Hairy Clam Ledge

About 200 yards downsteam of the closed steel bridge Putin is the biggest ledge drop (6ft) on the river with the biggest hazard, it's known as the Hairy Clam Shell AKA Stone Trap. The read and run line leads directly into the pinning rock. Boof on the Left of Center has worked well and sneaking far left at high water is common.  Portage if needed on Left. There isn't a super eddy on left but slow water makes a quick jump out of the boats very possible when you spot a distinct horizon line.

Note that there is the start of significant fluming going on *getting* to the Hairy Clam drop that would be a named rapids elsewhere....I leave it out intentionally. Bigger and faster bobsledding lay downstream. 

There are few larger eddies for several boats. Look for a large  eddy on Creek Left where 4+ boats could get out fairly easily. In this eddy you should be able to see the biggest horizon line yet seen on Geddes. Scout it on Left. If this is Stone Trap it will present as a creek wide ledge 4-6 feet  high. Note the unusual Triangle Point  Rock on the pour over lip. Its marks off about 1/3 of the creek's width, in from river left. On River Left (Left of Triangle Point Rock) is a sneak stepping down some smaller ledges. This is the safest  playboat line. The main hazard  on Geddes is in this drop just right of center. There is a vertical pin block that is about 5 feet wide and will trap your bow especially the bow of a shorter play boat with low bow volume. Most creek boats seem to glide over the "Clam shell" pin block. This block is not visible at 6 blocks exposed on the gauge and will be undetectable during a scout.

Funny thing is that the Stone block is near a perfect rectangle block and not a clam shell at all.  

Paddlers who finish the Tohickon during a big rain see creekers ready to jump on geddes. They opportunistically think they can jump on geddes with a playboat just fine. Very good Play boaters should have someone "In the Know" to keep them out of this vertical pin line. At high levels (less than 6 blocks exposed) the pinned boater would be in a head underwater pin situation.(see photos) "Don't take a knife to a gun fight.....take the playboat somewhere else or have a very good guide. My first day on this creek Nils and crazy rick told me 5 out of 5 playboats they saw do that pin line pinned and one guys was breathing out of an air pocket  with water crashing over his head.

The next big spot is Ass F***K Falls. It sports a natural low head dam effect on the river Left with a power tongue on the right. The tongue wants to slam you into and under a huge river right root ball. Under there is roots, fins of rock and its real nasty on the downstream side of this rootball. Its been getting more erroded and actually cleaner as time goes on.  Many class 4-5 boater have had a swim at this spot. The hot read is to go left to cheat the line dealing with the root ball....leading over the low head dam pour over. Without driving strokes you can end up in the strong hole. Make sure your group knows that you can duck down and swim out the side of a hole underwater with the out flow. It is particularly helpful in this spot.....the site of my first class 4 swim. (Wayne Gman)