Giant Gap_NF_American (IV~V)_updated

Giant Gap is more upstream than Chamberlain falls (IV) run at North fork of American river. Its difficulty is class IV+ with three classVish rapids and it has ~120 fpm gradient at mile ~4 and 100 fpm at mile ~6. Despite we need to hike down for 1.5 miles and it has long streach (14.5 miles, long flat water in the late half), I love this run and do it for a few times a year. Usually, I spend 4 ~ 4.5 hours on the river including lunch time. I have done this run when flow was 825 ~1,250 cfs, but I think the flow below 900 cfs makes some lines more difficult, so 1,000 cfs is the optimal flow. In this blog, pictures taken on different days are shown. In 2010, my son, Kenya, 13 years old, has grown up big enough for dragging his boat down to the putin, I took him there. One of my dream has come true, since I started teaching him whitewater kayaking. More info is available at American River North Fork Giant Gap.

Hiking for 1.5 miles to the Euchre Bar putin bridge. No hike up, so it is not bad at all.


The trailhead.




Kenya, Dan (behind Kenya) and I ran it on that day at 1,000 cfs


Upstream view from Euchre bar bridge.


Kenya's favorite is Jumping into water and swimming.


Goggle is his essential gear to play with fish.






Nice waterfall behind Bruce Farrenkopf


Dan Sadowski and Kenya, maybe at mile ~1


Giant Gap canyon begins after mile 2.


Greater (IV+) at mile 2.6


Greater.


Nut Crucker (V-) at mile 3.1


Nut Crucker (V-)


Larry Horne entering Locomotive Falls (IV ~V-), easy entry with high consequence. The hole is extremely sticky.


Michael Quirk running Locomotive falls.


Entire view of Locomotive falls from downstream


Unknown rapid (IV) in the gorge.


Unknown rapid (IV) in the gorge. Far right has undercut danger, so I recently run it in the river left.


Go Chute (IV) in the river right.




Dominatortrix (IV)


Dominator (V- ~ V) at mile 5.1. The hardest rapid on the run.





David Greenleaf running the last part of Dominater rapid.


Larry Horne running the same.




Dan, nice boof!


Kenya portaged the upper section of this rapid, running the last part.


Unknown rapid (IV ~IV+) below Dominater.


Larry running second unknown rapid (IV ~IV+) below Dominater.


Kenya running second unknown rapid (IV ~IV+) below Dominater.


Lunch spot at mile 5.5 where Canyon Creek enters.






Last rapid (IV) at nearly takeout.


In that canyon, NF runs!