(2/07)
I remember two impressions that I had during my first trip down Willow Creek. 1) The water was too low to be running this creek because... 2) I was hitting all kinds of rocks. It seemed like whenever I avoided one rock, I hit another rock that I hadn't seen. Well, a lot has changed since then. For example, I have learned that my first run was actually during high water. Also, I have improved my technique and philosophy. Now I aim for the rocks. On my first run, I was aiming for the spaces. But through negative reinforcement, I have learned that the spaces between the rocks contain... more rocks. By aiming for the rocks you can see, you stay on line, and you can pretend like you were trying to hit sweet boofs whenever you bounce off something.
(The Famous Leif Anderson looking smooth and professional.)
So, as you can probably gather, Willow Creek is a totally sweet run. Why else would anyone endure so many painful impacts? It is a bit of a local's run though. There is no gauge, so knowing when Willow creek is flowing often requires a good knowledge of the recent rainfall. Also, despite the fact that the creek is never more than a few hundred feet from highway 299, running it without somewone who knows the lines would probably require quite a bit of scrambling through thorny vines, slippery rocks, and the occasional patch of poison oak. On the flipside, once you know the run well, this makes a great after-work or multi-lap stretch because it is so short. While filming for this video with a helmetcam, Dan, Will and I discovered that a comfortably paced run in the Upper Section took less than 20 minutes, including a portage which has since become unnecessary (due to log movement).
(Dan Menton preparing for another run with the SBP helmetcam.)
I have edited a freakin' sweet video out of the helmetcam footage. I wouldn't try to use the video alone as a guidebook or anything, but the video coupled with Caliproduct's online guide (http://www.caliproduct.com/calisite.webpage/Templates/RUNS/willowcrk.htm) should get you down the creek like a ninja. The footage takes you from the putin of the Upper Section (also known as the Carhood section) down through most of the Forbidden Zone (the middle section) and finally through the Lower Section. Big thanks to Dan Menton for wearing the helmetcam for a few runs, and to Paul Gamache, Chris Zawacky, and Will Parham, for providing nice scenery and/or obstacles while I styled the shit.
rock on
-The Famous Leif Anderson
