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Deception Creek    Fisher Creek to Tye River™ ©
Class V+
6.5Miles

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Put In Longitude : -121.19085 Putin
Put In Latitude : 47.6499367
Take Out Longitude : -121.19358 Take Out
Take Out Latitude : 47.7138977
County : King Shuttle

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  Fun Facts

"THIS is supposed to be FUN?!"


   Run Description

Ever put in at the Top Tye, and wondered what lay upstream of Deception Falls? I know I have. I'm sitting at my desk right now, contemplating how to communicate what was seen and experienced this past monday (6/22/09)   I'll start off by saying that Mike Lawson's first descent with Brian Zderic must have been epic!

The drops, the cataracts, and the portages, are all on a scale usually reserved to BC type missions. To quote Mike L: "There are inumerable class IV,V,VI drops that defy description" This couldn't be more true, and after completing the run with Rob M, Darren A, and JP, I'm sure no one will disagree. It took us 8 hours to complete the run (not including shuttle, or hike in time)--That's actual time on water!!! I'm not going to write a trip report, no one who runs this would, because if you were to try... it would go something like this: The first series of triple drops plunge through a deep gorge, dropping 30 feet, run left, then right, boof the ledge and get out immediately above the horizon line, the class V+ drops go on FOREVER. At one point, it took us 2 hours to travel a 1/2 mile, eddy hopping through the goods, setting 2 pitch portages above cliffed out gorges, and sending probes out to verify what we thought may be runnable. If anyone here wants the real beta, I can discuss it over a few pitches of beer, but you better leave the afternoon open, this one could take a while.

*** Submitted by Scott Waidelich (Fish) ***

jP's 2 cents (more like 53 cents):
Well, I certainly have no reason to dispute the words of my esteemed paddling buddy. I merely want to add my own perspective to help flesh out the description for this run. You may be reading this to be entertained, or you may genuinely be looking for beta. Regardless, go back and read Mike Lawson's account in the Bennett Book. It's more or less spot on, as Scott has stated.
   I just want to add that this isn't one of those runs you go for expecting rich rewards in terms of the whitewater you find. At least for me, I do a certain number of these kinds of runs in the spirit of exploration, to satisfy my curiosity, and yes, to check it of the list. Paddlers who choose to run class V runs like this should be very physically fit, and ready to use everything they got in their bag of tricks to get down the run. It is whitewater kayaking on a ridiculous level. Questions like, "why am I here?", and "THIS is FUN?" may pop into your head, and probably should.
   Prepare to scout every 30 feet or so. Do not spend your time unwisely and DO get an early start. Even the day after summer solstice, we barely had enough daylight, and our trip went smooth (carnage and antics notwithstanding). Definitely bring plenty of food and water (the disclaimer I include on all of these types of class V runs). Portaging was EXTREMELY difficult in places, to the point where, on the side of a 50 degree muddy slope, suddenly the idea of grasping Devil's Club for a handhold seems like a great idea! Portaging in here is potentially every bit as hazardous as any of the runnable water. Be ready to go for a downhill ski with your boat through the forest towards the very nightmarish cataracts you are trying to stay out of.
   Yes, ARDUOUS is the operative word describing this trip and others like them. As Fiddleyak said of the Upper Hamma Hamma (a run with a similar pain to pleasure ratio)"The run doesn't reward you, but it tests you". And this is what you should be going in to find. It's not the heart thumping stress you feel above a huge gnarly drop with a sweet but thin line, or the orgasmic bliss you feel time and time again as you rally Gettin Busy or boof Wishbone. It's the subtle stress that slowly works on you in the background, slowly fatiguing you, slowly eroding your resolve, and even your ability to maintain the precise balance you need while paddling, scouting, and portaging. Just getting in and out of your boat in such an environment requires tenacity.
   Then again, today's cutting age class V+ paddlers with an eye for class VI (i.e. video stars and record breakers) might consider taking a serious look in here for something to roll tape on. I'm sure Tao must've checked it out at some point, and maybe the class VI drops are simply unrunnable and/or choked full of wood. The fact is that I (like others on the trip, for the most part) considered many of these mammoth cataracts off limits for myself. And due to time constraints I just portaged, never really getting a clear glimpse of the beasts that lay half asleep in those cracks in the earth. Someone serious about picking off the more epic drops in there would need to rope up and rap in to have a suitable look. For this reason, my advice for the top end paddlers would be to hike in first with ropes and a harness, without boats, and figure out what they want to tackle. I caught a glimpse of one such walled in monster- a narrow hallway of solid granite focused a smoothly uniform sloping slide of water with NO EDDIES straight over some 40+ footer into oblivion. It may have been the one with a huge oldgrowth choking up its base, or I could be confusing it with one of the others...
   If you like a strenuous challenge like this, have at it. Contact us or someone who's done it (good luck finding too many people who have). Whatever you do, don't go in there with some random group. I went when I did because I really trust those who invited me, so when the opportunity presented itself (this run had been on my list since I moved to Washington), I simply had to take it. It was one of those "Seize The Moment" moments. I wouldn't call it "Fun", and I likely won't go in there again, but having said that I'm glad I ran it, and I enjoyed the trip! (somehow!)

--jP--



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Beta Trail    
SubmissionBeta Submitted BySubmitted On
jP's 6/23/2009 Run SubmissionjP6/23/2009 7:12:00 PM
James's 4/9/2007 Run SubmissionJames4/9/2007 8:26:00 PM

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