Conditions:Buzzworthy Canyon-20250527012730

Latest:	26 May 2025 (15 days ago)

Reported by:	Dyln cole (75 reports)
Quality:
Waterflow:	Deep pools
Wetsuit:	None
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Special challenges
Time:	5 hours

Team: 1 people with experience level Intermediate

Trip report URL:

Comments: 5 hours flat with new exit, I believe a new shorter exit is achievable but it took me a minute to get fed up with the creek exit. 2.5 hours were spent on the exit, 2.5 on a very slow and luxurious decent. Canyon could easily be done in under 4 hours by someone determined.

Special challenege on exit: Log jam in a deep pool rises to a chest wade, would prove difficult if you're not confident and willing to maneuver, Logs are heavy and getting trapped under by falling through would prove dangerous and possibly life threatening depending on where you fall. I'm not sure if this is underplayed or less of an issue in the fall, but as of right now I was not a happy camper to beach whale dead logs in a narrowed section of the pool. A possible work around would be to hike back and find a work around LDC.

All rappels were fiddled. Special care and attention needed for pulling fiddles here. R4 is not great for a fiddle, take special care if you do, there is snag potential at the first ledge of the two tier drop, happy to come home with mine. R3 I re-rigged to provide essentially 6 rappels total, this was just to get a good fiddle pull.

New exit is filled with Catclaw. I prefer Catclaw to fighting my damn way along the upper WF, but you choose.

Canyon was great, beautiful R3, I wouldn't want to run this again unless I had a good eye for an even shorter sneak exit. Otherwise, and this is just me, but I'm not a fan of fighting the brush in the upper reaches of WF in the summer. Side note: ran into lots of bear scat today.

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
26 May 2025		Deep pools	None	Special challenges	5 hours	1 people Intermediate	Dyln cole (75 reports)
Comment: 5 hours flat with new exit, I believe a new shorter exit is achievable but it took me a minute to get fed up with the creek exit. 2.5 hours were spent on the exit, 2.5 on a very slow and luxurious decent. Canyon could easily be done in under 4 hours by someone determined. Special challenege on exit: Log jam in a deep pool rises to a chest wade, would prove difficult if you're not confident and willing to maneuver, Logs are heavy and getting trapped under by falling through would prove dangerous and possibly life threatening depending on where you fall. I'm not sure if this is underplayed or less of an issue in the fall, but as of right now I was not a happy camper to beach whale dead logs in a narrowed section of the pool. A possible work around would be to hike back and find a work around LDC. All rappels were fiddled. Special care and attention needed for pulling fiddles here. R4 is not great for a fiddle, take special care if you do, there is snag potential at the first ledge of the two tier drop, happy to come home with mine. R3 I re-rigged to provide essentially 6 rappels total, this was just to get a good fiddle pull. New exit is filled with Catclaw. I prefer Catclaw to fighting my damn way along the upper WF, but you choose. Canyon was great, beautiful R3, I wouldn't want to run this again unless I had a good eye for an even shorter sneak exit. Otherwise, and this is just me, but I'm not a fan of fighting the brush in the upper reaches of WF in the summer. Side note: ran into lots of bear scat today.
6 Oct 2024	Good	Dry		Normal	6 hours	3 people	EMoorcroft (450 reports),RFontaine (276 reports)
Comment: 30 min approach. 1.5 hr canyon. 4.5 hour exit (at a casual pace). All anchors in new condition. A really fun way to explore the upper reaches of West Fork. The exit was fairly dry with one waist deep wade, and a few shallow walk throughs. A stuck fiddle stick was retrieved from R4. A short but fun canyon, with a long but beautiful exit. The rappels were worth the effort. Perfect canyon for fall colors!
16 Sep 2024	Good				8 hours	3 people Advanced to Expert	EMoorcroft (450 reports)
Comment: The route itself was better than expected. Anchors are in place for all drops. No noteworthy challenges. The exit is a bit of a slog.
16 Sep 2024	Good	Very Low	None	Normal	8 hours	3 people Advanced to Expert	MountainMongo (12 reports)
Comment: Great Rappels and beautiful key hole pour offs. Long exit but also buys you some of the more beautiful sections of narrows in the upper reaches of west fork. Two other potential exits look promising too. Some wading to get through west fork and depending on recent rain and water levels there could be some swims.