Lemon Creek, Alaska, US

Upper Quarry to Costco

Usual Difficulty	III-IV+ (for normal flows)
Length	2 Miles

River Description

The usual put-in is at the ford (washed out bridge) at the end of the upper Quarry. The creek winds through the flats of valley with a few small drops. Watch for woody debris at the corners. About 1 mile in, the canyon narrows to 30' wide box canyon and the first rapid, Pleasure Nozzle (IV). Scout left or right, this is a straightforward drop, but the shape of the canyon makes rescue from above difficult, and the nozzle is occaisionally plugged by trees. Eddy out below the drop and check out the cave.
Three more small drops and a few bends bring you to the bridge at the top of the gorge. The pace accelerates. The creek bends right. Then a series of drops and the conveyor belt from the lower quarry appear overhead. This marks the end of the action; a gravel bar splits the stream on river left and a final small drop marks the end of the run. Scramble up the bank for a hot hog at Costco or make a second run.
The run from the bridge through the gorge is tight, fast and frequently changes due to quarry activity. Be sure to scout from the road on the way in.
The City maintains access to the creek along its Lemon Creek Trail. The road (not marked on USGS maps) is the easy way in, but is private and gated.
RJM Construction has allowed boaters to use the road as long as they signal the equipment operators on the way in. Goldbelt Inc. leased the upper quarry to Tonsgard Contruction and has posted no trespassing above the upper bridge. So if the gate is open don't leave your vehicle at the put-in; either carry your boats in or return your vehicle to the vehicle pull-out below the bridge and gate.