washington

Big Creek, Gifford Pinchot NF, Washington

Big Creek is one of the most beautiful and sought-after canyons in Washington state. This is a pretty strong statement considering how many gorgeous creeks there are in Washington, but not too many creeks get a 4.9 out of 5 rating on Ropewiki. Located in the middle of nowhere in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southern Washington state, Big is not easy to get to, requiring a 4-5 hours drive from the Seattle area. We organized a trip out there at the beginning of September to celebrate my birthday weekend in style. Combined with a run through Ape Canyon, this was definitely the highlight of our summer in Washington. Big Creek is a high-flow technical canyon that requires a good team and good leadership. Although fairly short, it packs a punch. Fortunately, we had two people on our team who had done Big Creek before. Our friend Lorenzo [...]

By |2025-03-19T20:05:13+00:00September 7, 2024|canyoneer, washington|0 Comments
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Bear Creek, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington

It was a very gray and cloudy morning at the beginning of September when we met with our friend Kym at an unmarked pullout on Index-Galena Rd in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. We were planning to descend Bear Creek, a relatively new technical route that is fast becoming well-known, several hours north of Seattle. This creek was first descended in 2021 and I had participated in the third descent last year, but Max and Kym had not done this route yet. Located deep in the forest, the approach drops right into a popular swimming hole along the North Fork of the Skykomish River. The swimming hole is right next to Bear Creek Falls, an extremely scenic little sequence of intense waterfalls running through a polished granite chute. Walking past the swimming hole, we crossed the river at a point where it wasn’t running very high and started our [...]

By |2025-01-23T18:49:27+00:00September 2, 2024|canyoneer, washington|0 Comments
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South Fork Snoqualmie River (Franklin Falls)

If you’re a resident or visitor to the Seattle area, chances are high that you’ve been to Franklin Falls, one of the most popular hikes in the region. Located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near Snoqualmie Pass, this easy, short and highly scenic stroll is hard to beat. You start by walking along an easy trail next to the gorgeous South Fork of the Snoqualmie River, marveling at the huge trees lining the riverbanks. The lush old growth riparian forest here takes you back in time. This is also an opportunity to examine a number of old cabins on both sides of the river. Some are boarded up, while others look inhabited. The trail continues gently uphill, following the curve of the river, and soon the river canyon deepens and becomes inaccessible from the trail, although you can see the waterfalls below. About a mile further along the [...]

By |2024-12-06T04:56:37+00:00August 28, 2024|canyoneer, washington|0 Comments
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Davis Creek, Gifford Pinchot NF, Washington

Davis Creek is probably the most popular technical creek in Washington state. This half-day creek is accessible from both Seattle and Portland, has a minimal approach and a trivial exit with a short and easy car shuttle. What’s not to like? But there’s more! As one of the most highly rated creeks in Washington, Davis is spectacularly beautiful with deep fern-covered basalt walls, gorgeous waterfalls, fun rappels and jumps and an iconic log that spans the canyon. I think I’ve used all my superlatives already and I’m only on the first paragraph 😊 Our first trip to Davis this summer was at the beginning of August with a group of Utah friends who were visiting as well as my nephew Aron, also visiting us at the time. We had been working up to Davis for most of the week with smaller and easier canyons and finally we felt like [...]

By |2024-09-19T23:57:04+00:00August 10, 2024|canyoneer, washington|0 Comments
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Olallie Creek, Rainier NP, Washington

Olallie is so nice we did it twice! Olallie Creek is one of the most beautiful canyons in Mt. Rainier National Park and is one of the classic creeks in Washington. This summer we had the pleasure of running Olallie with two groups of out-of-town friends, and it was also my first time in this amazing place. The only drawback to this route is that you need a timed permit during the summer months to enter the park and set a short shuttle from the Grove of the Patriarchs to the Cowlitz Divide Trail. This permit is fairly simple to get the evening before if you have a solid internet connection. You can also enter the park early (before 7am) or use a small pullout right outside the gate and walk to the trail, which adds an additional few minutes. Beta for Olallie Creek is located here: Olallie Creek [...]

By |2024-10-31T18:43:26+00:00August 9, 2024|canyoneer, washington|0 Comments
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Mineral Creek, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA

At the end of July we had the pleasure of hosting our nephew for his first trip to Washington. Aron is an athletic 14 yo who runs competitively at his school in NJ. We were a bit worried we wouldn’t be able to keep up with him! This was also his first trip alone and away from his immediate family, so it was a big week for everyone. Aron was very excited to learn to canyoneer and we had a whole plan to get him started on the rappelling wall at The Mountaineers followed by a trip to Pilot Creek, our favorite training creek. Alas, the weather was not cooperating. We had one nice day right after he flew in, and then it was going to rain for two days after that, so we switched up our plans. The next morning after his delayed flight which got us home [...]

By |2024-09-04T23:49:54+00:00July 30, 2024|canyoneer, washington|0 Comments
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Dark Creek, Gifford Pinchot NF, Washington

After a few weeks back in Washington taking care of the house and other emergencies, it was time to head out for a couple weeks of adventure. Our first stop was the PNW Rondy, in a remote part of the state near Randle, Washington. This is a great springboard for canyoning in Washington, with many of the classic creeks located within striking distance. We dropped by on Saturday, July 27th to run Dark Creek with our friends Sri and Vyonne, as well as some new friends who were in Sri's group. No permits are required for this creek, and beta is available here: Dark Creek - ropewiki. Dark is a pretty creek with a more open character in the upper area and narrows in the lower part. Access is very easy, via a well-maintained trail that goes steeply uphill in some sections, gaining about 800 feet of elevation. There [...]

By |2024-08-16T22:54:04+00:00July 27, 2024|canyoneer, washington|0 Comments
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