Trip Report: Whitewater Kayaking the Sandy River Gorge
When: 11/14/2018
Location: Sandy River (Sandy Gorge)
Conditions: 1200 Cfs, Overcast, Clear Green water, perfect day for kayaking.
Duration: 3 Hours
Difficulty: Class 4 whitewater
Usefull links: www.americanwhitewater.org
The Full Report:
The Sandy Gorge Section of the Sandy River is an absolute Oregon classic! The gorge is filled with house-sized boulders, wonderful trickling creeks flowing in over the rocks creating mini waterfalls, and endless neon green moss that will have you more focused on the scenery than the whitewater. I love going through the Sandy Gorge at different times of the year because it transforms dramatically with the seasons. I’ve even been in there while the snow is falling, and it is quite a treat.
For this run, you'll want to put in at the old Marmot Dam site and take out at revenue bridge. Once on the water, you'll find some easy class 2/3 warm-ups before you enter the Gorge. Once you see the river narrow and the canyon walls up ahead, that’s when the first class 4 rapid called Log Jam is coming up. The best line is straight down the right channel with a boof stroke over the log. I suggest scouting on river right. After that you enter the gorge and will have fun class 3 until Boulder Rapid, this is a beautiful rapid with a couple of giant boulders in the middle making some tight lines. Again, take a scout on this if possible, but we usually run this on the left.
There are quite a few other fun class 4's on this run that I suggest scouting and going with someone who knows the run well. Some of these rapids do have high consequences if you mess up so I don't suggest this as anyone’s first class 4 run. Skilled boaters will take a boat they like to surf in because there are some epic surf waves in there. I'd suggest bringing a camera because this place is breathtaking. The other cool thing about the Sandy Gorge is that it can be run as low as 200cfs or as high as 8,000cfs. Of course, the nature of the run will change but all still runnable. If you are visiting Oregon and want to get on a classic this is a great one. Be safe, and when in doubt, SCOUT!
The Full Report:
The Sandy Gorge Section of the Sandy River is an absolute Oregon classic! The gorge is filled with house-sized boulders, wonderful trickling creeks flowing in over the rocks creating mini waterfalls, and endless neon green moss that will have you more focused on the scenery than the whitewater. I love going through the Sandy Gorge at different times of the year because it transforms dramatically with the seasons. I’ve even been in there while the snow is falling, and it is quite a treat.
For this run, you'll want to put in at the old Marmot Dam site and take out at revenue bridge. Once on the water, you'll find some easy class 2/3 warm-ups before you enter the Gorge. Once you see the river narrow and the canyon walls up ahead, that’s when the first class 4 rapid called Log Jam is coming up. The best line is straight down the right channel with a boof stroke over the log. I suggest scouting on river right. After that you enter the gorge and will have fun class 3 until Boulder Rapid, this is a beautiful rapid with a couple of giant boulders in the middle making some tight lines. Again, take a scout on this if possible, but we usually run this on the left.
There are quite a few other fun class 4's on this run that I suggest scouting and going with someone who knows the run well. Some of these rapids do have high consequences if you mess up so I don't suggest this as anyone’s first class 4 run. Skilled boaters will take a boat they like to surf in because there are some epic surf waves in there. I'd suggest bringing a camera because this place is breathtaking. The other cool thing about the Sandy Gorge is that it can be run as low as 200cfs or as high as 8,000cfs. Of course, the nature of the run will change but all still runnable. If you are visiting Oregon and want to get on a classic this is a great one. Be safe, and when in doubt, SCOUT!