Whitewater dominates third day of river trip
Spokesman Review
By Becky Kramer
July 16, 2008
“Listen,” said our rafting guide, “that’s the Devil’s Toenail.”
The rapids were still out of sight, around a bend in the Spokane River. But we could hear the chaotic crash and churn of the water echoing from the canyon’s walls.
I was about to head though a rapid with Class Four characteristics. To my surprise, the experience was taking place within 10 miles of downtown Spokane.
On Sunday morning, our group gathered at the Water Street access area in the Peaceful Valley neighborhood, just upstream from the Maple Street Bridge. We were headed to Plese Flats in Riverside State Park. The 10-mile float would take us through the river’s most difficult rapids – the Bowl and Pitcher and the Devil’s Toenail.
We traveled this segment of the Spokane River out of sequence to take advantage of high flows. The river was running at 4,100 cubic feet per second – impressive to a novice rafter like me, but way down from 16,500 cubic feet per second at the end of June. With the hot temperatures, our guides weren’t sure the flows would last another week.
A bald eagle gliding over the water briefly halted our pre-rafting safety instructions. We gawked, pointed and took pictures like tourists.
This part of the river, with its regal basalt cliffs, was new to me. Nearly a century earlier, the Olmsted Brothers – who designed Spokane’s city parks – envisioned a “Great Gorge” greenbelt stretching from downtown to Fort George Wright, with connecting parks.
In 1997, the nonprofit Friends of the Falls formed to revive that vision.
“This gorge area is right in the heart of downtown,” said Steve Faust, Friends of the Falls’ executive director. “But it doesn’t feel like you’re in the middle of a city. … You’re in a canyon and you have this sense of being isolated.”
A master plan calls for trails, viewing platforms and other recreational opportunities in the gorge.
Shortly after we launched, we drifted past the first project – a proposed whitewater park near the TJ Meenach pedestrian bridge.
“It’s sort of like a skateboard park for kayakers,” Faust explained. “It creates the waves to do flips and spins.”
The $1 million whitewater park is a joint project of Friends of the Falls and the city of Spokane’s Parks and Recreation Department. A design will be unveiled later this month. Proponents hope to start construction next year.
I enjoyed the pristine look of this part of the river, with its dark rock, big pines and alternating stretches of calm and fast-flowing water. Part of the area is bordered by Riverside State Park. Houses, when they appeared, were distant buildings.
Deer trekked up hillsides and osprey were plentiful.
Osprey populations have rebounded since the 1972, when the insecticide DDT was banned. The migratory birds return to nest along the Spokane River in early April. In fall, they leave for wintering grounds in California and Mexico.
The birds’ theatrical, feet-first dives into the water are fun to watch. One osprey caught its fish Sunday and proceeded to fly its meal from tree to tree.
“Those fish must taste better seasoned,” quipped Alden Sherrodd.
Sherrodd, who is retired and lives along the upper stretch of the Spokane River, was in my raft Sunday. My other rafting partners were Brian Crossley, a fish biologist with the Spokane Tribe; Scott Thompson, manager of the Spokane Boat Show; and Jeff Bray, co-owner of River City River Runners.
Somehow, I had ended up with a bunch of thrill-seekers. Bray cheerfully taunted the other rafting guides. He promised us a wild ride — but first, we had to prove ourselves with practice drills.
Rafting is a sideline for Bray, who works full-time as a carpet salesman at Great Floors. About five years ago, he and Paul Delaney started River City River Runners. The company is one of several offering guided rafting tours on the Spokane River.
As we approached the Devil’s Toenail, the other rafts stayed to the right. Bray kept his promise to give us a frenzied ride on the rapid’s more challenging left side. We followed his instructions to “Dig, dig, dig!” with deep, fast paddle strokes. I took a blast of water to the face. The raft made a graceful turn as it dropped. There was a fleeting, airborne feeling.
Bray later deconstructed the ride for me: “We set up on river left…. We pillowed sideways into a rock. The water pushed us backwards into a big, gnarly hole. We came out clean.”
Contact Becky Kramer at (208) 765-7122, or by e-mail at beckyk@spokesman.com.
About this series
Reporter Becky Kramer is traveling the Spokane River with other community members in a trip organized by the Spokane River Forum. The Forum acts as a clearinghouse for information on the river; its members include businesses, nonprofits, sporting clubs, tribes and government entities. Today: Whitewater and osprey. Watch for more stories in next week’s paper.
Along the river
Asparagus: We found asparagus growing wild along the river’s shoreline on a site that was once part of the old Fort George Wright firing range. It’s a pretty hardy plant, said gardening columnist Pat Munts, and could have washed down the river and taken root. Or, asparagus may have been part of a long-ago garden planted on the site, she said.
Call 344-FISH: Signs featuring rainbow trout and marked “344-FISH” alert citizens to stormwater outfall pipes along the Spokane River. People should call if they observe discharges from the pipes, particularly during the summer months.
Be Safe: The body of Kieran E. Norman, 18, was found in the Spokane River last weekend, several months after he went missing. Investigators believe he tried to canoe the Devil’s Toe rapids during high flows in April. The Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club offers clinics to help paddlers learn about safety and improve their boating skills. For more information: http://www.sckc.ws/instruction.html.
Whitewater Park: On July 31, community members can comment on plans for a proposed whitewater park near the TJ Meenach Bridge. The city of Spokane’s Park and Recreation Department is finalizing details of the meeting. Stay tuned.
Gorge tour: Local author Jack Nisbet will give a guided tour of the Spokane Falls and the Gorge area on Friday. Cost: $12. To register, call (509) 625-6200, or visit www.spokaneparks.org.