Sixmile Creek is a beautiful stream in northern Kenai Peninsula. Heading South from Anchorage, you first encounter its tributary, Granite Creek, draining the southern slopes of Turnagain Pass. The lower parts of Granite Creek are class II white water, and are regularly floated by kayaks, rafts and canoes. Very little of Sixmile's tributaries are glacial in origin, so the color of the water is mostly blue, but with a little silt. This is an uncommon treat for Alaskan floaters.
However, while Sixmile is not glacially fed, it is largely supported by snow melt in the mountains around its tributaries. This creates high flows whenever the sun shines sufficiently to melt the snow in the upper elevations. The water usually runs highest from mid June to mid July, while there is still plenty of snow and sunshine, and it will rise dramatically with heavy rainfall. At high flows (2800+ cfs. - over 11' on the USGS gauge) this river is very dangerous and is a known killer, although usually to unsuspecting boaters who don't know about the dangers that they can't see from the road. It can be rafted safely anywhere from low (8.8') to moderately high flows (11'), which is most of the time from early May to late September. High flows create more danger and the resulting thrills, but fewer eddies, while low flows create more demand for technical rowing in what becomes a pool and drop stream. A thrill in its own right.
The Alaska River Forecast Center has a gauge at the bottom of the third canyon that is broadcast on the internet. Check out: http://aprfc.arh.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ahps.cgi?pafc&sixa2 It can be run in rafts a bit below the 9' level (600 cfs). Mid levels are 9.5 (1000 cfs) to 10.5 feet (2000 cfs), 10.6 or more is high, 11 feet (2800 cfs) is too much for me.
Sixmile is an ideal kayaker's float, narrow and technical, with gradually increasing difficulty. Rafters started running it in the 1990's on a regular basis since raft material finally improved to the point of withstanding the punishment the sharp rocks often inflict. Outfitters like Nova, Chugach Outdoor Center and Class V run it commercially as well. A smart way to learn this stream is to pay one of them for a ride one day and then ask if they would mind if you tagged along the week. They are usually pretty good about this. I paid them the first time and then didn't run it again until the next year. By this time I had forgotten most of it. If you're concerned about the cost of this education, you shouldn't play in this stream. Sixmile is expensive to raft. Almost every time I went there for the first few years I lost or broke things. I don't have much money, but I know how to keep my priorities straight.
If you are floating this creek very early in the year or right after other high flows, it is best to scout it for log jams and sweepers, or simply dare a brave kayaker to try it first, and then see if he comes out the other end. Other precautions to take while running Sixmile are to always wear a wet or dry suit with appropriate foot wear. The chances of swimming are high, and the water is cold. Also wear a helmet. This is not an option. Twice I've hit my head hard while coming out of my boat. The helmet turned a possible disaster into a non-event, or at least a near non-event The last piece to put on is a high flotation Personal Flotation Device (PFD). Kayakers may have reasons to use those skimpy little jobs, but in my opinion, rafters should buy the biggest balloons available. If you get recirculated in Suck Hole, you'll appreciate the ability to bob like a cork. Also make sure it fits snugly. If you take passengers (their screams are what make this sport so much fun) don't listen when they say "I don't need all that stuff 'cause I'm a good swimmer." They have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. One other piece of standard advice, have at least one other boat with your party. ...to retrieve bodies and such.
There are three canyons on this creek, each one more difficult than the previous. Going from class IV to IV+ to V. If you experience much trouble with the easier upper sections you may not want to do the lower canyon. These canyons offer some of the most beautiful scenery and exciting white water in Alaska. The put-in is at a large paved parking lot on the North side of the road, at mile 59 of the Seward Hwy. (approx. 2.6 miles before the Hope Rd.) The first take-out is at mile .9 on the Hope road, a little below the first canyon. This is a narrow driveway on the right and is easy to miss. The second take-out is at mile 4.5 on the Hope road. It is a narrow driveway going up the hill on the right and is just below the second canyon. The third take-out is at mile 7.1 of the Hope Rd. If you see a mailbox, you’ve gone too far. Go 1/4 mile down the narrow driveway on the right.
Scouting Sixmile Creek is a difficult proposition but is doable at some of the most important places. About a mile below the first canyon put-in, you can see from the highway, a narrow gulch between two mountains on river right that Gulch Creek flows through to where it joins East Fork of Sixmile Creek. Right here on the North side of the road there is a small drive that starts and goes no where. It's a good place to pull into and park to scout the first canyon. If you see the metal gate to the miner's cabin you have gone 200 yards too far West. There is a new footbridge here, built in 2001 or 2002, that passes over the gorge. This, and all land surrounding Sixmile Creek is owned by the National Forest Service so it is public property. You need to cross this bridge in order to see much of the canyon. You can see Seventeen Ender from the bank just upstream from the bridge on river left, but Predator, Waterfall, The Slot, and the entrance to Sheet Metal are best seen from the bridge or the bank on river right. This area really does need to be scouted because logs are often found lodged in the gorge or The Slot that may be blocking the best or even the only line.
The entrance to the second canyon can be scouted from Boston Bar, a large pull-out and a good unimproved camping area at mile 3.3 on the Hope Road. From here you can walk down stream to view Pearly Gates and, with difficulty, The Nozzle. Both of these are better scouted from river right, but to get there you need to pull into the eddy just before you drop over the edge of Pearly Gates. At a pull-out at mile 3.6 of the Hope Rd. you can walk down a good trail and view both the exit of The Nozzle and entrance to The Anvil. This is a pretty place for a picnic and to watch the boats go by. With some difficulty you can also walk down and view Beaver Drop.
The Third Canyon is the hardest to get a good viewing of, however the most dangerous, first two drops can be scouted. There is a small pull-out where the mile 5 marker is missing, but the last I looked, 4, 6 and 7 were still standing, so you can judge from these. At mile 5.8 there is a medium sized dirt pull-out with a trail heading down to the top of a long rope that aids in the plunge over the cliff to get a great view of Suck Hole. You can also walk back up the road from this pull-out to mile 5.5 to find a less used trail heading, first up hill then down an even longer, steeper cliff to get to Staircase. However, it is much easier to scout Staircase by pulling your boat into the eddy on the left just above it and walking down on river left. You can decide if you want to run it or portage then. But it is very difficult to scout Suck Hole from the river, and if you don't have an experienced guide with you to point it out, you would be well advised to expend the effort and time to climb down there and look at it first.
I use an Aire 17.5' by 7', cataraft with 18" tubes, which, although rigged light, is a little large for several of the tight spots, especially at low water levels. Catarafts are faster, more stable and can punch holes better than conventional rafts, but are harder to stay on, turn slower, and give a wetter ride. A better boat for Sixmile would probably be a 14' self bailing raft, or a smaller cat.
