Visual on Osage as of 9am 12/4/11

[cnabors]

Picture of the first drop

[ckuntz]

I'm running that one with you soon Cary..
Looks like a great creek run

Chris

[Fish]

Thanks for the info on the level Cary! Glad you got to join us for a fun run on what Zach Williams called "Lowsage Cr." :-)

The level on Roger's bridge gauge at the put-in was exactly 1 foot and holding steady while we ran our shuttle before the run. That's a good minimum for the run (about the lowest I've run it), rapids in the gorge are complex, high gradient rock-piles that are fun if you can avoid getting pinned or flipped. But the last 1/2 mile in the gorge (when the gorge starts to open up, but the other tributaries haven't bumped up the flow yet) is a real knuckle dragger at that level. Might not be worth the price of admission if it's any lower than a foot on Roger's gauge when you put in.

- Fish

[hollohead]

Easy to remember, 1' min. about what I thought. A person could also take out before the mushroom and take the very short but very steep trail up to our place. If you took out right below our place, you would miss one good rapid before the mushroom and the run would be about 6/10 mile. When I get a good trail in, it will be alot easier to do this. Anyway, it was cool to watch you guys run the rapid right below the deck and we hope to see alot of runs this season.

[ARzach]

Thanks for everything, Roger!

Anne and I are very greatful for your hospitality! Let me know what kind of beer you drink, if any, and I'll gladly hook you up with a 6er next time I'm out that way.

Cheers,

--Zach

[hollohead]

Thanks Zach, You guys are welcome to come around anytime. When we get the house done we can show some true hospitality.

[hollohead]

Oh yea, I'm a Merlot wino, but Robyn enjoys a beer or two.(or 3 or 4)

[Fish]

Oh yea, I'm a Merlot wino, but Robyn enjoys a beer or two.(or 3 or 4)

Roger, you're a lucky guy.

Zach, FYI, Merlot is a kind of red wine, and wine isn't one of the two types of alcohol you're familiar with: the kind that comes in a can with a blue ribbon on it and the kind you mix with Coke.

- Fish

[Fish]

Found my old pic from the higher water day on Osage. Roger's gauge was at 1.8 feet that day (one mark below the 2' line - I assume 1/5 increments?). That is a very padded out level - I've done it only one time when it was significantly higher (plus one time when it flashed under us at the end of the gorge).

So 1 foot is bare minimum, 1.8 is solid optimum, and I'd bet 2.0+ is starting to get into the high and pushy range. Looks like the highest red mark is 2.2, so if you can't see any red marks, the creek is cooking big time, so strap your sprayskirt on tight!

Just a reminder - the gauge is located on the river right, downstream side of the concrete footing of the bridge at the put-in. You have to lean a bit out over the downstream side of the bridge to see it.

I'll update this info on the OWP page when I get some time to do it.

- Fish

[hollohead]

Fish, the gauge is in 3" increments. I will get some brighter red paint and make the gauge more visible also.

[Victor Caballeros]

who all went down the Osage on 12/4/11? Would anyone be willing to show a Loser the ropes on it. Plus if I have to hike out i can hike out. I would like to try it anyways. I wouldn't what to run it on a pushy day though. I would like to run it on a the lower end.

[Fish]

Be more than happy to paddle Osage with you anytime, Victor. We had a group with a pretty wide range of creek experience. Had a few swims above and in Mushroom, and one guy did walk out and I heard his assessment is that it was "not anything like Richland" which he'd done before at least a few times. It was a very low level, which doesn't exactly make these steep creeks easier to navigate. It's really about how much you're used to bouncing from rock to rock aggressively. Upper Richland at 2.9 has much the same feel and hazards to it, albeit with half the gradient. I feel like the best level for a first timer on Osage would probably be a little more water than we had. Probably about 1.25 - 1.5 ft on Roger's gauge would be ideal. There are still a lot of blind, tricky class 3+ drops at any level, with a few pretty solid 4's at most levels, so if you go in ready for that, you'll probably have a great day.

Next time it looks like things are starting to cook down there, give me a holler on my cell and we'll go hit it!

- Fish

[Shep]

Interesting comments Fish... As you know, I had several of those "pinball" experiences work out poorly on Stepp Creek last year. I have a new boat since then that should be much more stable while bouncing around. Having been on one of the cleaning missions last year, I hope that I can prove my boat on Osage this year. :)

Shep

[Victor Caballeros]

Interesting comments Fish... As you know, I had several of those "pinball" experiences work out poorly on Stepp Creek last year. I have a new boat since then that should be much more stable while bouncing around. Having been on one of the cleaning missions last year, I hope that I can prove my boat on Osage this year. :)

Shep

Same here. I want to reap the benefits. I was the fat guy that was throwing logs on the trip.

[ARzach]

As you know, I had several of those "pinball" experiences work out poorly on Stepp Creek last year. Shep

Well, that's because you brought a cannon to a knife fight!



--Z