Video & Trip Report: Elkhorn Canyon on the Dosewallips

Do you like to hike?

Do you like to carry heavy stuff?

Do you like to hike and carry heavy stuff at the same time? Then this run is for you!

Elkhorn doesn't have a lot of beta out there on it, and for good reason; no one runs it aside from a few locals.

Elkhorn Canyon is a steep burly little section of the Dosewallips River in Washington state. True to form, Elkhorn carries characteristics of its Olympic Peninsula brethren. It's hard to get into, remote, steep and scary with a healthy sprinkling of wood.

I first ran Elkhorn in January of 2010, when I was still earning my creeking wings. Darren Albright called me up and asked me if I had ever heard of the run. As I didn't own a Korb book (the peninsula's whitewater bible) I didn't know what I had in store for myself.

When Darren called this time I couldn't actually recall the majority of the run. I think I had suppressed the pain way too deep to recall without the aid of a therapist.

I was actually able to get into the canyon on back to back days, Saturday and Sunday. Somehow we had great levels and SUNSHINE both days. This is like winning the lottery in WA...

Saturdays flows were in the low 600's and Sundays flows were in the mid 600's. Saturday Darren Albright was able to make it out after pulling a 24 hour shift at work. Huge props. Sunday I was to show two first timers down the run, Shane Robinson and Matt Kurle, until Matt left one crucial piece of gear behind and had to sit the run out.

After looking at pictures and some of the video available online, it's not readily apparent why the run isn't a classic for us OP'ers. Well, its the pain involved. A flood in the early 90's washed out the road to the campground just below the putin. Prior to this flood you could conceivably drive to within a mile or so of the waterfall that marks the beginning of the run. Now, a five-ish mile hike is required to get at those sweet, sweet goods.

The hike isn't bad. Its over a very well maintained forest service road that gets used quite a bit by hikers of all calibers.

The run starts off with a bang; putting in within sight of an "unrunnable" waterfall and no way to see whats around the corner. You pray for no wood as you peel out and into the neon blue water.

A couple miles downstream you come out of the canyon and the tightness in your chest starts to lighten up.

Enjoy:


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