The Metolius River burbles out of the ground on the back side of Black Butte, picks up steam where it converges with Lake and Jack creeks, and really starts ripping with the addition of Canyon Creek.

By the time it reaches Bridge 99 (or Lower Bridge), it’s hard to believe this is the same river that slides along so peaceably back up around Camp Sherman.

While the Metolius upstream exudes a fairy tale-like sylvan charm with its friendly riffles, snug cabins and curling wood smoke, this downstream sector is brash, like an outspoken uncle who somewhere along the line decided diplomacy was for wimps.

Gone are the vacation homes, the cozy mill pond feel, the midstream hummocks thatched with grass. On this reach, there’s water, lots of it, moving downhill fast. There are big trees, mostly ponderosa pines, lining both banks. And there’s the emerald spine of Green Ridge looming over the treetops to the east.

It’s the kind of place you want to be when you’re looking for a little chaos to go along with your natural beauty.

From Bridge 99, there’s a trail that follows the west bank of the river downstream to its confluence with Candle Creek. You can park in the lot just west of the bridge and walk up or down stream. You can’t go wrong either way.

Despite the steep gradient and frequent patches of whitewater, the river is glass-clear. With polarized sunglasses, you can see the contour of the river bed and even an occasional rainbow trout, feeding on tumbling nymphs from the lee side of a subsurface boulder.

The bull trout are bigger. These ”apex predators” – actually members of the char family – typically range from 5 to 15 pounds and look a lot like underwater logs, until they move. Their presence is indicative of a healthy, dynamic watershed.

Amid all this water thundering by on its way into Lake Billy Chinook, there are quieter pockets close to shore where the current eddies back on itself or is broken by a fallen log. Those downed trees also provide a respite for fish and a medium for streamside plants to take root. You expect to see a profusion of green in spring, but it’s jarring in January to come upon green spraying from the middle of a snag when everything else is cloaked in white. Those who know the Metolius explain that since it’s a spring creek, with little temperature fluctuation from season to season, the microclimate right next to the water promotes year-round growth.

Up on the bank, you might see a lizard, a snake, a chipmunk or a white-headed woodpecker. Osprey and bald eagles are common along this river corridor.

You might think about packing your fly rod for an out-and-back hike downriver from Bridge 99. The fast water is difficult to fish, but those quiet pockets hold fish. You can hike about a mile and a half down to the campground at Candle Creek, turn around and find your way back up.

The Metolius is a popular fly-fishing stream (and spin fishing is permissible downriver from Bridge 99), but the legions of long rodders have yet to descend on this challenging water this season. In a few weeks, the green drake hatch will be in full bloom, which means anglers will be casting their imitations to rising trout while the big, gangly mayflies helicopter by.

But for now, the trails are quiet, except for the sound of rushing water.

If You Go

Getting there: From Sisters, drive 10 miles northwest on U.S. Highway 20 toward the Santiam Pass. Just past Black Butte Ranch, turn right on Forest Road 14. The road joins Forest Road 1419; follow this to the left, ignoring a fork to the Head of the Metolius. Turn right at the stop sign; the Camp Sherman Store is just across the bridge. Follow the road to the left past the store, then turn left on Forest Road 14 to follow the Metolius downstream. Bridge 99 is about six miles from the Forest Road 11 turnoff.

Contact: Roger White and his employees at the Camp Sherman Store know what’s going on in and around the Metolius River. The store is open Fridays and weekends. Call them at 595-6711.