Lion's Head, Matanuska River

Saturday, June 1, 2012

This weekend was the annual boating/camping/hanging out at our friends cabin. Depending on work schedules it is held Memorial Day weekend, or the weekend before, or the weekend after, as it was this year. Lots of people, lots of boats, lots of food, lots of dogs, and lots of fun!

We ran the Lion's Head section of the Matanuska River putting in on Caribou Creek and taking out at the Keith's Road bridge. Actually, the bridge is our usual take-out, this time we went a bit further than that but I can't really describe where we took out!

There were two young boys with us on the river this year, one was 10 years old the other, 12 years old. They rode in a raft through the Lion's Head section but both of them have some kayak experience. To give the young guys a chance to do some paddling of their own, part of the group continued down to the Hicks Creek take-out. This section of river is not as difficult as the upper stretch.

Bill

The level of water in the river was considered to be on the low side and the gage in Palmer read approximately 3,400 cfs. The gage is waaaay downstream of where we actually paddled. This number is not really valid for the section we paddled but it is the closest reference that I could find. There are a bunch of side streams that empty into the Matanuska on its way to Palmer and they increase the flow.

I still don't deal very well in big, pushy, water, which is Lion's Head even at this lower water levels. I held my own through most of it but swam once on this section and then once more playing around in the short section between the take-out bridge and where we actually took out. Several times a wave or a rock would push my boat sideways, I wouldn't be able to correct before the next wave or rock, then I would be  backwards. I went through the end of two drops backwards, bouncing down rocks before finally being able to stop in an eddy. Very frustrating and kinda scary.

I should be able to work on gaining better skills in big, pushy, water during the canoe clinic that I am attending this summer. The water levels on the Matanuska and Willow have both climbed pretty high with the sunshine we have gotten in the last couple of days. I will let you know how it goes, keep your fingers crossed for me.