Bear Creek

Bear Creek is reputed to be the best creek on the Montana side of the Bitterroot Mountains. Set in a beautiful granite filled canyon, this creek packs in a full range of slides and fun drops in its short but sweet run. Yesterday, Cody Harris, Chris Ennis, and myself went to run this montana gem. After a two mile hike in, you are deposited at the top of a long, clean slide that sets the tone for most of the rest of the run. Below this, the creek continues to drop at a steady pace (340 ft/mile) through a mix of wood infested boulder gardens, and the money slides. Below some woody rapids, we came to the top of a fun slide with a sweet, banking left turn. After this were more fun rapids, and then the notorious Tijuana Crack Whore, a low angle slide where most of the water falls into a crack between two shelves, and the paddlers in question have their elbows abused. With the low water on our run, the option of trying to miss the crack on the sides was not an option, and the three of us tucked tail and walked this one. Next up was the Hotel California... you can check in, but you can never leave. This drop consists of a slide into a sticky hole that has been the site of more than one carnage episode. More fun drops follow this, and lead to the climax of the run, Brave Bear Falls. Brave Bear is a sweet drop that consists of slide-ledge-slide-pillow-slide-ledge. After this is another small slide, boof combo, and finishes with another slide. All three of us ran the falls and all three came out with ear to ear grins, accompanied by more shouting and cheering than a thirteen year old girl at a Leonardo Dicaprio movie.

Cody and Chris on the hike in.
Brave Bear Falls, upper two-thirds.
Myself on one of the fun slides.



Here is a video of Cody running the main falls. Sorry about the low quality.

The Missoula Chronicals

As is illustrated by the fresh ice clinging to my car, there still is not much running in the Missoula area. So, its back to the old standby of the Alberton Gorge and surfing downtown at Brennan's Wave. The weather went from nice sunny 60 degree days last week, to 30 degree days with snow flurries this week. No big suprises there. Fortunately for us Missoulians, we have a nice play run that has water year round, even if it means that you have to avoid the undercut ice ledges on the banks during the colder days.
Brennan's wave is a fun feature built right smack in the middle of downtown, making for some great party surfing involving a full variety of hole moves, as well as skirt popping, paddle knocking, and if all goes well, your buddy swimming to the old folks home. I know what you are all thinking now, and yes, booty beers are still considered mandatory.

Local paddlers enjoying Brennan's during a sunny, cold afternoon.

Pauley Creek

Pauley creek was another hit on our list of "creeks to run again, but only when they have substantially more water". I did this run twice this spring, both occasions with a juicy flow of around 80 cfs. For those of you that don't know, I believe the minimum recommended flow for Pauley is around maybe 200 cfs. For those of you who already knew this, you probably already think I am a fool. especially to have done it twice. But, in its defense, this creek is actually quite fun, even at marginal flows, if you are looking for a fun time consisiting of clean bedrock drops, seperated by large amounts of not so clean rock vs. boat bumper car action.

Don't ever trust your friends with scissors...

Leif Andersen Boofing the first ledge of the day. Good form.

Dustin Stoenner, droppin' into a fun 10 footer.

Yours truly on the Split Rock super-boof.

Dustin, showing some tongue on Pauley creek.

Pauley Falls. Exceptionally bony, yet suprisingly clean.

Pauley Creek, good to the last drop.

If you get a chance to do this run, make sure you stop in at the pizza joint in Downieville. You can't miss it, as there are only about five buildings in downtown, and only one of them serves pizza.

Brandy Creek

Several weeks ago, under the delusion that there would be water flowing from the hills around Whiskeytown Lake, Dustin Stoenner, Orion Meredith, Leif Andersen (the Mullet), and myself made a trip up Brandy Creek. To our immense suprise, we found water, not much, but definitely liquid, flowing down some of the beautiful bedrock slides that Brandy has to offer. We put in at the confluence of Brandy and some other small side creek, right at the top of a small slide. Below this, we ran some manky boulder gardens that consisted of ricocheting from rock to rock, usually pinning or broaching in annoying places. Fortunately, the water was only ankle deep in most places, so the stress level was pretty much non-existant. More water than we had on this run is key, but even at our meager flows, we had a good time running the clean drops.

Orion Meredith living the dream.

Dustin Stoenner, lookin' good.

Myself on the same slide.

Below this lay more mank, with one small bedrock section, that at legitimate flows, would not even be recognizable as such, and then a fun section consisting of two 10-15 foot slides, followed by a 10 foot drop through a narrow slot. This section was probably the most fun, as you could run laps on it until you puke.

Triple-drop section.

Myself, rockin' the purple top in the crack.

Enjoying some of the "in-between" stuff.

One of these days, we'll make it back to Brandy, this time with more water, and go charge the upper drops in the gorge. Thanks goes out to Leif for all the great shots, and advice on kayak induced foot bunion care.

Spring! (Almost)

Just got back to Montucky for the guiding season to begin on the Alberton Gorge. Unfortunately, I had to leave beautiful, warm northern California somewhat prematurely, but with the copious amounts of snow here in the north, it seems that this summer might just be the best yet. As the snow continues to fall this evening, I am dreaming of creeks that soon will be running with ample amounts of recently departed snowpack, at the tropical temperatures of water that is only degrees from being ice. Patience is the name of the game right now, and since I cracked both of my boats before leaving sunny humboldt, this might be a good time to finally start working again, before I break something else. Speaking of broken boats, kinda sucks that you can't weld Jacksons. But, enough of that. I will have some photos up soon from our recent trips...

Happy Paddling!