Kern Creek

So I was itching for some mid-week paddling and had the perfect creek in mind, Kern. I called Tyler from work around three and set up this little last minute trip. By quitting time Mark was on board and we met at Carrs-Huffman around five to make the forty five minute drive. We arrived at the take out to Kern a little bit later than we would’ve liked but gear up and set out on the mile long hike. Fading daylight, bear infested woods and unknown whitewater set the mood for this journey. Kern creek is a quick class V creek comprised of three drops, the last being a ten foot waterfall. I had previously only paddled the falls at low water (photos) but by the time we got to the top of the middle drop we notice the water was considerably high and the last two drops were really one long flush. Normally there is a deep calm recovery pool above the falls allowing the two drops to be focused on independently; unfortunately that pool was now a big, boily, recirculating eddy. After making it to river level and seeing that upriver was choked with wood, we decide that only the bottom portion was runnable. After a nerve racked scout and a search for a suitable put in, Tyler and I decide to run it. The rapid goes as followed: A broken ledge drop on a right hand bend into another narrow slot ledge against a wall into the recirc followed by the small but powerful falls. I climbed into my boat shaking, mark holding my boat from sliding in to early and I shove off. It was as if an instant calm came over me, every fear went out the window and all I could focus on was sticking my line. I plugged the first ledge deep though I intended to boof it, came over the second ledge and flipped being pushed into the wall. I rolled up in the “pool” mere moments from going over the falls upside down. Paddled into the recirc, got pulled back to the top of the eddy, caught the current and aimed for the lip. On the way to the edge something I’ve never experienced happened, it seemed as if the whole river fell into a deep divot then boiled back up propelling me over the falls. I plugged it deep, this thing was way more powerful than I expected, held me down for a second, then shot me out right side up. That was amazing, the adrenaline high flooded my body and I couldn't have been happier. I got out quickly and set safety for Tyler who I knew would be coming down at any second. Next thing I knew Tyler launches at a perfect angle off the lip, went deep, then surfaced sans boat and was pulled back into the falls. Like I said this thing was powerful and when he plugged it, it imploded his skirt and forced him out of his boat, sadly on the wrong side of the river. He managed to get to a rock shelf with his boat but didn't have enough room to get back in. We now had a bad situation, he couldn't swim across because of the long reach of the hydraulic and our ropes weren't long enough to get to him. After a solid twenty minutes of trying Tyler finally managed the impossible and somehow got into his boat and was able to paddle out. What a way to end such a quick, exhilarating run. These photos are from the previous low water, falls only run.

Tincan Creek

Tincan is one of the most amazing canyons. Deep, secluded and packed with amazing whitewater and waterfalls


We started out to do Tincan a little later than we hoped, leaving Carrs-Huffman at one to start the hour drive to the put in. We reached the pullout with high hopes and visions of awesomeness, geared up, checked the guide book, then set off into the unknown. A hour and a half hike up the side of a mountain, through a wall of brush and devils club, some back tracking, then a hundred foot rappel put us at the put in. I rapped down first to receive boats while Mark and Tyler lowered them. We made it, a trip we've all been waiting for and to fire us up, the first rapid was a twenty foot waterfall. The Throne Room comprises of four waterfalls in a row with nice deep recovery pools in between, a twenty footer, a fifteen footer, a two footer then a slidey twenty footer. I shoved off first under the impression we were all meeting in the eddy at the lip, I got out and looked over the edge, clean. Next came Tyler, who missed the eddy, but stomped it clean. Next was Mark, same deal, so I signaled the line and he went for it, stomped. I shimmied into my boat and shoved off. The feeling of the perfect boof can't be matched. I stomped all the falls and came around the corner to two four foot ledges. Mark was stuck sideways in the first, I paddled hard right to avoid him, but it was inevitable, I landed on his bow and caught a paddle blade straight to the nose. Blood blasted both barrels and some how I managed to make it to the eddy with Tyler. Mark ended up swimming out of the drop, but he and his gear were recovered quickly. Several manky boulder gardens down stream I flipped,got drug across the bottom and had my skirt popped from my boat. Shit. I managed to paddle the next hundred yards with a boat full of water, the thought of going over the falls I knew loomed ahead racing through my mind. Finally, I was able to beach myself. After draining my boat we set of to paddle several more ugly boulder gardens, taking everything Tincan had to offer until finally coming to the last class V drop, Royal Flush. After some careful scouting Mark and Tyler decided to walk it. I was dead set on running the thing. It looked easy and straight forward enough, the water looked a little to low, but doable if the line was stuck. As I sat there staring, waiting for safety to be set I got an uneasy feeling, after everything that happened so far and the marginalness of the line, I decided to cut my losses and go ahead and walk it as well. The last major rapid we came to was Jamaican Bobsled, a straight forward class IV that we all ran with no problems. Another ten minutes of easy paddling to the take out and to the end of one of the most amazing creeks in Alaska.

Jamaican Bobsled

Mchugh Creek

I had passed McHugh Creek dozens of times on my way to and from Girdwood and was eager to paddle it. McHugh is a short (about a quarter mile), fast, rocky ride with three distinct drops. These two class IV’s and V will get your adrenaline pumping with minimal effort and a short drive. I called Tyler who was just as stoked as I was and then we were off. After a quick scout we established the only the top and bottom drops would be runnable after minimal wood removable, but the middle was just to clogged to clear at the time. The first drop, Snap, is a short, twisting slide about fifteen yards long and required a short rappel to put in. Tyler went first and made it look easy. I went next and was amazed at how fun such a straight forward slide could be.
above from an early season run of snap


We each ran it a couple more times before moving on. The bottom drop is named Pop and is a little more difficult. We stared at for a few minutes before agreeing on the proper line, start far left then get right and hang on. The drop was a lot more intimidating than it really was and after a short conversation with myself I shoved off and in a blur, I was at the bottom. Tyler went second and stuck his line but missed a boof and hit a nasty piton that resulted in the bow of his boat being dented. After a couple more successful trips down the drop we packed up and called it a day. Now when ever I feel the urge to paddle but don’t want to make a mission out of it, I have this perfect little gem to turn to.