Moffett Creek
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| | Raps:11, max ↨160ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle: Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 1 Aug 2015
"5hr approach via Munra Point. Reached the powerlines, then dropped down slopes into Moffett. A long day out and a lot of waterfalls. Stuck a rope a |
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| Best season: | april - jul
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45.5976, -121.9704
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Introduction[edit]
Status: OPEN
Be aware: Moffett 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 to come. The canyon may have changed dramatically. Do not rely on the beta below being accurate. If you run the canyon, please update the beta with your findings.
According to CanyoneeringNorthwest.com, Moffett is "one of the premier canyons in the Columbia Gorge". However, what they describe as "the shortest approach" is in reality a 7mi hike that greatly detracts from the enjoyment of the canyon. Moffett is a nice canyon indeed, but few will consider it worth the 15h and 11mi hike it requires. Summary: very high pay to play.
- Before the Eagle Creek wildfire a "shortcut" approach was feasible up the Munra Ridge. This trail has been closed per fire damage and it's uncertain when, if ever, it'll reopen. With steep cliffs, exposure, and drop-offs, this approach is not recommended. Beta will be added back if this route ever reopens.
- From satellite photos, it appears the creek may have changed significantly and may be full of downed trees and landslides. It's not what it was.
Approach[edit]
Park at the John B Yeon trailhead and follow the Nwsmith Trail up onto the plateau., then east to pick up the old Waunke Point Trail. This trail re-enters the burn and may have been destroyed; current conditions unknown. Make your way north and eventually bushwhack down the ridge to drop into the Moffett drainage just above R1.
Yeon parking lot. Be aware that the car break-in rate at the John B Yeon parking lot is one of the highest in the Gorge - so leave valuables at home or out of sight. Follow the Nesmith Trail up and onto the plateau, then east to pick up the old Wauneka Point trail (current status unknown) before breaking off and bushwhacking down into the Moffett drainage to arrive just before R1.
Descent[edit]
- R1: 40'
- R2: 10'
- R3: 35'
- R4: 75'
- R5: 25'
- R6: 40'
- R7: 160'(Kwanesum Falls)
- R8: 20'+20'
- R9: 25' (Apocalypse Falls)
- R10: 42' (Wahe Falls) WARNING: The bottom tier of this waterfall (shown in the cover picture of this canyon) has grooves carved by the water at each side of the lip, which is also very sharp. It is a classic rope-eater and extremely difficult to avoid a core shot rope on this rappel. To avoid this, it's best to build a chock anchor near the lip and make sure the rappel ring is hanging over the edge. Being in the watercourse, spring flows or heavy rains are most likely going to destroy the anchor, so be ready to rebuild it if needed. Another group attempted to solve this rappel as a two-stage, using an anchor above the falls to descend both tiers, but they got their rope stuck too. This drop may be a prime candidate for bolting.
- R11: 80' (Moffett Creek Falls) from a tree DCL.
Exit[edit]
At the footbridge, hike the paved bike path back to the trailhead.
Red tape[edit]
NW Forest Pass is required at the trailhead.
Beta sites[edit]
CanyoneeringNorthwest.com (archive.org) : Moffett Creek- Super Amazing Map : Moffett Creek
Trip reports and media[edit]
- https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153423768731103&type=1&l=f63c653f66
- http://www.oregonhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=6223
Background[edit]
Luca Chiarabini, Sonny Lawrence, and Rick Dermarest opened the shortcut route for Moffett (via the now-closed Munra Ridge). We did the Original Moffett in one long day, almost 16h, but got a bag with gear and a rope stuck in one of the last waterfalls. Did not want to ascend to avoid damaging the rope (basaltic rock would have cores hot it for sure) and since it was getting dark and everyone was cold, we decided to exit and come back the next day. The next day most of the people in our group were done and took a rest day, just a couple from the original group went back to retrieve the ropes. They were not looking forward to another 15mi hike, and realizing that the topo maps of the area are largely out of date we decided to study the aerial pictures and waterfall hiking reports and meetup groups till we found a possible way to shortcut it. We did not know if it would work, there was the risk we would get cliffed out, but eventually the shortcut route worked out fine.