Whitewater Packraft - North Umpqua River, Oregon: Section 2, Horseshoe Bend to Gravel Bin Raft Take-out

There are many rapids of note on this section, with Eiffel Tower and Pinball being the two biggest ones. The flow was about 900 CFS, which is an excellent level. Weather was perfect in the 70s and sunny. Water quality is excellent. 

Eiffel Tower is about 1.3 miles into the run. Eiffel Tower can be scouted from the road, and is difficult to scout from the river. The most commonly run line is on river left, just to the right of three exposed (at 900 CFS) rocks in a line down the rapid, and just to the left of the big hole in river center. Swims are not uncommon here, but there is a long recovery area below the rapid.

About a mile downstream of Eiffel Tower is Alligator Rapid, which is a short distance above Pinball. The easiest line on Alligator is far right very near the right shore. While Alligator is not difficult, it is a bad place to swim as you will likely get flushed into Pinball Rapid on the river right side, which is not the side you want to be on. Once through Alligator, move left to catch the large eddy above Pinball Rapid.

Pinball Rapid is a fun boulder garden with lots of eddies (at 900 CFS) and places to ferry back and forth from eddy to eddy. Enter the rapid either left or center, then move left to catch the first big eddy below a large rock on river left. From there, read and run as you wish. There is an excellent lunch spot immediately below Pinball against the cliff face.

Surf City is a series of surf waves just above the take-out at Gravel Bin. 

Just below Surf City the river makes a right turn and there is a ledge that extends from river left almost all the way across the river.  Recommend running this on the far right.

Take out at Gravel Bin is a short distance below this ledge.