Cherry Creek (California)
Encyclopedia
Cherry Creek is a swift-moving stream
in the Sierra Nevada in eastern California
, USA. It is a part of the watershed
in the Emigrant Wilderness
that drains into the Tuolumne River
. At its headwaters, it flows through granite
valleys similar to those found in Yosemite Valley
, though these areas are accessible only to backpacker
s. The creek is dam
med in one location, forming Cherry Lake
.
Whitewater rafting on portions of Cherry Creek is classed in the very difficult Class V/V+
category and has been called by one commentator "without a doubt the most difficult commercially run river in the country."
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
in the Sierra Nevada in eastern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA. It is a part of the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
in the Emigrant Wilderness
Emigrant Wilderness
The Emigrant Wilderness of Stanislaus National Forest is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, USA. It is bordered by Yosemite National Park on the south, the Toiyabe National Forest on the east, and State Route 108 on the north. It is an elongated area that extends...
that drains into the Tuolumne River
Tuolumne River
The Tuolumne River is a California river that flows nearly from the central Sierra Nevada to the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley...
. At its headwaters, it flows through granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
valleys similar to those found in Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
, though these areas are accessible only to backpacker
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
s. The creek is dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
med in one location, forming Cherry Lake
Cherry Lake
Cherry Lake is an artificial lake in the Stanislaus National Forest of Tuolumne County, California about east of the city of Sonora. It is at an elevation of on the western side of the Sierra Nevada, and lies just outside the western boundary of Yosemite National Park...
.
Whitewater rafting on portions of Cherry Creek is classed in the very difficult Class V/V+
International Scale of River Difficulty
The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river, or a single rapid. The grade reflects the technical difficulty and skill level required associated with the section of river...
category and has been called by one commentator "without a doubt the most difficult commercially run river in the country."