Sweet Creek
Location - 10 miles south of Mapleton, Orgeon
Difficulty - Class V Length - 0.25 miles
Level - medium / high Date - 2/9/2008
Difficulty - Class V Length - 0.25 miles
Level - medium / high Date - 2/9/2008
Sweet Creek is small tributary of the Siuslaw River originating in the hills
of the Coast Range to the south of Mapleton, Oregon and dropping
steeply to sea level. For much of its distance the creek is too spread out
and shallow to provide any interesting whitewater, but there is a mile
long section that contains a series of steep and exciting class V rapids.
The best part of this mile long stretch is an action packed gorge not
more than a quarter of a mile in length. This spectacular stretch of water
contains five main drops with steep slides between them. The run is
totally committing and once you pull out of the eddy at the put in there is
pretty much no reasonable way to get off of the water without running
the most concentrated and consequential series of drops.
My first paddling trip to Sweet Creek came at the beginning of February
after weeks of cold and snowy weather. The popular runs in the
Cascades were buried under up to ten feet of snow leaving the Coast
Range runs as pretty much our only option. We decided to combine a
trip to Sweet Creek with a play session on Lake Creek in the afternoon.
We were not disappointed.
of the Coast Range to the south of Mapleton, Oregon and dropping
steeply to sea level. For much of its distance the creek is too spread out
and shallow to provide any interesting whitewater, but there is a mile
long section that contains a series of steep and exciting class V rapids.
The best part of this mile long stretch is an action packed gorge not
more than a quarter of a mile in length. This spectacular stretch of water
contains five main drops with steep slides between them. The run is
totally committing and once you pull out of the eddy at the put in there is
pretty much no reasonable way to get off of the water without running
the most concentrated and consequential series of drops.
My first paddling trip to Sweet Creek came at the beginning of February
after weeks of cold and snowy weather. The popular runs in the
Cascades were buried under up to ten feet of snow leaving the Coast
Range runs as pretty much our only option. We decided to combine a
trip to Sweet Creek with a play session on Lake Creek in the afternoon.
We were not disappointed.
One of the unique things about this run is that scouting and accessing it are
about as easy as it gets. The entire run is closely followed by a path complete
with steel walkways bolted into the gorge walls that hang over some of the drops.
After arriving at the parking lot for the trailhead we all decided to make the quick
walk upstream to check out the level, scout our lines, and decide if we would be
paddling. After winding for a hundred yards the trail passes a twelve foot falls
which is one of the last drops on Sweet Creek and certainly not the most
challenging. Shortly above this falls a cascading sheet of whitewater dropping
down a narrow gorge is seen ahead. This is the heart of the run and the extent
of the gradient is pretty obvious from this first angle. From here on up the trail
takes to the steel grate walkways attached to the cliff walls and gives boaters a
bird’s eye view of the rapids they are about to run. It would be pretty tough to
create a more spectator friendly arena for creek boating.
Our twenty minute scout allowed us to determine a few things. First, Sweet
Creek was running at pretty healthy flow and it definitely had a class V look to it.
Second, it would be fun as hell to run this closely spaced series of drops. As we
headed back to the vehicles everyone was quietly making their own decisions
about whether or not they were going to gear up and give the run a go. I was
pretty sure I would be getting on the water and since this would be the steepest
creek I had run in a few years I definitely had some nervous energy pumping.
Besides the prospect of making a dumb mistake and swimming the entire run,
our main concern was a small stick poking out of the water at the base of the last
drop which landed in a large pothole. This was most likely attached to a bigger
log and there was the possibility that what we couldn’t see might be an
entrapment hazard. Experience said that it was almost certain to boof the last
drop and avoid probing into the pothole at all, but fear of the unknown is always
pretty powerful. In the end, we decided that the stick was not a significant
problem.
Back at the truck I had some doubts, but I did a quick assessment of the
situation. Although the consequences of making a mistake had the potential to
be dangerous the lines through the gorge were not very tricky and the rewards
were quite high. These were some quality drops and it wouldn’t make much
sense to pass up the chance to get in such a cool looking run, even if I had not
been running anything very big for the last couple of years. I love sliding ledge
drops since they remind me of my time boating in the Adirondacks of upstate
New York so I couldn’t really pass this up. We had a solid crew, not that there
were many places to set up effective safety on the run, and I had an overall
positive feeling about nailing my lines. Once I was geared up and hiking to the
put in there were no doubts at all.
about as easy as it gets. The entire run is closely followed by a path complete
with steel walkways bolted into the gorge walls that hang over some of the drops.
After arriving at the parking lot for the trailhead we all decided to make the quick
walk upstream to check out the level, scout our lines, and decide if we would be
paddling. After winding for a hundred yards the trail passes a twelve foot falls
which is one of the last drops on Sweet Creek and certainly not the most
challenging. Shortly above this falls a cascading sheet of whitewater dropping
down a narrow gorge is seen ahead. This is the heart of the run and the extent
of the gradient is pretty obvious from this first angle. From here on up the trail
takes to the steel grate walkways attached to the cliff walls and gives boaters a
bird’s eye view of the rapids they are about to run. It would be pretty tough to
create a more spectator friendly arena for creek boating.
Our twenty minute scout allowed us to determine a few things. First, Sweet
Creek was running at pretty healthy flow and it definitely had a class V look to it.
Second, it would be fun as hell to run this closely spaced series of drops. As we
headed back to the vehicles everyone was quietly making their own decisions
about whether or not they were going to gear up and give the run a go. I was
pretty sure I would be getting on the water and since this would be the steepest
creek I had run in a few years I definitely had some nervous energy pumping.
Besides the prospect of making a dumb mistake and swimming the entire run,
our main concern was a small stick poking out of the water at the base of the last
drop which landed in a large pothole. This was most likely attached to a bigger
log and there was the possibility that what we couldn’t see might be an
entrapment hazard. Experience said that it was almost certain to boof the last
drop and avoid probing into the pothole at all, but fear of the unknown is always
pretty powerful. In the end, we decided that the stick was not a significant
problem.
Back at the truck I had some doubts, but I did a quick assessment of the
situation. Although the consequences of making a mistake had the potential to
be dangerous the lines through the gorge were not very tricky and the rewards
were quite high. These were some quality drops and it wouldn’t make much
sense to pass up the chance to get in such a cool looking run, even if I had not
been running anything very big for the last couple of years. I love sliding ledge
drops since they remind me of my time boating in the Adirondacks of upstate
New York so I couldn’t really pass this up. We had a solid crew, not that there
were many places to set up effective safety on the run, and I had an overall
positive feeling about nailing my lines. Once I was geared up and hiking to the
put in there were no doubts at all.
In the end only two of us decided to run the gorge from the top. While
walking up a few hikers were looking on with interest and they set up to
take some pictures. I stopped at the top of the stairs and platforms to
pick out some landmarks and look over my lines one last time since
things always look different from water level. There were lots of drops
in a short space and things would go lightning fast, but the lines were
straightforward.
A small eddy was the put in and immediately below this was a four foot
ledge leading in to a pretty simply five foot ledge both best run on river
right. About twenty yards of fast and easy rapids leads to the first real
drop of the gorge. A huge boulder divides the flow and a perfect ten
foot falls with an auto boof ramp is found on river right. The landing is
sort of narrow and supposedly undercut, but this first drop looked
really easy. A steep and busy shallow section picks up immediately
below this first falls and spills over a horseshoe shaped ledge drops
about another ten feet into a punchbowl with a hydraulic that seems
like it would be pretty sticky if you were unlucky enough to wind up in it.
There were good looking lines of river right and river left here, but left
definitely looked best. A short boiling pool spilled into a long ramping
slide that ended with an eight or ten foot plunge which dumps directly
into another slide leading into yet another eight or ten foot drop
landing in the pothole with the stick. This is the end of the crux section
and a few nice eddies can be found here. Basically the idea is to nail
the first boof, get left, keep your bow up, and avoid flipping.
walking up a few hikers were looking on with interest and they set up to
take some pictures. I stopped at the top of the stairs and platforms to
pick out some landmarks and look over my lines one last time since
things always look different from water level. There were lots of drops
in a short space and things would go lightning fast, but the lines were
straightforward.
A small eddy was the put in and immediately below this was a four foot
ledge leading in to a pretty simply five foot ledge both best run on river
right. About twenty yards of fast and easy rapids leads to the first real
drop of the gorge. A huge boulder divides the flow and a perfect ten
foot falls with an auto boof ramp is found on river right. The landing is
sort of narrow and supposedly undercut, but this first drop looked
really easy. A steep and busy shallow section picks up immediately
below this first falls and spills over a horseshoe shaped ledge drops
about another ten feet into a punchbowl with a hydraulic that seems
like it would be pretty sticky if you were unlucky enough to wind up in it.
There were good looking lines of river right and river left here, but left
definitely looked best. A short boiling pool spilled into a long ramping
slide that ended with an eight or ten foot plunge which dumps directly
into another slide leading into yet another eight or ten foot drop
landing in the pothole with the stick. This is the end of the crux section
and a few nice eddies can be found here. Basically the idea is to nail
the first boof, get left, keep your bow up, and avoid flipping.
Another group of boaters had showed up and some of them were getting in
their boats when I arrived at the top of the gorge. They were messing
around and ferrying across the small creek when I slid into the water and
peeled out. Two strokes later and I was over the first ledge, three more
strokes and the second part of the lead in was over and I found myself
lining up for the first ten foot boof. The Blunt always boofs well and I aired it
out landing totally flat and in control at the base of the first falls. The jitters
were gone and I locked my eyes in on the spot wanted to hit for running the
punchbowl ledge. A small but surprisingly sticky hole in the steep shallow
section messed with me a little, but a quick brace straightened things out.
My line at the horseshow ledge was right on and a few strokes had me
sailing down the first ramp of the final steep stretch. I missed a good
boogfon the first plunge, but sliced through the drop at a pretty good angle
and powered away from the hole and into the last drop which I ran a little
too far to he right, but with fine results. Before I knew it I was sitting in the
eddy at the bottom and really fired up.
I waited for Pete to make his run and watched him style this steep series of
drops from the eddy at the bottom. This vantage point let me see him come
down most of the 100 feet of drop packed into this short stretch of river. I
was completely satisfied and hopped out to watch some members of the
other group make their runs and to watch Pete run his second lap of the
gorge. Once he came down some of the other paddlers in our group got in
the water below the main gorge to run the bottom series of drops on Sweet
Creek.
From the base of the gorge proper a few hundred feet of class II-III water
leads to the lip of a twelve footer with a landing that hides a few shallow
spots. It’s best to run this left of center where most of the water heads. We
all had nice lines over this falls and a few serious meltdowns proved that in
most places the pool is way deeper than it looks. A fast and fun slide follows
and the run ends with a four foot ledge before the creek mellows out.
their boats when I arrived at the top of the gorge. They were messing
around and ferrying across the small creek when I slid into the water and
peeled out. Two strokes later and I was over the first ledge, three more
strokes and the second part of the lead in was over and I found myself
lining up for the first ten foot boof. The Blunt always boofs well and I aired it
out landing totally flat and in control at the base of the first falls. The jitters
were gone and I locked my eyes in on the spot wanted to hit for running the
punchbowl ledge. A small but surprisingly sticky hole in the steep shallow
section messed with me a little, but a quick brace straightened things out.
My line at the horseshow ledge was right on and a few strokes had me
sailing down the first ramp of the final steep stretch. I missed a good
boogfon the first plunge, but sliced through the drop at a pretty good angle
and powered away from the hole and into the last drop which I ran a little
too far to he right, but with fine results. Before I knew it I was sitting in the
eddy at the bottom and really fired up.
I waited for Pete to make his run and watched him style this steep series of
drops from the eddy at the bottom. This vantage point let me see him come
down most of the 100 feet of drop packed into this short stretch of river. I
was completely satisfied and hopped out to watch some members of the
other group make their runs and to watch Pete run his second lap of the
gorge. Once he came down some of the other paddlers in our group got in
the water below the main gorge to run the bottom series of drops on Sweet
Creek.
From the base of the gorge proper a few hundred feet of class II-III water
leads to the lip of a twelve footer with a landing that hides a few shallow
spots. It’s best to run this left of center where most of the water heads. We
all had nice lines over this falls and a few serious meltdowns proved that in
most places the pool is way deeper than it looks. A fast and fun slide follows
and the run ends with a four foot ledge before the creek mellows out.
Although this drop is below the crux gorge on Sweet Creek it is still fast and fun. I was so excited by
this point that the twelve foot ledge seemed inconsequential.
Photo by Jason Naranjo
this point that the twelve foot ledge seemed inconsequential.
Photo by Jason Naranjo
Two smaller ledges lie just upstream, but this perfect ten foot drop is essentially the lead
in for the gorge on Sweet Creek. Twenty yards of busy water separate this from the rest of
the falls and slides.
Photo by Jason Naranjo
in for the gorge on Sweet Creek. Twenty yards of busy water separate this from the rest of
the falls and slides.
Photo by Jason Naranjo
Pete is barely visible in the middle of the crux of Sweet Creek. A ten foot horseshoe
ledge and the drop pictured to the left sit immediately above what can be seen here.
Photo by Jason Naranjo
ledge and the drop pictured to the left sit immediately above what can be seen here.
Photo by Jason Naranjo
The first real place to stop, rest, or get out to run another lap lies just below the slide that Pete is paddling into.
Photo by Roy Barker
Photo by Roy Barker
Pete charges left to run the horseshoe ledge where the hydraulic is weakest. Getting
surfed and coming out of your boat here would lead to a terrible swim.
Photo by Jason Naranjo
surfed and coming out of your boat here would lead to a terrible swim.
Photo by Jason Naranjo
Here I am hitting the river left line over the horseshoe shaped ledge pictured above and to the right.
Things get really fast below this drop.
Photo by Roy Barker
Things get really fast below this drop.
Photo by Roy Barker
A closer view of Pete in the middle of Sweet Creek gorge. The drops are actually pretty clean and your biggest concern is staying upright.
Photo by Jason Naranjo
Photo by Jason Naranjo
Here I am leading the way down Sweet Creek while two paddlers from another group of boaters that happened to be on the river that day follow
over the last drop in the hardest stretch of rapids.
Photo by Roy Barker
over the last drop in the hardest stretch of rapids.
Photo by Roy Barker
Pete eddies out below Sweet Creek gorge and gets ready for his second lap.
Photo by Roy Barker
Photo by Roy Barker
Below the steepest and most continuous stretch of drops on Sweet Creek a few solid rapids
lead down to the take out.
Photo by Jason Naranjo
lead down to the take out.
Photo by Jason Naranjo
It was nice to relax in the eddy below the big drops to let the adrenaline wear off before
running the last three drops on Sweet Creek.
Photo by Roy Barker
running the last three drops on Sweet Creek.
Photo by Roy Barker
About fifty yards of class III lead from the base of the slides to the next falls pictures at the top of this page.
Photo by Roy Barker
Photo by Roy Barker
An unknown boater clawing their way out of the hole below the last drop in Sweet Creek gorge. The stick we were a little concerned about
can seen poking out of the water just downstream of the paddler.
Photo by Roy Barker
can seen poking out of the water just downstream of the paddler.
Photo by Roy Barker
Sweet Creek is so small and has such a steep watershed that catching it at runnable flows is pretty difficult. Generally a two foot rise on the Suislaw River gauge
during the rainy season means that Sweet Creek will be running. However, this only provides a rough estimate. Although Sweet Creek has been run at very high
levels, reasonable flows tend to be pretty short lived. We were lucky to hit the run when there was a rare combination of a low elevation snowpack in the Coast
Range and sunny warm weather, which made for higher flows than the gauge would have suggested.
during the rainy season means that Sweet Creek will be running. However, this only provides a rough estimate. Although Sweet Creek has been run at very high
levels, reasonable flows tend to be pretty short lived. We were lucky to hit the run when there was a rare combination of a low elevation snowpack in the Coast
Range and sunny warm weather, which made for higher flows than the gauge would have suggested.
| Video Clip of Sweet Creek |