| 2 - Marble Creek Campground to bridge near Skagit |
Cascade
Class IV-V(V+)
0Miles
Avg Gradient 80 fpm
River Mapplet
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Gauge Information (Professor Paddle updated levels from CASCADE RIVER AT MARBLEMOUNT, at 9/3/2010 9:14:33 AM)
| Gauge |
Forecast |
Height |
Current Flow |
Authority |
Physical Update |
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CASCADE RIVER AT MARBLEMOUNT,
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n/a |
12.28 |
543 cfs
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USGS - NWIS |
09/03/2010 08:45 PDT |
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Minimum Recomended Level: 700 cfs Maximum Recomended Level: 2000 cfs
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Putin DetailsThe put-in campground closes on 9/30 every year, after which a 1/2 walk is required. |
 River Alerts ( Add Alert ) |
GMaps |
 There is wood in the middle of Bridge drop, just downstream of the rock marking the move left. It appears avoidable, and the right cheat line is clean given sufficient flows. - Posted by: chipmaney on 6/30/2010 10:38:00 AM -
[Remove Alert]
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There are no Maps available for this run.
| River Mapplet
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Other IssuesAs of July &'08 the Monster is clear of wood. Always scout as this can change overnight. Also scout SWB and Bridge Wreck by taking the trail down from the lookout creek bridge. Use the parking for the lookout mtn trailheand and find the trail near the bridge. Watch out for bears and you will lose the trail as you near and hear the river. Scout the bottom of SWB and all of Bridge Wreck. Don&'t try to come back up on the downstream side of Lookout creek or you will regret it!
It is known that there is still some rebar and bridge remnants in the Bridge Wreck rapid. Although most of the dangerous debris is gone, some deep water twisted metal may remain. This would be in the river right "sneak line". Be advised that if you swim in there you could still find something to get caught up on. Be careful. |
Fun FactsBoaters once found a dead bear at the base of the waterfall coming into the river on the left below Monster. It had fallen to its death. This is one of the hardest Cat Boated rivers in the nation. |
Run DescriptionThe river Starts With a Bang, which is the first rapid on the river. This is a long, big and pushy drop that could be scouted from river right at the top of the drop or river left with some scrambling through devil’s club. Starts with a bang has an entrance and then three distinct drops. The entrance can be run right or left, and then the other three drops have been run every which way. Scout. While technically speaking "Starts With A Bang" boats like class IV or IV+, at moderate flows and higher treat it like a class V, because "Bridge Wreck" is immediately downstream and the two rapids run together.
Around the next corner are two enormous ledge holes that changed to riverwide in the 2004 flood season. Directly below these is Bridge Wreck rapid which, for more than 20 years, contained the remains of the Lookout Creek Bridge. The bridge has been taken out, but this is still a very difficult class V rapid. There is no clear line but running right to left is the basicly it. At flows of 1200 or more you can take the "Chicken Channel" down the far right side of the riverbed, through a mess of scattered boulders and small rock. Scout from below the two ledges at the top on the right.Be carefull here,whichever route you choose. This rapid is long and gnarly.
Below Bridge Wreck the river mellows out for a bit until Premium. Boof center. Right below Premium is the Monster (V).
Monster begins with a center left or far right boof. Just in from the right bank, the ledge is backed up by a boulder. In the second main drop you may find it more simple to run right down the gut, slightly favoring the rightside of the main current, then working towards whatever route you decided on when you scouted.Monster is the last notable rapid on the run. Irene Creek enters on R. Left at the bottom of the rapid.
Below here there are lots of fun waves and holes formed by some bedrock shelves and smooth polished granite boulders of medium size.
Sooner or later you'll arrive at Shark's Tooth, the last major named rapid. This one is tough because it is very hard to scout.Lots of kayakers have found various manky routes down the center of the river bed over a seivy pile of boulders that stretch out from the left bank.But be careful with this routefinding strategy, as there is a great potential of getting pinned in that mess. Really it is better to follow the main current toward the headwall on R. Right.Take a somewhat slow approach and you should be able to find an obvious place to boof back toward the center and paddle away.
You can paddle all the way down to the gauging bridge which has a takeout on the left. Please keep this area clean so the landowners continue to be okay with boaters being there.
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