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| Deer Creek, WA just outside of Oso, where Deer have been coming for century's to become Elk. |
This was a good weekend. I was able to get back into Deer Creek, near Oso Washington. This is only the third time I have been on this run so our relationship is still in the "Honeymoon Phase", and its been almost two years since my last excursion in this oft overlooked river.
One of the cool things about Deer Creek is the complete lack of Beta about the run. Aside from some tribal knowledge there isn't a lot out there about the adventure in pain that is Deer Creek. I've Google'd the run several times trying to get names for the rapids to almost no avail.
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| Pictured above: Nothing helpful. |
The thing that sets Deer Creek apart from its closest of kin; Robe Canyon, is the continuous nature of the river. Deer Creek starts with a bang and doesn't let up until you literally paddle out of a hole in the canyon and into a shallow river bed. Robe canyon, by comparison, is the very essence of "pool drop". Every rapid dumps into (usually) a large pool where a weary boater can collect their whit's or their brethrens gear. Deer Creek is like a late night bar fight, it just doesn't let up.
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| Perpetrator of most bar fights in the Green Lake area, Brad to the X. |
The first two runs I had on this awesome stretch were eventful in their own way, but also a little easier. Last year the river access to the put in was easily accessible from a clear cut that you could drive right up to. Maybe a half hour hike was all you had to endure. Now, however, the logging road has been closed and you get to enjoy a roughly 3 mile hike into the creek.
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| Rapids stack up quick. |
The hiking isn't bad, as far as boat hiking goes. The road is very well maintained and there is plenty of parking at the gate. As the miles melt away and your back starts to cramp, you reach the clearcut that marks your departure from the well manicured road and your foray into the dense forest surrounding the river. Devils Club abounds and there are more rotting logs and stumps on the hillside than there are rocks in the river. Good footwear will be an essential tool here as you WILL take a fall and a tweaked ankle here could lead to a long night.
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| Joe Howard |
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| Brad Xanthopoulos, who needs a backpack? |
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| Cut 'em all down... |
Our hike in was actually very pleasant. A light mist of a rain was present for the majority of the hike and kept us from getting too warm in our drysuits. The warmer air temperatures and cool rain created this very eerie glowing effect in the trees.
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| More Green than you know what to do with. |
The greens just pop out at you when you are in these forests after a rain has washed through. It was like walking into a Pixar movie.
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| Looking back up the hill from the put-in. |
You reach the water just before your knees give out.
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| The put-in. |
I love the "fog" effect that the weather was giving us this afternoon.
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| Looking downstream from the put-in. |
Joe and Brad had been in here more recently that I had been so we had a quick discussion on the most recent wood situation. There wasn't any wood in play this trip but I could see it becoming very serious very quickly as eddies are conspicuously lacking in most of the larger rapids on this run.
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| Unreal scenery - Deer Creek, WA |
We put in just a touch after noon and I was immediately breathing hard.
There is nothing but quality class III+ ledgy warm up before the
gradient picks up and the canyon walls get that vertical, impregnable
look that so many of these quality runs have.
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| Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA |
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| Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA |
That "you're not going
anywhere but downstream, my friend" type of topography.
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| Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA |
After your shoulders are good and tired, you pull up to the first of the big rapids on the run; Hudson.
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| Hudson - Deer Creek, WA |
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| Hudson - Deer Creek, WA |
As the weather looked terrible when we set out I left the SLR in the truck so please enjoy the screen shots and the less than ideal point and shoot photos.
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| Joe Howard in Hudson - Deer Creek, WA |
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| Joe Howard at the crux move in Hudson - Deer Creek, WA |
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| Hudson POV - Deer Creek, WA |
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| Hudson POV - Deer Creek, WA |
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| Hudson POV - Deer Creek, WA |
A little bit downstream comes this awesome drop that we are leaning towards naming Loco:
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| unnamed rapid - Deer Creek, WA |
This rapid handed me out a little bit of a beating. I started a little too far left and got pushed all the way left and dropped into a hole above a house rock that looked suspiciously undercut.
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| Gettin wild - Deer Creek,WA |
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| Brad X |
Fun ledges and pour-overs everywhere...
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| unnamed rapid - Deer Creek, WA |
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| Bad Panorama of an awesome drop - Deer Creek, WA |
This double drop is just SWEET! Scout on river right and decide where to go.
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| Joe Howard in Double Drop - Deer Creek,WA |
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| Joe Howard in Double Drop - Deer Creek,WA |
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| Brad X in the double drop - Deer Creek, WA |
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| Brad X in the double drop - Deer Creek, WA |
There is a certain order to the world. Things you cannot change. Dogs hate cats, tax season is never far off and I will always blow my line on an easy drop:
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| POV of Double Drop - Deer Creek,WA |
But it went as well as can be expected I guess. Didn't hurt at least.
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| POV of Double Drop - Deer Creek,WA |
None of these pictures properly convey the vibe of the river on the day in question. The slight mist on the top of the water and the glowing overcast clouds above us created this muffled, heightened sense of awareness. The feeling you get when you're sitting in your living room alone watching a scary movie and you know there's nothing behind you, but still...
This river-wide hole is waiting just downstream of the double drop.
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| Big Holes - Deer Creek, WA |
Scout on river left or just run it.
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| Joe Howard gettin' some - Deer Creek, WA |
The last big rapid on Deer Creek is a two tiered drop that forced you to start center and work right to avoid a really nasty undercut rock on the left side of the channel. Scout from river left or right.
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| Last big rapid, easy to scout on river right. |
That's fog and rain in the trees in the picture above. Unreal!
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| Last big rapid - Deer Creek, WA |
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| Last big rapid - Deer Creek, WA |
Then there is this fun little chute.
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| Tunnel of Love - Deer Creek, WA |
I'm calling this thing the Tunnel of Love, only because Groove Tube is
already taken. Stay center, these hole will mess with you.
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| Tunnel of Love - Deer Creek, WA |
Tray to stay a little more left...
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| Tunnel of Love - Deer Creek, WA |
After that it's really just more fun boogie for another mile or so. But do not let your guard down, it just seems easier by contrast.
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| Brad enjoys his scenic rivers with a side of blood. |
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| Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA |
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| Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA |
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| Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA |
The run was over before I was ready. The whitewater section of
this run probably only makes up for about half of the mileage and its
over as abruptly as it starts. You round a corner and there is a tight
braided channel around a cliff and then the canyon disappears and you
are back to civilization and safety.
Gaging this river can be a bit difficult. As I stated in my last trip
report for Deer Creek, a good rule of thumb is if Robe Canyon is way too
high and its still raining; Deer Creek is in. It might be high, but its
in. The online gage undated twice for us on 17Jun2012. Once at around 7
am and we had ~4300cfs and then again in the evening it read ~3400cfs.
I'm not sure where in the middle we caught it but it didn't feel low and
it felt like it could up the "fun" factor with some more water.
Logistics are easy. There is an abandoned gas station across the street
from the takeout and plenty of parking. The area isn't too sketchy,
doesn't have that "meth" look to it so cars should be reasonably safe.
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