Any beta on Quartz Creek (headwaters of the Kenai River)? I was thinking that the little valley behind Jerome lake (just before the Y on the Seward Highway) where Quartz creek runs through might be some fun packrafting. I’ve only seen the creek right before it flows into Kenai lake, and it might be too low right now. However, I think the Devils Pass/Creek trail runs across the creek up. higher Anyone seen it from that high?
Thanks!
Ryan Hickel
Last week there was plenty of water in Q. Creek, but lots of wood. It is blocked by miscellaneous junk (willows, a tree, etc) at the one lane bridge just above the Q. Creek campground, but should be easy to get around with a daring leap out. There is easy access from the road just below the “Y”. Bushwhack, or put in at the bridge, or buttboat Dave’s Creek (very shallow) until it joins Q. Creek.
I’m sure someone has to have paddled this stretch before us, but on 7/1/26 Deeter Backwinkel, Dan Gregory and myself paddled Quartz creek from the devils trail bridge to the Dave’s Creek substation. We found fun clean consistent class 2/3 paddling with a couple class three rapids thrown in. There were two wood portages, but we will be back to clean those out. The stretch was surprisingly clean for the amount of beetle kill around and the whitewater fun, it’s like smaller glacier creek with more whitewater. We found no information on this stretch, all of us are surprised this isn’t paddled more. The bottom just before the take out gets quite woody, but we pulled out and walked a miners trail to a road back to the substation, about 1/4 mile of walking in all to get back to the rig. Would recommend!