 (the road becomes unmanaged).  Another 1 mile and turn right onto NF-2152, and in another 0.6 miles left onto NF-016 (the road can be rough).  In 0.9 miles there will be a spur road going off to the left (don't take it), in another hundred yards you will notice a small marshy-pond to the left, park here.  Follow the rivulet leaving the marshy-pond down to the Cispus, the distance is under 1 mile.  You will know you are close when you reach a second marshy-pond area.


                                                                    NF-016

If you want to put in on Goat Creek, just continue past the marshy-pond to the end of the road.  Goat Creek is visible from there.  

Hike in to the Cispus:  46.4494, -121.5144

Walk in to Goat Creek: 46.4585, -121.5102

Paddlers:  Adam Edwards, Whitney Butler, Brandon Lake, Priscilla Macy, Jacob Cruser

Upper Upper Cispus

Photo: Matt King

BETA

Stream: This is a classic PNW stream that runs during the summer.  It is mostly IV-IV+ with one mandatory class V section (Behemoth), and one optional class V rapid (island).

Starting at a campground, there is a couple hundred yards of warm up before the river bends right and over the first falls, which is off-vertical and about 10-15' tall.  If you intend on scouting, get to the left shore before the bend to scout.



                                                      Ben Mckenzie - Warm up Falls

Photo: Priscilla Macy

The next mile or so is on the hard end of class IV with the occasional mank pile or wood to watch out for.  It often looks trashy from above and below, but the lines are fun and padded if you are in the right spot.  It can be nice to follow someone who knows the situation down the first time, but can be boat scouted too.  There is one rapid near the end of this first gorge section that should be scouted.  A hard right turn leads into it quickly, with eddies on the left above the rapid. The right and middle of the river is sieved out, and at least one person has had a frightening tangle with one of the sieve's.  Ending left over a nice 4-5' boof is how the rapid is run, getting to that boof changes year to year and person to person, scout left.

John Edwards, hitting the bottom left boof.

Photo: Nate Merrill

Below here is a blind rapid that is boofed far left, where less of the water is going.  It drops about 5', a left stroke with your nose at about 10-11 o' clock works well to avoid pitons.

Close downstream is Not Island, the easier line used to be right the whole way, in 2018 it was easiest just to go far left through what used to be a powerful hole.  It's worth a scout on the left your first lap down.

Not far downstream the river opens up for a moment into a couple gravel bars and an island.  It is an option to bail on the right here if someone is not having a good day.

There is even a neat little tube through the rock to check out.

Around the corner things gorge back up and rapids build to Island.  

Mcbenzie after walking back up for lap two.

Island has a moving pool above it and a horizon line, its worth paying attention here so you eddy out in the correct spot (on the left bank of the island at normal flows).  The right side double drop is tougher even than it looks to get a good boof.  The portage is along a shallow shelf river-left.


Approaches to Island Drop from Eric Foster-Moore on Vimeo.


Downstream are more fun rapids, one that stands out is a ramp with short but vertical walls on either side.  The hydraulic at the bottom folds into the right wall, so people flip here often.  What I find works is moving center to left, nose at 10 o' clock and following through with a strong right stroke. 

The log is gone.

 Photo: Nate Merrill

A few more rapids exist before the entrance to Behemoth, noted by a short pool created by a landslide coming in from the right.  There is a lead in rapid, then an eddy on the right to scout the Rapid of No Return, which leads to a moving hallway above Behemoth.  If it's your first time, scouting from the landslide is not a bad idea.

The Rapid of No Return is a little tricky, but can be thoroughly scouted and even portaged on the right.  Below the entrance, catch an eddy on the left before the big horizon line that is Behemoth to scout.

The scout/portage route at the entrance to Behemoth.

 

 Photo: Nate Merrill

And the crux move in the Rapid of No Return.

There is more than one way to run Behemoth, and more than one hazard.  The biggest hazard is being pulled behind the falls on the left.  To avoid this, make sure you nose is not pointed left when you get airborn.  After landing, there is a ledge with a powerful hole on the right.  A strong delayed stroke about 10-15' off the right wall works.  Or if you finessed Behemoth you can run the ledge left where there is not a hole to speak of.

On line through the meat of the hole below Behemoth.

 Photo: Nate Merrill

Downstream are two long boulder gardens.  Enter the first one center, then stay right or right-ish the rest of the way until the boulder gardens ease to class II-III. 

 

Mathias drops in for his first time on this quintessential 1/4 mile of classic PNW boating.

 It is easy floating from below the last boulder garden to the take out bridge, one of the side canyons is worth walking up to see a neat falls.



  
 A couple videos 


Upper Upper Cispus August 2016 from IKNick on Vimeo.



Upper Upper Cispus from Lucas Rietmann on Vimeo.






Flows:  500-700 is best for a first time trip.  It's still in down to 400, and has been run even lower.  It can be run higher for a more class V experience.


Matt has a write up about what you can expect from the Upper Upper Cispus when the water is up.
And here is a video from Todd Wells at even higher flows.

Access:  From I-5, head East on Hwy 12 towards Morton and Randle.  Almost an hour after leaving I-5, turn right in Randle onto Hwy 131.  In 1 mile, turn left onto Cispus river road (Iv'e lazily missed that turn before). 17.6 miles later stay right, you will reach the take out bridge within half a mile.

To get to the put in, return the half mile back the way you came in and turn right onto NF-21.  Continue upstream about 5 miles to the put in bridge.



Notes:  For those with the skill, this is an exceptional run for class V R2's.  

There is free camping at the take out, and a pay site at the put in.  The free ones are smaller and sometimes filled, so it can be worth the money to get a site at the top with toilets and benches and more vacancy.

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Trip Report from Nate Merrill
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For whatever reason, the Upper Upper Cispus has eluded me for the past two years. I've actually been at the put-in sitting in my boat, and never actually descended the river. I've always felt that the run has a very polarizing effect on those who paddle it. Some folks claim that it's right there at the top of their list, while others associate the run with low water mank. And then there are the select few who have found themselves at the lip of behemoth at higher flows, who won't even make a return trip to the area. It seems that almost everyone has a strong opinion about the UUC in one light or another.

A few weeks ago, I finally got the opportunity to create my own opinion about the most polarizing run around. I shot the following photos over a two week span in mid-late august. In subsequent weekends, we had flows around 680 cfs and 550 cfs. I'd definitely recommend the higher of the two levels. In addition to cutting down on some of the mank in the upper boulder gardens, the higher flow also washed out the troublesome hole in the gorge above Behemoth. making that section far less stressful.

I'll start with the photos from the second weekend that I spent up on the upper upper.

Cruise Control scouting the 'Warm Up' Falls - This drop is a mere 150 yards from the put-in bridge. Be careful when approaching the lip, it would be easy to get swept down the gut if you get lost on the lead-in.

Looking down into the unknown

The warm up above the warm up.

Melting Pot

John finishes off one of the countless boulder gardens in the first gorge. This one required a strong move to the left and allowed for a really sweet fading boof off a big rock in the center of the river. The right side led into a nasty boulder sieve. 

Dan Rubado - The right side of Island is a tricky line. Boof early!

The bottom hole at Island - Brandon's got safety

Jacob - Island Paradise

JD - The top of Island tends to roll people onto their left edge. Be prepared and drive hard onto the boil coming of the right wall at the lip.

Scouting the gorge above Behemoth - This is about the point where everyone starts to get really concentrated and quite. The stress factor amplifies a bit as everyone begins to contemplate the massive horizon line at the bottom of the gorge.

Send out a probe

That's me, clawing my way out of the big hole directly above Behemoth. - It's best to hit this hole on the left with lots of speed!

JD in the Gorge

View from the top

View from below

After firing off Behemoth, I snapped this shot of the lower gorge. This section is one of my favorites in the entire PNW. Go right, then right again, followed by a move on the right before heading to the right... You get the idea.

The bark is worse than the bite. Although this hole looks terrifying, as long as you're in control and paddling hard, you'll make it through just fine. JD demonstrates.

Behemoth is a fun drop, but it is consequential! There is a nasty pocket on river left that several friends of mine have wound up in. Both folks required vertical extractions up the wall.

The following photos were taken on the first weekend spent on the UUC when flows were slightly higher. I apologize for the low photo quality. I was having a bad camera day.

Alex Kilyk on a cold summer day. Temps were in the 60's and water coming down was silty run off.

Dan and Chris Menges scouting Island

Alex fires off the left line at Island

This pinch drop should be approached with caution. As you can see, there is a log in the run out that is pretty nasty on river right.

Shortly before the river drops off the face. Issac, Dan, and Chris.

Contemplating life in the eddy above the big one.

First in flight

Issac gets his river karma back in balance.

And I'll leave you with this beauty! Issac Priestly likes his beer with a little extra sediment. 

Top five reasons not to run the Cispus

Matt here, throwing up a post from a while back. Steve, Dan Rubido, Danimal and Robbie (R2), and I got up to the Cispus a while back this summer. The flows were on the high side (750), which was good for the raft, good for the upper parts, and bad for Behemoth. We got to the lip and watched Danimal and Robbie botch a ferry and miss the eddy before plopping off the thing backwards, which they somehow managed to stick. That’s the second time I’ve seen a raft go off the falls; both boats hit almost exactly the same line and both sailed away smoothly. At the bottom, Danimal yelled up to me “Anyone can run if forwards!” Good ‘ol crazy Dan, in high spirits as always. Then they cut into the current and dropped into the wicked hole, where an extended surf session began (5 minutes style) and only ended when Dan jumped out of the boat onto the rocks with a rope and pulled the raft and Robbie out.

Here's a pic from the first time I saw a raft run the beast.

Dave Saq-town and Hans do it forward.

Back to the lip: Steve mentioned portaging first, but we all were thinking it after looking at move to the left and the size of the wicked hole. He took a look at the left side route, where a rope had been left and said it might work. I climbed the right side and thought that it looked better, so they ferried across and we began to portage the unportageable. It took 4 different pitches with the ropes and some pin gear that Mr. Rubido was smart enough to bring along (Very good call!), then a very sketchy downclimb on the roots of a tree that was barely hanging onto the wall. In all it took us about 2 hours to complete and we were quite exhausted by the end. But let it be known, you can safely portage on the right, assuming you have at least 2 people (3 is much better) and the right gear.

At the bottom, we all looked at the hole, which looks a lot better from down there and decided that it might have been better to just run it. Maybe. Right as we were putting back on again, we noticed another group had shown up at the lip and it looked like they were setting up a safety rope into the river left cave. We figured they’d be good on their own and left for the takeout, happy to still have a little daylight left. After drinking some beers and running shuttle, the other group had still not arrived and we started to get worried. Eventually, a couple members of their group showed up and relayed the news: two paddlers had gotten stuffed behind the veil and necessitated two vertical extractions. Now I’ve never been a part of one vertical extraction, let alone two right after one another. They ended up hiking out and were alright, but hearing their plight made us a little more content about our decision to go for the rather exposed and difficult portage.

On the ride home, I got to thinking about it and put together a list of reasons not to run the Cispus. That isn’t to say that I won’t be back, I bet I’ll be back every summer, but it isn’t a run to take lightly. Don’t expect it to be all smiles, there are some great drops with really cool lines, but it’s a demanding run both mentally and physically.

Anyhow, here's the list:

5. The wood in the first falls makes it a high pressure drop when otherwise it’d just be a blast.

Two pictures are worth two thousand words.

After sticking the first drop, they missed the ferry (a theme on this trip) and went into the log, where they tried to jump over, but both got clothes-lined under.

4. The run is a bit of a mank fest, with regular pitons, wood dodging, and general rock bashing, enough so that one accomplished paddler from the group behind us swore off creeking all together after this run.

3. The looming presence of Behemoth makes running the gorge above a very intimidating undertaking, when, like the first drop, it’d otherwise just be blast.

2. The uglier the hole below Behemoth gets, the more you want to go left, and the more likely it is that you end up behind the veil.

1. Better kayakers than me and you have gotten stuffed into the cave behind the veil at Behemoth.

But like I said, I'll be back time and time again, despite that nagging feeling in my gut that I've got to be on my game, or else...

NF Cispus

(photo-Nate Merrill)

 There were more log jams than clean rapids when I ran this river in 2010, hopefully things change because it would otherwise be a nice run. There is not much to report about the river, as we portaged most of it.

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Gary and I had a scary experience at the end of the run. We were passing by our campsite and decided that we would just continue down to the take out bridge for the sake of completeness. We were floating around a class two bend and I saw a log on the outside corner. It didn't look like a big deal and we had seen much worse all day. I saw Ryan float through just fine and was following Gary down too closely so my downstream view was obstructed. All of a sudden he was typewritered violently across to river right. I was wondering what the heck had done that to him and in the split second I was thinking this, I saw the log that had done it that was funneling strongly into the log I had seen from the top. I decided I was too close to try and boof over it at this point (no momentum), so drove right, hoping I would be able to drive onto shore or the logjam itself. A split second later I realized this wouldn't work, so I found the place where there was the most space under the log (about 1 foot) and aimed for that, grabbed it with both hands and tried to shove myself under it. I got most of the way under, but it was stuck on my chest and I was in a bit of a hole that pulled me farther right and flipped me. At this point Steve and Nate were out of their boats and all they could see were two boats pinned upside down under a log! Steve said he feared the worst. At this point Gary pulled, which flushed both of us somehow (lucky, lucky), and as I washed downstream I was preparing to have to pull and swim under the jam. I decided to stay in my boat as long as possible in order to get pinned close to the surface. Luckily I was able to grab a log and was trying to handroll when I saw Gary's boat. I grabbed the nose and righted myself, pushed off the logs and started handpaddling after my paddle as Gary swam to shore. I collected my paddle and my thoughts as I eddied out, made sure everyone was ok, then looked for Gary's paddle (which we never found).

A typical view on the North Fork Cispus. (photo-Nate Merrill)

This was the second time I made a bad decision boating that led to this kind of life threatening situation. The first I listened to someone else's beta that I didn't know very well even though I had a strong desire to scout. This time, I just sort of turned my awareness off because I felt we were past all the nasty stuff. We had been dealing with wood all day and this looked fine to me, it just goes to show you should always be aware of the situation. Even in the runout. Just because a person runs class five rapids doesn't mean class three can't kill you. I knew this, but this experience helped drive that home. We hiked back upstream and took another look at the jam. It was not as bad as it could have been, but it was still sobering. Gary's paddle is still under there as far as we know. While both Gary and I escaped without more than some cuts on my hand. I hope I never blow it like that again.

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 I want to note how quickly Nate and Steve were out of their boats and ready to help, those are the kind of people I want to boat with.  Looking back years later, that is a quality far too rare amongst kayakers.

-Jacob