Cascade River Sept 21-24

Just back from four days in the Cascade River valley, one of the first initiations into the complexities of fieldwork along the Alpine Fault in South Westland. The target was to find dateable material in earthquake-deformed post-LGM glacial silts to constrain the glacial and earthquake records and then to map out the extent and timing of other Quaternary deposits. Geomorphically the central Cascade valley is one of the most complicated areas of New Zealand- it has the greatest diversity of rock types anywhere in NZ, it has the longest glacial record of any single valley in NZ, it has two enormous 1 km^3 rock avalanche deposits, two former rock avalanche produced lakes, three youthful gorges that were cut after these rock avalanches, partial inundation during sea level highstands, major recent stream piracies and reorganizations, young slips, active and abandoned fans, pressure ridges, terminal moraines, multiple active fault traces, and it is constantly being lengthened by dextral slip on the plate boundary. In short it is a land of mystery and intrigue just waiting to be unraveled.

        Luxurious McKay Creek Camp (no sarcasm intended)

The helicopter flight in went without event, though I never tire of the views. We made quick work setting up camp and headed off for a solid half day of collecting samples from key outcrops, finding new ones, and mapping out the heavily bushed terra incognita between the two traces of the Alpine Fault. It rained much of the day.

        Collecting glacial silts on a scarp of the Alpine Fault (through saddle in distance)

        Tarn on a large rock avalanche deposit

After a frosty but bright morning, day 2 was spent mapping some lateral moraines and then climbing up the ultramafic Red Hills for a view of the valley below and of the Mt Raddle headscarp. We chose a less than ideal route on the way up but set things right on the way down. While Gen and I geologized, Tammo botanized the straggly plants doing what they can to live on the toxic soils. Once back on the valley floor we finished the day off with some newly found exposures of the glacial silts which exhibit large wavelength folds here.

        Looking at the headscarp of the Mt Raddle slope failure

Descending the Red Hills

Day 3 (heavier frost!) we crossed the Cascade and revisited the Saddle Creek Alpine Fault outcrop to collect samples for dating. We collected fault gouge formed as a mixture between fault gouge formed at depth and abrasion against young river gravels with the hopes of finding dateable material mixed in. We then headed up some previously unvisited fault parallel creeks which eerily lacked water. No outcrops of geomorphology of use though we were clearly on the trace of the fault for much of the time.

        Alpine Fault footwall rocks faulted against hangingwall Quaternary gravels

        And the corresponding fault scarp in the bush

The last day I got to put my packraft to full use to document the last outcrops along the Cascade River I had yet to reach. These outcrops were either in uncrossable sections of the river or adjacent to a deep pool. I suited up and set off downstream, initially making excellent time as I paddled through minor riffles and passed outcrops I had already visited. That all changed when I reached the gateway to the main gorge and was presented with an absolutely stunning 20m tall by 200m long outcrop with some of the most incredible and intricate rock avalanche textures I have ever seen. Some of the textures resemble major shear zones in faults but the amazing thing is that all the textures I saw formed in one event seconds long, not thousands of years of earthquakes. This outcrop completely rekindled my interest in rock avalanches (big rocky landslides) and hopefully I'll get the chance to do some more work on it. Fingers crossed my collected samples contain dateable material! I could have easily spent hours here but time was ticking to get to my destination before the chopper arrived.

        Above and below: amazing rock avalanche textures

I passed many more rock avalanche deposit outcrops in the quick moving gorge, my attention divided between the rocks and not-inconsequential rapids. Due to time mental notes and a quick photo often had to suffice. A couple rapids I had to scout to be able to determine the safe passage through log and boulder gardens. I was being quite productive despite enjoying the wilderness and having lots of fun. The river would have been too low for a whitewater kayak but my Alpacka excelled where others would have scraped and beached.

Upon exiting the gorge I noticed an upcanyon wind had begun to whip at me. Bugger! All of a sudden I was behind schedule and paddled hard against the wind to recover some time. The open stretch near Woodhen Creek afforded excellent views of the surrounding mountains and some interesting observations on river genesis where the river had jumped its bed several years before and was now working to smooth out a new course through what was once bush.

What happens when a cubic kilometer of rock bulldozes a swamp at high speed? Incredible deformation including fluidization of river gravels and even logs!

I made great progress through the Cascade rock avalanche gorge, outcrops of which I had already documented at length. However one last surprise was in store at the last outcrop where the rock avalanche absolutely reamed the tree-ed swamp on the valley floor. Here I marveled and quickly documented the incredible deformation and grabbed some super-primo wood detritus for radiocarbon dating which should reliably date the age of the rock avalanche and potentially an Alpine Fault earthquake that may have triggered it. Once around the last bend the river gradient dropped dramatically through the braided river flats of the lower Cascade. I took out at Charlies Bump just in time to see the chopper deliver Gen and Tammo back at the car. I hurried best I could to meet them. In all a most productive few days and with any luck we will turn up with some useful dates to help us unravel the complex Quaternary history of the Cascade Valley. Thanks to Gen and Tammo.

Marble Fork Kaweah River Aug 30

Some fellow canyoners were planning a late season descent of the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River (aka Chrysalis) the same long weekend we would be staying nearby with family and the opportunity was too great to pass up. There was a large group of us, eight or so, all keen to see what this canyon is about. It's the only classic I know of in the Sierra Nevada that is cut mostly through metamorphic rock, including beautiful banded marble. We left Lake Kaweah as the heat of the day was starting to set in and drove through Sequoia National Park and up the General's Highway to our start. I had spent much time in the general vicinity caving and was fearing the worst. Fortunately my fears were unfounded and we saw surprisingly little poison oak, all easily avoidable. 

Suiting up at the edge of the river we saw that water levels were very low but still flowing steadily. The water temperatures were initially quite cold (much of the water originates from cave systems) but improved as we worked our way downstream. We boulder hopped our way past a towering cliff of banded blue marble, then swam a couple pools to the edge of the world view from the top of the technical section. The main falls drops 140ft out of sight from a sobering perch. We had little trouble but could understand the warnings given about the hydraulics at higher flow. It was a great start to the canyon but unfortunately also the best part.

About a half dozen raps followed, some into beautiful pools, the rocks always grabbing my attention. The canyon soon opened up into more of a steep gorge which didn't have the same wow factor but afforded excellent views of Panorama Peak in the distance. We generally made good time. I found a clean 25ft jump into a bottomless pool at our lunch spot and most of us took laps on it

At what appeared to be the final rap I was disappointed to see the bolt anchor completely avoided the last waterfall in favor of a chossy corner so I rigged a different route down the falls and through a neat boulder cave. Some creative theatrics allowed for an easy pull once everyone was down. We were expecting a much longer canyon but soon found people bathing in a pothole which signaled our exit trail. The exit trail was much much longer than I remembered (I had hiked up the bottom years before), longer still from the neoprene and intense heat of the Sierra foothills. The canyon would be much more satisfying at higher flows but I think my curiosity is satisfied fr the foreseeable future. Thanks to the gang.

Mineral King Aug 29, 31

My parents arranged for us to stay in a rustic cabin in Mineral King valley, the old family favorite. Though it had been many years since I last was in Mineral King, I was surprised and somewhat relieved to see how little had changed. The same old windy, cliff hugging one lane mountain road, except with the added challenge of increased traffic due to the holiday weekend. An early morning start from Riverside through the Mojave ensured we missed holiday traffic. We stopped at Atwell Mill for the traditional hike down to the nice waterfall on the river. As soon as we stepped out of the car we saw our first bear, looking on at us more cautiously than curiously.

After Saturday's canyon adventure we all went for a hike up to Eagle Lake. I was sure to pack all the luxuries: hammock, packraft, etc. Despite the drought the meadows still looked to be in relatively decent shape. The colorful splashes of metamorphic rocks no less fascinating than I remembered. The final hill climb was longer but no more challenging than in my memory. It was nice and warm up by the lake, perfect for a leisurely lunch. Almost everyone had a go at paddling the packraft around the lake and napping between two foxtail pines.

Sara and I were looking for a bit more of a hike so I left some of the unnecessities with my parents and brother to take down. I always wanted to do a traverse from Eagle to White Chief valley which would take in some nice alpine wilderness and allow me to show Sara some of the interesting karst features in White Chief (though the day was quickly getting on). We boulder scrambled our way up the obvious route and the head of the lake which afforded spectacular views of this unique area of the Sierra Nevada (frontispiece). Once on top we walked through gnarled clusters of foxtail pines, sentinels of the granite slickrock and scree. At the saddle down to White Chief Lake we ran into a friendly ranger who chatted us up for a bit before we headed on. He talked up the route down into the glacial cirque of White Chief but we found it very straightforward. I had never been in the valley this late in the day so it was neat to see it in a different light.

        Seldom seen White Chief Lake

Unfortunately there was not much time for caving but we did walk into the entrance of Shower Cave for a quick look before high-tailing it down to the main trail. We were hiking out a bit later than I hoped but ended up timing the hike just right to see the last golden light touch the peaks on the north side of the valley.

The trip felt short but it was a great weekend away, the first real one I had since settling back in to southern California. It was even better to be able to spend some quality time with Sara and my family in a special place I have not been in quite a while. Thanks to all of them.

N.F. Kings River July 26

My first weekend back in southern California and nothing to do. I was without a home and my office was not really set up yet. It was the perfect excuse to get out of town for a trip and fortunately I found a group of canyoners that were headed to a canyon I have wanted to visit for years: the North Fork of the Kings River, just north of Kings Canyon National Park. It has a reputation as one of the wetter and wilder classics in the Sierra Nevada, complete with waterfall rappels to 150ft, countless jumps up to and in excess of 80ft, slides, and bottomless potholes, all in a relatively inescapable gorge. An early start Friday afternoon got Dan (my carpool buddy) and I through the worst of Friday LA traffic and we made good time out to the campground. We past the very sad, very low Pine Creek Reservoir, an obvious victim of California's prevailing drought to arrive at camp just before dusk. I readied my gear for the next day while meeting people trickling into camp. A friendly bunch.

The exact number of people on the trip seemed to fluctuate but eventually the intelligent decision was made to split the group in two, with a smaller group running the shorter, upper canyon and a larger group running the lower canyon, then switching for Sunday if interest was maintained. Since the lower canyon can take more than 12 hours to run, the smaller the group and the earlier the start, the better. I slept well in the surprisingly warm night.

Everyone was relatively quick leaving camp early next morning but by the time we completed the car shuttle the morning was advancing. At the last minute I decided to bring my lifejacket, which was the best decision I would make that day! We strolled down the old road and suited up by the river. While suiting up an enormous group appeared, over 30 young guns on a bachelor party! None of us were thrilled by this big group as it had all the right potential to make our day longer. We let them play on ahead, certain we had not seen the last of them. One of our team ran up to the parking lot to see if the other two missing members of our group were still there- they had got the meeting place wrong. The canyon begins with one spectacular free-flying 50ft jump, often called the Entrance Exam. The others opted for the less spine rattling rappelling option. This was followed by the first of many long swims which made me appreciate my life jacket immensely.

        Entrance Exam: starting big with a 50ft jump

After scouting, two more jumps followed, about 22ft followed by 16ft. One of our group had a mental block and was unable to convince his body to make the jump. We waited for what seemed like forever (and in actuality was a considerable amount of time). He waited until !another group! appeared from upcanyon that could give him a belay. This trip was looking to turn into a disaster: at least three groups, someone in our group that is unwilling to jump in a canyon nicknamed Jump Canyon, a generally slow and non-cohesive group overall, several hours wasted, and we were only barely into the start of the canyon.

Some uninteresting scrambling led to the next section of waterfalls into great big enormous pools. Down one waterfall, then the next, found us at the top of an impressive 150ft falls that we would be going right through the meat of it. We arrived just as the last of the bachelor party descended and so avoided any delay. Being the most experienced I tried to give everyone a crash course in canyon signalling before heading down. The force of the water was stronger than anticipated in a couple places. It was easily the nicest rappel in the canyon. Everyone managed the falls without incident and all seemed to really enjoy it. We were not that far into the canyon but people snacked since it was already lunchtime somehow. We saw two more groups stacked up at the top of the 150ft waterfall which was our cue to make some serious tracks. None of us were interested in completing this canyon in the dark!

        On the 150ft falls

Several slides, jumps and downclimbs followed until a dramatic horizonline signaled a lovely 80ft rappel alongside twin waterfalls. Beautiful potholes along this stretch, some of the best I have seen anywhere. Also some of the cleanest large jumps I have seen anywhere in a canyon. Best of all the water was exceptionally warm, the absolute perfect temperature as we swam across enormous pools, in some cases over 1000ft long. A notable 30ft jump was followed by an interesting rappel behind a rooster-tailing waterfall. To head downcanyon it was necessary to swim through a misty corridor known as the Rainbow Room. It was a very cool feature. Unfortunately the rope was jammed so I jumared up and reset it for a cleaner pull. One more drop and it was time for second lunch. The canyon very obviously opened up at this point and it was clear the best of the canyon must now be behind us. A quick look at the topo map revealed we still had a lot of canyon left to traverse.

This middle section had much less drop and was overall milder. The waterfalls were shorter and broken up by incredibly long swims including three to 1000ft. Once again I was thrilled to have my lifejacket! The rest of the group seemed less adept at scrambling over the slippery boulders so I frequently had to find a shady spot in the water to beat the heat while I waited five to ten minutes. There was a lot of scrambling! Also some excellent potholes. One pothole in particular was off the main river and thus had still and clear waters. I could see down over 20ft as the edge of the pothole faded into a bottomless blue. One of my favorites ever.

        One of my favorite potholes

At the end of this stretch the canyon picked up a bit more steam with some larger waterfalls, eventually culminating in an impressive 400ft waterfall which was bypassed in the interest of time. The canyon was still not done with us yet. Even after seeing the piping strapped to the cliff downstream (marking the powerhouse at our exit) the challenges continued. One of the greatest challenges was a surprisingly impenetrable rockpile. I awkwardly abseiled between rocks, only to find an easy rabbit hole for the others to pass through. One final waterfall and we were at the powerhouse. I gorged myself on food and drink in the parking lot as we waited for the others to complete the car shuttle. We got to talking with the other two groups, which arrived just as it started to get dark. It ended up being a needlessly long day but the trip was great fun nonetheless and now I have a pretty good group of people for canyon trips in southern California. Although the Sierra season is more or less over in my opinion (I'd rather see the canyons when the flow provides some level of challenge), I can't wait for the next season to kick in.

Thanks to Freddy and the gang for having me

Rio Grande Gorge July 19

It was my last weekend in New Mexico so I am glad I got to spend it in an area I had not been before. A friend was having a get together up at her place in Taos which seemed like the perfect excuse to get away. I was eager to do some packrafting on the Rio Grande in its youthful gorge as I heard there were some classic kayak runs. The river was running at about 500 cfs, unusually high for this time of year as they have been getting good rains up there. Lots of people seemed eager to innertube so I came up with a short relatively mild 2 mile stretch of water with access at each end. We started at the John Dunn Bridge and floated a short distance to the John Dunn hot springs right at the river's edge. After a good time soaking in the warm waters, we re-mounted our vessels and floated on down through several small riffles. This stretch of river had no road; for such a short stretch it felt wonderfully isolated. Before long we floated by the others who had just started fishing and pulled in just after Manby hot springs. Another nice long soak then we started up the trail to the rim. Nice views of the stretch of river we had traversed as we climbed the trail.

        John Dunn Hot Springs

        Manby Hot Springs

        The Rio Grande Gorge

By the time Sara and I returned to the car we didn't have enough time to do some of the longer more committing runs so we chose the Racecourse, a 5 mile stretch of supposed Class III-IV, further down the gorge south of Taos. This had the main highway adjacent to the river for the entire run so was not very committing and we thought we would have a good chance of hitching back to the start. We started a little after 5pm which meant we had the whole river to ourselves. Though Class IV and even Class III seemed like a stretch, Sara still managed to rip a hole in my packraft and bust a paddle. After some repairs we were able to keep running. Thunder rolled overhead and rain fell. The storm light was dramatic and beautiful, an absolute delight.

The first half seemed to have the bigger rapids, with the biggest features occurring in the middle of the run. Sara made it through them without any issue, no fear punching through the messy waves. After about an hour and a half we reached the County Line take-out, by which time is was exceptionally windy. We carefully cleaned and packed the rafts making sure gear did not blow away and changed out of our wetsuits. We then walked the couple hundred feet to the pullout on the road and got an easy hitch within five minutes from a local family. When they asked us where our boats were (expecting they were hidden in the bushes) we pointed to our bags and they were impressed- packrafts are the best! I hope I get to use mine again before long.

Thanks to Sara and the others.