Wát·á·ki (Weaving Willow)

Wát·á·ki (prounced WAH-tah-kee), the Shasta word for a collection of willows, is a long rapid on a right hand bend in the river at the southeastern base of K'uc'awa·k, the large rock dome on river left, around which the river has carved a horseshoe bend. The rapid, also known as Weaving Willow has two stages. The first is a sloping drop over bedrock and boulders. There are multiple line options here and some brush and wood, so choose your line appropriately. The second stage longer. The multiple channels merge back togethers around a mid-river rock shelf that provides an eddy at lower flows. With most of the flow then back together, the river goes over another bedrock drop and the current splits again. The left line is the best here but there's also a sporty line for kayaks in front of a frothy pillow rock on the right. After Wát·á·ki, the river flattens completely in a long pool with the most sublime scenery.