WF Cow Creek

       

Photo: Priscilla Macy / along the lower run

BETA

Stream: A brushy class II-IV stream only half an hour off I-5 near Glendale.  There are some quality rapids, unique scenery, and the shuttle is straight forward.  It's no classic, but its worth doing.  If you use the put in we did, you will get a bonus canyon that includes Dothan Falls.  



                                Priscilla Macy running Dothan Falls



From Dothan falls to the lower put in (at a bridge), the stream is brushy class II-III.  The stretch below the bridge is a more mature stream-bed with higher quality class III/IV, less brush and more to look at.  Everything was easily scout-able and portage-able at the low flows we had.


  
Flows:  From our scout in 2016, I think 1,000 cfs or just under is perfect.  Our flow was low, it was plenty of water to float but because the character is more river-esque than creek-like, the rapids were not quality at low water.  By the end of the day when we ran shuttle, flows looked ideal.  We had missed the bubble by a few hours.

 West Fork Cow Creek Gauge

Access:  From Riddle or Glendale, get on Cow Creek Rd and follow it 15-20 miles to the confluence with the WF Cow Creek.  Follow the WF Rd as it parallels WF Cow 3.8 miles and turn left on a road that leads to the take out bridge.  To get to the put in we used return to NF-25 and continue upstream 6.3 miles (crossing another put in option at a bridge at 4.5 miles) and veer right. 1.1 miles later stay left. 2.8 miles later you will reach a rock quarry which marks the put in.

If you would like to add more class II-III you can put in higher, or take out lower.


Notes:  If the flows are good, the water quality will be bad.


 

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Trip Report
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The WF of Cow Creek has been on our list for a couple years.  It stands out on maps despite the low gradient, due to narrow sections and satellite imagery showing plenty of bouldery rapids between longer stretches of little action.  We had driven along it a couple times heading in and out of the SF Coquille drainage.  Last year we drove along the headwaters on our way to Woodenrock Creek and because the road follows much of it we were able to scout enough to put it on the "lets do it someday" list.

We were heading from Albany down to Grants Pass for Thanksgiving, and this creek happens to be a pretty convenient option along that route.  Oddly enough, the week before the trip we got one last piece of inspiration from Sam Box, who sent us a couple intriguing photos his friends had taken at Dothan Falls during the summer.

Mmmmm, bedrock.

As the time grew closer to head South, the lack of rain in the Rogue Valley had us losing motivation for WF Cow.  It looked like it would be too low, so we made plans to head to The Gem on the SF Coquille instead.  On the drive down, we saw levels had started to rise.  We had a cutoff of 2k for The Gem, so when we stopped for gas in Roseburg and checked to see that the SF Coquille had hit that mark with no signs of slowing we decided to divert back to WF Cow, since they share a headwaters ridge we hoped WF Cow would continue to rise as well (it had been too low that morning).

We left I5 near Glendale and started paralleling Cow Creek, which was very low. However as we turned off onto the WF road, the further up the drainage we drove, the more water there seemed to be.  We had high hopes we would be able to float the creek, reaching our take out we decided it was going to be low but we could get down it and still have an enjoyable day.

Our planned take out, and a scene we ended up seeing plenty more of on the WF of Cow Creek.

 Photo: Priscilla Macy

We dropped off our motorized bike to do the 9 mile shuttle at the end of the day along with some snacks and headed to the put in.  We had not remembered where the gate was from our scouting trip (it had been open that day), but were pleased to find the spot we wanted to put in was below the gate anyway.

We find odd-ball runs usually have at least some sort of logistical challenge to reach the put-in, this was a stark exception to the rule.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

There was a brush island that required using the correct channel, and some class II-III before the walls rose briefly and the creek veered right.  Priscilla hopped out to scout and grab a photo of this fun one.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

Just around the corner was Dothan Falls, the most anticipated rapid of the trip.  We were not sure it would be runnable as from the road it appeared to drop into the left wall, and the photos Sam's friend had taken only showed the lip.

A quick scout revealed a nice flake that allowed us to avoid the left wall.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

The creek eased off considerably below Dothan Falls, and there was much brush to deal with.  It was all passable, and  kept us engaged through the 2 miles of class II that followed down to a bridge (42.8469, -123.7525).  After that, occasional rapids and abundant brush carried us another 2 miles down to another bridge (42.8297, -123.7185) we had passed over during the shuttle which we felt might be a higher "bang for your buck" put-in option on a return trip.

One of the rapids between the bridges, a welcome break from the brush-bashing.

A short way below the mainline bridge passed over during the shuttle, and about 5 miles into the trip we stopped for a lunch break.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

I had heard from Yann Crist-Evans that the section below the bridge was a nice class IV high water option.

 Not too far below the mainline bridge, the stream started to mature.  The creek entered a beautiful canyon section, the brush eased up and the whitewater started to get better.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

Large boulders started to make it tough to see downstream, we hopped out a couple times to scout out the best route.  While only class III-IV, there were places that were better to be than others.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

This ended up being the best part of the run, and would be a hoot at the right flow.  At low flows the rapids were not filled in, and while we had plenty of water to float, the character of the stream was more river-like and needs the boulders to be covered to bring the rapids to life.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

The scenery is unique, and worth taking in.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

About 2 miles before our take out, Priscilla remembered that she had not left the keys for the bike lock at the take out, they were in fact back at the put in.  After trying to think up any other option, we resigned to stopping at this point and walking the 7 miles back to our vehicle.  Given it was Thanksgiving (we were planning to celebrate the holiday Saturday), we didn't see anyone else the whole time we were in the Cow Creek drainage.  The walk back up to the vehicle wasn't as big a bummer as we were anticipating, which we completed and returned to collect our things well before dark.  During our walk, we again noticed that the stream had more water the higher we went.  And when we reached our vehicle it was obvious the heavy showers throughout the day had brought the stream up, and we had missed the bubble by only a few hours.  Oh well, the whitewater might not have been as good at the low flow but it was still a neat canyon worth checking out.

 West Fork Cow Creek Gauge

      -jacob

SF Coquille: Sru Lake Section

Stream: This is a short IV+ section of the South Fork Coquille River adjacent to Sru Lake that ends in a beautiful 30'+ waterfall, and pairs well with a run down nearby Woodenrock Creek.

There is a section of warm up below the put in bridge that lasts a mile or so and is easy floating. You might find a surf wave or two and some places to get your edges under you.

The river pools up before turning right and dropping through Neckin' which is the standout rapid on the run, a narrow flume with fun hydraulics.

 Neckin'

A hundred yards of read and run leads to the next notable rapid in the form of a spread-out boulder garden, which can be scouted from the road before putting on or river left from the river.  There was wood blocking the intuitive right line in 2017, but we found a way down the left.

Read and run continues a short way before the river drops over a short horizon line that had us scrambling to the left bank for a scout.  This drop is not visible from the road, and ends with a significant hydraulic.

More class III and IV whitewater continues downstream, while there are generally no wood blockages, brush often obscures the route.  Picking lines from the road during the shuttle saves time on the river.  

A distinct ledge signals the upcoming finale, a 30 foot waterfall that has numerous lines to chose from.  It can be scouted from the left before putting on and from the right if floating downstream.

Ledge above the waterfall.

A waterfall with many lines. 4' on the 16 mile gauge.

                                                               2' on the 16 mile gauge.

Take out in the pool below on the left to avoid entering the Cataracts of the South Fork Coquille.

Flows:       We were there March 30, 2017 and flows felt like a friendly medium.

Then again on Jan 3, 2020 which was a pushy medium.

There is a gauge below the 16 mile bridge, 2-4' is medium.

Access:  From Powers, OR drive upstream along the SF Coquille on NF - 33 for 16.5 miles at which point you will cross the SF Coquille at the take out for "The Gem".  Continue along the road, taking your next left less than 1/2 mile past The Gem take out bridge.  Follow this road (NF-3348) 3.4 miles and park along the side of the road adjacent to the take out waterfall along the SF Coquille.  There is a tributary falls that drops in right next to the road in this area to confirm you are close to the right spot.  42.7244, -124.0117

Photo of some happy campers and the tributary waterfall at the take out.  

To get to the put in, continue upstream along NF - 3348 for 2.3 miles.  There is a large pull out and bridge crossing the stream.  The easiest access to the river is on river-right.  42.7466, -123.9996

The arrow is pointing to the take out.

Woodenrock Creek

Woodenrock Creek has a short section of good whitewater.  It is a tributary to the South Fork Coquille and has convenient road access via a gravel logging road.  The put in is at a bridge, with a beautiful 30-ish foot falls visible below.  The falls can be thoroughly scouted before putting on.  Safety for the first person can be set on river left by scrambling down from the road.  The first person to go over can set safety for everyone else from river right after landing.

Priscilla Macy dropping Woodenrock Falls.

Below the landing pool the creek enters a hundred yard section of ledgy whitewater, which can be scouted or portaged from river right after dropping the falls.  

The bedrock ends abruptly and we eddied out on river left to walk up the clearcut back to the road and our car.  You could continue down to another bridge, but satellite imagery shows inordinate amounts of wood before the bridge is reached.

We were there on March 30, 2017

SF Coquille Gauge

WF Cow Creek Gauge

Bridge over the falls:  42.8301, -123.9259

Pistol River

Photo: Yann Crist-Evans

Beta

4.6 miles

We ran the Pistol River early in our South Coast tour to start the new year.  We had scouted out a couple rivers the day before and were ready to get in our boats.  We ran into some access issues when trying to reach an upper put in, but found convenient access to this middle section.  After a short walk on an old road, we arrived at a beautiful pool complete with bear tracks.

Access Issues.

Wildlife

Put In

We floated a couple easy miles, this part was mostly pool and riffle with a couple intermediate rapids.  One of the rapids had massive boulders, but an easy line to the left. 

 On the paddle in.

Photo: Yann Crist-Evans

 About the time we started wondering if I had interpreted the maps incorrectly during earlier research, a horizon line between large boulders presented itself.  We scouted from the left, finding shore routes through large boulders.  There was a clear line, but it was a little intimidating.  Priscilla and Anna chose to walk this rapid on the left, while I had success paddling the rapid.

Barrett and Aaron scouting the first large rapid in the Pistol.

 The whitewater portion of this section is shaped like a pistol.  

Running the first significant rapid on the Pistol, entering The Grip at low water.

This was the beginning of an interesting section of river.  It was obvious this stream experiences massive amounts of water as house size boulders were strewn about all over the place. 

Photo: Yann Crist-Evans

 This type of river does not usually channelize well, but that was not the case this time.  We found clean lines through a couple of rapids before reaching our next scout.

This rapid kicks off The Barrel, it is a straight forward lead in 

to a ledge hole.  All three of us ran this one successfully. 

Downstream the Pistol pinched down and dropped over a ledge.  This ledge had a tricky entrance into a significant hydraulic.

None of us were feeling this one and we all portaged, left was a better route.  It was run on a subsequent trip.

Downstream is a pool at the end of The Barrel.  Below here is one more rapid that was tricky at our flow before the whitewater tapers out and returns to riffles.

We found a rope swing that was put to good use.

Just below here was our take out on the right.  Downstream are more rapids, and subsequent trips have run them.

Aaron Koontz lower down.

Photo: Yann Crist-Evans

This was an enjoyable section of water that could be run at a variety of flows.  The river could handle huge amounts of water and still be runnable, but it would be very class V.  It can also be run pretty low, we were near the bottom of flows on Jan 2, 2015 with 1800 cfs on the Chetco gauge and 225 cfs on the Floras Cr Nr Langlois gauge with flows dropping very slowly all week.

The photos by Yann were taken May 16, 2020.  On that trip the Chetco gauge was at 4500 cfs, the Winchuck went from 800 to 600 and back up to 800.  The Floras Cr Nr Langlois gauge dropped from 400 to 300 cfs.  They called that a great flow.

  -jacob