Cheakamus – Paradise Valley

Contributed by Claudia Schwab
What It's Like
Fun beginner run
Class
II (III)
Time
2 hours
When to Go
Nearly always runnable
Gauge
26.7cms↑ (Mar 28 10:05)
This description is from 2007 and may be outdated.

Character: Boulder gardens, pool drop, gravel bed, medium volume.
Flows: Low: 25 cms, Medium: 50 cms, High: 100 cms.
Scenery: Great views of mountain scenery, nice float through forest
Length of Run: 12 km
Length of Shuttle: (one way) 10.5 km
Special considerations: Be careful of log jams and sweepers.

Directions:
From Squamish drive North on Hwy 99. Turn left on Squamish Valley Rd. (Alice Lake Provincial Park is on the right). After about 3.5 km you will get to a bridge across Cheakamus River. Here is a possible take-out on river left at the Sunwolf Outdoor Centre (N49 47.968 W123 09.361). Zero your odometer here. Immediately after the bridge turn right on Paradise Valley Rd and continue to a second bridge after 3.2 km (second take-out option just upstream of this bridge, N49 49.724 W123 09.115). Drive across the bridge and keep going across Culliton Creek at 8.6 km. The road ends at 10.7 km – this is the uppermost put-in (N49 53.430 W123 10.801). The last kilometer or so is rather rough. Another lower put-in is at 6 km (N49 52.344 W123 10.476). This avoids the class III drop at Culliton Creek.

Description
: This is a great run for novices, but keep an eye out for the frequent logs. There is only one class III drop at Culliton Creek, where the creek releases its load of rocks and rubble. Elsewhere expect small boulders, the occasional hole and some nice (but small) surf waves.

You can make the run longer by continuing through the Squamish River confluence and taking out at the Watershed Grill in Brackendale. The section from the bridge at Sunwolf/Fergie's to the Squamish River confluence is more continuous and has a handful of class III rapids. It's also a worthwhile section on its own.