Creeking

Creeking (sometimes called steep creeking or treetop boating or creekboating) is a branch of canoeing and kayaking that involves descending very steep low-volume whitewater. It is usually performed in specialized canoes and kayaks specifically designed to withstand the extreme whitewater environment in which the activity occurs. In addition, the canoes and kayaks give the paddler improved performance and maneuverability needed to avoid river obstacles.
Description.
Creeking.
Creeking usually involves the descent of waterfalls and slides, but equally applies to any steep low volume river. Creek characteristics can vary greatly, from very smooth granite like Cherry Creek in California where there are no loose rocks and most features are slides and waterfalls, to boulder gardens such as the Stein River in British Columbia where rapids are formed between rocks with features including sieves (siphons), step drops, holes, and undercuts.
Creeking tends to be more dangerous and extreme then other varieties of kayaking such as freestyle or sea-kayaking. As such the sport of creeking usually requires extra gear that is not necessary in regular canoeing and kayaking. This equipment includes: throw bags, elbow pads, float bags, pin kits, first aid kits, repair kits, and sometimes the addition of a face mask to the helmet.
Creeking is also local slang, in the Appalachian region of the United States, as a phrase to define walking or hiking in a creek or stream. This is a summer-time activity for many children that grow up in rural areas.
Multi-day creeking.
A paddling trip usually done by a group where they will descend a technical creek over a period of days. The group will usually survive on supplies they begin the trip with stored in their creek boats. The level of difficulty in creeking makes packing for overnight trips especially challenging as adding weight to the kayak can severely hamper the performance of the kayak, whereas canoes do not usually have as much of a problem. The placement of the gear within the kayak also impacts the performance of the boat as the center of gravity moves. Essential gear for multi-day trips includes fire starting gear, food and/or fishing line, and warm gear or a sleeping bag for the nights. Tents, sleeping pads, and cooking equipment are optional based on weight and space. This activity is comparable to mountaineering in scale and exposure, and mountaineering grade equipment is specifically favored for its weight characteristics.
Unique attributes.
Seasons.
Whitewater kayakers generally need specific water flows to do their sport, and creeking takes this requirement very strictly, as too little or too much water in a stream will have massive impacts on ease and safety. In eastern North America creeks usually only run in the spring as the rivers are fed by snow melt, and in the fall as this is generally the rainy season. In parts of the world where there are glaciers creeks may run in the spring, the heat of summer and then again in the fall giving kayakers three time windows to run the rivers. Arid parts of the world such as Australia need a period of rain in order to run their creeks. Creeks are more seasonally restrictive than rivers because they generally are only run in low volume while rivers can be run in higher volume, giving them a larger selection of water levels that are kayak friendly.
Clique creation.
When whitewater kayaking reaches the difficult levels of creek boating an interesting social phenomena can occur. Creek boaters will often only choose to kayak with the same group of proven paddlers and will only accept paddling with new paddlers who have proven credentials referenced by at least one of the core group members. This is primarily due to the level of safety required on a demanding river and the non-verbal communication demands. A paddler who is not prepared to handle the whitewater is both a danger to themselves and the group. It has been observed that this overall attitude is strikingly polar to the very social play boating and slalom scenes, but as with any social dynamic this is not universal. Part of this selectivity is that these individuals regularly place themselves in high risk situations for the benefit of their crew to help ensure a crew members safety.
First descents.
Many of the world's creeks have yet to be explored in canoes or kayaks. The act of paddling a previously un-run stretch of whitewater is known as a first descent. Searching for hidden whitewater gems is an exciting and difficult endeavor many expedition boaters undertake. Un-run creeks with high quality whitewater are difficult to find in countries with heavy exposure to canoeing and kayaking. Expedition boaters seeking first descents will often travel to countries where whitewater boating is not widespread and many rivers and creeks remain un-paddled.
Unique Hazards.
Paddlers who engage in creeking are exposed to a variety of hazards, some of which are unique to the sport.
River Information.
In order to safely creek boat a boater will seek information on the run before they embark. This information is often referred to as "beta", and will often include information on put in and take out, optimal river levels, dangerous rapids to look out for and trip duration. This information resource is not always easily available and for the harder runs the information is often obtained through interpersonal communication. This facet of creek boating adds to the clique creation. There are guide books that describe well known runs in detail, an example of which is Stuart Smiths Canadian Rockies Whitewater book.
Moves.
Creeking comes with its own paddle strokes to master in order to safely proceed down the river.