The area in and around Yosemite Valley, set amid California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, has its fair share of extreme adventures. Some of the most heart-pounding challenges include the notoriously difficult Half Dome hike and scaling the rock face of the dangerous but iconic El Capitan. However, there is another contender about a 25-minute drive from Big Oak Flat, Yosemite's northwest entrance gate. Cherry Creek is a swift-flowing stream that forms part of the Tuolumne River and is home to America's
most challenging and thrilling whitewater rafting route for paying groups. Composed mainly of Class V rapids (technically, there are six classes, but Class VI is rarely attempted), this 9-mile course runs through a remote canyon, taking rafters over a series of gnarly rapids, chutes, waterfalls, and ledges. It is truly a white-knuckle experience.
Cherry Creek can be completed in a single day, but you will need to consider your timings. During the summer months, a dam upstream from the creek releases a flow of water each morning, typically for around three hours. This means rafters will need to finish in good time so they don't get stranded if the stream dries up. Sometimes the creek doesn't become safe enough to raft on until as late as July, as snowmelt can cause the creek to flow too fast. Various Redditors have described Cherry Creek as "really intense", "very taxing", and "the most stressful 2 hours of whitewater I'd ever been on." You will definitely need to have some prior experience. Though Cherry Creek is one of the few places in the U.S. where commercial rafting companies offer guided tours on Class V rapids, you will need to pass a paddler's test to prove you can handle it.
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Whitewater Rafting At Cherry Creek: An Exhilarating Ride
Barry Kruse, a Cherry Creek rafting guide, wrote on YouTube in 2020 that this route is so difficult to navigate, the guides "have to be some of the best in the world." It begins near Holm Powerhouse, and immediately the rapids become intense, with such ominous names as Guillotine and Jawbone (both Class V). It's not until the third hair-raising mile that you will face two of the most difficult rapids of the day: Mushroom and Toadstool. Here you will face the thundering sound of the water as you rush down the white, frothing rapids, holding on for dear life. Other challenges on the route include The Miracle Mile, starting at the Blind Faith rapid and dropping 200 feet past giant boulders and a series of terrifying drops. If all that wasn't enough to get your adrenaline pumping, at the sixth mile is Lewis's Leap, which involves squeezing between a couple of boulders, then dropping 8 feet into the water below.
The ride finishes at Meral's Pool, and by this point, you will probably need a beer. The rapids at Cherry Creek are aimed at seasoned thrill-seekers, so you need to have a good think about whether this is the right experience for you. All participants will take part in a series of demonstrations, talks, and exercises prior to tackling Cherry Creek, to ensure that everyone is as prepared as possible. If you decide Class V rapids are too hardcore, ARTA river trips offer Class IV rafting also on the Tuolumne River, close to the Gold Rush Era town of Groveland. Either way, you will want to make sure you bring the correct gear, including neoprene socks and sunglasses with straps. Then all that's left is to enjoy the ride!
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Read the original article on Islands.
