I am looking to run tumwater canyon on the wenatchee maybe this weekend.  I know they are doing that race at Chaos and could probably hook up with boaters that way but I have never ran it before and am looking for someone to show me the way down.  From what I have read its a IV-IV+ at lower levels? 

Edited by theim - 17 Aug 2012 at 11:46am

at 1500cfs people will sandbag it and call it IV but as far as I'm concerned it's a IV-V run, the wall is a long rapid and you should have good class IV+ read and run skills to really enjoy it, also a solid boof stroke never hurts.

I added a little to the Tum description and it's true, above 1700 the run is more V than anything. Below 1500 still 4 class V drops and the other half dozen or more drops are class IV-ish. Have a boof and a roll or don't put on. That said many people will put on, deal through The Wall and Chaos, walking POW and Exit. Or just take out at the rusty bridge altogether. I'll be on a slow lap on Sun if you're around, theim.

Well I think it would definitely be a step up for me, though I think I could pull it off. However, to error on the side of caution I think I will hone my skills a bit more before I take the plunge on this one. Thanks for all the input though.

You can also do the Dam to Rusty Bridge section, and walk Chaos for a bit more of a class IV experience. Upper Tum is a good option as well with some III's and IV's. The House run is quick with a few drops packed in to a short stretch. Make no mistake, the 4 big drops in Tum are V at any level.

I've noticed a trend in the last couple of years, especially with newer boaters that are 'feeling good', to downgrade the severity of a drop/run, or severity of a particular feature, like the wood on the Truss, or caves on the Little White. General river classifications generally describe a certain physical difficulty level. These classifications also warrant a certain level of emotional/mental aptitude as well. They also don't JUST describe with a single numeral these things, but also describe a level of awareness and ability to act when the S H I T goes down the tubes. Can you hit your buddy 50 feet away with a rope? I'm not saying your name needs to be Arnold to paddle class V. I AM saying it might be MORE prudent in certain situations to quietly say "I'll be back".

This also speaks to another emerging trend I see not just in boating, but in everyday life. The abuse of innocence. What's that? It's when you want to do something, disregard common sense, do it anyway, sh*t happens like you had a feeling it might. After it's all over you apologize for being a dumbass, expecting everyone to SAY it's okay, and they probably do because most people aren't gonna tell ya you're a dum dum, and so on. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you might just be the dum dum. Why do I keep hearing JP's voice over my shoulder???

SO WHAT if you're a rad playboater who tears it up at Skook, that hole at the bottom of Norm's is still gonna whoop your ass and make you swim so it can give you a real whippin' until (hopefully) you get roped out. Norm's is on the Cooper and the Cooper is considered a beginner creek run. Class IV shouldn't be taken lightly and when you're ready to start "steppin' it up" (rolls eyes)... step slowly. And cautiously. That way you won't have to take too many steps backward, you won't lose gear, break your back, drown, cause others to lose their sh*t because they're on the run with you tryin to pull your ass outta the hell you just forced the group to deal with. Prudence is actually the better part of valor because even though Tao proved kayaking is an individual sport, tell me ONE person who would leave another boater who was pinned, swimming, or even on one side and the boat's on the other.

It is more respectable to wait until you feel ready and go with a competent group, and ideally, within that group is one person who you are linked up with on that run that day who is showing you down. For me, this always inspired more confidence in my partner and trust in the team, which allowed me to relax a little so I could focus more on the whitewater, have better lines and become a more capable/experienced paddler. Paddle safe. Paddle smart. Paddle with friends who WILL take care of you and you them. Respect goes both ways.

While there may be some class IV drops, Tumwater is not a class IV run at any flow. Doing a small section of Tum which avoids the harder drops is a great way to continue learning about water as paddlers climb the whitewater ladder of difficulty.

Just ranting a little, don't downgrade!! If it has a rating, use it!! The rapid doesn't get easier because you've become a better boater or because you've paddled it 100 times. Nor does the rating change in most cases because it's 'low'.