Pit, California, US |
|
| Usual Difficulty | III-IV (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 7.1 Miles |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pit River above Pit 1 PH | ||||
| pge-PH71A | 600 - 5000 cfs | III-IV | 03h44m | ~ 450 cfs (rc= -0.0 ) |
This river section has cut a deep canyon through a volcanic plateau. The Pit River meanders through pastoral countryside on top of the Modoc Plateau. At Fall River Mills, the Pit is joined by Fall River and then starts cutting a canyon. Over 7 miles the river cuts to the bottom of the plateau and exits onto another lower basin. The Pit is unique to California in that the terrain is more like eastern Oregon desert with a basalt riverbed.
The Pit 1 bypass reach is a great class IV+ run that has summer weekend releases, thanks to American Whitewater. Flows are normally diverted around this section for hydropower but during scheduled weekends through the summer, flows are restored to the river providing a great recreational resource for the community (check the weekend forecast at the link above for projected flows).
If you put in at the PG&E river access facility Fall River Mills you will have 1.8 miles of flatwater down to where the whitewater begins. This section provides a very nice flatwater paddling opportunity full of wildlife and great scenery. If you wish to avoid the flatwater you can put-in at Big Eddy Estates. The road to this put-in crosses a private easement, if you choose to put-in at this location please tell your friends to be on their best behavior. Access at Big Eddy Estates could change in the future.
Whitewater Overview:
The flat water section ends abruptly at the Big Eddy Estates put in. A wide volcanic band
blocks the river and is covered with bushes and trees. A series of narrow channels flow
downhill through the trees on far river right. The next 3 rapids are the steepest of the
whole run, excluding Pit Falls. These rapids should be scouted as they have tricky moves
that can't be seen from above. At flows of 800 and 1100 cfs there were plenty of
eddies. After the Big 3, the gradient eases and rapids open up enough for boat scouting
everything else, exluding Pit Falls.
When the river begins to widen and approach a large right hand bend, exit the river on the right. At moderate flows walk in the shallows to a portage at the right edge of the falls. You can also climb a short steep bank to an old roadbed to get great views of the falls. You can continue walking along the roadbed to the old steel bridge. There is also a fairly easy portage on river left, between a "fish ladder" channel and the main falls. The Falls tend to be run at 3 locations: a slide on the right, the "Fish Ladder" on the left. and at some flows down high narrow chute left of center.
Past Pit Falls enjoy a series of easy drops called "the lefts" all on left hand bends with the normal routes to the left as well. Below this is the Longest Rapid of the Run. Although not as steep as the Big 3, it is steep enough and extends for 4/10s of a mile. Easier yet very busy rapids continue past the end of the canyon and to the take out.
Take out:
Continue east on 299E to the turn off for the Pit #1 powerhouse. Turn right here if
you wish to take out at the campground. Boaters can also continue down into the class 2
section from
Put in:
From the campground drive 1.4 miles to 299, turn right and climb the grade toward Fall River
Mills. There is a designated scenic overlook parking area with a good view of the falls,
but there are also a series of turnouts before the overlook that provide views of the lower
rapids. Hang a right in the middle of Fall River Mills (This is a small community and
finding the river is easy). Follow the road across the bridge and you've found the put-in.
PG&E has constructed a new river access as a condition of the new hydropower license.
The put-in used by whitewater boaters is at "Big Eddy Estates" further down the road. From the bridge over the Pit River, drive 2.3 miles to Shoshoni Loop Rd. A very large "Big Eddy Estates" sign marks the turn. Drive .9 miles to Natchez Ct. and turn right. Park in the cul de sac. Carry your equipment 3/10s of a mile down a gravel road to the river. It is an easy walk, even with rafts. This put in crosses private property and remains available at the disgression of the owner. During release weekends, PG&E has hired a local resident to stay here, count boaters and give directions. They have been very helpful.
Camping:
Pit River Campground has
regular 8 sites and one group site. Each site has a concrete picnic table and a fire ring.
Regular sites are $8 per site per night. The campground host is very helpful. There are 2 pit
toilets. There is no water supplied at the campground, so bring plenty. There is a clear spring a
few hundred yards downstream at a Lions Club picnic area.
Three Leaf Sumac (Rhus trilobata) grows thick around the campsites. It has edible berries and the stems are often used for basket making. It looks similar to Poison Oak as they are both in the sumac family. Some Poison-oak also grow in the area so try to see the difference.
Supplies:
There is no shortage of gas stations, groceries, restaurants and such in the area. Fall River
Mills has a gas station, large grocery store, several resteraunts, single screen movie theater,
auto parts store and other amenities. Nearby Burney has several reasonably priced gas stations, a
Safeway market, auto repair shops, etc..
Other Information Sources:
A Wet State
Jefferson
State Creeking
CaCreeks.com
Pit River Alliance
BLM Pit River Campg Recreation
Area
AW-PG&E flow page
1-866-629-3925 AW-PG&E Flow Phone
Trip Reports:
PITFALLS ON THE PIT
Neal Nikirk
Actually it is Pit Falls on the Pit #1 Bypass Reach of the Pit River, east of Burney, California (north of Lassen National Park). This is a rare opportunity for you to push your boat (minus you, preferably) over a 20 foot waterfall, collect it at the bottom, and lower it another 10 feet over the second part of the drop. More on this later…
The Pit#1 Bypass Reach is normally dewatered by PG&E operations, but due to the efforts of American Whitewater (AW), water is restored to this reach 3 (THREE) weekends each year in June, July, and August. We decided to sample this reported Class IV- run with one portage at Pit Falls. We, being Lacey and I in our small cats and our friend John form Ashland in his slightly larger cat. We met up at the BLM Pit River campground, which also serves as the take-out for this run and the put-in for a short Class II stretch downstream.
Luckily for us, Dave Steindorf of AW was camped there as well and intended to run his raft down on Saturday. Since he is a veteran of this run in both rafts and kayaks, we were fortunate to have him lead us down this stretch for our first time. One access point currently is at the bridge just south of Fall River Mills and involves a portageable weir and 3 miles of flatwater. We put in at the Big Eddy Estates, avoiding the flatwater ahead of the good stuff. All of us were on our best behavior as this put-in is on a private easement. There was a sign there indicating that for 2010 this arrangement could change. AW has been working with PG&E to provide an alternate access point, but to date, there is none.
The whole run is relatively unique in that the rapids are formed where volcanic ledges have been cut by the river. Also, having only minimal flows most of the year allows lots of vegetation to grow in the channel. The upper two miles or so (above Pit Falls) is very interesting Class III+ to IV whitewater, weaving through a variety of reed-lined channels and over sharp (literally) ledges. It was great having Dave in the lead as he seemed to know which channels were clear, something that was NOT obvious from the river. Some of the other choices ended in steep boulder-choked drops that would have been nearly impassable or had trees across them. Not a place you wanted to end up accidentally.
Pit Falls is magnificent. A river wide volcanic ledge where the river has cut many channels over this 30 foot drop. Choose the wrong one and you’re toast. We opted to portage along the right, pushing the boats over a 20 foot slide into a shallow pool at the bottom. Sounds easy, right? WRONG. Getting the boats to the slide involves sliding them over and through the reeds along the bank. In several places there are DEEP channels that have been cut and lead to nasty places on the falls. We used the boats to “ladder” across a particularly bad channel just to reach the point where we could shove the boats out into the current for the slide. A mis-step here and you would go down the WRONG side of the slide and be seriously injured or killed. We managed to get the raft and one cat down the right side of the slide, while the other two cats decided (on their own) to run the wrong side. As is often the case, the empty boats made it fine. If people had been on them, the outcome could have been disasterous. Yes, the slide has been run by kayakers and paddle boats, but the prudent thing to do is portage. We then lowered the boats over the last 10 foot ledge to the main river below. Expert kayakers are routinely running the 20 foot slide on river right and a harder 30 foot plunge to the left.
Below the falls, are a few more miles of good Class III-III+ whitewater with multiple drops on left-hand bends, where the run is usually to the left as well. Except now there is a tree across the left channel in one of them…Take out at the BLM park below the Pit #1 Powerhouse channel. It is best to use the far right channel at the last drop to drop into the eddy. Too far left and you may get swept downstream into the Class II section for another hours river time. The class II section retains some of the “flavor” of the upper section in a user friendly environment. It is much more pool and drop with lots of flatwater. A few channels to choose from and an easy take-out at the Highway 299 bridge.
Overall, this run is very fun, with the portage at the falls being a bit sketchy. It is probably better suited to skilled kayakers than rafters. Dave and his raft got stuck quite a few times, but the cats had better runs as they were much lighter and more maneuverable. Our small, narrow cats were an advantage as there are several “chutes” to negotiate where wider boats have more difficulty. John’s wider cat perched on several rocks that we were able to slip between with our narrower boats. This is definitely a Class IV- run; fun and technically challenging. If you are not ready for the Chamberlain Falls run on the NF American or the Lumsden run on the Tuolumne, then you may not be ready for this one. The Falls are a thrill to be sure and beautiful to view.
Keep posted on what is happening on the Pit and when the releases will occur in 2010 by checking in on the American Whitewater website. This is a great organization and the main reason why we now have recreational releases on the Pit, NF Feather, NF Mokelumne, etc. Become a member and support a worthwhile cause!
Neal, 2009
FERC information:
Pit #1 project is FERC Project # 2687, and received a new license in 2003. Use the FERC search page to find documents
related to this project. Enter P-2687 as the document number.
USFWS request to
cancel flushing flows. pdf
AW response,
defending flows. PDF
Other Rivers in the region that might have flows during release periods:
Pit River Campground to Lake
Briton.
Upper McCloud
Clear Creek
Trinity
Other Points of Interest in the Area:
MacArther-Burney Falls State Park
Lassen National Park
AW works with PG&E to report real time flow information for this diverted reach. Flow information has been available since September 2009.
AW-PG&E flow page
1-866-629-3925 AW-PG&E Flow Phone
During release weekends, flows are stable through the weekend but the flow varies from release to release. Past flows have ranged from 600 cfs up to 1250 cfs.
See also: Pit River Campground to Lake Britton
USGS has a pdf showing all the dams, diversions, powerhouses and gauges in the Pit and McCloud River Basins.
Mandatory minimum flows below Pit 1 Forebay into Lower Fall River and on into the Pit River, are:
November 16 - May 15: 50 cfs
May 16 - May 31: 75 cfs
June 1 to October 31 150 cfs
November 1 to 15 50 cfs
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pit River above Pit 1 PH | ||||||||||||||||
| pge-PH71A | 600 - 5000 cfs | III-IV | 03h44m | ~ 450 cfs (rc= -0.0 ) | ||||||||||||
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Calculated reading of downstream USGS gauge minus powerhouse outflows. |
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No Comments
Users can submit comments.| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| -1.9 | PG&E Access Area | N/A |  |
| 0.0 | Big Eddy Estates put in | N/A |   |
| 0.1 | Bushy Chutes | III | |
| 0.2 | Small Ledge | III | |
| 0.3 | Diagonal Wave | IV | |
| 0.3 | Mary Go Round and Entrance | IV+ | |
| 0.5 | Unhappy Ending | IV+ | |
| 1.3 | Spring | N/A | |
| 2.6 | Approach to Pit Falls | III | |
| 2.7 | Pit River Falls: Right Side Slide | V |    |
| 2.7 | Pit Falls: Center Chute | V | |
| 2.7 | Pit Falls: Left Side - Fish Ladder | V | |
| 3.4 | Longest Rapid | IV | |
| 4.0 | Wave Rapid | II+ | |
| 4.7 | Ledge | III | |
| 4.9 | Powerhouse Outlet Channel | N/A | |
| 5.3 | Campground Rapid | II |  |
PG&E has built a nice parking area with pit toilets on the hill above the river just dowstream of the Fall River confluence. A nice trail leads down to a low weir across the river. It would be easy to launch above this weir, which is pretty small, but trees and bushes grow all across the river below the weir on shallow ledges. The maintained trail ends at the weir but a rough use trail wanders over low rocks and through trees to access the open flat water below the trees.
Kayakers should have little difficulty walking the rocky trail, but groups carrying rafts will have a more difficult time.
The main flow goes over the river right side of the weir, but this author did not see whether it is safe to boat down this route.
Put in CrowdFrom the cul de sac on Natchez Ct, walk 1/3 mile down a gravel road to this nice put in location at the very end of the flat water section.
The flat water ends at Big Eddy Estates put in. The river channel widens and is blocked by a giant, green, bushy and tree filled plug. Water probably filters through the whole width, but there are some narrow open chutes on far river right.
From the launching area, paddle across to the other side of the river. Head down the obvious chute, eddy out on the left, and move into the next chute to the left. This one is overhanging and more narrow, but it opens up a bit after curving left. The channel opens wider above a small blocky ledge.
Small boulders form a river wide ledge. There are multiple lines over it, but it might be sticky in spots. There are good eddies above it. A cheat chute on far left, to the left of a tree offers a more gradual descent.
The LedgesThis is a two part rapid with a tricky end. There is a fairly steep but open lead in to a big eddy on the right. The lower drop must be run on the far left because of a sticky ledge guarding the center and right. However a strong curling diagonal wave guards the left and must be punched. This diagonal often typewriters boats all the way across into the rocks on river right where a strong eddy can feed them back into the ledge hole. It caused more problems at 1100 cfs than at 800 cfs.
Boof at Mary Go RoundA series of steep, bouldery rapids lead down towards a large bedrock ledge across the river. The ledge forms an island in the iddle with very shallow flows on the left and the main route on the right. The right side route twists around sharply to the right, then curves quickly back to the left over a steep ledge. The easiest route appears to follow the outside of the curve.
Scouting Unhappy EndingA long straight, but congested rapid with multiple slalom routes ends with even greater congestion. A line of boulders create holes and boof opportunities across the entire width except for the far right. An upstream line of boulders guards the right side and prevents a straight approach.
A common line is to enter center or left, then when it opens up head down the center. At 800 cfs many people could cut to the right at the bottom between the two lines of boulders to run the clean exit. At 1100 cfs the right cut is much harder and most people charged through the bottom boulders where ever they ended up.
A small spring runs into the river on the left near the end of a large pool. Boaters can paddle up to it to drink and refill water bottles.
Approaching Pit FallsTwo class 3 slalom rapids on a gradual left turn signal the approach to Pit River Falls. The downstream view is dominated by a very prominent cliff rising to the skyline.
The river spreads out wide above the falls, while many bushy island hide the approaches. There is easy portage and scouting options on both right and left sides. The right side is more generally used as it is closer and more people boat the right side slide than the left side routes.
Pit Falls, Right Side SlideThe river spreads out and green islands hide the top of the falls. There is a scouting and portage route at water level on the right edge of the falls. A steep clean slide is often run on the right side, as well.
On the left side of the falls there is also a scouting and portaging route.
Running the Meat, Pit FallsThis center chute is often run but not successfully at all levels. At 800 cfs one day several boaters ran it. At 1100 cfs the next day only two boaters attempted it, as both got pummeled in the base and swam. Thankfully they were quickly ejected towards shore when they did swim..
Pit Falls left sideThe so called Fish Ladder, breaks the descent into several smaller waterfalls in a small channel. The landings are tricky on several of the drops. The very bottom drops are portaged if the flow is not high enough. The entrance to the left side channel is separated from the main falls by a large island. The channel curves around the island and ends up back near the base of the main falls.
It is also possible to portage or scout the falls across the island.
Longest Rapid at 1100 cfsThis rapid is less steep than the first 3 but it is steep enough and it goes for almost a half mile. Boaters will need constant manuvering, hole dodging and boofing for the entire distance. At 800 cfs it did not feel like a big deal and felt broken up into separate sections. At 1100 cfs it felt serious and was one continuous rapid. A swim could be long and I was thankful for a good combat roll in a small hole about 1/3 of the way down.
Wave Rapid at low flowThis rapid has a straight run down the left through a clean wave train. A wave near the bottom is known for a decent surf and indeed a kayaker was riding it as I went by.
Easier but often very busy rapids continue steadily to the take out.
A nearly river wide horizon line waits in the middle of a narrow and fast class 1 section. I was too busy trying to get to the left side to get a good look at the hole below the horizon but I thought it had potential for carnage. I did watch another boater punch a weak spot in the middle.
Pit #1 Powerhouse Outlet The outlet channel comes in on river right. It is a straight channel and so provides an interesting view of the powerhouse and the penstocks above it. During release weekends there won't generally be any flow out the channel.
Shallow Sneak Route to Take OutThis rapid has a semi-clean route down a rocky bar on the left side and then it curves to the left down a second level. Unfortunately the take out boat ramp is hidden in a side channel lagoon back to the right. You can't run the clean part of the rapid unless you want to continue downstream.
To get to the take out, kayakers scrape and bash down the right edge of the rapid into calm water. They can then paddle upstream into the lagoon. Rafts can try the same but will hang up even more and will likely end up walking the raft through the shallows.
More commonly, rafters enter a tiny side channel that feeds the lagoon and drag their rafts a shorter but still awkward distance into the lagoon.
The US Fish & Wildlife Service seeks to end flushing/recreation releases because of decline in Shasta Crayfish.
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