Our third day will be a long push if we want to get out, and we do want to get out. We're up well before sun hits our canyon camp, so that we have time to climb up, scout downstream and check our location.




We all know that duct tape is one of the most important items to have on any trip, and it comes through for us. Coupled with a flip flop, we now have a shoe superior to the lost bootie; better traction reported by the end user.


Judging from the first two days, we are in for another day full of action. Right out of camp it's game on with class V boulder gardens leading into the largest gorge yet.


Only only a handful of rapids into the day and the size of the rapids forces us on an extended scout that eventually leads us up to the gorge rim.



Looking down into the depths it's was apparent that every rapid can go, but all of them have large holes and plenty of sieves, nothing we feel like dealing with this early in the day. There isn't much  choice though. Peering at each rapid we find lines through them, and on the largest; a semi portage on the left. We decid to go in teams of two, so Matt and I stay on top to get pictures.







Matt and I follow with no problems, and we all make a partial portage around the final rapid of the gorge.


The morning is treating us well, with a promising view of Balloon Dome and quality rapids, it looks like we can stay on track and hopefully finish in a long day. Rounding the next corner, we come upon a massive rock pile in the river. The Middle Fork has some of these, but this is the largest underground rapid I have seen. 


The portage lives up to our expectations; grueling, but it's was also impressive to look up at the walls and see where the boulders have fallen from. At the very end we are cliffed out and forced to make a dubious seal launch upstream of an undercut wall. We all deal with it and push deeper into the gorge. 


Going into any fork of the San Joaquin one accept that fact that at some point you'll will be locked in and have to run something you don't want to. We all know the South Fork would be no exception, and right below the portage it lives up to our apprehensions.

Smaller rapids drop us into a vertically walled pool, and as we paddle up to the horizon we can sense trouble. The right side is walled in, it does not have an eddy yet has an obvious sieve downstream. On the left we can get out at river level, but are unable to climb high enough to scout the rapid. From above it's  a horizon line about ten feet wide, and we can see a pool at the bottom. Ben and Kevin start climbing around, yet are not able to find a safe way up the cliff. Eventually after a considerable amount  of route finding, Ben manages to get up on a shelf, and Kevin quickly follows. It looks like free climbing 5.10 with no safety, and  am glad they can do this. Thanks to Ben and Kevin for the epic scout!

From above Ben signas to go left of center, punching a hole and then trying to boof another hole on the left. Knowing there iss no point in waiting I drop in, flying through the first hole and squirting through the second.



There is hardly a pool before the next drop, and it's another locked in horizon line. The scouting is treacherous friction climbing, and succumbing to my fear of heights again, I opt to take the beta from Ben and Kevin.


We initially look at making a tough right to left then back to the right move, but the climbing scout reveals a cleaner line down the right. I opt to probe as often seems my position (gotta make up for the lack of scouting skills!), and Matt Thomas follows through the even larger mandatory rapid.


Elated that we've made it through the first part of the gorge at river level, the next rapid  pops our bubble, it's a river wide sieve which forces us to climb up the right side to the gorge. From the gorge rim we pass the rapid, and it looks like the next rapid downstream is passable. 


We seal launch into the river and paddle down to the final rapid of the gorge, only to find ourselves locked in again. Extensive scouting doesn't help. The best  we can tell is that 33% of the flow goes left into a sieve. Maybe 33% of the flow goes down the middle and is ok, yet another 33% is going into a sieve on the right, and the final 1%, well who knows where all the water goes on the San Joaquin.

The rapid is a complete gamble, and we all knew it's not worth the risk. So, we are faced with a disheartening option; roping back up what we have just come down. 

High above the gorge the portaging is easy, and as we look for a way down to the river two things are apparent; we will not make it out today as the confluence is still over a mile away. Once at the confluence with the Middle Fork San Joaquin is still a solid run to Mammoth Pool. The second is that at the base of the portage has the most pristine campsite one can dream of.


As we settle into camp, we cross our fingers while talking about the possibility of flows dropping out. Knowing there is nothing we can do about the situation, we soak up the scenery and enjoy our bonus night out.


Although our day may have turned into a little portage fest at the end, we are still amazed at how much of the river we have run in three days. Hopefully we are past the worst of the portaging and the run will continue to stay a kayakers dream.