Clear Creek is like no other stretch of river in the country and this is one of the most unique trips we offer. Tumbling out of the Siskiyou Wilderness Clear Creek carves an extremely narrow and rocky gorge with a rainforest feel and crystal clear water – there are places where the canyon is not much wider than our kayaks. The trip combines high adventure, spectacular beauty, pop-up riverside glamping, and a chance to run a stretch of river that is rarely seen (or even heard of). The highlight of the trip is ‘Clear Creek’ – a spectacularly beautiful, remote, and extremely rarely run tributary of the Klamath. It is truly a magical place that you have to see to believe.
Momentum Clear Creek Trips
The Incomparable Clear Creek – Photo: Erik Meldrum
Clear Creek is a classic Momentum spring trip. Remote, very rarely run, a trip that combines true high adventure with comfort, and with the kind of challenging logistics that we relish! We truly love showing people this place.
Please call if you have any questions about this amazing adventure!
Clear Creek is the highlight of the trip, it is very narrow with high canyon walls and the water is as clear and clean as its name implies. Once we push off there are long stretches of continuous whitewater punctuated by jaw-droppingly beautiful pools where it is so clear that at times you get the feeling of being suspended in air as you float over the river bottom.
Each afternoon we will float into our comfortable riverside ‘pop-up’ base camp only accessible by boat. There are walk-in tents with cots, a covered eating and hang out area, and there is always a big fire burning. The late afternoon can be spent hiking, playing games in the sun, having a drink around the campfire, or just hanging out along the banks of the Klamath. The evening will start with appetizers, a big dinner, and desert, and be followed by a comfortable night under a sky far away from any city lights.
While you do need to be in reasonable physical conditions you do not need to have any previous rafting or kayaking experience. Our Inflatable Kayaking Trips start with a dry land session where you learn basic river hydrology, how to read rapids, and basic paddle skills. We then have some on-river practice and soon begin making our way down river. Our trips are raft supported and an instructor is always close by to help you pick your lines, give you tips, and of course, if needed, to fish you out of the water.
Clear Creek has a very short window of time where there are run-able flows. We generally run two to three trips a year in late May and early June. It is a classic Momentum spring trip: remote, very rarely run, with the kind of challenging logistics that we relish.
Overall the trip offers perfect rapids for inflatable kayaking, spectacular mountain scenery, beautiful side hikes, the combination of high adventure and comfort that we love, and a chance to run a stretch of river that is rarely seen (or even heard of). We truly love showing people this place.
