The only falls on the Black which has not (to my knowledge) been run, Gabbro begins with a sliding pitch into a short pocket (shown at left). It spills steeply out of that into a transverse channel (below left). Blocking up the outflow from that channel lies a huge rock (background, right photo below) creating a split falls. There is a river-right part of the falls which flows at high water. I have not gotten to a point to view or photograph this part of the drop. |
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| The above composite shot of Conglomerate was shot at low water. A number of possible lines exist to run this drop. The most straight-forward starts above and tight against the large hump-back dome of rock in the center, and angles out away from it, sliding down the river-left (frame-right) side of it. There are reportedly some spots with piton potential. |
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| Above left is a better shot of left side of Conglomerate Falls. The next major falls downstream is Potawatomi (above right). At almost all water levels, water sheets quite shallow across the wide riverbed. This drop is run by adventurous boaters, though seldom with the control and grace they had hoped. Most runs end up sideways or backwards as the boat grunges out and the paddler cannot get 'purchase' with their paddle to control their angle of descent. |
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Boaters running Potowatomi will want to get to shore soon thereafter, as just downstream, the river 'necks down' to funnel through a short, narrow pour-over boaters call The Birth Canal (above left). The boiling cauldron of a pool below would allow no escape at most water levels. Note: Post-flood spring 2002 evaluation: this pool seems far less 'boily' than in the past. Water appears to flow through the pool much better (at least at levels around 300+ cfs).
Flowing out of the pool (below Birth Canal) Gorge Falls plummets into the heart of the gorge (above right). Some boaters will opt to run this by putting into the pool above (being very careful to stay beyond the boil and the water flowing back into the pourover above), then taking a couple of strokes to line up the plunge over the river-right (higher) lip of the falls and into the pool below. |
Most boaters will opt to carry down the boardwalk steps (photo at left) and lower their boats over the railing at the lower viewing platform to put in at an eddy in the heart of the gorge below.
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| Rollercoaster begins with a short, irregular ledge (above left). A surprisingly strong cross-flow at the base of the ledge tends to push boaters hard to the left, up against the rock. A long 'aisle' of waves, leads to sloping pitch, plunging into a hole which will give you a good shot to the chest and stall your forward momentum as you hit the pool below (above right). |
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| Sandstone Falls (shown looking downstream and upstream respectively in the photos above) is a transverse ridge of conglomerate rock with a slot in the middle, looking almost like a dam which has been breached. While it can be run down the middle, there are upturned ridges of rock on the slide, and the hole at the base tends to push out toward the undercut left wall. A generally better line is down the right (optionally catching a hanging pool), sliding alongside the right wall into the pool below. |
An island splits the flow. The left channel (which will be described later) is seldom paddled since the right channel is generally more interesting.
In the right channel, a couple of diagonal wave/holes lead to Surprise Ledge (pictured at the left). The usual route is to come down the main channel, then angle hard right to come off just past a spline of rock, as a barely visible paddler demonstrates in the photo. The far right channel (far left of frame) can be run, but caution is urged -- the right half of that channel drops into a slot that has 'vertical pin' written all over it. |
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Continuing down the right channel from Surprise Ledge, you pass through a constriction containing a wave/hole, then come to Island Falls (or Under the Falls) pictured above left. A series of ledges and holes lead into an undercut rock (above right), then into the rest of the flow dropping off a falls from the other side of the island.
If one takes the left channel (rather than running Surprise Ledge and Under the Falls), the river stays high, passing through some sweet playable waves, before turning sharply right at the end of the island. There it trips across some shallow rock before leaping off a steep sloping falls (Over the Falls) into the flow from the other side of the island. (This is the flow in the foreground in the picture above left. The rock jutting out of the water center-frame-background is part of the end of the island.) |
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Bump 'n Thump (pictured mostly in the distance, above left) is a series of short ledges and slides. None of them should cause particular problem, but be aware that as you reach a slight constriction from the left at the end of this drop, a 'stealth rock' lies in the center of the final ledge/hole. Avoid it by staying left or going well to the right.
At Jill's Delight, an island directs most of the flow to the right, down an aisle to a sliding falls (shown above right). The left side of the island (less frequently run) has an interesting double-drop sluice into a sharp right-hand bend, then slides around the backside of the island to rejoin the flow from the other route. |
Finally, Rainbow Falls, one of the most interesting (and 'ugly') falls on the run. I highly reccommend taking out well above on river right to hike down to view this falls (shown at the left). Traditionally, this falls has been portaged on the left, mostly hindered by the boardwalk on that side. The view from that side is not nearly as impressive, but anyone considering running it will probably wish to scout more closely from there. The falls has been run by slipping carefully down tight left into a hanging eddy, then charging out from behind the rock jutting from river-left to plunge down the steep pitch into the pool below. Most will be content to fantasize (and/or watch), then find a place to carry down to the pool below. A short mostly flatwater paddle will bring you to the harbor and parking area at the mouth of the river.
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