It shouldn't come as much of a surprise to me anymore how varying water levels on a river can mean very different paddling experiences, but yesterday it happened. Depending on what river or creek your running, high OR low water can mean new challenges, albeit different varieties of challenges. What i always try to impress upon my beginning whitewater and river running students is that there are many faces to a single river. Changes in water levels can essentially mean a different river.
I got out with some friends on Wilson Creek at -7" (bridge gauge), and to be clear, this run wasn't a class. In many ways i was being instructed :) Anywho, the lowest i had run it before was -4. This few inches made quite a difference. Many of the rapids had much narrower slots and channels and were quite different, requiring tighter lines and quicker maneuvers. The chances of a piton, pining, or broaching seemed much greater. We scouted this run more thoroughly on this trip than the first time i ran it. I really enjoyed the run at this level and will get out on it again at -7. Here are a few pics from the day.
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| Wilson Creek - 10 Foot |
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| Wilson Creek - river left on Huntley's Retreat? We ran it river right - nice boof line that side |
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| Wilson Creek - 10 Foot |
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| Wilson Creek - Boat Buster |
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| Wilson Creek - Bottom of Razorback |
