South Santiam River ~ Packrafting ~ Tomco Falls and Narrows

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chameleon
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South Santiam River ~ Packrafting ~ Tomco Falls and Narrows

Post by chameleon » August 14th, 2017, 5:00 pm

Zach-Forsyth-South-Santiam-River-Tomco-Falls-Oregon-Waterfall-Packrafting.jpg
Yesterday, my buddy Nick once again introduced me to a fantastic joint! In this case, it was a roadside gorge. As opposed to wilderness, this one had innumerable signs of human love. There were cables across at various intervals, and staircases, some old and abandoned, and some new and maintained, leading up to the houses of extremely lucky humans with backyards like no other.

We began up above a waterfall the kayakers have named Tomco, and continued down two and a half miles to the take-out bridge at Cascadia. It was a wonderland of bedrock narrows, lined with moss and topped with ferns. Small fish swam the dark pools below as we floated through quiet flats, and roared down short rapids. It was one of those trips you don't want to end!

Tomco Falls was intricate and beautiful. An ancient sheet of bedrock, it's been carved into a pot-holed labyrinth over the ages. Rocky fins and delicate shoots show the work of water and boulders.

In all, it was a fantastic place to spend a warm August afternoon!
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Zach-Forsyth-South-Santiam-River-Oregon-narrows-kayak-packraft-paddling-bedrock.jpg
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Chip Down
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Re: South Santiam River ~ Packrafting ~ Tomco Falls and Narr

Post by Chip Down » August 14th, 2017, 5:41 pm

Hey, that's not a hike! Cheater! ;)
Fantastic pics though.

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chameleon
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Re: South Santiam River ~ Packrafting ~ Tomco Falls and Narr

Post by chameleon » August 14th, 2017, 6:43 pm

Oh it's a hike. Just one interspersed with swimming and floating! Lots of streambed hiking involved!

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Chip Down
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Re: South Santiam River ~ Packrafting ~ Tomco Falls and Narr

Post by Chip Down » August 14th, 2017, 7:46 pm

A better retort would have been "Hey Chip, bite me! This is the off-trail forum, and I was clearly off trail".

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