We were determined to scout Greenhill and so much wanted to avoid the portage of one mile times three trips. However, we vowed that we would not compromise common sense in the interest of avoiding a tough slough.
The top of the rapids were a quarter mile from our camp site and the rock shelf was easily accessible on river right. Were able to walk down a good 100 yards and scout the top of the rapid. Scouting is facile at least until .6 or .7 on the Mattice gauge. At the level we ran it, the top of Greenhill was definitely a class II not a class III. Furthermore, there is at least one eddy on the right that is accessible 100 yards down for any intermediate. The rest of the rapid (surprise) was probably more difficult than the top, being comprised of about a thousand aggravatingly spaced rocks, with a pushy current. We give this section an honest 2 plus, 3 minus technical rating. The top part was the easy stuff,at so low levels, but the rest of the rapid was more difficult, technical and became close to the limit of the point-and-paddle and back ferry method of canoeing. If it got more difficult and you are an expert, the way to go through the bottom section of Greenhill is using micro eddies and current differentials.
For two expert paddlers, lower Greenhill at this level would an absolute blast. Intermediates find it an adrenaline-surging workout. Others prepare for a backbreaking portage.
At higher level (above .7), rock ledges as on Greenhill on the right cause water to spill over the ledges and could give nasty hydraulics and diagonal curlers to negotiate. That gives Greenhill its fabled rating. At the same time, at about .7 meters flow, the lower part of Greenhill after the class II gets easier because a lot of the rocks get washed out and they are no longer obstacles.
If you don’t have a lot of canoeing skills, your odds of negotiating Greenhill are probably greatest at .5 or .6.
St. Peters was the first class II rapids we scouted. It involved a ledge difficult to visualize from the boat. The difficult part of St. Peters is two ledges 50 feet apart that involve two ledges and a narrow line to run. We opted for a center right course as opposed to Hap Wilson’s river left line. Our path required a tricky technical move after the second ledge, proof you have to be open to alternative possibilities (the river sending you different than you thought you were going).
Split Rock Falls portage routine. There was a neat campsite in the middle of the portage. The river compressed to about 10 feet wide but much of the falls were not visible and what you saw from bottom not as dramatic as narrowest part.
The seven miles from Split Rock to Thunder Falls was just a matter of pumping wood.
We stayed at a good camp site at the top of the falls. Don’t think you have to finish the portage for either of the two camp sites below the falls.
Total miles paddled 13.
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