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| by Cody Howard June 10-18, 2007 |
Ryan Micheal Palmer 04/29/02
It was Thursday morning when Cody and I got a call from Mike Fisher who told us that the
East Fork of the Kaweah was good to go. Pumped, Cody and I pilled into the car and drove
the 9 hours out to Three Rivers, California and met up with Mike. After a long night of cold
rain we all woke up at sunrise in the middle of the California sierras. Surrounded by huge
granite mountains and a deep gorge, the East Kaweah awaited us.
After suiting up the short walk down to the creek from the bridge proved to be a task because
of the wet granite. After paddling about two hundred yards downstream with three quality
drops, we came to our first portage. 20-foot granite walls enclosed us with little way around
the drop. We knew that a mandatory portage with a very sketchy portage awaited us just
downstream and after searching for an hour for a way around this drop we all agreed that
doing this in one day and without someone who had done it before was not in our best
interest. We then all proceeded to scramble up the steep, wet, loose canyon walls until we
reached the road. Luckily for us the Hospital Rock section of the Middle Kaweah was just a
canyon over.
It was Thursday morning when Cody and I got a call from Mike Fisher who told us that the
East Fork of the Kaweah was good to go. Pumped, Cody and I pilled into the car and drove
the 9 hours out to Three Rivers, California and met up with Mike. After a long night of cold
rain we all woke up at sunrise in the middle of the California sierras. Surrounded by huge
granite mountains and a deep gorge, the East Kaweah awaited us.
After suiting up the short walk down to the creek from the bridge proved to be a task because
of the wet granite. After paddling about two hundred yards downstream with three quality
drops, we came to our first portage. 20-foot granite walls enclosed us with little way around
the drop. We knew that a mandatory portage with a very sketchy portage awaited us just
downstream and after searching for an hour for a way around this drop we all agreed that
doing this in one day and without someone who had done it before was not in our best
interest. We then all proceeded to scramble up the steep, wet, loose canyon walls until we
reached the road. Luckily for us the Hospital Rock section of the Middle Kaweah was just a
canyon over.
Bret - Scouting Chucks Drop
As we drove up the Middle Kaweah we are all a little disappointed as it seemed the run was
going to be very low. However, once we got to the put in, just below Chucks Drop, it seemed
there was going to be plenty. Not even fifty yards into the run we came to an awesome slide.
Disappointment from not being able to run the East Kaweah was soon erased as we
continued to encounter drop after drop on the Middle Kaweah. The Middle Kaweah surprised
us all as it had everything a run could ask for; big slides, drops, and boulder navigation.
Near the end of run we came to the biggest drop on the run. It was a ten foot slide into a wall
which then took a 90 degree turn towards a twentyish foot fall. Confident about the fall, I
yelled up to Mike who was still in his boat to paddle down one more drop and catch the
eddy above so I could explain the drop to him. Mike thought otherwise. Mike came down the
next drop and misunderstanding me went to the wrong side of the river looking for a
non-existent eddy. Backwards, Mike had begun to run drop. Desperate to turn back forwards
Mike was able turn half way before hitting the wall dead on. Mike then ran the twenty-foot fall
scraping his face and body, half upside down along the left wall. Cody and I, on the wall,
stood in shock as to what has just happened. After seeing Cody run the drop clean it was my
turn. Feeling solid all day I charged the drop but was unable to hit the wall sideways and
instead pitoned the wall. I was turned backwards and freefalled off the waterfall backwards
and all. After a long day of interesting lines and amazing drops, we headed back down the
canyon to Three Rivers to camp in warmer weather.
going to be very low. However, once we got to the put in, just below Chucks Drop, it seemed
there was going to be plenty. Not even fifty yards into the run we came to an awesome slide.
Disappointment from not being able to run the East Kaweah was soon erased as we
continued to encounter drop after drop on the Middle Kaweah. The Middle Kaweah surprised
us all as it had everything a run could ask for; big slides, drops, and boulder navigation.
Near the end of run we came to the biggest drop on the run. It was a ten foot slide into a wall
which then took a 90 degree turn towards a twentyish foot fall. Confident about the fall, I
yelled up to Mike who was still in his boat to paddle down one more drop and catch the
eddy above so I could explain the drop to him. Mike thought otherwise. Mike came down the
next drop and misunderstanding me went to the wrong side of the river looking for a
non-existent eddy. Backwards, Mike had begun to run drop. Desperate to turn back forwards
Mike was able turn half way before hitting the wall dead on. Mike then ran the twenty-foot fall
scraping his face and body, half upside down along the left wall. Cody and I, on the wall,
stood in shock as to what has just happened. After seeing Cody run the drop clean it was my
turn. Feeling solid all day I charged the drop but was unable to hit the wall sideways and
instead pitoned the wall. I was turned backwards and freefalled off the waterfall backwards
and all. After a long day of interesting lines and amazing drops, we headed back down the
canyon to Three Rivers to camp in warmer weather.
| Notice the snow still clinging to the cliffs....Cody, Mid drop...about to break the ice. Clover Creek, CA |
The next morning we debated where to paddle next and because of the low flows across
California this proved to be more difficult than thought. We decided on Clover Creek which
was deep in the Sequoia National Park. With the clouds gone we were confident about the
run and began the long windy drive up the vertical peaks. Along the way we passed through
the Sequoia forest, which contains the largest trees in the world. The trunks alone on the
trees are up to eighteen feet in diameter. Amazed at the trees, we didn’t care much for the
snow that lined the road.
After getting to the Wasachi lodge we hiked the short trail to Clover Creek and upon getting
there we were pumped to see perfect granite bowls with endless clean drops. As we hiked
back to the car, clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped twenty degrees. We all
geared up in our wet freezing gear and trekked the mile up hill to the put in. After scouting
more closely at the drops we knew that some were going to be painful but decided to put on
anyways. It was mine turn first to probe the run. I cleanly ran the drops until the last one
that we all had read wrong. We knew that if you were able to land sideways as far right as
possible that everything would be good. Yet I soon found out you couldn’t get to right and
tried to land sidways in the small pool on the left. Smashing into the wall I cracked the front
of my boat and got a nice whiplash in the process. Seeing my mistake Cody was able to
make the best out of the drop and ran in with less of an impact. For the last couple hundred
yards all we saw was clean slides and drop and decided to blue angel down it. The novelty,
Clover Creek, is in a classic California sierra setting with sloping granite sides with endless
smooth drops. The scenery is also one of the most spectacular
that I have ever seen.
California this proved to be more difficult than thought. We decided on Clover Creek which
was deep in the Sequoia National Park. With the clouds gone we were confident about the
run and began the long windy drive up the vertical peaks. Along the way we passed through
the Sequoia forest, which contains the largest trees in the world. The trunks alone on the
trees are up to eighteen feet in diameter. Amazed at the trees, we didn’t care much for the
snow that lined the road.
After getting to the Wasachi lodge we hiked the short trail to Clover Creek and upon getting
there we were pumped to see perfect granite bowls with endless clean drops. As we hiked
back to the car, clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped twenty degrees. We all
geared up in our wet freezing gear and trekked the mile up hill to the put in. After scouting
more closely at the drops we knew that some were going to be painful but decided to put on
anyways. It was mine turn first to probe the run. I cleanly ran the drops until the last one
that we all had read wrong. We knew that if you were able to land sideways as far right as
possible that everything would be good. Yet I soon found out you couldn’t get to right and
tried to land sidways in the small pool on the left. Smashing into the wall I cracked the front
of my boat and got a nice whiplash in the process. Seeing my mistake Cody was able to
make the best out of the drop and ran in with less of an impact. For the last couple hundred
yards all we saw was clean slides and drop and decided to blue angel down it. The novelty,
Clover Creek, is in a classic California sierra setting with sloping granite sides with endless
smooth drops. The scenery is also one of the most spectacular
that I have ever seen.
| Its real. Real fun, straight foward, and did we mention fun? |
As we headed back down the peak we decided to look at Chuck Kern’s drop. Confident
about the line I suited back up with the sun setting and hiked to the top of the drop. Half
way down the drop there is a rooster tail, that I had seen sent others airborne. Determined
just to stay right side up I hit the rooster but it quickly spun me backwards. In a split second
decision I jammed my paddle into what little water there was and was able to quickly spin
back forwards in the middle of this giant slide. As I split the final slot at the bottom cheers
from the on looking crowd greeted me.
As I undressed night had began and we decided that the Kern was going to be our next
stop. After driving through the night we arrived at Brush Creek. We set up our tarp and
slept. Weather had something different in mind and it began to rain. Water fell and rain
howled as Cody and I scrambled for dry ground underneath the leaky tarp. In the morning
we looked at a nearly dry creek bed and decided to head home.
California is an amazing state with the most amazing whitewater in the country and even
with a dry winter, there is always somewhere to go to get vertical. -Cody notes: ....boats
look at our perspective with a different attitude!!!
about the line I suited back up with the sun setting and hiked to the top of the drop. Half
way down the drop there is a rooster tail, that I had seen sent others airborne. Determined
just to stay right side up I hit the rooster but it quickly spun me backwards. In a split second
decision I jammed my paddle into what little water there was and was able to quickly spin
back forwards in the middle of this giant slide. As I split the final slot at the bottom cheers
from the on looking crowd greeted me.
As I undressed night had began and we decided that the Kern was going to be our next
stop. After driving through the night we arrived at Brush Creek. We set up our tarp and
slept. Weather had something different in mind and it began to rain. Water fell and rain
howled as Cody and I scrambled for dry ground underneath the leaky tarp. In the morning
we looked at a nearly dry creek bed and decided to head home.
California is an amazing state with the most amazing whitewater in the country and even
with a dry winter, there is always somewhere to go to get vertical. -Cody notes: ....boats
look at our perspective with a different attitude!!!
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