Opal Creek
Location - East of Salem, OR
Difficulty - Class IV-IV+ Length - 8 miles
Level - 1,000 cfs Date - 3/18/2007
Group - Brad Bassi, Pete Erslev, Steve
Aufderheide, Bob Lee, Steve Stuckmeyer, Arthur
Turlak, Dave Porter, Dan Delwo, Scott Bridgeham
Difficulty - Class IV-IV+ Length - 8 miles
Level - 1,000 cfs Date - 3/18/2007
Group - Brad Bassi, Pete Erslev, Steve
Aufderheide, Bob Lee, Steve Stuckmeyer, Arthur
Turlak, Dave Porter, Dan Delwo, Scott Bridgeham
A warm and sunny day was forcasted for Saturday March 18th and a large group of us
assembled to check out the upper reaches of the Little North Santiam River, better
known as Opal Creek. By the time we reached the end of the road and unloaded our
gear the sun was beating down and had driven temperatures high enough to let us
make the 3 mile hike to the start of the run in shorts and shirt sleeves. The hike is on a
gravel logging road and the walking is not difficult, but hauling boats is always a little
painful. Still, the phenomenal weather made the hike enjoyable. We made a rest stop
at a twenty foot waterfall and messed around for a while before continuing the hike to
Jawbone Flat, an abandoned mining town now run as a hike in interpretive center aimed
at education and preservation of the surrounding forest. A bridge over Battle Axe Creek
marked the end of our hike and we scouted a clean looking ten foot drop under the
bridge while waiting for everyone to regroup.
assembled to check out the upper reaches of the Little North Santiam River, better
known as Opal Creek. By the time we reached the end of the road and unloaded our
gear the sun was beating down and had driven temperatures high enough to let us
make the 3 mile hike to the start of the run in shorts and shirt sleeves. The hike is on a
gravel logging road and the walking is not difficult, but hauling boats is always a little
painful. Still, the phenomenal weather made the hike enjoyable. We made a rest stop
at a twenty foot waterfall and messed around for a while before continuing the hike to
Jawbone Flat, an abandoned mining town now run as a hike in interpretive center aimed
at education and preservation of the surrounding forest. A bridge over Battle Axe Creek
marked the end of our hike and we scouted a clean looking ten foot drop under the
bridge while waiting for everyone to regroup.
After the hike we put in and ran the first drop which proved to be
much easier than it looked from the bridge. The crystal aqua colors
of Opal Creek were amazing in the bright sun and the setting could
not have been more picturesque. After the first drop Opal Creek
runs through easy class II rapids with a few class III+ ledges thrown
in every few hundred yards.
Eventually a steeper ledge is reached and a horizon looms around
a corner with a big pinnacle of rock rising up above a twenty foot
falls. I climbed the pillar to scout and saw that the base of the
middle of falls looked like it had several blocks of shallow rock
sticking out into the pool. The cleanest line seemed to involve
driving left onto a shallow flake, but I didn't like the narrow
approach. Despite seeing Bob run a great line off of the flake I
decided to go for the left center and boof hard to ensure a clean
landing. I paddled hard into the drop, managed an adequate boof,
but ended up landing on edge and smashing my elbow into a rock
at the base of the falls. The five dollar elbow pads from the used
sports store probably saved me a long walk out and a trip to the
hospital. The rest of the group made their was down and after
some scouting everyone ran the falls.
Easy water followed for a short distance before Opal entered the
first of many tight gorges. The entry rapid involved driving hard left
and banking around a blind turn before dumping into the pool
below. The move looked pretty intimidating, but it was clean and
went without problems. We boat scouted the next stretch up to a
point where the gorge narrowed and a steeper class IV rapid
extended down and around a corner. The stretch was entirely
cliffed out, but it was possible to scout from water level on river left.
The twisty rapid kept pinching down and ended in a short pool with
a left hand eddy above a four foot drop into a narrow crack backed
up by a powerful hole. This spot provided a little scare for many in
the group. The whitewater here was not super tough, but the
vertical walls made it a little more intimidating than it would have
otherwise been.
Below this first stretch the river opens up again with some fun rapids
until another steeper stretch is reached. A fun class III+ rapid
drops steeply through some chutes and around a few boulders
before ending in a small moving pool with eddies on either side. An
obvious drop is just below here. Don't run this rapid blind, as the
river folds through a narrow slot and drops into what appears to be
a deep pothole backed up by a piece of ledge or a rock. There is
certainly a line here, but it looked nasty, and not knowing what was
below the surface made this one a portage. The carry on river left
is an easy drag over open ledge.
much easier than it looked from the bridge. The crystal aqua colors
of Opal Creek were amazing in the bright sun and the setting could
not have been more picturesque. After the first drop Opal Creek
runs through easy class II rapids with a few class III+ ledges thrown
in every few hundred yards.
Eventually a steeper ledge is reached and a horizon looms around
a corner with a big pinnacle of rock rising up above a twenty foot
falls. I climbed the pillar to scout and saw that the base of the
middle of falls looked like it had several blocks of shallow rock
sticking out into the pool. The cleanest line seemed to involve
driving left onto a shallow flake, but I didn't like the narrow
approach. Despite seeing Bob run a great line off of the flake I
decided to go for the left center and boof hard to ensure a clean
landing. I paddled hard into the drop, managed an adequate boof,
but ended up landing on edge and smashing my elbow into a rock
at the base of the falls. The five dollar elbow pads from the used
sports store probably saved me a long walk out and a trip to the
hospital. The rest of the group made their was down and after
some scouting everyone ran the falls.
Easy water followed for a short distance before Opal entered the
first of many tight gorges. The entry rapid involved driving hard left
and banking around a blind turn before dumping into the pool
below. The move looked pretty intimidating, but it was clean and
went without problems. We boat scouted the next stretch up to a
point where the gorge narrowed and a steeper class IV rapid
extended down and around a corner. The stretch was entirely
cliffed out, but it was possible to scout from water level on river left.
The twisty rapid kept pinching down and ended in a short pool with
a left hand eddy above a four foot drop into a narrow crack backed
up by a powerful hole. This spot provided a little scare for many in
the group. The whitewater here was not super tough, but the
vertical walls made it a little more intimidating than it would have
otherwise been.
Below this first stretch the river opens up again with some fun rapids
until another steeper stretch is reached. A fun class III+ rapid
drops steeply through some chutes and around a few boulders
before ending in a small moving pool with eddies on either side. An
obvious drop is just below here. Don't run this rapid blind, as the
river folds through a narrow slot and drops into what appears to be
a deep pothole backed up by a piece of ledge or a rock. There is
certainly a line here, but it looked nasty, and not knowing what was
below the surface made this one a portage. The carry on river left
is an easy drag over open ledge.
After this gorge the river opens and runs over a few wide ledges until
the regular put in is reached at the old mine shafts. The ledge just
above this put in has a fun looking river left slot that hides a sticky hole.
The standard Opal Creek run starts here and the rapids become more
continuous class III+ and IV. The river slides over bedrock and cuts
down through an impressive canyon with many vertical and overhanging
cliff walls and narrow slots. Combined with the crystal clear water the
terrain makes this a particularly interesting run. The rapids are clean
and boat scoutable. Fun eddies abound and allow paddlers to stop and
check downstream for wood, which occasionally blocks part of some
drops in this stretch. The many pinches and slots could easily
accumulate wood so be alert even though the rapids are generally
forgiving.
Eventually a stretch of easier rapids in an open stretch of river leads to
a steeper drop known as Big Ugly. This rapid is class IV, but at low
water a nasty slot on river left should be avoided. Since I had only seen
the drop at low flows I bounced down some rocks on the right to avoid
the crack, but apparently at these levels the slot can be run with no
problems. The sneak line I ran is shallow and if you head over there
pay attention and get ready to ricochet off of some rocks.
Regardless of what line you take at Big Ugly, some easier rapids take
you a short distance down to Big Fluffy. Opal Creek enters a deep
canyon here and appears to be blocked by boulders. Eddy out on the
right to scout this eighteen foot waterfall. The scout brings you over
and down some ledge to a platform overlooking this impressive drop
and the gorgeous canyon that it plunges into. The canyon is bridged
by some old growth logs that must have washed down in a big flood.
On river left vertical cliff walls rise hundreds of feet above the river. Big
Fluffy itself looks like a super clean eighteen foot drop with a soft
landing at first glance, but closer inspection shows a strong boil and a
river left crack. This falls has a reputation for having trashed some
good boaters and it is apparently back cut. If you don't run Big Fluffy
the portage involves getting boats out onto the scouting platform and
seal launching off of the cliff back into the river. It is a little tricky getting
into your boat alone for the launch, but the drop is only about twelve
feet or so. The other option is walking across the logs spanning the
canyon and working your down to the water on river left.
the regular put in is reached at the old mine shafts. The ledge just
above this put in has a fun looking river left slot that hides a sticky hole.
The standard Opal Creek run starts here and the rapids become more
continuous class III+ and IV. The river slides over bedrock and cuts
down through an impressive canyon with many vertical and overhanging
cliff walls and narrow slots. Combined with the crystal clear water the
terrain makes this a particularly interesting run. The rapids are clean
and boat scoutable. Fun eddies abound and allow paddlers to stop and
check downstream for wood, which occasionally blocks part of some
drops in this stretch. The many pinches and slots could easily
accumulate wood so be alert even though the rapids are generally
forgiving.
Eventually a stretch of easier rapids in an open stretch of river leads to
a steeper drop known as Big Ugly. This rapid is class IV, but at low
water a nasty slot on river left should be avoided. Since I had only seen
the drop at low flows I bounced down some rocks on the right to avoid
the crack, but apparently at these levels the slot can be run with no
problems. The sneak line I ran is shallow and if you head over there
pay attention and get ready to ricochet off of some rocks.
Regardless of what line you take at Big Ugly, some easier rapids take
you a short distance down to Big Fluffy. Opal Creek enters a deep
canyon here and appears to be blocked by boulders. Eddy out on the
right to scout this eighteen foot waterfall. The scout brings you over
and down some ledge to a platform overlooking this impressive drop
and the gorgeous canyon that it plunges into. The canyon is bridged
by some old growth logs that must have washed down in a big flood.
On river left vertical cliff walls rise hundreds of feet above the river. Big
Fluffy itself looks like a super clean eighteen foot drop with a soft
landing at first glance, but closer inspection shows a strong boil and a
river left crack. This falls has a reputation for having trashed some
good boaters and it is apparently back cut. If you don't run Big Fluffy
the portage involves getting boats out onto the scouting platform and
seal launching off of the cliff back into the river. It is a little tricky getting
into your boat alone for the launch, but the drop is only about twelve
feet or so. The other option is walking across the logs spanning the
canyon and working your down to the water on river left.
Below Big Fluffy Opal Creek opens up considerably and gives you
views of the surrounding forested mountains. A couple of interesting
rapids keep this stretch enjoyable, but for the most part it is an easy
float.
The last rapid of the day, if you use the standard take out, is Thor's
Playroom. This drop is noticed by a ledge that nearly blocks the river.
A few slots lead into the rapid, with the left side chute being the most
fun. This slot makes takes you over a few four foot drops with some
good holes until the river opens up into a stretch of wildly sculpted
ledges. Swirly water leads through a second ledge that then brings
you to a steeper third drop with a couple of large holes. Eddy out in
the moving pool below this and look at the large free standing pillar in
the middle of the creek. This outcropping resembles the Norse
Hammer of Thor and is probably why the drop has been named as it
is. The last drop of Thor's contains two eight foot chutes that are fast
and exciting. At regular flows the last chute drops you into a hole that
flushes but is still strong enough to give you a surprising amount of
downtime. Going for the gut of this last drop is fun at safe at regular
flows, but at higher levels it is probably best to drive hard to the left.
The takeout is on river left just below this rapid. The wooden stairs
bring you up to the Three Pools day use area and if the weather is
nice expect to see a fair share of folks around here. The run on Opal
Creek is a fun stretch of river made classic by the terrain and the
clarity of the water. Hiking in to paddle the upper sections was fun,
especially on this gorgeous day. The hike only accesses about four
more fun sets of whitewater, including the first two falls, but the overall
experience is worthwhile. The area around Opal Creek has been
preserved as a designated wilderness area and we should be sure to
appreciate having such an incredible place so close by. Although a
trail parallels most of the river the true beauty of the place can not be
experienced except by kayak.
views of the surrounding forested mountains. A couple of interesting
rapids keep this stretch enjoyable, but for the most part it is an easy
float.
The last rapid of the day, if you use the standard take out, is Thor's
Playroom. This drop is noticed by a ledge that nearly blocks the river.
A few slots lead into the rapid, with the left side chute being the most
fun. This slot makes takes you over a few four foot drops with some
good holes until the river opens up into a stretch of wildly sculpted
ledges. Swirly water leads through a second ledge that then brings
you to a steeper third drop with a couple of large holes. Eddy out in
the moving pool below this and look at the large free standing pillar in
the middle of the creek. This outcropping resembles the Norse
Hammer of Thor and is probably why the drop has been named as it
is. The last drop of Thor's contains two eight foot chutes that are fast
and exciting. At regular flows the last chute drops you into a hole that
flushes but is still strong enough to give you a surprising amount of
downtime. Going for the gut of this last drop is fun at safe at regular
flows, but at higher levels it is probably best to drive hard to the left.
The takeout is on river left just below this rapid. The wooden stairs
bring you up to the Three Pools day use area and if the weather is
nice expect to see a fair share of folks around here. The run on Opal
Creek is a fun stretch of river made classic by the terrain and the
clarity of the water. Hiking in to paddle the upper sections was fun,
especially on this gorgeous day. The hike only accesses about four
more fun sets of whitewater, including the first two falls, but the overall
experience is worthwhile. The area around Opal Creek has been
preserved as a designated wilderness area and we should be sure to
appreciate having such an incredible place so close by. Although a
trail parallels most of the river the true beauty of the place can not be
experienced except by kayak.
It is possible to continue on for another two miles through Opal Gorge,
a spectacular cleft hundreds of feet deep through the mountains not
far below the Three Pools take out. I have only been through the
gorge once at low flows, but it is a magical place. Although the
whitewater is fun, it is secondary to getting to explore such an unreal
place. In the gorge the first bigger drop is pretty much unscoutable
and unportageable, so be prepared for that. The next major drop is a
mandatory portage as the entire river drops into a boulder sieve. A
slippery and potentially dangerous carry can be made on river left, or
a longer portage can be made along the cliff on river right. Be ready
for a little mountain goat action on this carry. A couple of quality
rapids follow before another nasty sloping drop that piles into an
outcrop or boulder just under the surface. The easy carry around this
is on river left.
If you still aren't satisfied after running Opal Gorge you could head
down to Salmon Falls and drop the twenty five footer to end the day.
On this particular day we were happy to take out above Opal Gorge.
The gorge itself was not commonly run until recently and most groups
still elect to take out above it.
a spectacular cleft hundreds of feet deep through the mountains not
far below the Three Pools take out. I have only been through the
gorge once at low flows, but it is a magical place. Although the
whitewater is fun, it is secondary to getting to explore such an unreal
place. In the gorge the first bigger drop is pretty much unscoutable
and unportageable, so be prepared for that. The next major drop is a
mandatory portage as the entire river drops into a boulder sieve. A
slippery and potentially dangerous carry can be made on river left, or
a longer portage can be made along the cliff on river right. Be ready
for a little mountain goat action on this carry. A couple of quality
rapids follow before another nasty sloping drop that piles into an
outcrop or boulder just under the surface. The easy carry around this
is on river left.
If you still aren't satisfied after running Opal Gorge you could head
down to Salmon Falls and drop the twenty five footer to end the day.
On this particular day we were happy to take out above Opal Gorge.
The gorge itself was not commonly run until recently and most groups
still elect to take out above it.
Brad getting ready to pack in to the
upper stretches of Opal Creek.
upper stretches of Opal Creek.
Pete on his way in to Jawbone Flat and the start of the run on
Upper Opal Creek.
Upper Opal Creek.
Aron running the put in drop on Battle Axe Creek just above the confluence with Opal
Creek. This drop was a great way to start the day.
Creek. This drop was a great way to start the day.
The crew assembling below the first drop of the day in a pool of crystal clear water.
Arthur running one of the better lines off of the first big drop on Upper Opal Creek. The
landing here is shallow in places so be careful. The best line is off of the flake to river
left of Arthur.
landing here is shallow in places so be careful. The best line is off of the flake to river
left of Arthur.
Bob enters the class IV rapid leading into the narrow walled out hydraulic.
The rapid looks easy in this picture, but it keeps pinching down and gets a
little tricky near the bottom.
The rapid looks easy in this picture, but it keeps pinching down and gets a
little tricky near the bottom.
The Boil is a nasty drop plunging into what looks like a big pot hole. We all
portaged on river left.
portaged on river left.
Pete getting ready to run a ledge below The Boil which can be seen just upstream.
Pete scouting his line at Big Fluffy while Steve waits with a rope.
Dan running a nice line off of Big Fluffy. He landed on the backwash and had to
take a few strokes at the base of the drop.
take a few strokes at the base of the drop.
Pete running a very clean line at Big Fluffy.
Having the sun shine on the crystal clear waters of Opal Creek made the canyon
below Bog Fluffy even more impressive.
below Bog Fluffy even more impressive.
The gorge below Big Fluffy is seen here. To portage the drop
you need to seal launch from where Steve is standing or
make the sketchy walk across the chasm on the wet logs.
you need to seal launch from where Steve is standing or
make the sketchy walk across the chasm on the wet logs.
Steve floating in the amazing canyon below Big Fluffy. The rest of our group can be seen getting ready for the seal launch around the falls.
Pete running the last ledge in Thor's Playroom. The drop is most likely named
after the free standing pillar seen in the middle of the rapid.
after the free standing pillar seen in the middle of the rapid.
Dave enjoying the amazing waters of Opal Creek in the pool at the take out.