Little Abiqua Creek

Steve and I spent some time driving through the woods on old logging roads last week before finally settling in on attempting Little Abiqua Creek when we weren't able to sort out the logistics for plan A.   The geology seemed favorable given the proximity to Silver falls, Butte Creek, and Abiqua falls and the gradient was respectable as well. Getting in was a challenge, but we ended up in a little Rock Quarry behind a neighborhood where we felt we were close enough to start bushwacking. The biggest obstacle was the first 100-200 vertical feet. It remains the steepest slope of soil I have carried a kayak down. Where Steve is hiking was the only "draw" in the soil face, and made for an interesting beginning to our hike. We made good time and came to an old road eventually, hiked upstream a quarter mile, then down to the creek.



Little Abiqua Creek from Jacob Cruser on Vimeo.

Little Abiqua Creek is small. Fortunately we were able to make the first few hundred yards with no portages. Then I had a quick one that I was able to help Steve get over still in his boat, so until the first gorge Steve actually didn't have to portage. Below here was some bedrock and a small slide, then the double drop seen in the video.  We continued down to the next portage, this was followed by some bedrock that produced another small slide or two, then the run pretty much turned into what we expected from the beginning, a shallow boat beater with wood.

The funnest parts of the run consisted of unique wood dodging scenarios. We even got a workout in benchpressing ourselves under logs here and there.

I think we both enjoyed this for awhile, but eventually we just wanted to get off the creek. I know Steve returned the favor of helping me over a log in my boat at one point and there was one sketchy encounter with a log.  When we hit Abiqua creek, it felt like a big river, even though it couldn't have had more than 300 cfs in it. I don't know where we were on the normal Abiqua run, but there was one 4 foot ledge that had a hole on the right, and a good boof in the middle. We took out, and I made it back to class that evening. Even if that did involve me jogging through campus with my kayak on my shoulder to drop it off at the dorm.  Overall I would have to say I enjoyed the trip, and now I can stop wondering what is in there when I am sifting over the maps.

     -Jacob