Jefferson Creek

I was finally able to put on my big boy pants and get back on Jefferson Creek.



The run out below Island Drop. Jefferson Creek, WA.


     Darren Albright took me down Jefferson my first season of creeking (before I knew better) and I had some really good times in there, then I decided to put on during a high water event and had an interesting day. I hadn't been back into Jefferson Creek in almost two years (since February of 2010).



The biggest drop on Jefferson, Below Island Drop.
Jefferson Creek, WA.


     Jefferson Creek is a rarely run Olympic Peninsula gem of a river, it's not even in the Korb guide (our only guide for the OP's watersheds). To say that Jefferson is Ldub's slightly younger and sluttier cousin wouldn't be far from the truth... Its steep and technical but overall not a very difficult run. That being said, I had my closest call on this Creek in the winter of 2010. Lost a boat and paddle and probably came closer to losing something else much more intangible.

Bottom Two ledges in Island Drop. Jefferson Creek.

Here's a little video from the next day when the water had dropped a little bit and I hiked in to where I swam:





And here is a clip from when I went back in a couple weeks later to try and regain some pride:


     Jefferson Creek is about an hour from my house and happens to be one of the closest quality runs available to us Kitsap County residents. Sadly, it probably only sees a handful of runs a year. Due to it's lack of a river gauge, it's remote location and the general tendency of the Olympic Peninsula to throw a wrench in even the most well though out plans, not many people make the pilgrimage. A typical winter or early spring phone call trying to convince a Seattlite to come out West goes something like this:

Ring, ring...
Seattle Boater: "Hello?"
Me: "Dude! Whats up? You boating today?"
Seattle Boater: "hmmm, whats in? Whats Robe at?"
Me: "Dunno, Robe's low, so is Ernie's."
Seattle Boater: "Well. What you thinkin?"
Me: "Elkhorn is in... Jefferson might be..."
Seattle Boater: "You think it'll be in?
Me: "Sure, maybe. I think so. Darren says it's good to go I think."
Seattle Boater: " I think I'm gonna hit the Sky."
Me: "ehh."
Click-

     Sadly this is how the majority of Saturday, potential OP madness days, end before they even start. It's understandable though so I don't hold a grudge or withhold a throwbag. We are so spoiled here in the PNW that its hard to convince someone take a chance on a creek that may or may not have water in it (or too much...) when you can run out and get on the Skykomish or the Green. But... Jefferson has treats, I digress:

One of many rapids on Jefferson Creek, WA.

     A tributary to the Hamma Hamma, access is no issue. A well manicured forest service road in the Hamma Hamma recreation area takes you right to the take out and then its a 5 mile drive up to the put in. The run is only 2.1(ish) miles long, but its continuous class IV+-V for all but a couple hundred feet of those 2.1 miles. The run is roadside-ish... easy to get into, not so easy to get out of. Once you leave the put in, the creek drops off the face of the earth and a hike out of the canyon to the road could take hours, see above video.

     American Whitewater has the creek's gradient listed as 260 feet per mile. Steep, considering that there are no waterfalls or even ledges higher than 10 feet on the run. Sounds fishy right? It's riverbed is made up of big sheets of bedrock and dotted with huge smooth boulders that sometimes sport a mantle of timber from high water events. While the big boulders in the gardens are round and unassuming, the average rock in the creek bed is sharp and jagged. The pin potential on this run increases exponentially with a decrease in water level. If you can, bring a beater boat for your first couple of trips and do not forget your elbow pads!



     The scenery in this drainage is out of this world! At the put in, the river is pretty level and there isn't much gradient so it just appears to be another densely forested OP run. Then you drop in and you find yourself almost locked into this gorgeous canyon. Handhold-less vertical walls limit your view of the sky and your route of escape at times. Then, around other corners, nothing but beautiful deep emerald green trees coming all the way down the banks into the water. As on most Olympic Peninsula runs, you need to be on your toes for wood. There is always wood in this run, its just a question of how involved you have to get when you find it. There are several spots on the river where you paddle under the natural lattice work created by high water events and the trees of past.

At least you don't have to duck at these levels...

     One of the coolest things about this river is the water. First off, its cold. Bone cold, so bring your pogies and a drysuit is a must. The water is this bluish green color that looks almost carbonated. I don't know if this is due to porous rock or just the turbulence of the water, but its pretty cool to see and feel non-the-less.

Ridiculous Scenery

Goods for days and days.

     There are several diligent Olympic Peninsula residents that spend a lot of time in the summer and fall keeping runs like Jefferson free of wood that would require portaging and we all owe them. As of right now, there is only one portage and even that is debatable. I had heard about Rob running the portage on accident during a really high water run and now Darren and Rob regularly run the drop in question.

Darren mid portage.

     Describing the rapids is all but useless, its like describing Ernie's Canyon: there are just too many rapids in there to accurately describe them in any other situation or setting than the eddy above the drop in question. Or, maybe its just because it's one long rapid... I'm sure the majority of them have names and correct lines but to be totally honest, I've only scouted two drops on the run and those are pretty straight forward. This also accounts for the distinct lack of quality photos, there's no time to jump out and take shots when you're flying down the run at 90mph.

     Either way, if you like incredibly dense forest scenery, bedrock slides, technical creeking and water that looks like it came out of a Disney movie make your way out to Jefferson Creek. Snap in, get a death grip on your paddle and start smiling!




y







If the takeout looks like this, ask yourself one question: "Am I Rob McKibbon?".
If the answer is "no": Go home.



Its hard to judge level at the takeout as the river bed changes so much here, use the island in the stream bed looking upstream from the bridge as point of reference.

Another shot of Island Drop. Jefferson Creek, WA.



Chillin on the bank below Island Drop.