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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 11, 2011 - 07:18pm PT
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Spent Thursday packrafting and kayaking the East Fork of the San Gabriel River above Azusa. Hard to believe such good boating exists this close to LA. I have been kayaking this stretch for over 20 years and have never encountered another boater though I know people know about it.
The West Fork is equally as good and has a whole different characteristic to it.
Sespe and Piru Creeks are two other favorites but much more committing. And if you like feeling claustrophobic try kayaking the Narrows of Big Tujunga Creek.[photoid=194343]
All very close to Los Angeles and worth checking out.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
SoCal
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Mar 11, 2011 - 07:59pm PT
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NIce!
I've inner-tubed the Big Tujunga when it's in condition.
White water in the desert. NEW SPORT
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 11, 2011 - 08:03pm PT
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Spider,
When are you going to take me up to Texas Cyn?
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Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
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Mar 11, 2011 - 08:16pm PT
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impressive--never knew you could do that except maybe during debris flows.
now hit the los angeles river around atw#ter--someone ought to do that.
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Big Piton
Trad climber
Ventura
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Mar 12, 2011 - 12:10am PT
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They did the LA river two weeks ago and got bust by the cops.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Mar 12, 2011 - 12:41am PT
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I'm 45 minutes from Los Angeles right now, but it looks like you're having more fun than me. Being out on whitewater river sure beats being in a conference in a San Diego hotel with a bunch of overweight suits.
But tomorrow we're headed for Idyllwild...
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
SoCal
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Mar 12, 2011 - 10:52am PT
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Soon Bat, soon.
Nice day for Tahquitz. The Ski Track routes should be excellent today.
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Paul Martzen
Trad climber
Fresno
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Mar 12, 2011 - 07:02pm PT
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Nice photos Kevin. Good to see someone taking advantage of the opportunities available.
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 12, 2011 - 07:43pm PT
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Thanks Paul, the West and East Fork have relatively long seasons so I'm looking forward to getting more afternoon runs in this season.
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FRUMY
Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
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Mar 12, 2011 - 07:45pm PT
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TFPU - Nice!
Differently on topic.
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Mar 13, 2011 - 07:40pm PT
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really neat TR - thanks!
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
SoCal
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Mar 13, 2011 - 10:56pm PT
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Here is some good local white-water on the Santa Ana river.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zidlW5hhooE
The gleeful engineer on the right is a good friend of mine. He says, "NO!" to letting my kayaking friends in on next time they do this type of testing.
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2011 - 11:51pm PT
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The key is not asking for permission, "they" will always say no even though they dont always have to the right to deny access. Technically any navigable waterway or river is free to float down, the problem is with access to the river to get on it. I have done Lower Azusa Canyon several times over the years when the Army Corp. was releasing 8k plus cfs from Morris Dam. On several occasions we were stopped by the cops but only to make sure we knew what we were doing and ask us what it was like. For the most part the Army Corp. has good reason to prevent people from getting on the river, most people just dont have the sense to recognize a bad situation.
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Brian
climber
California
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Mar 13, 2011 - 11:59pm PT
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That's awesome Batrock. Inspirational post.
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jamatt
Social climber
Asheville, NC
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Mar 14, 2011 - 12:05am PT
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nice pics! good to see some water folk on the board.
do you see any oc-1's out there?
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 14, 2011 - 12:08am PT
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Radical,
I have always wanted to boat the East Fork from just above the Bridge to Nowhere to the trailhead. What do you think the best option would be for getting there? Hike up or hike down from somewhere like maybe the Bighorn Mine trail?
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Iron Mtn.
Trad climber
Riverside, Ca.
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Mar 14, 2011 - 12:09am PT
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Wow, I didn't know the East Fork was do-able for kayaking. That's damn cool!!!!
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Mar 14, 2011 - 12:21am PT
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How far up did you start? Have you tried the Narrows?
Great trout fishing up there.
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 14, 2011 - 12:21am PT
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jammat,
I first started boating creeks in the Los Angeles area in 1984, at that time i knew of nobody who was doing local creeks. One rainy day I drove up to Upper Big Tujunga Cyn to scout section from Camp Colby to the Big T Dam. As I was looking at the river that was flowing pretty damn high a group of kayakers came paddling downstream and in that group was one guy in a open canoe. I came to learn that the guy in the canoe had also done Sespe Creek later that season. Sepse is a pretty stout multi day wilderness run that rivals the Sierra for remoteness and commitment. I ended up doing Sespe a few years later and was very impressed that an OC made it down. Since that day in 1984 I have never seen another group of boaters on any So Cal creek. I know these rivers get done but not too many people even consider that there may be climbing so near a LA. Climbing at Williamson Rock was kind of like that for me also, my dad used to take me and my brother climbing at Williamson Rock in the late 70's. I began climbing there on a regular basis in 81 and had the place to myself seeing only one other climber in that time.
There is lots of cool stuff in these local mountains, you just need to get out and explore and have an open mind.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Mar 14, 2011 - 12:26am PT
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Batrock,
Great pics and good collateral thread. Was it the LA river that Royal did as a first descent? Climbers and boaters have always been kindred spirits.
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