Liquidlogic Hits Copper Creek

Copper Creek is a small Northwest gem located near the East Fork of the Lewis in Washington. It's about 4-5 miles long with numerous class five drops. It's just about one of the most beautiful runs I've had the privilege of paddling out here and one I hope to return to. We definitely lucked out this weekend and had sunny skies and 80 degrees! Ah our white legs were bright enough to flag in a spaceship....not kidding. Wear your sunglasses around NM boaters in the spring time!

Early Sunday morning, the crew- Ryan Scott, Keel Brightman, Josh Mckeown, Todd and my sis headed up to Copper for a quick run. Most everyone had partied hard the night before and was still sleeping...ha ha sometimes it pays to just crash early eh?

Photo: Josh Mckeown
Me rockin my new Peak UK gear

Copper Creek starts off with a bang. A class five drop known as Certain Death- encouraging huh? I got the video camera out and filmed while Todd ran it....

Photo: Josh M
Todd on Certain Death


Photo: Christina Russell
Ryan Scott getting in place for filming

The put in below certain death sets you up for some nice class four ledge drops and boulder gardens. We ran Copper at a medium flow so most everything had plenty of water.

The first sizeable drop following Certain Death is Big Falls. When we first got to the horizon line, we were all stoked to see it....but didnt know what the drop was. It's a three foot ledge into an eight footer. The flow then splits as it falls over an 18 footer with a shallow landing. Check it out:

Photo: Josh Mckeown
Conor Ross lookin at the eight footer...the hole was perttttyyyy sticky....

Photo by: Josh M
Scouting the last drop of Big Falls

Photo: Keel Brightman
Me on the ledge

Photo: Keel Brightman
Me on the 18 footer


Photo by: Conor Ross
Eddy flowering at the bottom of Big Falls

Below Big Falls you get to float for a wee bit and enjoy the scenery. Oooo and ahhhh at the class 2-3 goodness that unfolds before you....oh that's poetic huh? ok back to the story. So below big falls you have one more serious drop- it's a series of drops known as the Final Five. They are five sticky ledges...hence the name.

Here's Josh making it look easy....yep, that's the hole I walked around....me no likey that one.

Photo: Keel Brightman
Josh Mckeown on the third ledge

Photo: Christina Russell
Todd and Ryan Scott on the ledges

Photo: Christina Russell
The last drop on Copper Creek

Copper Creek eventually runs into the East Fork of the Lewis which we were planning on running later that afternoon. Most paddlers continue downstream to Horseshoe falls- a 15 footer. Our group decided to split up- half going to the Sunset Falls Huckfest while the other half(my group) went to run the EF Lewis gorge. Stay tuned for the next post on the EF Lewis ....there was carnage mwhahahhaha!

Happy Paddling,
Christina