canyoning

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 [...]

Secret Canyon, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada

On Thanksgiving morning, our friend Bart Knox joined us for a short canyon outside of Las Vegas in the Black Canyon area called Secret Canyon. There are a couple of interesting things about Secret Canyon in particular. Like many canyons in this area, Secret ends at the Colorado River and has geothermal activity in the lower section by the river. We weren’t sure if the pools were going to be deep enough for a soak but wanted to check the place out. It was going to be an interesting day either way, because the only way out of the canyon is either by kayak or ascending two rappels back up the way we came. Always a good time for skills practice! No permit is required for this canyon. Beta and a map of the route is located at: Secret Canyon (Nevada) - ropewiki. If you are interested in packrafting [...]