The discovery of Tatlow Creek by Jonavan Moore a few years back rocked the world of creek boaters. Stories of clean waterfalls and soaring, polished granite slides elevated Tatlow into a mythical class. Even after a dozen runs down this elusive gem, persistent paddlers are still lured by Tatlow’s ephemeral rewards.
Getting to the put-in is arguably the most challenging part of the trip; a steep carry up the creek’s length is followed by a gruelling descent to the bottom of the gorge. Once at river level, boaters are rewarded with emerald water and some of the most enjoyable class V creeking this side of the Coast Mountains. Tatlow drops just over a mile (2 km) at 600 feet per mile towards the Ashlu, which offers its own justifiably famous whitewater.
Creativity is required on- and off-water as rope work, teamwork and balancing acts on slippery logs are needed to make downstream progress. At the bottom of the gorge, a final tight drop plunges into a sparkling pool framed by lush ferns, mossy rocks and feathery western red cedar.
Beta
Tatlow flows into the river right side of the Ashlu, about 45 minutes above the 50/50 bridge. Allow two hours for the hike in from an overgrown left turn on the Ashlu road (park at the culvert), and three to four hours for the descent. The season is tricky as the window is very narrow; mid-August is usually best. The distinctive golden rock at the take-out bridge should have just a bit of water flowing over it—none is too low, an inch is very high.
Planning
Leland and Andria Davis’ new book The River Gypsies’ Guide to North America (Brushy Mountain, 2010) has some info on the run. However your best bet is to ask a local Squamish/Whistler boater who’s run it before to come along and show you.
This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Early Summer 2010. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
