Cresta needs 600 to be boatable on the low end. Not great fun but
doable. AW is just trying to reserect a flow for Cresta so we have
two different flows for release weekends on the Feather.
My other comments were on Spanish Creek. First they put in
at “Keddie”. They were at the mid way of the run. The best spot to
put in for Spanish Creek is at Oakland Camp off Chandler Road in
American Valley where Quincy is located. It has some 3-4 and plenty
of 2’s to Keddie. There is a 15 foot falls that has been run but is
usually walked on the left. Kent’s write up was very accurate but I
always figured the lower fall was about 20 feet. The run goes at
about 250cfs. Best above 500cfs and is really a hoot in the
thousands. One most beware the two falls and trees. While in the
area there is also Indian Creek. Classic put in was an old bridge
about 3 miles up just below the town of Indian Falls. The dirt road
is now private property but in the past we asked the landowners
permission and were granted an OK. Other option is putting in below
Indian Falls, a short drive and hike. It just is now class 4 to the
old bridge. Mostly class 2 till the last drops which are a serious
class 4 with good flows. For those who love a serious challenge
there is always the Cascades section. Very visable in the drive along
89 above Indian Falls towards Crescent Mills and Taylorsville. Very
solid class 4-5 that ends at Indian Falls which is about 15 + feet.
(Plenty of rocks in the pool at the bottom of the falls).
My other comments were that for those who are fortunate to be in
that area at great flows it is very fun to do both Spanish and Indian
Creeks in one day and maybe throw in Virgilia as well. Then one can
top it all off with a soak in the hot springs at what used to be
Woody”s near Twain.

What appeared to be a moderate turnout for the Cresta Test runs on
Saturday ended up being a great day with plenty of water and decent
enough weather. The forcasted weather must have turned a lot of
folks away, but for those willing, it turned out to be an exciting
and rewarding paddle. The PGE representative taking the surveys told
me there were about twenty five or so surveys taken so far after our
2nd run.

Shane, Justin and I drove over together and met up with the team
Jackson gang; Steven, Jason, Jessica, Toby, and later with Colin,
Newt, and another.

We missed the earlier 400 release, but made two back to back runs on
the 600 release. I believe there was a bit of natural flow as well
so these flows were likely a bit higher than the releases.

Cresta at 600 cfs is a strong intermediate run with continuous class
III+ and -IV rapids. Mostly boat scoutable, with many semi-blind
drops, totally scoutable by seeking each progessively lower
eddie towards the top of the drops. We did not land scout anything.
Rapids are technical boulder gardens with 3 and 4 foot ledge drops,
many boof and rock moves, swift, tight “S” turn rapids, few holes and
many shallow play spots. I’m not mentioning the obvious sieves and
undercuts on this run as that goes without saying here. Strong cross
and merging currents seem to give the most trouble to those finding
themselves upside down. A truly great run at this flow. I
recomended the 600 cfs flow level as optimal level on the AW survey
form. After speaking with two others whom had run the 400 release,
they too confirmed my guess that the 600 was a much better and more
optimal flow for future releases.

Our group put in at the lower parking put in - below the more
technical rope assisted put in up stream nearer the Cresta Dam - and
took out at the small road side park access above the Power house
making for a slightly shorter run; e.g. about 5 miles vs. 6.5 if you
do the entire run. A few of us actually put in the creek which goes
under the highway through the tunnel into the Feather.

The day started sunny in the AM, then turned cloudy with about 50
degree temp, turning to rain on our second run. But it really was
warm most of this day.

Jay and I stayed over Satruday night to investigate the Quincy bar
scene and meeting up with Shane for drinks, pool etc, then camped out
near the put in for our next run on Sunday.

So Ok, it snowed all night saturday night and we woke to about 6
inches of snow for breakfast. OJ, coffee and oatmeal warmed our
bellies for our next adventure and as it tuned out, we really needed
that warmth.

Spanish Creek is one of the two creeks converging to form the NB NF
Feather River proper. It is the really cool steep and rail bridge
developed gorge you enter west of Quincy enroute to the Feather
River. The run can be done from the town of Quincy for a very nice,
albiet potentially tree infested run, to the town of Nettie, which is
where we put in. Not a town actually, but a closed up old gas
station just off the road with a sign saying “Nettie”.

Our only beta for this run “dream flows” stated a 3-4 mile run with
class III rapids, but it did say this was “heresay” information. We
should have payed more attention to the heresay statement!

It was cold, snowing and raining the entire time. We dressed well,
or so we thought, and preceded to put on the water after scrambling
down the steep slick, wet and snowy covered bank to the water. The
water is acidic creating a brown/greenish dirty tint to it. The run
starts off easey at a class II pace with flat water current between
rapids. Within the first mile, we encounterd our first class III
rapid immediately downstream of the first of many train bridge
spans. This span is unique due to two rail bridges crossing the run
600 feet over your head. More slow water mixed with class II and III
rapids and then about half way into the run we encountered a small
gorge with about four consecutive technical class III rapids. This
section really made the run worth while. I was beginning to think
this would make a great beginner intermediate run. oops…

After passing what apeared to be a picknick ground on the right bank
(possible take out), we encounterd a few nore class III rapids,
before encountering a steep walled gorge pinching the river down to
about twenty feet across. Can you say horizon line? We attempted to
boat scout, which qickly turned futile as the gradient was obvoiusly
very steep. It apeared the entire river just sieved into a pit and
out of sight.

After a quick land scout against the river right walls, I simply
motioned to the others to get thier boats and start walking on the
left side for the portage. This section of the gorge is so steep,
there was little sun and a lot of snow. The portage was around,
over, up, down and across a broken escarpment of vertically lifted
basaltic formation through 4 foot deep snow drifts. At one point we
had to lower our boats over a ten foot drop and glisade over and
down, then across a frozen pit lake to get back to the river below
the falls.

The falls consist of a 35+ foot total drop, in three very short
vertical technical sections. It would all come at once if you ran
it. It’s a really large technical 35 foot three part falls. Likely
runable with a good scout, but we were so cold at this point, there
was little thoughts from any of us about scouting better. We simply
wanted out of there at this point. Well Ok. I’ll speak for myself. I
really just wanted out of there at this point, as I was frozen solid.

After this class VI falls/portage, it was only about 1/2 mile and two
class III rapids to the take out.

So, for all you class VI boaters out there, here is a new rapid to
check out. Who knows, it may have been run and it may not have been?
I’m going to do some checking around to see if anyone one knows
anything about this rapid. Charlie????

Until then, you all have a great day and keep on paddling.

And thanks to Jay and Shane for an awesome trip…

Best,

Kent