Whitewater Forum: Tumwater falls

Tumwater falls

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Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7821
Printed Date: 04 May 2025 at 10:09pm

Topic: Tumwater falls

Posted By: Kiwi
Subject: Tumwater falls
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2009 at 10:10pm

just had to ask, has anybody run any of the falls? the lower looks runnable, but the line is super thin, any mistake would stuff you in a pothole or slam you into a wall.

Replies:

Posted By: wallyworld
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2009 at 10:10am

Not that I know of. It's a shame the bottom drop isn't cleaner, it would a great section for laps. I've lived in Oly for a while and have looked at that bottom drop at almost every water level imaginable. The entrance cleans up around 7K, but the hole at the bottom throws off the tides at that level.

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let's go get it

Posted By: franzhorner
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2009 at 10:13am

Fish ran this falls in a Stiletto with a boogie board for a floor. It wasn't completely successful from what I know, but, he lived. Jim Sheflo has a picture of his run....
not recommended.....

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MORE RAIN PLEASE

Posted By: franzhorner
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2009 at 10:14am

Originally posted by franzhorner

Fish ran this falls in a Stiletto with a boogie board for a floor. It wasn't completely successful from what I know, but, he lived. Jim Sheflo has a picture of his run....
not recommended.....

I believe this was done in the infancy of Fish's Stiletto career if I have the story straight....

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MORE RAIN PLEASE

Posted By: Fish
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2009 at 11:09am

I do have the first descent of Tumwater falls! I dropped the falls back in 1999 in an inflatable kayak. Chris Wilson has the 2nd descent back in 2003.

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Posted By: wallyworld
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2009 at 11:14am

Hey Fish; how'd the respective runs turn out? If memory serves there was a rather large log blocking the exit from the pothole in 2003.

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let's go get it

Posted By: Fish
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2009 at 11:34am

Lower Tumwater falls is marginally runnable at extreme high flows, which opens up the far right line. When i ran it, my stern was heavy (lack of floatation) and caught the left flowing current and drug me into the undercut left wall. I was trapped subsurface for nearly a minute plus, before i flushed to the public park below. This was, as Horner pointed out, my first entry into waterfall running in the late 90's, and i was a big drop novice at the time.
I have run all the upper drops, and all the filler rapids many times, each time being kicked out of the park by the land caretakers or cheered by spectators. For those interested in running this drop, be sure to have a fast boat, this isnt a finesse falls, this is a clear the undercut on the left falls. I do have plans to run it again, but next time i'll do it with a smile!

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Posted By: Kiwi
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2009 at 4:59pm

Originally posted by Fish

this isnt a finesse falls, this is a clear the undercut on the left falls. I do have plans to run it again, but next time i'll do it with a smile!

haha

but at high flows doesn't it look like a exploding hole of death to the left with all that water pouring over that shelf?

I was thinking at around 500 or so in the right channel starting center with a right angle and speed and just flying onto the far right shelf after the flow divides and half goes into the pothole/wall.

oh, and I would really like to see those pictures!

Posted By: Kiwi
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2009 at 5:07pm

oh, and whats the line on the top falls?

as far as I can tell it looks shallow almost everywhere, and at high flows the entire thing turns into a death flush. and there are no fines for running it?

just getting kicked out?

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