Wiley Creek

BETA

Stream: 

Wiley Creek is a class III-IV run near Sweet Home with some wood, lots of read and run, and a couple of low end class Vs.  

Above Richochet the creek is nondescript, but can be entertaining if there is not much wood.  If you are driving just continue up until the creek no longer looks like something you want to paddle and put in there.  If you are hiking, put in below Richochet (44.323889, -122.537968).

Whether you are hiking or driving will depend on whether the gate is open.

Portaging Ricochet in 2020.

The creek is fun below Richochet, the next notable spot has a creek coming in from the left over a cascade, and a nice ledge in Wiley Creek.  This ledge can offer a good boof, and can be lapped.  It's worth a scout, as the hole can be sticky.

Not too far downstream is Taint Natural, we were glad we scouted from the road on the way in circa 2020 because there was tricky wood in the lead in, and eddies are less prevalent here than other parts of the creek.  We had a quick portage on the left in the lead in, from which point we could scout Taint Natural itself.

Taint Natural has a couple ledges, the first has a notable hole.  At 450 it was no problem punching over/through.

Downstream the fun continues for a bit, then some wood was present in 2020 as things transitioned to boulder bars.  This boulder bar section lasts for awhile, and islands present decisions to make.  Pick the right route and you may not have to get out of your boat the whole time, pick the wrong route and you are likely to find a strainer.

Below the boulder bars things consolidate for the final mile, my favorite part of the creek.  The first rapid is Cascade Falls, a powerful, unique and fun rapid with minimal consequences.

If you have enough daylight, it's worth doing a couple laps here.

Cascade is below the gate, so this last mile can be run more often than the full run.

*Sean brought this tail stand down cleanly.

Downstream, fun ledges dot the creek all the way until the last 1/4 mile where easy floating leads to the take out bridge at the rock quarry.

If you have seen everything else and want to see check out something new, head to Wiley creek, it'll leave you with a smile.

 
Wiley Creek with the CCC from Jacob Cruser on Vimeo.



  
Flows:  500-1,000 is going to be the most friendly and clean, people run it from 300-1,500 according to the guidebooks.

Access:  Just East of Sweet Home, Highway 20 crosses over Wiley Creek.  The first road on the East side of the creek is Wiley Creek Rd, follow this upstream 4 miles and turn right at the confluence with Little Wiley Creek.  In less than 1 mile you will reach the rock quarry at the take out (44.36354421526515, -122.61037721129792)

To put in continue upstream on the same road.  In about 1.3 miles there is a pull out at Cascade (44.34968938492463, -122.5928280449569).

If you are hiking past the gate to the put in, or flows are high, you'll probably want to put in here (44.326233531316895, -122.54251620796829), just below Ricochet.

If you are driving, continue upstream until the creek doesn't look fun anymore and put in there.

  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Story/Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whenever I hear someone say Wiley Creek an image pops into my head of Nate with his fist raised, crying out "Wiiileeeey!!!" similar to the way Simpsons character Mcbain cries out "Mendoza!!!"



I talked to Nate after doing this TR and he informed me the original comes from star trek.  Clip shown below.

)

That image came about after we had been thwarted yet again by this reputed mediocre creek in the Mid-Willamette Valley on a day other good stuff was in.  Nate had been jonesing for Canyon Creek but Anna had cast a charm by posting on the Facebook and convincing us that Wiley would put a smile on our faces. 

We ended up giving up that day when confronted with low water and a gate.  It was one of those days everything went wrong and after hiking off a different run, cracking a boat, and various other mayhem we all had a sour feeling towards Wiley (except Anna).  This culminated in Nate raising his fist to the sky and and proclaiming to the world he would never have another day of kayaking impeded by Wiley Creek.

    -jacob

3 stooges being unmajestic on Mcdowell Creek

Silly little rapid that got the better of Micheal and I.  Anna did just fine though.

Happy Valentine's Day all.

Canyon Creek, Oregon

Darren Dangerdeeds likes Canyon Creek, OR.

BETA

Stream: This is a benchmark run in the Willamette Valley.  Once considered a classic run, a landslide into Day of Judgement (the largest rapid of the run and one of the best in Oregon) rendered that drop a mess and changed the dynamic of the run.  

The run is still good, but feels like more of an adventure run than a classic nowadays.  The first two miles after the boulder-bar beginning are steep and can easily take twice as long as the lower 5 miles.  Reading and running is not a good technique on the Upper section.  If it's your first time, my recommendation would be to catch all the eddies and scout all the rapids until you are past Black Creek. 

Below the bridge at the put in, boulder bar floating eases you into the day.  There is some wood to dodge, and the last few times Iv'e done the run Iv'e done one easy portage up here.  As the river consolidates (you can use a scrambling put in here to avoid the boulder floating at the beginning), the first rapid is quickly reached.  A bouldery lead in turns into bedrock at Chocolate Chips, scout right before entering the small boulder garden.

Josh Roach, Chocolate Chips.

 Photo: Thomas Imes

Downstream is another boulder garden leading into Chicken Little, which has some small scouting eddies on the left.  This rapid can collect wood.  It is easiest to scout left, but a partial portage on the right into a sneak line is what I have done when wood blocks the main line.  Eddies are not always generous on this run, so take a good look for them before committing to any moves.

After Chicken Little, getright against a wall to scout the next straight-away that ends in an eddy on the left that should be caught before the river disappears into some boulders.  Scout from this eddy, and most likely make a strong ferry back to the right to the line you picked out.

More good rapids continue downstream, even though they can be read and run, I recommend scouting everything on this run your first time down.

1-2 rapids later there has been a logjam extending from the left bank, with one log reaching all the way to the right bank.  There is a last chance eddy above it on the right, with a bugger rock to mind.  Sometimes we have been able to sneak by or over the log, sometimes we have to portage.  

Good rapids continue below the portage, including this great boof.

The boof is an important marker, because just downstream is Demon Seed, a rapid that looks like it may be read-and-run, but is actually a portage for most people.  Demon Seed looks like a mini-BZ Falls, but flows under the right wall.  Of the people I have seen run this drop, most go under the right wall, but have always flushed quickly.  I don't fancy the thought of being under the wall so have always made the quick portage on the right.

The whitewater opens up downstream, becoming read and run for awhile.  This changes when the stream bends right at a small gravel bar with the road visible downstream, high on the right.  Scout Terminator from this gravel bar.  Terminator deserves respect and safety is a good idea.  There is a sieve on river left that is mostly, but not entirely out of play.  The pocket on the right is more in play, though good safety can be set here.  An ideal line threads between the rock in the center that divides the flow and that right pocket.

Just downstream is a big ledge, before the river drops around a room-sized rock and enters Day of Judgement.  Day of Judgement was once considered one of the best rapids in Oregon, but a landslide that occurred before I ever ran the creek changed the rapid forever.  My first time down, the Dinsdales and I ran a sneak channel to the left of the big rock.  Iv'e chosen to take the sloppy portage on the right each time since.  The middle line has been run, with poor results.  Day of Judgement does change every year, and we keep hoping some day it will return to a worthwhile rapid.  Portaging on the right is better than the left, but still requires concentration as it's on a steep scree-field.  

The boulder garden downstream ends in a rapid that looks heinous from above, with logs sticking up vertically but actually is pretty easy compared to most of the rapids encountered so far.  Every time I have run the creek, driving left of the logs has been hunky-dory, though I do like to boat scout from a tricky eddy on the right just before the horizon to make sure things haven't changed.

On a low water trip, the right channel looked better.

A rapid or two are between here and Black Creek, which enters down a tumbling cascade on the right, which must be forded to scout the next ledge.  The line on this ledge changes with water levels, so it's worth a look.

Just around the corner it looks like there is a big wood hazard, but as of 2019 it is safe to read and run through the right channel to an eddy on the right, from which you can see there is a clean line.

Fun class IV continues as you enter the Lower section.  There are two rapids to look out for on this lower stretch, and paddlers need to keep an eye out for both to prevent accidentally running them.  

After the initial set of fun rapids on the lower section, there is a lull.  Keep an eye out near the end of this lull for brushy banks and large boulders visible downstream.  If you see those boulders, quickly make your way to the right bank, into a small channel to the right of a brush bar to scout Osprey, one of the biggest rapids on Canyon Creek.  It is important to make it into that tiny right channel to scout, or you will be forced to run this common portage blind.

The next notable ledge downstream looks like it can be run anywhere from above, but in reality needs to be run left at most levels.  Branches sometimes complicates this.  Things maintain a quality class IV nature downstream of here, interspersed with sections of easy and often scenic floating.

The next notable rapid comes at the end of a class II straight away, ending in what looks like a small pinch/ledge.  Eddy out right here to scout the Constrictor, another common portage.  While the drop is small, many people make the easy portage on the right.

More fun rapids continue, along with some more easy floating.  There is a beautiful gorge down in this lower section, and some more good rapids.  This gorge tends to collect wood, but usually nothing requiring a portage, stay vigilant.

One of the cruxes of the run is actually catching the take out eddy under the bridge.  It is pretty small, so if too many people try to catch it at once, it would be possible for someone to get blown downstream.  If that happens, getting out becomes more difficult as vertical walls make it difficult to exit the creek.  This eddy can be scouted from the take out bridge while setting shuttle.

If there is time, a lower take out can be used at Cascadia State Park.  This allows paddlers to pass the normal take out and float into the South Santiam, where it passes through one of the more scenic gorges in the state.  There are not any notable rapids, so it provides an opportunity to soak it in.

If you are doing the full run, keep in mind this is a 7 mile run and the upper two miles are not conducive to boat scouting.  Moving with urgency will keep you from dealing with a setting sun.

Flows:  300-700 on Pat Welches estimate is good for a first time go if flows are not rising.

Here is a photo from the Hwy 20 bridge at minimally fun levels for the lower section, I wouldn't think the upper would be worthwhile at this level.

Access:  Take I-5 to Highway 20 and head east.  After passing through the town of Sweet Home it's about 16 miles to the bridge over Canyon Creek at the take out.  44.396770, -122.447861

A gravel road takes off to the right just after the bridge and heads up to the put in.  There are 3 put in options, located at these mileages past the turn off from Highway 20:

4.9 miles (44.361064, -122.382634):  A steep trail leads down to the creek here at the bridge over Black Gate.  This is considered the lower put in and skips the two miles of challenging creek boating above.  It is a great intermediate run by itself, and is a nice intro to creeking sort of run.  It is also possible to hike in at the base of Day of Judgement, to add a couple IV-IV+ rapids to the lower run.

6.6 miles (44.341517, -122.365220):  If you want to get right into it, you can schwack down to the creek from one of the pull-outs either 100 yards upstream or downstream of this point.

7.1 miles (44.333839, -122.361907):  Turn right and the road quickly leads to a bridge.  This is the put in I like best.  It gives you about 15-20 minutes of open floating through boulder bars before the first rapid.  I have always had exactly one easy wood portage when I have put in up at this bridge.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Original Write-up
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our first time down,


    As told by Andrew Bradley



Nate, Jacob and I had been talking about what we should do for this up coming weekend. Flows in the Portland area were not looking super promising so Nate and I packed up shop and headed to Corvallis for the weekend. Saturday morning flows were looking great on Canyon Creek.  There is a general consensus that the creek gets pushy over 500 cfs so we were anxious about what it would feel like.  The gauge showed ~600, but Rick had run the creek at 650 on the gauge and said this felt higher.  We surmised the estimated gauge is different based on a rising vs. falling stream (we had a falling level).

       Our main concerns with the creek at this level was new wood from the ice storm that had come through the North West Region the previous week and the rumors of abundant undercuts due to the unstable geology. Rick and Dan lead us to a put in just above Chocolate Chips that avoids the mile of wood and flat water above, its exciting starting the day off with a class five!  The rapid starts off with a small boulder garden that progresses into a series of small ledges where the water is eventually funneled into 7ft wide crack.  The first 3 boaters flipped, and the last 3 stayed dry.  Moving into the next series of rapids is a pushy technical boulder garden that is leading into Chicken Little. This rapid looks ugly but go's pretty smooth; there is one massive old growth that looks like it has been stuck in the rapid for a while but is easily avoidable.  It can be portaged.

 Brian Butcher, feeling it.

 Photo: Lucas Rietmann

 After finishing the crux part of the drop the river is split into two channels for about 200yards.  Both channels are currently clear of wood.  As the channels regroup the creek rips into a technical boulder garden that is quite long and fun.  The last horizon needs to be run on the right (easier said than done).  At this level a couple of us were able to cut right from the left channel which worked, but is not the preferred line. The left half of the river pours into a nasty sieve with a root wad stuck in the middle.

       Next up was a ledge drop that was reminicent of sacriledge on the the little white. Big hole and all. A few more boulder gardens and a flume found us scouting Stuff Sack, more commonly known as Demon Seed. Three people ran stuff sack on this day.  This drop has a very clear line and a very clear undercut pocket on the right. Terminator is the next significant rapid followed by Day of Judgement, both of which you can scout from the road as you drive up to do the upper section. Terminator, which is known for the nasty sieve on river left, is cleaner than I had imagined, but still possesses significant consequences for a blown line. Both the aforementioned seive and pocket on the right side complicate things. There is a sneak on the left for Day of Judgment at the flows we had that starts off very manky and ends in a clean 8ft ledge.  

  Photo: Lucas Rietmann

          The section imediately below Day of Judgment should be approached with caution. It is the only section on Canyon Creek that cannot be scouted and is un-portageable. It is  important that after committing to the lead-in, you catch the large eddy on river right just after to gorge walls close in. From this eddie, you can boat scout the crux section (Jacob was able to hop out and get a visual, but that option may not exist at lower flows). The entire right side of the river charges beneath an old growth log and then flows into an undercut. The left side of the river is very manky and contains several rocks that could pin a boat. The line is the cut just above and to the left of the old growth root wad in the center of the river.  If you run this thing correctly, the spray from the water hitting the root wad will actually envelope you as you drop through the narrow channel. Although this drop isn't too difficult, it is one of the more consequential rapids on Canyon Creek.    Below this gorge, the run then alternates between large ledges and flatwater. Before you reach the put-in for the lower section, there is one giant ledge hole to be aware of. On this day, two of our group went for a ride, but were able to escape.  

It is common for boaters to just run this lower section (class IV), however the first ledge of the lower section held a swimmer for about a minute on this day, so be sure you have a solid boof before attempting the run, especially at this level.  Watch out for Osprey after the first mile or so of flat water, it would be easy to mistakenly enter this rapid. Dry out in the brush on the right to scout, if you see large boulders downstream it might already be too late, get into the right channel and paddle hard. The run over all is generally clean and definitely worth doing.  

Keep an eye out for Constrictor as well, a small/narrow 3' drop at the end of a class II straight away with a vicious hole that is typically portaged on the right.

A special thanks to Dan Rubado and Rick Cooley for showing us the lines, we would have been in the dark without you guys (literally). 


Canyon Creek, OR from Andrew Bradley on Vimeo.

-Andrew

South Santiam: Monster Section

Photo: Clinton Begley

Stream: The South Santiam is a quality, underutilized resource for Willamette Valley boaters.  It's a worthwhile destination for anyone in the area, but really shines as a good run for groups with a mixture of skill levels.  The run is mostly III-IV, with 3 harder rapids that can be portaged, and the stand-out-scenic Hobbit Gorge.


The put in is at the half bridge, across the river from the Yukwah Campground.  There is a large pull-out off Hwy 20 here that fits as many vehicles as you need.  If you are short on time, or it's a cold day it is also possible to put in 3 miles downstream where Highway 20 crosses the South Santiam.

If you use the half bridge campground, you will get some easy warm-up, and three stand out features in the form of an unnamed class III rapid, a small riverwide surf ledge, and Longbow Falls.  If you use the Highway 20 bridge you miss those features, but quickly get into the best part of the run.

Rob Cruser, starting out below the Highway 20 bridge.

  Below the highway bridge is a series of fun class III-IV drops in a setting that feels quite isolated, even with the proximity of the highway.

In the midst of the class III-IV series of rapids.

A ledge just below.

The biggest obstacle on the run is The Monster.  The Monster gets run, but more people walk it than run it.  There is a ledge 100 yards above that signals that you have arrived.

The ledge just before The Monster.

Following a moving pool is, The Monster.

The Monster can be portaged on either side, but be careful not to pile up here.  There is a slowly moving pool above, and the eddies are not large.  Be cautious at high water.  The easiest move here is to eddy on the left, make a short portage at river level, then ferry in front of the wall at the bottom.  If you are not comfortable with this ferry, or the water is too high for this maneuver, it is possible to portage high on either side with additional effort.

The top of the Monster.
Photo: Clinton Begley

Emile and Ben


Just below the Monster is Crawdad, which is trickiest at low flows.  It can be hard to avoid the left wall, so right momentum is useful. 


 Rob Cruser scouts the entrance to Crawdad.  The whitewater in the distance is the outflow from The Monster.

Crawdad.

Thomas Imes in the thick of it.

Photos of Crawdad: Priscilla Macy

 Looking downstream from Crawdad.  Below here the river pinches to less than a boat length wide.

The pinch from below, with Crawdad in the background.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

In the mile between this pinch and Tomco Falls are a couple of easier bedrock rapids.  When you pass under a bridge and the river bends left get ready to hop out on the right to scout Tomco Falls, a unique drop that is ugliest at low levels. 

Moose Creek comes in from the right at Tomco Falls, complicating the scout a little.  And most people end up wading through Moose Creek to take a look or portage.  If you don't like the look of this tricky and hazardous looking rapid, you can seal launch from the right between the two ledges.  Or go further downstream if needed to avoid the whole thing.

Jean Loosmore seal launching between the two drops in Tomco.

Below Tomco there is a calm stretch before this scene and then the entrance to the Hobbit Gorge.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

  The first drop in the Hobbit Gorge is the only tricky one.  It is a small ledge with some turbulence that can roll people.  At most flows driving hard right with speed gets you through, but take a look from the lip using the eddy on river right, you should be able to get a feel for the best line from your boat.

In the Hobbit Gorge.

 The Hobbit Gorge is a special place every Oregon boater who is capable should make sure they find themselves in at some point.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

 There are a couple more small rapids before the take out at Cascadia park, marked by a bridge.  The trail up to the parking lot starts above this bridge.  There were no portages in 2016.

Flows:  I usually do this stretch below 1000 cfs on the South Santiam @ Cascade gauge when everything else in the area seems just a little too low.  Below 700 the run is less than class four except for the first drop in Hobbit gorge and the two class V drops, but it can be run at 500 cfs if you just really want to get in your boat.  1,000 cfs give or take a couple hundred is worthwhile. 1,500 cfs is medium.  It can be run higher, but if it is much over 1,000 cfs I usually find myself running one of the nearby creeks.  One such fun nearby option is to run Canyon Creek all the way down to Cascadia State Park, that way you get to float through the Hobbit Gorge since Canyon Creek enters the South Santiam within the Hobbit Gorge.

Access:  Take I-5 to Highway 20 and head East.  After passing through the town of Sweet Home it's a little over 14 miles to a left turn over a bridge and into Cascadia State Park at the take out.  44.398683, -122.481146

After dropping a vehicle, return to Highway 20 and head upstream 7.6 miles to the pull out at the half bridge.  44.398725, -122.343068

If you want to reduce your time on the water, put in at the Highway 20 bridge over the South Santiam just shy of 5 miles upstream of Cascadia. 44.398729, -122.393304

A video from a past trip. South Santiam segment starts at 1:50

Opal creek and South Santiam from Jacob Cruser on Vimeo.

   -Jacob