Escalante Creek - Escalante

This clean 8 foot drop is the first major rapid on the run and one of the best.  Load up your boof stroke using the curler at the lip for a classic cross-grain boof.

This drop is full of hazards.  At high water, there is a terrible recirculating hole against the river right wall (strong safety recommended).  The typical high water line is a center boof, but be wary of boofing too far to the left where a dangerous lurks.  In 2011 a boater was badly pinned for a long time in the sieve and lucky to get out of it unscathed.  At low water, the only line is the river right slide for which the rapid is named.

Most run descriptions call this class V, but I've never seen it look class V at low or high water.  The main danger is getting sideways and pinned in the second slot drop, otherwise it's two straightforward drops with a small eddy in between.

A unique rock feature creates a hazard midway down from the ledge that could rip a rib, face or anything in between.  At high water the boof gets better and better.  At low water the line is thin.

Running this rapid never feels quite right. The goal is to get a solid left stroke at the entrance to avoid getting slammed and flipped into the pillow of water deflecting off a rock on river left.  Watch a few lines and it will become apparent how the rapid gets its name.  If you get corkscrewed here, roll up fast because the riverbed is rocky and the crux gorge is quickly approaching.

If you've had your hands full up until now, scurry up the bank on the river left because the gorge is the crux of the run.  If you're feeling good, then get ready to enjoy this beautiful mini gorge with a fun set of rapids.  I don't know if there's an official name for the entrance rapid, but there's a notable set of drops at the entrance to the gorge and terminates in the pool above 57 Chevy.  Various lines are avaiable, but the last section usually goes best using an autoboof on the left side.

This is the rapid you probably scouted to check the level of the fin rock before putting on.  At low water, run the right side, at high water the left.  Be careful of the swirling eddy against the river right wall at the bottom of this drop.  57 Chevy and the double drop just below it become significantly more hazardous at high water.

This drop looks big and burly.  At higher flows the line is way wider and significantly easier. In high water years I've seen people stake out here and lap it over and over again with totally clean lines.  At low water the line is thin and people frequently fall backwards off the left side.  At any level this the falls is full of hazards.  It can be portaged fairly easily on river right, but having a second person to help lower boats will make the job easier.

A short slide feeds into a curler that tends to push people into the river left wall.  The entertainment factor can be high here.  Swimmers usually wind up befuddled in the pool below.  At low water this isn't class V because consequences are so low.  At high water the hole and boil at the bottom of this drop become significant.