| Sitkum — 2. Upper Sitkum™ © |
Class V
3Miles
River Mapplet
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GPS/GIS |
Maps |
| Zip Code : |
98331 |
General Area |
| Put In Longitude : |
-124.14152 |
Putin |
| Put In Latitude : |
47.9466133 |
| Take Out Longitude : |
-124.25737 |
Take Out |
| Take Out Latitude : |
47.9609795 |
| County : |
Sitkum |
Shuttle
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Gauge Information (Professor Paddle updated levels from CALAWAH RIVER NEAR FORKS, WA at 5/1/2025 1:25:36 AM)
| Gauge |
Forecast |
Height |
Current Flow |
Authority |
Physical Update |
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CALAWAH RIVER NEAR FORKS, WA
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n/a |
3.47 |
334 cfs
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USGS - NWIS |
2025-05-01 00:30:00 |
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Minimum Recomended Level: 2000 cfs Maximum Recomended Level: 4000 cfs
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AccessPretty easy, the run is "roadside", and by Roadside that means it has a road that runs down the river right side of it but it's a heinous/steep/inescapable gorge in places hike to get there. This ain't no Tumwater, it's the OP.
The shuttle directions are for the Upper, Middle, and lower sections. If you took out at the North Fork Sitkum you would have a short hike out and cut out the flat water lower section. The lower is class II but doesn't really have any rapids and you don't miss much. |
Putin DetailsFrom the Takeout:
1) Drive Upstream on FR-29 until you cross Brandeberry Creek, on the right is a small pullout, park here and walk upstream a bit and you can put in above the first 12 footer.
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Takeout DetailsFrom Port Angeles:
1) drive WEST on US 101 for 53.6 miles
2)turn LEFT onto SITKUM-SOL DUC RD which turns into FR-29 drive for roughly 10 miles until you cross Hyas creek.
There is a campground down by the river, this is your takeout. The takeout is just below the confluence of the Sitkum and the Calawah. |
 River Alerts ( Add Alert ) |
Pinned Forum Threads |
 Treat this run as an exploratory run, there is wood and a landslide that has deposited a bunch of wood that could easily move around - Posted by: Jed Hawkes on 11/27/2012 9:33:00 AM -
[Remove Alert]
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There are no forum threads pinned to this run.
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Other IssuesLarge landslide on the middle of the run. At our flows the easier portage was on river right. The landslide has put a bunch of wood in the river but it's all very manageable. It's mostly on big logjams that don't affect the rapids.
Apparently can be run very low, the rapids channelize really well and most of the main drops occur in steep walled gorges and cut the river's with way down.
at 2400 cfs @ calawah we had a good first time flow. |
Fun FactsA classic run in the making, combine the upper upper with the upper and middle and you have a world class run.
A very clean run that consists of lots of bedrock ledges, steep walls and one long class IV boulder garden.
If you ran the upper upper then took out at the North fork Sitkum you'd have a classic run. |
Run Description [Season: Rain]Put in above a 12 foot ledge, pretty straight forward.
As you move downstream more ledges pop up, scout accordingly. A bunch of stacked ledges off the bat until the gorge opens up again for a bit.
There are really three drops that stand out as bigger and more consequential than the rest.
The first is a logjam that you portage on the Left and then you can scout the first two drops, hard to get a good look at the landing zone of the big one. Portage Left if you don't want to run.
The Next is a walled in triple. The first tier drops you into a boiling pool (the ledge is similar to Terminator on the CC Lewis) and the riverwide hole that has a weak left side but if you got in there sideways you'd be pretty stuck. Scout and portage Right (tough portage). Tough to set safety.
The final spot is at the bottom of a boulder garden. Obvious horizon line, wood just over the final ledge. There is a runnable line high on the left side of the ledge but if you miss it your likely stern pinned pretty good.
Everything is real obvious and scoutable, most drops you can move around at river level with two exceptions, the sticky hole, and the third ledge of the trip. But if your looking to portage that drop you might want to hike out.
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