Boston Creek (North Cascades)

The exploration of this location has not yet been documented
All information is unverified estimation

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Difficulty:‌4C1 R (v5a4 V)

Swift water

Raps:‌23?, max ↨148ft

Metric

Overall:
Approach:			↑1640ft
Descent:			↓1640ft

Red Tape:‌No permit required

Shuttle:‌Optional

Vehicle:Passenger

Rock type:Granite

Start:

48.4938, -121.0746

Parking:

48.4879, -121.0854

Shuttle:

48.4805, -121.0797

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Condition Reports:

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Weather:

Weather forecast

Waterflow

Best season:

Summer, Fall (avg for this region)

winter				spring				summer				fall
Dec	Jan	Feb		Mar	Apr	May		Jun	Jul	Aug		Sep	Oct	Nov

Regions:

North America

United States
Pacific Northwest

Washington

North Cascades

Mt. Baker Ranger District

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Welcome! Canyons in the Pacific Northwest can be different from those you might be used to. Be ready for unlinked bolts, retrievable traverse lines, and challenging aquatic environments. For more on local practices, and the best way to get started in the region, check out the WCC Safety page.

Unlinked Bolts - groups should be comfortable rigging unlinked bolts, either temporarily linking them for all but the last person, or using a passive redundancy method. Most importantly, if you find two bolts side by side that are unlinked, do not add webbing to them. Linking bolts designed to be unlinked will likely cause damage during seasonal floods.

Traverse Lines - many canyons are rigged to allow traverse line access to an exposed anchor station. This should be done using self-belay or team belay techniques. Do not leave fixed lines in the canyons.

Challenging Environments - the highly aquatic nature of PNW canyons can surprise many. Cold temperatures, slippery rocks, loud waterfalls, and strong currents all lead to unexpected problems. Do not underestimate the need for strong team work and technical proficiency. Belays are frequently not possible. Unattended gear will sink or float away. Sliding and jumping is the cause of most major injuries, so it's critical to effectively communicating water depth & submerged hazards.

Introduction

Fed directly off the glacier, it's fair to assume flows will vary throughout the day.

From waterfallsnorthwest.com:

First impressions of the North Fork Cascade River basin are hard to beat. Undoubtedly, your will be in awe of the monstrous walls of the surrounding mountains, but if you take your time in the area, you will find yourself in the presence of a handful of immensely tall waterfalls. Virtually every stream coming off of the glaciers on Sahale, Eldorado, Forbidden, Torment, Johannesburg and Cascade Peaks curtains, skips and slides hundreds of feet into the basin in outstanding waterfalls. There are no less than 6 waterfalls over 1000 feet tall within the last 5 miles of the Cascade River Road. As the road enters the basin at the foot of Mt. Johannesburg and Sahale Peak, Boston Creek is the second stream crossed after the bridge over the North Fork Cascade River. From the roads crossing of the creek, the falls appear to be just cascade of about 60 feet. But if you continue up the road for another 200 feet or so (to Midas Creek), and look back uphill, you will be greeted with a portion of the 500 foot veil of a segment of the upper falls.

Contact User:Marlow if you're thinking of exploring it!

Approach

Boston Basin Camp trail seems to get you pretty close.

Descent

Looks like a big multi-pitch opening sequence, then a long narrow corridor with 15(?) drops and multiple side-creeks entering boosting the water levels. Then a wide-open slab sections back to the road.

Exit

The creek runs back to the road, over beautiful open granite slabs.

Red tape

While no permit would be necessary, being in the North Cascades National Park means there might be other restrictions.

Beta sites

Trip reports and media

https://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/waterfall/Boston-Creek-Falls-4505

Background

Incidents

Credits

Information provided by automated processes. Main photo by (unknown). Authors are listed in chronological order.

In all habitats live animals and plants that deserve respect, please minimize impact on the environment and observe the local ethics. Canyoneering, Canyoning, Caving and other activities described in this site are inherently dangerous. Reliance on the information contained on this site is solely at your own risk. There is no warranty as to accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the information provided on this site. The site administrators and all the contributing authors expressly disclaim any and all liability for any loss or injury caused, in whole or in part, by its actions, omissions, or negligence in procuring, compiling or providing information through this site, including without limitation, liability with respect to any use of the information contained herein. If you notice any omission or mistakes, please contribute your knowledge (more information).