Dreamflows Bulletin Board
 
"I can't boat everyday, but I can always Dream"
 
Home River Flows Bulletin Board Custom Email Reports Alerts Signup Login Help About

 Topic:  Reddings Clear Creek/float trip question 

Forums -> General -> Reddings Clear Creek/float trip question Page 1 of 1
Posted to flow site: Clear Creek - Below Whiskeytown LakeLatest PostNext TopicPrev Topic
 Author  Message 
shastagirl
Member
Posted: Feb 20, 2012Post Subject: Reddings Clear Creek/float trip question
Anyone ever floated Clear Creek Gorge, from the BLM day use area (4 miles off 273) out to the Sac.River? I heard there is a log jam somewhere in there right now. Where? Can it be portaged? I am thinking this is a class 2 run but not sure. Any info. would be great thanks.
myotherbro-durl
Member
Posted: Feb 21, 2012Post Subject: class 4-5?
Hi Shasta,

Have you looked at the dreamflows.com x-list?
http://www.dreamflows.com/xlist-ca.php#California_Sacramento_Valley

There are 2 write ups on clear creek.
http://cacreeks.com/clear-wh.htm
The link is a few years old, can't help you on the logjam question, never been there

There is a story on american whitewater incident reports about a poorly thought - out trip on clear creek, not that you aren't a perfectly safe boater.

.

Sincerely,
Darryl
mtwitch
Member
Posted: Mar 11, 2012Post Subject: Below the viewing platform.
A few years back, Rich Uhlmann and I decided to float from Need Camp all the way to the Sacto River. We portaged the death gorge just above the BLM viewing spot, and proceeded on down. I remember a very mellow float, mostly class 1, with a gravel bar riffle or 2. I don't remember any significant rapids at all. The major hazard was in taking the wrong channel and ending up in a brushy dead end.
There is a coffer dam near Win-River casino, where the ACID canal has a siphon and I made the mistake of running this and found out that there's rebar in there, which ripped my daughter's Thrillseeker wide open. I wouldn't run the dam, even in a hardshell. I didn't see any rebar beforehand, but it sure found the boat.
The other thing I remember was that it was Salmon spawning season, and several times we had Salmon get excited at our approach and flop around on the bank before sliding back in the water.
I have some friends who recently bought inflatable kayaks, and I've been thinking about taking them down this run. Probably will do just that when it's warm enough, if the flows keep up. There is a fun little Class 2ish rapid right at the Highway 273 bridge. Our take out was on Olney Creek, so we paddled upstream on the river for 100 yards or so & then up the creek to the Park on Girvan & Creekside.
I wouldn't worry about log jams, as I'm sure you'd see them in time to avoid them, if they are there. The creek's not that fast flowing.

Mark Twitchell
shastagirl
Member
Posted: Mar 11, 2012
Floated it, its no more then a class 1-2 at higher flows. Fun float trip, lots of shore trash though. Mark thanks for all the info. Also was told of a good C1-2 float, Cow creek. Contact me if you want to run it when the rains fill it up to 1k cfs and more. Enjoy and thanks for replys.
mtwitch
Member
Posted: Mar 11, 2012Post Subject: Reddings Clear Creek/float trip question
Sure, Cow Creek's nice. Millville to Hiway 44 or on to Dersch Rd (that last part gets a little long & boring, though). At the right flows, there's great surfing waves above Palo Cedro.

Let me know when a trip's on.
mtwitch@charter.net

Mark
Forums -> General -> Reddings Clear Creek/float trip question Page 1 of 1