High Mountain Gem
I have a love affair with the Taylor Park Run. From the very start of my boating career it was something that was always there in my mind, something that I inevitably knew was not only possible, but might result in something long term fun as well. I had always known there was a river with good flows up in the park a ways above my house, and basic geology said that there should be a real good chance of glacial moraines running across the valley floor at some point. Plus it is all in National Forest land. So size + flows + access + favorable geology were all looking good. And when we finally went up there and had a look we did indeed find a real gem.
Although we inititially started putting on just above the Taylor Cataracts, we later discovered that putting on at the Rocky Brook/Trail Creek Road (the road to Spring Creek Res.) gave us a nice 15 minute flatwater warm up to stretch out and chit chat before the rapids begun.
Once the rapids begin, the biggest single drop of the run, the Cataracts of the Upper Taylor, comes up quick. This is an easy affair, with easy lines to follow, and some bigger holes to splash through or rocks to bounce off if you are on line. Staying in the main current and making small alterations will get a strong class II boater through here. The rapid peters out as it goes around the corner. The next half a mile is fairly junky at flows under 450. Above 500 it starts to clean up and become super fun class III- wonderland. The rapids clean up a bit and stay nice and consistent as you near Dinner Station campground. There is a small riverwide ledge in here that you usually go through without knowing it.
Although we inititially started putting on just above the Taylor Cataracts, we later discovered that putting on at the Rocky Brook/Trail Creek Road (the road to Spring Creek Res.) gave us a nice 15 minute flatwater warm up to stretch out and chit chat before the rapids begun.
Once the rapids begin, the biggest single drop of the run, the Cataracts of the Upper Taylor, comes up quick. This is an easy affair, with easy lines to follow, and some bigger holes to splash through or rocks to bounce off if you are on line. Staying in the main current and making small alterations will get a strong class II boater through here. The rapid peters out as it goes around the corner. The next half a mile is fairly junky at flows under 450. Above 500 it starts to clean up and become super fun class III- wonderland. The rapids clean up a bit and stay nice and consistent as you near Dinner Station campground. There is a small riverwide ledge in here that you usually go through without knowing it.
From Dinner Station there are no real river-wide rapids to speak of, but it stays busy, busier in some places, as it rambles through the park. It is basically a non-stop ride of small sleepers to avoid, big rocks to play in and around, and an occasional hole to splash through.
The takeout for this had been continually pushed back as we continued exploration down the park. At first we were taking out at the end of Dinner Station CG. Then we started taking out at the footbridge. Eventually we pushed it down to the Cow Camp at Pie Plant Ck. It was here that we found our first fence. Finally, a crew from BV (inccluding my friends Logan Myers, Jack Stockson, and others) pushed it all the way down to the reservoir. They reported several fences, one of which caused a minor epic. There was also reports of a shallow bridge and private property in the last mile. It seems now the best takeout is at a large parking lot just next to the river directly above this private property.
The takeout for this had been continually pushed back as we continued exploration down the park. At first we were taking out at the end of Dinner Station CG. Then we started taking out at the footbridge. Eventually we pushed it down to the Cow Camp at Pie Plant Ck. It was here that we found our first fence. Finally, a crew from BV (inccluding my friends Logan Myers, Jack Stockson, and others) pushed it all the way down to the reservoir. They reported several fences, one of which caused a minor epic. There was also reports of a shallow bridge and private property in the last mile. It seems now the best takeout is at a large parking lot just next to the river directly above this private property.
This run will never be "a classic". It's somewhat junky. It doesn't run that often, usually only a couple or few weeks a year. It's a long ways from just about anything (except the Upper Taylor, which is kind of far away anyway....), and while beautiful, there are no super amazing rapids. Still, for those of us that live in the valley, it is something special. It's a very high-alpine run, maybe one of the highest around in our basin short of the CB creeks. Above the right flow too it turns into a super fun romp through a whitewater playground. There is also something amazing about boating with a massive mountain range literally right next to you. Bottom line, it's just such an amazing change from our usual fare, and such a treat at certain levels, that it is easily a favorite.
Sequence of Zach Allen running the Cataracts, taken by his friend Zombie Marco.
The Map
All photos copyright Kit Davidson unless otherwise noted.