Rock Island Campground to Ida Creek — Upper Icicle Creek
This is not a very commonly run section of river–partly because it’s a short stretch of water for the grade and, for class III boaters, involves a portage. As of the spring of 2008, a landslide blocking Icicle Creek at the lower end of this run, reduced its popularity even more (see Update below). Our reporters have not actually run this section of river so check A Guide to Whitewater Rivers of WA, J. Bennett for details.
Distance: 3.6 miles
Difficulty: Class II-III+ with a portage around a Class V section of water.
Skill: 2 (intermediate)
Fitness: 2 (intermediate)
Average Gradient: 60 fpm
Gauge Information:
Min Sug. Level: 700 cfs
Max Sug. Level: 2000 cfs
*The flow of the Icicle is estimated to be about 20% of the Wenatchee River’s Peshastin Guage.
Access: From milepost 99.1 on Highway 2 (the west end of Leavenworth) turn onto Icicle Creek Road and drive about 16.75 miles up Icicle Creek Road to the Rock Creek Campground to put-in. Take out 3.6 miles farther downstream at the Ida Creek campground.
More info: See American Whitewater.
If you have a detailed account of running this section of river, please submit it to the editor at WenatcheeOutdoors.org
Update as of May 2008: Motorized access to this run is currently unavailable because the road washed out in the winter/spring of 2008. To do this stretch of river you would need to carry or mountain bike (use a BOB Trailer) your gear to the put-in. In the winter/spring of 2008,rapid snow melt, triggering a massive mud and debris slide that blocked the river and pushed the river onto the road — which destroyed that section of road. The road is scheduled to be repaired in fall of 2010 and spring of 2011. Even after driving access is restored, boaters will need to portage around the mud slide as the river runs through wood jams and disappears into boulders.
Future Updates about the road and campground status will be posted on the
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Recreation website: www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee or by calling the
Wenatchee River Ranger District at 509-548-6977.
Leave It Better Than You Found It: This should be every outdoor user’s goal. Pick up trash left by others, pull some noxious weeds along your route, throw branches over unwanted spur trails, don’t ride or walk wet trails when you’re leaving ruts/footprints deeper than ¼ inch…
Disclaimer. Treat this information as recommendations, not gospel. Conditions change and those contributing these reports are volunteers–they may make mistakes or not know all the issues affecting a route. You are responsible for yourself, your actions, and your safety. If you won’t accept that responsibility, you are prohibited from using our information.
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