Dry Creek
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| | Raps:5, max ↨80ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 3 May 2015
"This is now one of my favorite canyons in the gorge. The waterflow was very high but there were no swimmers and no hydraulics at the bottom of the dro |
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| Best season: | may-sep
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45.6573, -121.8670
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Waterflow
Introduction[edit]
Status: OPEN
Be aware: Dry Creek was overrun by the Eagle Creek wildfire in September 2017. Please use extreme caution when descending the creek. Between landslides, fallen trees, and loose rocks, this area may be unstable and dangerous for years go come. The canyon may have changed dramatically. Do not rely on the beta below being accurate.
Dry Creek is located within Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Mount Hood National Forest in Hood River County, Oregon. It is a tributary of the Columbia River. The East Fork and West Fork of Dry Creek converge above Dry Creek Falls, a popular and scenic waterfall destination for hikers.
Despite its deceptive name, Dry Creek used to be one of the best aquatic canyons in the Columbia River Gorge. The canyon is littered with massive logs covered in a soft and pillowy moss. These sleeping giants have accumulated over the years, and some span over 3 feet in radius. Vertical walls that run straight for hundreds of feet are covered in more moss and ferns, and you’ll understand why the Pacific Northwest forests are considered enchanted. Despite its beauty, soon enough you’ll quickly learn that the pillowy moss hides cracks and holes that are potentially more hazardous than rappelling in the falls itself.
The last section of this canyon, the multi-tiered Dry Creek Falls, has been appropriately described as the “belly of the beast.” The pleasant features of the canyon dramatically change as the walls become menacing and more committing, and the trickle of the water turns into a deafening roar. Cold wind and spray swirl. All pitches in this section require careful and deliberate foot placement and the knowledge of when to just “ride the waterfall” if the flow becomes too strong. The canyon twists and turns for a few challenging drops, and with welcome relief, you’re at the top of the last falls and rappel into a beautiful basalt amphitheater.
Waterflow[edit]
Dry Creek is fed from snowmelt, rainwater, and groundwater seepage; it is possible that there are springs in the watershed as well. The Benson Plateau above holds snow often into the month of May. The relatively small drainage area and lack of deep pools mean this canyon might be descended earlier than other canyons in the region.
- Watershed: 1.8mi^2.
Approach[edit]
Drive[edit]
It is no longer possible to drive all the way to the base of the last falls. Drive up the dirt road until you reach a gate right before the power lines. Park on the side of the road. There is enough room for about four cars.
Hike[edit]
From the parking area, walk the gravel road the rest of the way to Dry Creek Falls (about 20 minutes). It's a good idea to stop by the falls to check on flow conditions.
===West Fork Approach - Rudolph Spur Trail=== Summary: 2.5 miles - 2,000' elev. gain
The Rudolph Spur Trail is a steep, unmarked trail that leads up to the Benson Plateau. This route is longer and gains about 800 more feet of elevation than original bushwhack approach. The main advantage to this route is you will do very little bushwhacking.
The trail itself is a bit difficult to spot. To find the trail, head west on the Pacific Crest Trail at the PCT/Dry Creek road junction about 10-20 feet. Look for a faint path heading south into the foliage; easily mistaken for a drainage gully. Because the trail sees very little traffic, a GPS track is recommended as the trail is easy to lose at a few points. The trail takes you around the mountain to the west of Dry Creek, eventually curving back around to the Dry Creek basin/drop-in. As you ascend the ridge on your way back toward Dry Creek, on a clear day you may be able to spot Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Rainier all from the same viewpoint.
At the top of the ridge is a great break spot and spectacular viewpoint of the Columbia River Gorge. The trail flattens out here and you make good time the next 0.25 miles. Eventually, the trail begins to curve to the right/south again. The Dry Creek basin will be on the left. Pick a suitable spot to drop in and descend about 700 ft. elev. into Dry Creek. Note: the first drainage you encounter is not the official west fork of Dry Creek. Cross this drainage and hike over the small hump to another drainage with slightly more water flow. This is the official west fork of Dry Creek. If you descend the first drainage, you will bypass at least one rappel on the true west fork.
===West Fork Approach - Bushwhack=== Summary: 0.7 miles - 1,200' elev. gain
The approach bushwhack for the West Fork should not to be taken lightly. You’ll bushwhack for 2 h, climb up 1200 ft in 0.5 miles, and cross a wide variety of terrain: innocuous-looking mossy talus fields where the moss hides loose boulders and little holes that threaten to break ankles, patches of poison oak, steep uphills chock full of ferns and loose mud, and cliff bands that threaten to thwart your already hard ascent. There is no trail and following a GPS track is recommended.
Extra Waterfall: The original beta from Canyoneering Northwest says to climb up to 2400 ft elev. before veering down towards the creek, but we found climbing to 2000 ft elev. was enough. It is possible that by doing so, we might have missed a 60 ft waterfall upstream of our drop-in point that is detected by Ropewiki Explorer.
- Reportedly there's an easier way to bushwhack in, although this misses the two upper falls on the west fork.
===East Fork Approach (Bushwhack)=== Summary: 0.2 miles - 850' elev. gain (not yet explored)
From topo maps and aerial pictures, it looks like an approach bushwhack could be possible by scrambling up from the east side and traversing the cliffs to drop into the East Fork. This would skip RW1 and RW2 but would add a 120ft two-tier waterfall to the descent. This is likely the best pay-to-play approach if it goes easily. Please consider exploring this and reporting back here if you set out to do Dry Creek.
Descent[edit]
West Fork[edit]
RW1 (optional extra waterfall): 50 ft in two tiers from an anchor on DCL
- Tier 1: 25 ft plunge to small pool (anchor DCL to stay out of the main flow)
- Tier 2: 25 ft cascade
RW2: 80 ft in two tiers from large rock in watercourse on DCR
- Tier 1: 50 ft
- High water: you may want to stay on DCL while rappelling
East Fork[edit]
RE1: ~120 ft in two tiers
Main Fork (Dry Creek Falls)[edit]
RM1: 40 ft in two tiers from rock
RM2: 70 ft narrow waterfall shooting down into a deep, enclosed chamber. This is the CRUX of the route—the most dangerous rappel in high water. The waterfall drops into a deep, V-shaped crack mid-way down on DCR, which can pummel the rappeler and possibly lead to a foot entrapment if not careful.
- Low water: anchor from a rock near the edge on DCR to spice up the rappel
- High water: anchoring from dead logs or rocks on DCL to provide a safe rappel
RM3: 10 ft from rocks
- Option: downclimb on DCR
- High water: beware of log strainer on DCL
RM4: 80 ft from a rock near the edge on DCR provides a good anchor with relatively clean pull
- WARNING: a small tree at the edge on DCL is loose and should not be trusted
Exit[edit]
Hike back along the road to the parking spot (about 20 minutes)
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
CanyoneeringNorthwest.com (archive.org) : Dry Creek- Super Amazing Map : Dry Creek
Trip reports and media[edit]
Background[edit]
Scouted by Zach Forsyth, September, 2012. First known descent: Evan Topinka and Justin Reynolds, January 1st, 2014.
