Washington's Gem: The Cispus River

Mt. Adams, the headwaters of the Cispus River

After nearly 11 weeks of no creeking this summer, my shoulder has finally started feeling good. Good enough to get in my Diesel 80 and "off the couch" it on the Upper Upper Cispus, a class V gem of a creek located outside Randle, WA. With rumors of a run clear of wood, our group of five was stoked!

The Upper Upper Cispus is pretty fun. It's a committing run with several large drops, and a mandatory 30 footer near the end of the run called Behemoth. With its breathtaking scenery and classic rapids, it's got something for everyone to enjoy!

The run starts out with a "Good Morning!" boof off a 15 footer followed by a quick log-duck. (For the record, I think yesterday it was actually, Good Morning, Nasal-Douche! Yup, my sinuses thank me for that one today.) What follows are miles and miles of boulder gardens and various class IV-V ledge drops.

Typical Cispus rapids and scenery (Photo from Johnathan Blum on another run)

At the first major rapid, Island drop, the river splits around an island. The left side of the drop is 10 foot slide/falls that feeds straight into the meat of a gnarly hole. Not the desired way to get stuck in a hole. We opted for the right side, a two-tiered rapid: a pinch dropping 8 feet or so, followed in 30 feet by a meaty hole. Good lines!

Joe (L) and Trevor (R) Looking back up at Island Drop

Below Island, the river begins to drop quickly, as is drops into a basalt gorge leading to the small pool at the lip of Behemoth Falls.

The gorge above Behemoth

Scouting the gorge and getting ready for Behemoth- Trevor Sheenan, Jesse Becker and Joe Stumpfel

Behemoth is a mandatory 30 foot falls, that has a 15 foot ramp leading into a 15 foot falls that twists to the right. The line is down the center left side of the green tongue, and off center right of the flume. Sweet! Once you hit the pool, charge the hole below. After a quick scout at the lip, we fired it off, one by one, each having a sweet line off the falls. Wohoo!

Myself on Behemoth

Behemoth Falls, and the hole below

Below Behemoth are two large boulder gardens that you can't help but giggle through after stomping Behemoth.

What a great way to get back on the rio!

Kim Russell