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Description

From Trailhead 266A and Pineola Road \[FS464\], hike ~ 1 mile on Trail 266A to North Harper Creek. Watching for strainers, cruise through some mellow class III for a while. Style on down and notice the creek get larger as Hull Branch creek enters from river right, this is the end of North Harper and the onset of Harper Creek. About 1.5 miles later, eddy out on river left and portage the 3-stage 100 footer known as Harper Falls. To portage take the trail downstream past the trail, around the ridge/corner over the falls, and well past the falls before dropping down to a parallel trail and hiking back upstream to the base of the falls. The falls can all be run down the right, and scouted from the left. The middle tier is around 50 feet tall so choose wisely. Paddlers can put in below the 50 footer and run the next 20 foot roll-over drop (the third in the falls series), or put in below the 20 footer. Below the 20 footer is a manky rapid of boulders as is typical below big falls. You may want to walk some of all of this pinny mess. This marks the beginning of the highlight of the run: 6-10 high quality Class IV bedrock rapids and slides that share the world class geology of Wilson Creek. After this great sequence the creek mellows but maintains a technical Class III+ character to the bridge just upstream of Wilson Creek.