GR Clean-up 2007 web

Green River Gorge Clean-up 2007

Downstream River Runners: Casey Garland's Whitewater Company

Well, another successful and fun Green River Gorge Clean-up.

Well, the Army Corp wasn't generous in allowing increased flow for the clean-up. The CFS was around 960. Pretty bony for a day of whitewater rafting. Flows are an issue on this river as the demand for city of Tacmoa municipal water threatens flows for salmon. The demand for more municipal water keeps increasing which means recreational boating is left high and dry. For more info and to fill out a river use survey please visit: American Whitewater Green River Flow Survey

The point of this comment on the Army Corp is that three of my fellow passengers were from a company called Oasis which is conducting a study of flows in the Green River Gorge for recreation. This was their first time down the Green River Gorge and it was great seeing their expressions as we rounded bends in the river to find waterfalls cascading off sandstone cliffs, exciting Class IV whitewater that drops into green pools, and even an eagle watching us from a fir tree perch.

Even with the low flows the river was incredible. The low flows required pay attention. Lots of tight squeezes through rock strewn shallow areas and fewer options for navigating through rapids.

Casey Garland, long time river guide, and life time river rat was our guide for the day. The great thing about running the Green is that right from the start at Kanasket the whitewater begins with Ledge 1. Then we enter the "Expert Only" Gorge where the rapids mixed with scenery keep ever bend in the river interesting.

At Pipeline we almost flipped the boat as the water flowed off the right hole at pipeline into a drop on the left. I stopped Mary and myself from swimming with my right leg which was stuffed under the front tube. My body wasn't happy with the jolt but I was happy because that water is bone chilling cold most of the year.

We navigated down Mercury and the Nozzle with no problems and then watched the boaters behind us come through. At the Green River Gorge resort we eddied out above Paradise Ledge for lunch. Its a great spot to warm up on the Sandstone rock and watch rafters and kayakers play in the wave at Paradise Ledge.

About that time I noticed that I wasn't feeling too well. I finally realized that I was getting sick and this was the wrong place to be with body aches that got worse every time I moved. Hmm, paddle, I don't even want to move. So you'll see most of the photos I took were on the upper section of river as from then on I was in survival mode. I even thought about hiking out at Icy Creek and then decided that in my condition I probably couldn't hike up the steep mile long road.

Even though I was feeling under the weather its hard to feel too bad when the sun is shining and your rafting down one of the top ten whitewater rivers in Washington state. So on we went. Past the resort the river mellows out and the rapids are class II and III. The flow of the river allows for more time to enjoy the scenery. The springs cascading out of the forest increases along the south side of the river starting with the resort springs. Waterfalls cascade off the sandstone cliffs. At Hanging Gardens a long white sandstone cliff hangs above the deep green water. small shelves of plants hang perched along the cliff (this the name Hanging Gardens). At Icy Creek salmon spawning cold water gushes in to the Green as the river twists to the right. Below that is the hidden honeycomb sandstone cliffs on river right. Then looming high above the river is the Highway 169 bridge like a metal archway to the next section of river. To river left is the Black Diamond / Kummer mines heritage site and below that is a scene from the "River Runs Through It". The river widens and alders and Maple line the banks with the rim of the gorge 300 feet above. Imagine a day of fly fishing in your secret fishing spot.

Then the last stretch. Usually about this time your cold and ready to quit. If your lucky you can stop and checkout the secret petroglyphs along the river before heading in at Flaming Geyser State Park. The end of the gorge and the beginning of the Green River Valley.

At the end of this long day of rafting and picking up trash the Friends of the Green greeted us with a BBQ celebrating "Cinco de Mayo" and another successful day on the river.

I had hoped to spend more time with folks but I was ready to call it a day. Thanks to Friends of the Green and WRRR for their annual event and all the hard work they put in to this event. Thanks to Brenda Sexton, a journalist for the Enumclaw Herald for coming out to see what all the excitement is about. Thanks also to those from Cascade Land Conservancy, for taking the tour of the Green. We're hoping that CLC will play a bigger role in the future in protecting the Green River Gorge (Let them know preserving the Green River Gorge is important). Thanks to Tom O'keefe for his dedication to preserving the Green River Gorge and for being an advocate for the Middle Green. Last of all thanks to Casey Garland for another great day on the river.

See ya next year...

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Kanasket Launch	Casey, Our Guide	The Oasis Crew
On The River	Jeff Frost	Looking Back Towards Kanasket
Riverview 1	Jim	Jim
Jim	Experts Only!!	Riverview 2
Bald Eagle	Eagle Looking Over the Boaters	Eagle Looking Over the Boaters
Tom O'keefe and Jim	Ledge Drop II - 1	Ledge Drop II - 2
Ledge Drop II - 3	Riverview 3	Riverview 4
Riverview 5	Casey	Riverview 6
Riverview 7	Riverview 8	Riverview 9
Brenda and Jim	Stuck	Waiting for a Little Help