July Looping on the Cispus
Mathew Springer | Published on 7/17/2023
By Mathew Springer
July 15, 2023: Google maps led me to the Copper Creek Canyon take out to meet up with the trip leader and the rest of the participants for a warm weather play run on the Lower Cispus. The newly constructed take out is a great site which includes a large picnic shelter, easy access to the water, port-a-potties, and ample parking. The shuttle ride to the put in went smooth enough mainly because the shuttle driver had run the Lower Cispus a couple times before.
Upon arriving at the put in we found multiple RVs parked in the parking area. There was enough room that we just parked alongside the edge of the road. Before we walked through the RV encampment the trip leader introduced himself to the people camped out and checked in about putting in at the site.
Once on the water we had pure blue skies most of the way with the sun shining on the water the whole trip. The river level was 550ish CFS which is below AW recommended level but in a short boat everything was smooth enough. I would compare the Lower Cispus at 550ish CFS run to the Middle Fork Snoqualmie at its lower recommended end. The play spots were good with one solid pour over that offered a stable foam pile to initiate right and a deep pocket that was great for front loop attempts. The other play features were more of a freestyle experience - there were a lot of them, with deep, defined eddy lines behind boulders all along the run.