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 were some huge Douglas fir trees along the trail! The trail then veers off into some easy bushwhacking that takes you down to the creek. The ripe blueberries and salmonberries in the woods and along the creek were especially tasty.
This is a very pretty and straightforward creek, a great choice for us to jump back into class C canyons. After a fairly short creek walk, we found ourselves at the first technical section, featuring a lovely waterfall with a bit of flow as we moved through it.
One interesting thing about Dark Creek is that the bedrock is made from basalt, some of which cooled to take on columnar form and naturally forms blocks. As a result, there are several downclimbs that feature steps with great handholds and footholds, which is very unusual for PNW canyons.
After the downclimbs, we entered the crux of the canyon, known as “Dark Creek Falls” which consist of three rappels down waterfalls with increasing flow. The first rappel in this section is very beautiful, featuring two waterfalls running parallel to each other down the same rockface. Following a swim out to the bank, we encountered a large log wedged horizontally across the stream. The log formed an anchor that seemed solid, which we used to descend the next steep waterfall. This one was more exciting as the flow was definitely higher and the rappel featured an interesting hanging pothole. We emerged onto a platform that marks the start of the longest and most complicated rappel in the creek. From the anchor, you descend down the upper part of the waterfall to a ledge overlooking a grotto with swirling water at the bottom. Here, the canyon walls narrow and form a bowl into which plunges a thundering waterfall, alongside a giant log descending the entire length of the waterfall. Most of us chose to rappel on the dry side of the log as the flow looked fairly terrifying from the top but wasn’t quite so bad from the bottom. There is a strong current at the bottom due to a narrow constriction. We swam around the log and exited via a small section of narrows.
The lower part of the canyon has one last rappel which really showcases the columnar basalt in both the walls and bedrock of the canyon. Angular rock cliffs stretch up to meet mossy green trees and ferns of the forest above. One last downclimb or jump marks the end of the technical route and the start of a short creek walk back to the trail. The exit trail is the same pleasant trail we entered on but still feels like a bit of a slog even though it is mostly downhill.
Overall, we enjoyed Dark Creek so much that we took some Utah friends back the following week. Definitely one of the classic canyons in Gifford Pinchot NF.
