Over July 4th weekend, I drove my buddies Tom and Martin to Johnsondale
and met Simon, who had flown in from NYC to Bakersfield and rented a car
to do shuttle. He usually flies to more exotic paddling destinations,
but seemed satisfied with the Kern, a total whitewater classic.

The Kernville gage read 400 cfs, steady for our entire 2-day trip due to
thundershowers in the headwaters on Friday. However we thought the flow
at put-in was closer to 450, and slightly higher at take-out.

Below the Little Kern confluence, the North Fork Kern remains class IV-V
at this low flow. It channelizes well and turns into a fine creek run.
We never had to drag boats over gravel bars, never got stuck in boulders,
and thought pinning hazards were minimal. Probably it would be runnable
down to 300 in a creek boat and certainly in an IK. However 400-450 cfs
is way too low for rafts, and for kayakers who prefer big water.

The pack station was closed: burros/mules got moved to higher elevation
for other customers after the end of rafting season. So our plan was to
hike down with our kayaks, boat 8 miles, hike back up to camp along the
shuttle road, hike down the next morning, and boat the remaining 8 miles.
The trail down is 2-3 miles, never too steep, with good vistas.

River scenery is stupendous-- backpacking quality-- with camps everywhere.
It was intriguing seeing the rocks that formed rapids we remembered from
rafting at higher flows. Tom and Martin between them had rafted the Forks
dozens of times, but we still had difficulty recognizing rapids. A rapid
we thought was Needlerock, just upstream, we dubbed Needlerock False.

After Slalom and Downhill there is a straight-away, a class 3 rapid, and
around a bend the river snakes right to cross a huge boulder bar. Where
it reaches the right bank, there is a cairn up high marking the start of
a trail, not on any map. On topo maps, this looked like a short-cut, so
we stashed our boats there. The steep trail was clear at first, but after
going into a gully, we lost it (as we discovered the next morning, where
it turns sharp left out of the gully). We spent the next several hours
bushwhacking across the burnt-out mountainside, until Martin thoughtfully
traversed left and found the trail again.

Camping at the top was beautiful, with a view of the Needles, and lonely.
Few cars went by. We drove down to Kernville for a nice steak dinner.
The next morning we easily followed the trail, and continued downstream
a short distance to Durrwood creek. The toughest rapids were ahead, see
http://creekin.net/kern-fks.htm

Little Bean was perhaps the boniest rapid on the run. Big Bean was fun.
Vortex might be runnable at 400-450, but it had a nasty backwash on the
left, so we portaged. Gauntlet had some fun falls! The rest of the way
to Westwall was just totally fun class 3-4, one after another. Westwall
itself is full of entrapment points (thus the class 5 rating) but offers
a technically easy sneak route down the far right. This year, anyway.
After lunch at Dry Meadow Creek, Tom hurt his hip sliding over the falls.

Although we all had thrown a rescue line to rafts stuck in the bottom R
hole of Respect, we could not discern this spot at low water. When we
reached Carson Falls, some of us thought it was runnable, but a friend
died there, so we lined and portaged it on the right, to avoiding trauma.
Crowds started appearing; we were at Johnsondale bridge. Martin and I
drove shuttle while Tom and Simon enjoyed the Limestone run.

This is as good as it gets, like Deer Creek in the spring. How can you
have two things that are both as good as it gets?

Bill Tuthill wrote:

Over July 4th weekend, I drove my buddies Tom and Martin to Johnsondale
and met Simon, who had flown in from NYC to Bakersfield and rented a car
to do shuttle. He usually flies to more exotic paddling destinations,
but seemed satisfied with the Kern, a total whitewater classic.

You did it again, Bill, making me want to come out there and run a
couple of those creeks. Who knows, maybe some day I'll get that chance! :-)

Nice descriptions, those pictures in the link sure help get a better image.

--
Wilko van den Bergh Wilkoa t)dse(d o tnl
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.
http://wilko.webzone.ru/

Hi Bill (long time...). The Kern being my local creek, let me say that we
have had the same fun you describe down to 250cfs. Often have done the whole
thing in one day, by the way, so you can avoid the hike up for dinner and
get two complete runs in (if desired). At those flows, Vortex is okay with
enough speed. I believe that the rapid you are calling Westwall is also
known as Confusion (closely following the one we call Chaos); if so, I think
the only "safe" line is down the right (which I run up to 3000cfs).

Nice pictures, too.

Keith Beck
"Bill Tuthill" wrote in message
...
Over July 4th weekend, I drove my buddies Tom and Martin to Johnsondale
and met Simon, who had flown in from NYC to Bakersfield and rented a car
to do shuttle. He usually flies to more exotic paddling destinations,
but seemed satisfied with the Kern, a total whitewater classic.

The Kernville gage read 400 cfs, steady for our entire 2-day trip due to
thundershowers in the headwaters on Friday. However we thought the flow
at put-in was closer to 450, and slightly higher at take-out.

Below the Little Kern confluence, the North Fork Kern remains class IV-V
at this low flow. It channelizes well and turns into a fine creek run.
We never had to drag boats over gravel bars, never got stuck in boulders,
and thought pinning hazards were minimal. Probably it would be runnable
down to 300 in a creek boat and certainly in an IK. However 400-450 cfs
is way too low for rafts, and for kayakers who prefer big water.

The pack station was closed: burros/mules got moved to higher elevation
for other customers after the end of rafting season. So our plan was to
hike down with our kayaks, boat 8 miles, hike back up to camp along the
shuttle road, hike down the next morning, and boat the remaining 8 miles.
The trail down is 2-3 miles, never too steep, with good vistas.

River scenery is stupendous-- backpacking quality-- with camps everywhere.
It was intriguing seeing the rocks that formed rapids we remembered from
rafting at higher flows. Tom and Martin between them had rafted the Forks
dozens of times, but we still had difficulty recognizing rapids. A rapid
we thought was Needlerock, just upstream, we dubbed Needlerock False.

After Slalom and Downhill there is a straight-away, a class 3 rapid, and
around a bend the river snakes right to cross a huge boulder bar. Where
it reaches the right bank, there is a cairn up high marking the start of
a trail, not on any map. On topo maps, this looked like a short-cut, so
we stashed our boats there. The steep trail was clear at first, but after
going into a gully, we lost it (as we discovered the next morning, where
it turns sharp left out of the gully). We spent the next several hours
bushwhacking across the burnt-out mountainside, until Martin thoughtfully
traversed left and found the trail again.

Camping at the top was beautiful, with a view of the Needles, and lonely.
Few cars went by. We drove down to Kernville for a nice steak dinner.
The next morning we easily followed the trail, and continued downstream
a short distance to Durrwood creek. The toughest rapids were ahead, see
http://creekin.net/kern-fks.htm

Little Bean was perhaps the boniest rapid on the run. Big Bean was fun.
Vortex might be runnable at 400-450, but it had a nasty backwash on the
left, so we portaged. Gauntlet had some fun falls! The rest of the way
to Westwall was just totally fun class 3-4, one after another. Westwall
itself is full of entrapment points (thus the class 5 rating) but offers
a technically easy sneak route down the far right. This year, anyway.
After lunch at Dry Meadow Creek, Tom hurt his hip sliding over the falls.

Although we all had thrown a rescue line to rafts stuck in the bottom R
hole of Respect, we could not discern this spot at low water. When we
reached Carson Falls, some of us thought it was runnable, but a friend
died there, so we lined and portaged it on the right, to avoiding trauma.
Crowds started appearing; we were at Johnsondale bridge. Martin and I
drove shuttle while Tom and Simon enjoyed the Limestone run.

This is as good as it gets, like Deer Creek in the spring. How can you
have two things that are both as good as it gets?

Wow Keith, hardshells down to 250 cfs! Amazing compartmentalization.
At what point would you say Vortex is no longer OK with enough speed?
My IK buddies previously ran it, and Carson Falls, at 300 cfs.

Another question: do you know where the trail from Durrwood, which climbs
out of the canyon near Peppermint Creek, reaches the paved put-in road?
We could not find any marked trailhead.

Yes, Westwall = Confusion. Rafters shun the all-right line, especially at
high flows, because of a big undercut rock below. Cassady mentions it.
Probably it is of little concern to a maneuverable kayak.

Tom really enjoyed hiking out and eating a steak dinner, but he does not
like to camp. Martin thought we should have taken two trips to carry
our gear down to put-in, thus enjoying a night on the river. Either way,
if you drive down from NoCal it's nice to spend a long time in the canyon.
Now that we know the creek-Forks better, we might decide to try one day.
I really enjoyed camping up high near the Needles - much cooler in July.
In retrospect I think I enjoyed the Forks more as a creek than as a river,
but I'm a low-water kinda guy.

Corrections: the pack mules can be trucked in if you call them in advance,
however late in the summer. And Simon never threw a rope to a raft stuck
in Respect, only we other three. Respect is a bizarre rapid because it
seems like nothing if you run it correctly, but if you're too far right,
oh boy, there's no way a raft is coming out of there without a line!


Keith Beck wrote:
Hi Bill (long time...). The Kern being my local creek, let me say that we
have had the same fun you describe down to 250cfs. Often have done the whole
thing in one day, by the way, so you can avoid the hike up for dinner and
get two complete runs in (if desired). At those flows, Vortex is okay with
enough speed. I believe that the rapid you are calling Westwall is also
known as Confusion (closely following the one we call Chaos); if so, I think
the only "safe" line is down the right (which I run up to 3000cfs).
Nice pictures, too.

"Bill Tuthill" wrote:
Over July 4th weekend, I drove my buddies Tom and Martin to Johnsondale
and met Simon, who had flown in from NYC to Bakersfield and rented a car
to do shuttle. He usually flies to more exotic paddling destinations,
but seemed satisfied with the Kern, a total whitewater classic.

The Kernville gage read 400 cfs, steady for our entire 2-day trip due to
thundershowers in the headwaters on Friday. However we thought the flow
at put-in was closer to 450, and slightly higher at take-out.

Below the Little Kern confluence, the North Fork Kern remains class IV-V
at this low flow. It channelizes well and turns into a fine creek run.
We never had to drag boats over gravel bars, never got stuck in boulders,
and thought pinning hazards were minimal. Probably it would be runnable
down to 300 in a creek boat and certainly in an IK. However 400-450 cfs
is way too low for rafts, and for kayakers who prefer big water.

The pack station was closed: burros/mules got moved to higher elevation
for other customers after the end of rafting season. So our plan was to
hike down with our kayaks, boat 8 miles, hike back up to camp along the
shuttle road, hike down the next morning, and boat the remaining 8 miles.
The trail down is 2-3 miles, never too steep, with good vistas.

River scenery is stupendous-- backpacking quality-- with camps everywhere.
It was intriguing seeing the rocks that formed rapids we remembered from
rafting at higher flows. Tom and Martin between them had rafted the Forks
dozens of times, but we still had difficulty recognizing rapids. A rapid
we thought was Needlerock, just upstream, we dubbed Needlerock False.

After Slalom and Downhill there is a straight-away, a class 3 rapid, and
around a bend the river snakes right to cross a huge boulder bar. Where
it reaches the right bank, there is a cairn up high marking the start of
a trail, not on any map. On topo maps, this looked like a short-cut, so
we stashed our boats there. The steep trail was clear at first, but after
going into a gully, we lost it (as we discovered the next morning, where
it turns sharp left out of the gully). We spent the next several hours
bushwhacking across the burnt-out mountainside, until Martin thoughtfully
traversed left and found the trail again.

Camping at the top was beautiful, with a view of the Needles, and lonely.
Few cars went by. We drove down to Kernville for a nice steak dinner.
The next morning we easily followed the trail, and continued downstream
a short distance to Durrwood creek. The toughest rapids were ahead, see
http://creekin.net/kern-fks.htm

Little Bean was perhaps the boniest rapid on the run. Big Bean was fun.
Vortex might be runnable at 400-450, but it had a nasty backwash on the
left, so we portaged. Gauntlet had some fun falls! The rest of the way
to Westwall was just totally fun class 3-4, one after another. Westwall
itself is full of entrapment points (thus the class 5 rating) but offers
a technically easy sneak route down the far right. This year, anyway.
After lunch at Dry Meadow Creek, Tom hurt his hip sliding over the falls.

Although we all had thrown a rescue line to rafts stuck in the bottom R
hole of Respect, we could not discern this spot at low water. When we
reached Carson Falls, some of us thought it was runnable, but a friend
died there, so we lined and portaged it on the right, to avoid trauma.
Crowds started appearing; we were at Johnsondale bridge. Martin and I
drove shuttle while Tom and Simon enjoyed the Limestone run.

This is as good as it gets, like Deer Creek in the spring. How can you
have two things that are both as good as it gets?

in article , Bill Tuthill at
wrote on 8/30/04 2:18 PM:

Yes, Westwall = Confusion. Rafters shun the all-right line, especially at
high flows, because of a big undercut rock below. Cassady mentions it.
Probably it is of little concern to a maneuverable kayak.


Hi Bill,

The only time we ran the Forks was at 2500 cfs. I actually ran the side
chute in Vortex. We ran Westwall (IIRC) left to right. We carried Carson
Falls.

Big fun! Serious fun, though. That Westwall is one impressive looking
rapid. And the whole run is one of the prettiest in the world. Really!

This was back in 1987. Boy, I'm sure getting old!

Best,

Chuck

Charles Pezeshki wrote:

The only time we ran the Forks was at 2500 cfs. I actually ran
the side chute in Vortex.

Yup, above about 1700 you can run the far-right chute in Vortex,
whent he Vortex itself really looks like a Vortex! But you're lucky
you didn't see it at low flows because, oh my, a lotta water goes
under rocks over there. There's a perhaps-apocrophal story of a
gear raft totally disappearing (under another raft run too soon)
until August, when they found tattered Avon fabric and a bent frame.

We ran Westwall (IIRC) left to right. We carried Carson Falls.

You probably ran Westwall the same way most rafters do, cutting left
just above the Whale's Tails, which is badly undercut. However at
450 cfs it doesn't look as dangerous as I thought it would.

I'm thinking Carson gets somewhat safer at high flows, but don't have
enough empirical data.

Big fun! Serious fun, though. That Westwall is one impressive looking
rapid. And the whole run is one of the prettiest in the world. Really!

Sure is pretty. There's nothing like granite, although it's gray.
The redrock canyons of Idaho are less dramatic due to rock flatness,
I think. Everybody should be so lucky as to kayak the Forks.

Charles Pezeshki wrote

This was back in 1987. Boy, I'm sure getting old!

Chuck, yeah, getting old ain't for sissies, but consider the alternative ;-)