TR: Upper Cherry Creek - June 16, 2007

[Gerome]

Last month I went in with a group to fire off Upper Cherry Creek. The place is beyond words when it comes to whitewater, pure granite bedrock everywhere you look, fantastic slides and teacups galore. The work involves an 11 mile hike to put-in followed by two days of substantial paddling. We were going in on the low side of runnable so the upper section was scrapey, but that made Cherry Bomb Gorge and Double Pothole almost mandatory.

I visited this run in 2002 and walked plenty of stuff. But going back in this time I planned to run plenty of the drops I cautiosly avoided. With only 8 days of paddling this season, I was not crisp, but I wanted it.

I was waiting to get video from my buddies of day two since my camera took a technicolor yawn, but we lagged, so here's to the stoke

The animated version of the first day:



And the static version:

Upper Cherry Creek
north of Tuolumne Meadows



kayakbackpack


A granite dome gorge to start off the day


Aprehension on the scout in Cherry Bomb: one kayaker pitoned a rock at the bottom of a drop downstream of here


The calm before the storm: well into Cherry Bomb Gorge with Cherry Bomb still looming downstream - a 30 foot slide to ski jump with a 10 to 15 foot drop followed by infinite teacups


The monster known as Cherry Bomb


And the teacups that follow


Releif at the campfire after finishing day one, or apprehension about Double Drop to start off day two? Some, but mostly just pure exaustion from the hike and paddle so far.


Let's get the day started with a nice clean 30 footer


The Double Drop is a 25 foot pothole followed by a 10 foot pothole. That is the reward. The work to get there consisted of an uber manky narrow slot


followed by a second, even narrower manky slot directly into an ugly pillow


from which you had to line it up


and huck. I initially decided to run the 30 footer and walk around, but once I was amped up from the 30 footer, I went after Double Drop. My line was ugly. My bow surged to the right after the first slot, and was pushed by the center rock above the second slot. The rock pushed me backwards and upside down through the second slot. I ended up in the forever-eddy to the left of the nasty pillow. I had no idea what the pillow would do to me, but with only one choice, I peeled out, broke through the pillow and lined it up for the big drop.


Downstream, we continued with some fun slides and falls


And were finally rewarded when Cherry Lake came into view.

[ridinshockgun]

Ok, that's some good shit right there.

Very nice, and the scenery is unbelievable.

I love the still shot in the video of the yellow boat flying on edge.

[Gerome]

Ok, that's some good shit right there.

Very nice, and the scenery is unbelievable.

I love the still shot in the video of the yellow boat flying on edge.

The money shot! that was Bosquin on a second round a couple days later. They were in Cherry Bomb earlier during the day and had good daylight.

[Trackhead]

One of the best TR's on TGR, whether it be skiing, climbing, or whatever.

Great pics!

[RootSkier]

Yeah! FKNA. God damn I gotta go boating in California. God damn.

edit; that is definitely the lowest level I've seen on footy from Upper Cherry, but still, I'd hit it.

[DamRepublican]

that was def some very nice TR-ing and some major kick ass yakking, pillow fighting is def sketchy

edit: to add you all paddle with a c1-er (in the vid) just caught it the second time through, saweeet!

[Yonder_River]

What a classic run, I need to get on some of that Cali granite soon!

Great photos, watching that vid made my ass sore though.

[Tunco]

Great TR.

[smolakian]

That's awesomely SICK...getting me really pumped up to boat this afternoon. Even though it will be at about 1/100th of the level of that insanity.

[Dhelihiker]

First you you talk about kayaking in front of us, now your posting videos and pics all over the web- does it make you feel like a big man to blatently cheat on your skiing friends? You sick kayaker you

[mtcham]

That is one awesome looking run and great photos. Thanks for sharing!!

[Imz]

How do you get all the monkey fur out of the kayak? (hehe)

[Harv]

sick TR thanks for sharing. damm cali is so good...wilderness...granite...clean drops...I am trying to remember why I didn't move to Auburn after college...oh yeah...she just reminded me...

[Kellie]

Holy shit - wow indeed! That granite looks so damn cool - way to slay it!

[Dhelihiker]

Bump for RADDDDness

[RootSkier]

bump5678

[Flaskman]

I love the way you guys bump these old threads...otherwise I woulda missed 'em!

Great stuff!!!