Pete Mattson on the first rapid, video still by Tom O'Keefe

Stein River

GAUGE: The Stein is a good run to combine with the Nahatlatch. When the Nahatlatch is around 2.0 m the Stein is probably at a good level (medium-high). Weekly gauge reading for the Nahatlatch is posted on VKC site (in the levels box) from the REO Rafting staff gauge (check web first but otherwise REO can be reached at 604-461-7238).

SEASON: Good during mid-summer after peak snow melt around the same time as the Nahatlatch.

ACCESS: Nearest town: Lytton (Yahoo map). Follow Canada Highway 1 up the Fraser River to Lytton which is at the confluence of the Thompson with the Fraser. Turn left following the sign for Highway 12 and head 0.8 miles through town on Main St. Turn down to the left on Highway 12 (near the hospital) and continue for 0.7 miles (you will cross the Thompson River) to the left hand turn for Ferry Landing Rd. Follow this road 0.5 miles down to the ferry. The ferry landing serves as one potential take-out if you want to end your run with a short paddle on the Fraser. The ferry runs daily from roughly 6am to 10 pm with occassional breaks. Once on the other side, continue 3.1 miles up the Fraser to the left-hand turn for Stein Trail Rd. It's 0.5 miles up this road to the trailhead and picnic area--this is where you start hiking. For a visual check on levels, go past the turn-off for Stein Trail Rd. another 0.6 miles to the bridge across the Stein. There is also good informal camping upstream of the bridge along river left which also serves as an alternate take-out. To reach the put-in you will need to proceed on foot from the trailhead into the Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Provincial Park. Reaching the recommended put-in for a day trip requires a 5 km (3 mi) hike in to the Devil's Staircase. You'll recognize this spot as the point where the trail becomes more narrow and then cuts off steeply up the hill. The second camping area is located here along the river. Beyond this point the trail becomes a bit more rugged but there is more whitewater upstream, and folks have flown in to Stein Lake and paddled out on a multi-day self-support (recent reports indicate that there are new restrictions on flying into the lake since the park was designated, although you may still be able to do it). The other alternative is to come in off Highway 99 and hike in to the North Fork Stein. This route was pioneered by Dave Norell and friends and includes some very big drops (his article appeared in Rapid Magazine). This option may be of interest for class V expedition paddlers.

DESCRIPTION:

The Stein is one of the best runs in the Lower Fraser Valley. It's also an incredibly scenic river with its entire watershed recently protected in a provincial park. The landscape is open ponderosa pine forests with beautiful bedrock outcrops. The river provides non-stop class IV+ action that in some places pushes class V for it's entire length out to the Fraser. The primary hazard on this run is the continuous nature of the rapids. A swim could quickly become epic and rescues would be extremely challenging as the eddies are small and the rapids just keep coming. At higher flows there are lots of holes to avoid on this run.

The first challenge to this river is the hike in. Plan for it to take a couple hours. The trail passes through open forests and you don't get a lot of shade. During the long days of summer it can get quite hot so be sure to bring at least a couple liters of water, and if you can work out the logistics, hiking in during the morning hours is recommended. The trail is good but it's a little rocky in places so you'll probably want to shoulder your boat or carry it with a pack. This is not a great trail for carts.

Starting from the campground at Devil's Staircase, the run serves up some great rapids right from the start (video clip), and it never lets up. You can boat scout most of the run but there are about half a dozen places where you'll probably want to send at least one person up for a scout from shore. In these places it's difficult to see the line that avoids the holes from river level. The rapids are formed by boulder gardens and there are a few fun ledge drops. You'll be treated to at least 30 class IV+ rapids all strung together in one long continuous sequence (video clip).

As you reach the point where there are high cliffs on river right you're approaching the end of the run. There are a couple of great drops in this last section (video clip). The big drops are over once you cross under the pipeline and the West Side Rd. Bridge. You can take-out here but it's fun to paddle out on the Fraser. It's another few hundred yards through boogie water to the confluence. The Fraser cranks along and it's only about a 20 minute ride on the fast current down to the ferry landing. Along the way you'll find some strong eddy lines, a couple waves, and some cool whirpools.

REO Rafting runs commercial trips on this run. Here's their description of the run.

Note: Video clips require Quicktime to view.