June 18th, 2008: Poopenaut Valley Gorge

Compared to the most popular class V run in California (Cherry Creek Run of the Tuolumne), the upstream reaches of the Poopenaut Valley is one of the least known yet most accessible stretches of river in California. A quick detour from the Early Intake shuttle rout to the put-in below Hetch Hetchy Reservoir will provide inticing glimpses of classic Granite bedrock spilling forth from an imposing vertically walled black rock gorge. This gorge in conjunction with erratic flows from Hetch Hetchy make running the Poopenaut with adquate water a dicey proposition. The flows can drop from being too high to scout or portage to un-boatable fish-flows overnight.

When Chris Korbulic, Darin McQuoid, and I set shuttle for the Grand Grand Canyon run, the outflow from Hetch Hetchy equaled the inflow at about 1200 cfs. 3 days later it had dropped precepitously to 300 cfs. Our luck had been impeccable throughout the Grand Canyon but this took the cake. We would now be able to exit HH dam via river avoiding Yosemite checkout point on the road above.

Steady and predictable weather from late spring to early summer had allowed the Hetch Hetchy Authority to create a spill over event perfectly so as to lose minimal flow and let the reservoir come gently to full Pool as the last of the major snow patches to melt. The 300 cfs in the last 13 miles to the Holm Powerhouse would be the perfect low side of good flow. Increases in flow would increase the level of exposure dramatically, but also clean up otherwise sieved out sections of the river.

Beta
Put In: 1/2 mile below the Dam (3550 feet)
Take Out: Bridge at Early Intake (2150 feet)
Run Length: 14 miles
Avg. Gradient: 100 feet per mile (includes long stretches of flat water)
Shuttle Length: 45 minutes (one way)
Put-In Flow : 300 cfs
Take-Out Flow: 1000 cfs (Plus 700 from early Intake Powerhouse)
Our Portages: Cruise Ship* and several subterranean rapids*.
Special Notes: Worth doing once... or in combination with the GCT.
*Still Unrun