Eel River below Middle Fork confluence

Springtime of a cold snowy year is a good time to run the main Eel. Although flows might be low, Memorial Day offers a good long weekend. As long as the middle fork Eel contributes moderate flows from snowmelt, this stretch remains runnable in canoes or kayaks, often well into June. A railroad follows the river, but was shut down (permanently?) in 1998. Railroad debris in the channel often detracts from the scenery, but could be considered historic.

Rapids on the Eel can change radically from year to year. For example, at low flows in May 2000, we encountered several class III rapids in the so-called easy section before Spyrock. In his 1974 guidebook West Coast River Touring, Dick Schwind alludes to a rapid that moved downstream 300 yards between 1967 and 1969!

Disregard the Holbek/Stanley writeup that claims this is a III-IV run above 3000 cfs. Even as high as 6000 cfs my buddies report nothing more than class III+ rapids. Mile 201 rapid, because it contains huge boulders, used to become big class III+ at high flows, but at lower flows is just class II+, and reports indicate it's not that hard now even at high flows. Some people feel the main Eel could be catarafted as high as 25000 cfs. Although earlier editions said 20000 cfs, Cassady/Calhoun's 3rd edition recommends 10000 cfs as the maximum flow, perhaps because one rapid gets tough at that flow: Island Mountain Falls, 30 miles below Dos Rios.

At most flows, Island Mountain Falls is a class III+, with narrow slot then boulder jumble leading to a 4' drop into a reversal, best run right of center. Island Mountain Falls is difficult to scout; many boaters don't scout it, but railroad tracks on the left create easy access if you do want to scout. Recent reports indicate it is solid class IV as flows approach 8000 cfs, with an advisable sneak route down left channel. It may get more difficult, due to big eddy lines and refraction waves, at higher flows. Scott Cochran reports encountering it at 10000 cfs: they waited overnight for flows to drop, and even around 9000 cfs, Scott reports that the left channel move was tricky due to eddy fences. Kekawaka Rapid wasn't that tough at 9000 cfs.

The Cassady/Calhoun writeup is more useful. At lower flows, Spyrock and Mile 201 rapid are only class II+, not class III as rated. However, other class III rapids appear that are not listed in the guidebook. Ones I remember were .5 mile below Spyrock, 1 mile above Blue Rock creek, just above the North Fork confluence, and shortly below the confluence. In 2003 the rapid just above the North Fork was a class IV- ferry to avoid a monster hole spanning the outside of a right bend. In 2003 the rapid shortly below the North Fork was class IV- around a huge midstream hole at 11000 cfs. Kekawaka Rapid (5 miles! above Kekawaka Creek, shortly above the tunnel exit) seems to be true class III at almost any flow. At high flows a river-wide hole develops just above Kekawaka, with the only good route a small tongue on the very far right against a boulder. Of course the location of these rapids could change from year to year. There is plenty of flatwater, or rather gently moving water at moderate flows. Except for Island Mountain Falls, and to a lesser extent Kekawaka, most rapids are wide open and relatively unobstructed.

Camping and scenery are good, as advertised, with plenty of sandy beaches that make for fine camping in dry weather. Water quality is quite good. At flows under 1500 cfs the water is clear and green and deliciously warm. Over 2000 cfs, the water turns light green from whitish silt, with clarity to a depth of almost a meter. The river does turn brown at high flows. There are plenty of good hikes up side canyons. Streams on the left bank are cooler and better for purification. The infamous afternoon headwinds sometimes do not occur, although they can be bad (check weather forecasts for troublesome “windy” or “breezy” predictions). The section of river with no railroad (from Island Mountain to Kekawaka Creek) has the best scenery, so you might want to camp in that section, before the river completes its horseshoe bend by turning east towards the exit tunnel.

	Railroad dumpcar spans 3/4 of the channel
Vulture hoping for a kayaker meal

Good large open campsite above Spyrock	Spyrock rapid, shown from below Spyrock

Early morning across the river from camp	Canyon view downstream from camp

14' raft sets up nicely for Island Mountain Falls	Taking the drop right on the tongue

Railroad enters tunnel at horseshoe bend	House and defunct boxcar at tunnel exit

The canyon opens up near Alderpoint	Artificial selection: no-rattle rattlesnake?

Below Alderpoint, the gradient tapers off and becomes class I-II for 6 miles to Fort Seward. According to Cassady/Calhoun, it is similar for the next 18 miles to Eel Rock. As you go downstream, scenery gets better, with deeper forests and fewer grass-covered hills. Below Eel Rock there are roads (not just railroad) along the river. Going all the way to the south fork confluence in Dyerville would greatly simplify your shuttle. Rocky Contos (jcontos@ucsd.edu) has paddled all the way to Fernbridge, and made these remarks:

Below Eel Rock are another 60-80 miles of class 0-I+ water. It's very scenic along the way. I really enjoyed it. It would be boatable all year long.

Vandalism of vehicles has been reported more than once at Alderpoint. Also, the take-out there (river left above the bridge) might involve a long walk across a gravel bar, wading across an inlet, then climbing a steep dirt trail. Moreover, shuttle drivers in Alderpoint usually want you to pick them up in Alderpoint, which is inconvenient for boaters coming from the south. All this is why Uncle Andy Hertz recommends taking out at Fort Seward instead of Alderpoint. This makes the run 6 miles longer, but the take-out is more pleasant and much easier: you can always drive right down to the beach.

For shuttle drivers, try contacting Rick and Sharon Doty in Alderpoint 707-926-5444, or possibly the Alderpoint General Store 707-926-5408. Going price is $200 for the full shuttle starting at Dos Rios, and $100 per additional vehicle (2009). Dos Rios has no shuttle drivers of whom we are aware, but the nearby towns of Willits and Covelo might.

Overall, it's a run worth doing at least once if you are a rafter, and more times if you are a canoeist or self-supported kayaker. Low-water runs offer incomparable warm-water swimming and great camping. I'm often amazed that Californians drive long distances to float rivers in Idaho or Utah, when this one is right in their backyard.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

This amusing story first appeared in the Paddle Tales section of Paddler magazine's February 1994 issue.

© 1994, 2003 Frost Saufley

Full of adventure, but short on insight, we were planning to paddle the main stem of Northern California's Eel River in a 13-foot aluminum canoe with a one-inch keel. Hardly the boat of choice for a 47-mile, three-day run through Class III whitewater flowing at a respectable 3500 cfs. Plus, Craig sat in front, though he outweighed me by 40 pounds. Between us, in dry bags, sat steaks, a box of wine, a handgun (for shooting wild pigs) and other necessities. Our four inches of freeboard looked mighty precarious.

We stayed upright until Spyrock Rapid (mile 13). There, while riding some haystacks, we plowed our virtually submerged canoe into a hidden rock. The canoe's one thwart popped free of its rivets and proceeded downstream with our food bag. I swam the rest of the rapid holding onto our personal dry bags.

Without its thwart, the canoe taco-ed in ensuing rapids, allowing water to pour in and capsize us easily. This led to the conclusion that lining most rapids was the smarter thing to do. We camped at the halfway point. Craig drank the box of wine, and we ate dinner rolls (our only food).

The second day, while lining yet another rapid, the current ripped the line from my hands while Craig was kicking the stern free. Once more the canoe capsized; Craig dove in after its contents, while I raced around the bend on land to rescue what he couldn't. Using dry bags for flotation, Craig disappeared over a four-foot waterfall and recirculated nicely in its reversal. This turned out to be Island Mountain Falls. We were now down to one paddle, a trashed canoe, our dry bags, and no food. We left the canoe at a railroad switching station (tracks followed the river on the hillside above) and started walking on the tracks 17 miles to the take-out. Here, the Eel went around a mountain, while the railroad tracks went through it.

Halfway through the half-mile long tunnel we noticed a single bright light headed towards us from the other end. Somehow getting run over by a train seemed in line with our luck so far on this trip. Craig allowed as how he would pin himself against the tunnel wall to avoid the train. I jettisoned my dry bag and headed for daylight like the medal-winning sprinter I once was.

Turned out the train was slowing to a crawl, since it was changing crews at the switching station just outside the tunnel. The new conductor gave us and our battered canoe a ride back to the put-in and even stopped the train after spotting our food bag in an eddy. The thwart was still attached!

 Creeks Navigation

 Sponsored Links