The Big Quilcene - Olympic Peninsula





Joe Howard - Big Quilcene

 

The town of Quilcene was open for business and Joe and I were ready for some sweet, sweet OP goods.






Casserlys Cascade - Big Quilcene

   The Olympic Mountain range is a coastal mountain range in the Western most part of Washington State that rises almost directly out of the sea. While they are not especially tall, by normal means, they are rugged and dangerous in their own right. The Western slopes rise out of the Pacific Ocean and are the wettest place in the 48 contiguous states. The Hoh Rainforest receives between 140 and 170 inches of rain a year.



Big Quilcene - Olympic Peninsula

The Big Quilcene is on the Eastern flank of this amazing mountain range, and while not a rainforest, it still receives enough rainfall to maintain heavily forested foothills and dense undergrowth.

Mainly made up of basalt, sandstone and slate. This hills are covered in Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir and western hemlock, and garnished with a healthy helping of devils club.

The walls are this amazing smoothed over sandstone that boasts no handholds for as far as you can see.



Casserly's Cascade - Big Quilcene

One of the coolest things about this canyon is how remote it feels. The entire run is less than a mile from the road that you take to the put-in and less than 4 miles from HWY 101, but you could be on Mars for all you know. There is no trash, no debris (other than wood), nothing to mark the presence of Humans.




Big Quilcene - Olympic Peninsula



Boofs for days and days…

The first drop you come to is a small waterfall with a funky entrance called Casserly’s Cascade. Scout and portage on river left. I ran it right to left but got caught in the cave on river right. Joe had a much better line and styled it.

Joe Howard – Casserly's Cascade




Joe Howard – Casserly's Cascade




Joe Howard – Casserly's Cascade



Found this little guy in my boat after setting safety for Joe.


Joe Howard – Big Quilcene

After Casserly’s you have a couple class III’s before you come up to this. We elected not to scout but probably should have. The corner is completely blind and with how much wood we found downstream, it wouldn’t be too difficult to imagine finding wood lurking around the corner at the bottom of this guy:


First rapid – Big Quilcene





Joe Howard in the first rapid – Big Quilcene

  

First rapid, second half – Big Quilcene

  Couple more fun drops brings you to this guy:

Super fun. Run down the gut and boof the massive hole at the bottom. Stay left though as it backs up into the undercut wall on river right.




Joe contemplates – Big Quilcene



Joe goes for it



Joe – Big Quilcene





Stay off that right wall...

 


Same rapid from below.




Panorama of said rapid.



Another fun ledge, run right.



Joe leads the way. Scout from RR.

No OP trip would be complete without some form of strainer, wood sieve, wier, dam or other form of fun. After a few more class III-IV boulder gardens we pulled in to a small eddy on river right and got out to see what we were dealing with. What we found was an awesome drop that was completly ruined by rainforest sized toothpicks.



Log Jam No 1 – Big Quilcene



Log Jam No 1 – Big Quilcene

If you got your nose up high enough...



Log Jam No 1 – Big Quilcene




Log Jam No 1 – Big Quilcene

 Log Jam No1 is unfortunately placed. It's covering what promises to be a pretty cool drop, a bigger version of Uber Boof on the Cooper river. Even the run out rapid was ruined by an ill-placed tree limb. Portage on river left.

Then theres Log Jam number 2:



Log Jam No 2 – Big Quilcene



This spot was pretty hairy. Joe was leading and almost bombed over the lip here on far river left. Luckily there was a last chance eddy as this beautiful 10-12 foot slide ends in a horrible wood sieve. The portage is on river right up and over the log jam and then down the right side. With more water this thing would be coming at you pretty quick.

Log Jam No 2 – Big Quilcene




Log Jam No 2 – Big Quilcene



You can see the river left line from here; totally good to go. But just to the left is a horrible looking wood sieve. I think the right boater could make the move and walk away with another awesome drop under their belt. Not this guy.



Log Jam No 2 sneak line – Big Quilcene


From here out its pretty much quality boulder garden followed by quality boulder garden. I don’t know how many times I wanted to stop and take pictures. The forest is just amazing and the water is so clear!

This little guy had a fun smear move to stay off of a clam shell shaped rock in the landing zone of the ledge.



Unreal Scenery 

 

Last rapid in the runout of the gorge - Big Quilcene

 



Cool waterfall near the get out - Big Quilcene

 


Take out gage at the fish hatchery - Big Quilcene

 

Frankenstein needs a nose job

 

I could see how dangerous this creek bed could become with more water. Even at the flow we had on Sunday, we boat scouted a lot and ran a couple drops blind. I can only imagine what the eddies would look like with more current pushing through.

Several of the eddies above substantial drops (and one portage) were one boat eddies. 

Get out and enjoy the sun!!

Video: Fall in the Wall

Fall in The Wall is a tributary to the South Fork of the Snoqualmie river here in Washington State.

Coming right off the pass, the water is cold and fast, and the creek has a very short window during late spring. I was able to meet up with some friends early Saturday morning and got a solid 5 or 6 laps in.

This run is not worth the drive if you live in Seattle proper, but it is the perfect stop if you are on your way over to Wenatchee or Leavenworth. Or, this season, the cooper! The run very short, probably less than a half mile and its got an unrunable waterfall at the end of the run. It's also a very stacked run, so while it carries a class IV rating in difficulty, this creek could cause some serious problems for someone who is not confident on slides and working out of holes and dish out some class V thrashings.

Enjoy:

Video: Matt Kurle's Rodeo Session

Matt Kurle is a sick, sick boater.

He also edits some badass videos.

Deer Creek trip report - NF Stillaguamish river

Deer Creek, WA just outside of Oso, where Deer have been coming for century's to become Elk.

     This was a good weekend. I was able to get back into Deer Creek, near Oso Washington. This is only the third time I have been on this run so our relationship is still in the "Honeymoon Phase", and its been almost two years since my last excursion in this oft overlooked river.

     One of the cool things about Deer Creek is the complete lack of Beta about the run. Aside from some tribal knowledge there isn't a lot out there about the adventure in pain that is Deer Creek. I've Google'd the run several times trying to get names for the rapids to almost no avail.

Pictured above: Nothing helpful.

     The thing that sets Deer Creek apart from its closest of kin; Robe Canyon, is the continuous nature of the river. Deer Creek starts with a bang and doesn't let up until you literally paddle out of a hole in the canyon and into a shallow river bed. Robe canyon, by comparison, is the very essence of "pool drop". Every rapid dumps into (usually) a large pool where a weary boater can collect their whit's or their brethrens gear. Deer Creek is like a late night bar fight, it just doesn't let up.

Perpetrator of most bar fights in the Green Lake area, Brad to the X.

     The first two runs I had on this awesome stretch were eventful in their own way, but also a little easier. Last year the river access to the put in was easily accessible from a clear cut that you could drive right up to. Maybe a half hour hike was all you had to endure. Now, however, the logging road has been closed and you get to enjoy a roughly 3 mile hike into the creek.

Rapids stack up quick.

     The hiking isn't bad, as far as boat hiking goes. The road is very well maintained and there is plenty of parking at the gate. As the miles melt away and your back starts to cramp, you reach the clearcut that marks your departure from the well manicured road and your foray into the dense forest surrounding the river. Devils Club abounds and there are more rotting logs and stumps on the hillside than there are rocks in the river. Good footwear will be an essential tool here as you WILL take a fall and a tweaked ankle here could lead to a long night.

Joe Howard

Brad Xanthopoulos, who needs a backpack?

Cut 'em all down...

     Our hike in was actually very pleasant. A light mist of a rain was present for the majority of the hike and kept us from getting too warm in our drysuits. The warmer air temperatures and cool rain created this very eerie glowing effect in the trees.

More Green than you know what to do with.

The greens just pop out at you when you are in these forests after a rain has washed through. It was like walking into a Pixar movie.

Looking back up the hill from the put-in.

You reach the water just before your knees give out.

The put-in.

I love the "fog" effect that the weather was giving us this afternoon.

Looking downstream from the put-in.

Joe and Brad had been in here more recently that I had been so we had a quick discussion on the most recent wood situation. There wasn't any wood in play this trip but I could see it becoming very serious very quickly as eddies are conspicuously lacking in most of the larger rapids on this run.

Unreal scenery - Deer Creek, WA

We put in just a touch after noon and I was immediately breathing hard. There is nothing but quality class III+ ledgy warm up before the gradient picks up and the canyon walls get that vertical, impregnable look that so many of these quality runs have.

Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA

Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA

That "you're not going anywhere but downstream, my friend" type of topography.

Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA

 After your shoulders are good and tired, you pull up to the first of the big rapids on the run; Hudson.

Hudson - Deer Creek, WA

Hudson - Deer Creek, WA

As the weather looked terrible when we set out I left the SLR in the truck so please enjoy the screen shots and the less than ideal point and shoot photos.

Joe Howard in Hudson - Deer Creek, WA

Joe Howard at the crux move in Hudson - Deer Creek, WA

Hudson POV - Deer Creek, WA

Hudson POV - Deer Creek, WA

Hudson POV - Deer Creek, WA

A little bit downstream comes this awesome drop that we are leaning towards naming Loco:

unnamed rapid - Deer Creek, WA

This rapid handed me out a little bit of a beating. I started a little too far left and got pushed all the way left and dropped into a hole above a house rock that looked suspiciously undercut.

Gettin wild - Deer Creek,WA

Brad X

Fun ledges and pour-overs everywhere...

unnamed rapid - Deer Creek, WA

Bad Panorama of an awesome drop - Deer Creek, WA

This double drop is just SWEET! Scout on river right and decide where to go.

Joe Howard in Double Drop - Deer Creek,WA

Joe Howard in Double Drop - Deer Creek,WA

Brad X in the double drop - Deer Creek, WA

Brad X in the double drop - Deer Creek, WA

There is a certain order to the world. Things you cannot change. Dogs hate cats, tax season is never far off and I will always blow my line on an easy drop:

POV of Double Drop - Deer Creek,WA

But it went as well as can be expected I guess. Didn't hurt at least.

POV of Double Drop - Deer Creek,WA

None of these pictures properly convey the vibe of the river on the day in question. The slight mist on the top of the water and the glowing overcast clouds above us created this muffled, heightened sense of awareness. The feeling you get when you're sitting in your living room alone watching a scary movie and you know there's nothing behind you, but still...

This river-wide hole is waiting just downstream of the double drop.

Big Holes - Deer Creek, WA

Scout on river left or just run it.

Joe Howard gettin' some - Deer Creek, WA

The last big rapid on Deer Creek is a two tiered drop that forced you to start center and work right to avoid a really nasty undercut rock on the left side of the channel. Scout from  river left or right.

Last big rapid, easy to scout on river right.

 That's fog and rain in the trees in the picture above. Unreal!

Last big rapid - Deer Creek, WA

Last big rapid - Deer Creek, WA

Then there is this fun little chute.

Tunnel of Love - Deer Creek, WA

I'm calling this thing the Tunnel of Love, only because Groove Tube is already taken. Stay center, these hole will mess with you.

Tunnel of Love - Deer Creek, WA

Tray to stay a little more left...

Tunnel of Love - Deer Creek, WA

After that it's really just more fun boogie for another mile or so. But do not let your guard down, it just seems easier by contrast.

Brad enjoys his scenic rivers with a side of blood.

Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA

Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA

Quality Boogie - Deer Creek, WA

The run was over before I was ready. The whitewater section of this run probably only makes up for about half of the mileage and its over as abruptly as it starts. You round a corner and there is a tight braided channel around a cliff and then the canyon disappears and you are back to civilization and safety.

 

Gaging this river can be a bit difficult. As I stated in my last trip report for Deer Creek, a good rule of thumb is if Robe Canyon is way too high and its still raining; Deer Creek is in. It might be high, but its in. The online gage undated twice for us on 17Jun2012. Once at around 7 am and we had ~4300cfs and then again in the evening it read ~3400cfs. I'm not sure where in the middle we caught it but it didn't feel low and it felt like it could up the "fun" factor with some more water.

Logistics are easy. There is an abandoned gas station across the street from the takeout and plenty of parking. The area isn't too sketchy, doesn't have that "meth" look to it so cars should be reasonably safe.