Day 2: Lower Fletcher Camp to Pruitt’s Castle Camp (4,850 cfs)
The rain ceased in the night, so today started out overcast but dry. We need the rain but life outdoors is just easier when you’re not perpetually moist. The day stayed mostly overcast, with occasional spots of almost clearing. Teaser sucker-holes. Happily, it didn’t rain again, and then only briefly, until we’d reached camp at Pruitt’s Castle [RM 24.5]. After breakfast, we floated down to Weeping Wall Springs to take on fresh, clear water (the river water is pretty silty), have lunch, and take a short hike.
At these elevated flow levels, the five named rapids between Lower Fletcher and Pruitt’s were just bouncy fun whitewater – but with wave trains big enough to produce a good soaking from time to time. 😉
We had hoped to camp at Ryegrass (hot springs!) but that site was taken, so we moved on down to a camp below Pruitt’s Castle, an impressive colonnade of spires formed from white lake sediments interspersed with black and brown bands of lava. The rain held off until dinner was almost ready, then sprinkled on us as we ate it under a trap. It was still raining slightly when we turned in for the night. But, would it be clear in the morning?
BOOTS on the TRAIL 