Cherry Creek Upper Tuolumne Rafting - All the Major Rapids

Please check out my podcast, Leading Steep: Adventure Stories, Leadership Allegories, Wisdom from the World's Great Guides www.leadingsteep.com
Rafting the Upper T/Cherry Creek in Aug. 2020. 1,200 CFS, excellent weather.
Following Sierra Mac’s Tom MacDonnell and Jeff down the run.
Honestly, I was thrashing. Not my best lines, but first time down in 20+ years.
My second run was a lot better! See that here: • Class V Cherry Creek /...

[@mtiforawaterplanet]

Love the music!

[@Notmyname85]

I have so much respect for anyone who guides this. I'm a West Virginia boater and commercial class 4/5s don't look like this in the mid atlantic. The slack water is so clear! What a beautiful river. I'm not sure I'd ever attempt it in my own raft though. I'm not quite that brave to get myself down something with what looks like tons of sieves and undercuts. Class 4 is good for me.

[@BarryKruse]

I really appreciate that you understand how serious this is. A lot of folks don’t quite get it, and everything looks flatter on video. I’ve guided the run about fifty times; just a few times commercially many years ago. I respect the very few people who guide it commercially regularly as it is genuinely the hardest commercial trip in North America, I am convinced. This video was my first trip back on the run in more than 20 years. It was far from my best day; nearly falling out twice, and rarely comfortable with my lines. I had thought I might never go back. But studying the video, I could see where I could improve, and had an excellent run and a lot of fun again two weeks later. The water on the Tuolumne is really pretty. And there are a ton of places to get in trouble if you’re not ready for it. Wishing you wonderful boating! Thanks for the comment.

[@bjuddville]

Barry- Great lines, rowing and filming. Thank you for taking the time to do a great edit.

[@BarryKruse]

Thanks so much for the kind comment! Happy if it’s helpful.

[@jcaff6963]

Ran the T. with Marty Mc and his sons. Lead raft flipped in Clavey falls. Scary because most of the crew came up under the flipped raft. One of his sons was clinging to a small tree in the rock wall, as we came by. Marty was one with the river and it looks like his sons are too. Exciting day and a free ride too!

[@BarryKruse]

Tom, his son, is a tremendous guide.

[@timwaldroup9654]

That's some skinny oar rig water.. good commands and great paddlers

[@BarryKruse]

Thank you so much. It is tight!

[@petergonsalves9381]

Thanks for putting up the great footage from Cherry Creek. There are so few videos out there of this run that are done well. Looked like a amazing day on the water.

[@BarryKruse]

Thanks, Peter! My runs weren't great this day, but we still had a blast. I almost swam twice... once near the top of Mushroom. And honestly, I thought even after 40+ earlier runs that I was never going back. But I studied this "game film" a bunch, and had way better lines a couple weeks later. This video isn't as complete, but has much better runs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGaWY5uNmbGoqck

[@petergonsalves9381]

@@BarryKruse I have a lot of training to do before doing something like cherry creek but watching your videos is motivating. I liked the way you call commands and handled yourself when in difficult situations. I’m impressed with your skill as a boatman and it pushes me to do some harder rivers. I mostly do class 3-4 stuff but trying to progress this year to more 4-5. I’m close to the Kaweah and plan to spend some days in it this year. The gateway run there is not as difficult as cherry creek and watching your lines and how you handle different issues is a great tool.

[@petergonsalves9381]

When you said you didn’t charge hard enough and missed the leap do you think you should have setup two feet to the right or Do you think you had to push harder to the right or boat angle? Just curious of your thoughts looking back.

[@BarryKruse]

@@petergonsalves9381 There are a couple of lumpy guard rocks above The Leap that looked worse than they are. In my second run, having seen some video, we simply rolled over them and moved further left above the drop. Much easier.

[@BarryKruse]

@@petergonsalves9381 The Kaweah is a terrific run, and challenging. Great way to get better! Thanks so much for the kind compliments. Forgive the shill here, but you might enjoy my new Podcast, "Leading Steep." Thank you!

[@mattwhenry]

Really well done! It's a virtual video guide book. Thanks for putting this together!

[@BarryKruse]

Thanks, Matt! So glad you liked it.

[@kevinmokracek5078]

Brought back memories. I recall nearly flipping right above Flat Rock Falls.

[@chmith27]

This was great! Love boat colors, nice 3 view camera set up

[@BarryKruse]

Thanks so much! So glad you like it. It was fun to make!

[@weirdbeard1980]

There's class V and there's cherry creek.

[@elizabethsmith7343]

Looks like a fun river! I've only rafted the Ocoee (twice) and the Gauley (6x).

[@goodtimesandgold239]

What a rush that has to be! Pretty damn awesome 😊

[@blownlines]

Nice run Barry! I love the multiple angles.

[@BarryKruse]

Thank you so much for the comment! I ran this twice over the summer. I'd run it about 40 times before. But this was my first time on in more than twenty years. My second run was definitely smoother!

[@arthousefilms]

Wow!!!! Intense! Great video. Feels like we are right there!

[@BarryKruse]

Thanks so much!! The GoPro 9 is an amazing device.

[@DaveHarris7]

Great vid and nice guiding chops there!

[@mikekenney8362]

I’ve run the Upper T. Remember the rocks especially. This guide is very good.

[@BarryKruse]

Thanks very much, Mike. As you’ve been there, you know how flat video makes things look! And there are a LOT of rocks!

[@aweirick1]

Barry, you are a smooth operator. Awesome video. I thought the Gauley was intense. This is like if Lost paddle was 9 miles long lol. I’m surprised this is commercially ran at all. Definitely on my bucket list. Impressive.

[@BarryKruse]

Thank you so much! The Creek is an incredible run and a definite step up from the Gauley. (I guided a season there, as well.) I guided a few commercial trips here. But the folks who guide it these days - generally fewer than a dozen guides a year - have to be some of the best in the world. It's impressive to watch the folks from Sierra Mac and All Outdoors make it look easy. My runs this day were good - not great. I nearly went out in Mushroom. I was much happier with my lines a couple of weeks later in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGaWY5uNmbGoqck This run is a must-do bucket list selection for all serious rafters.

[@benjamindbailey]

Great lines! I am a New River/Upper Gauley guide. What all do you have to do (training, etc.) to be able to guide on this section commerically?

[@BarryKruse]

Thanks! My lines weren’t great on this day. It was my first time back on it in more than twenty years. But I was much better a couple of weeks later on the other Cherry Creek video on my channel after studying this film and knowing where I could improve. It’s been many years since I guided there commercially. But there are just two companies that run it now: All Outdoors and Sierra Mac. And I am guessing they employ fewer than 12 guides total to guide it commercially in any given year. First thing is probably to create a great relationship with one of those two companies and then get on the run a ton to learn the lines. Good luck!

[@benjamindbailey]

@@BarryKruse OK, thanks! I will reach out to one of those outfitters. What would be your biggest piece of advice for guiding a section like this? I know for the Upper Gauley it's good to go slow to navigate many of the rapids. Is Cherry Creek very undercut?

[@BarryKruse]

@@benjamindbailey Slow is good on a technical run like this. The river is filled with massive, rounded boulders. There are strainers and potential undercuts throughout, and there was a rafting fatality some years ago sadly, ironically at Coffin Rock.

[@big1dog23]

Nice footage and good guide. Met a guide who lost client in there in the 90's. I thought it was in Mushroom, but maybe the part where the paddlers walked around. It's one busy piece of water. We had a 4 man paddle team. Oar assist is about all I see any more in the vids, and for good reason.

[@BarryKruse]

Just connected with a friend of mine who was there in the accident you're referring to. It happened at Coffin Rock in a wrap situation.

[@big1dog23]

@@BarryKruse Met the guy at a Kern Festival. Quite sure, having lost several friends, he will never forget.

[@phillebeau7191]

Barry...i see your still running the goods as I too am abusing myself on as many Rivers as possible. Be nice to do some California Rivers with you again. Rick Covington

[@BarryKruse]

Rick!!! I wondered what happened with you. Hope all is well. Let me know when you are going to be around.

[@phillebeau7191]

Will do..i still kick back and watch us on Lake Creek a lot..most of my videos are gone including our Feather trip...and many other memorable trips. I have made it to the Nile, Zambezi, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia and other great paddling destination s. I Hope to make it back to California soon.

[@zacziegler9235]

Crazy that's a commercial run

[@BarryKruse]

It's been many years since I've guided it commercially. But the guides who run it now are the most skilled in the business and they know every line. The flow is now almost always the same being dam-released. But you're right; it's a helluva run for a commercial trip.

[@oldboater]

Masterful.

[@BarryKruse]

Thanks so much, Bob. There are many guides on this run better than I. And I thrashed a little on this day. But I appreciate the comment!

[@kevintucker9140]

Just curious, on cherry creek just before it meets the Tuolumne, there is a rapid that has a pretty nice drop , it’s right after that structure on river left , but it doesn’t seem to be named as any part of the rapids , at normal flow does it not count? I hike Andersen mine trail and I’m looking at it at 500 cfs it looks like a good rapid, thoughts?

[@BarryKruse]

I didn't have it in this video, but I think I know the drop you're referring to. Not even sure I noticed or recall a structure there. I think it may have a name like "Morning Coffee" or something. It's class IV'ish. But there is so much whitewater on this trip that rapids that might have names on other trips are punctuation marks between rapids on this trip! Things are definitely bonier at 500 CFS.

[@lindanormsmedrano7834]

What if i fall?????

[@kylebrown7307]

Dope raft

[@BarryKruse]

Thanks! The whole family voted on the color scheme and that's where we landed. This was a dream boat for me; all custom specs, d-rings, footcups, etc. Happy boating, Kyle!

[@spreckrosekrans667]

Very nice video. Great river. Spirit captured. (Would prefer without music.)

[@BarryKruse]

Thanks so much! Just clarifying here: Are you hearing music on this 15-minute video? I have it on a couple of my shorter videos; not on this one.

[@jimmyfaherty8588]

You are a badd azz. Nice.