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| Duncan Creek Canyoneering, WA | | -
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| | Duncan Creek Canyoneering, WA | | | |
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Duncan Creek Canyoneering, WA
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| Canyoneering | 2.00 Miles |
600 AEG |
| | Canyoneering | 2.00 Miles | 5 Hrs 36 Mns | | 0.36 mph |
| 600 ft AEG | | 40 LBS Pack | | |
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| | Intermediate Canyoneering - Difficult or dangerous; Tech Climb; rope reqd; descent anchor; exit technical; | | C - Strong current; wading/swimming; waterfalls; possible wet/dry suit | | II - Normally requires a half day |
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| no linked trail guides |
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| no partners | | I have been wanting to do this for a looong time. For at least the last 10 months I have been diligently researching waterfalls and canyoneering routes in the PNW. We have such an abundance of waterfalls and flowing canyons, this is a great way to get off the beaten path and have a great adventure.
I left Portland around 11:00 and made good time to the trailhead. Along the way my FJ rolled over the 100,000 mile mark! On arrival there was 1 other truck at the small pullout, but 2 fisherman soon returned to the vehicle and packed up their gear. After a brief chat, they drove off and I headed up the trail lugging my 40 pound pack. Being solo I carried much more gear than necessary, including a backup 200' rope. The temp was already in the 80s and forecast to hit the mid 90s, but fortunately it was well shaded in the forest and the hike in is relatively short.
At the 1 mile mark the canyoneer's trail splits to the right of the main trail and drops down to the creek bed. I found a nice flat spot of ground and suited up. Although it was a hot day, the most recent report 2 days previous indicated that the water was cold and the last group wore wetsuits, so I reluctantly put mine on. I'm still on the fence as to if this was a good idea or not- while the temp was perfect in the water with the wetsuit on, I was pretty warm when I was out of the water. While it was bearable and I never truly felt hot, I think it likely contributed to my fatigue and helped dehydrate me.
After putting my gear on I headed downstream. At first glance the creek looks rather bland- it was fairly shallow and devoid of any interesting features. But this soon changed and the creek dropped down a series of beautiful waterfalls. I honestly lost count of how many waterfalls, cascades, and super deep pools I encountered. I was completely unprepared for the beauty that was contained within the walls of the creek.
All rappels went pretty smoothly. I did get my pull cord caught on the 3rd rappel, but it was in a spot I was able to climb back up and pull it free (it had snagged around a large rock in a narrow channel of water). All but 2 of the rappels were rigged with my own gear. There was webbing and links left behind on 2 of the falls that were still in decent shape and in places where a pull would have been difficult, so after inspecting the rigging I went ahead and used those anchors. |
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