Conditions:Salmon River (Cascade Mountains)-20250825220044

Latest:	23 Aug 2025 (25 days ago)

Reported by:	Briwellman (85 reports)
Quality:	Great
Waterflow:	High
Wetsuit:	Thick wetsuit
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Special challenges
Time:	8 hours

Team: 5 people with experience level Advanced

Trip report URL:

Comments: I was on Kevin’s crew but wanted to share my own review, as my experience and perspective were a bit different.

We started hiking at 6:30 a.m. based on an old trip report that estimated 15 hours. I believe we were changed and getting into the water around 9:00 a.m. The water was freezing—even on a hot day, it made my hands ache. I wore a 4/3 farmer john, a 4mm jacket, and an impact vest, and I still felt cold at times. By noon, the temperature had climbed over 90°F, and sitting in the sun felt amazing. I will start later next time and still plan on a hot day.

Due to the high flow (15cfs salmon river at gov camp), we downclimbed around many of the falls. While we floated a lot of the route, we were extremely cautious—there was a lot of wood, many undercut boulders, and strong, pushy water throughout. This is not the kind of gentle creek most of us are used to—this is river canyoneering.

Frustration Falls is pretty spectacular. We went down canyon right (DCR), and I’m glad we took the path we did—I would absolutely do it the same way again. I went first since I’m a strong swimmer. My original plan was to swim across the pool, through the whitewater, and exit downstream. That plan fell apart quickly. The current was extremely strong and pushed directly into the undercut. I adjusted my line—approached the edge next to the undercut, pushed off, and swam hard across. I didn’t get far before being pinned against the rock. Fortunately, it was fairly easy to push across the face of the undercut. I stuck my legs inside and couldn’t feel anything—it’s deep. I was very glad to have extra flotation that day.

If you attempt this, ensure your entire team has proper flotation and carry at least a 100-foot throw rope ready to deploy. The final waterfall was also stunning, and at this flow, the exit path downstream was easy. We climbed out as close as possible to the trail, and it was actually marked with pink flagging tape.

At this flow, R3 and R4 were the only rappels where we were truly in the creek. The rest were bypassed or done dry to avoid swift water hazards.

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
23 Aug 2025	Amazing	Moderate	Thin wetsuit	Normal	8 hours	5 people	K arc (389 reports)
Comment: Great day out checking out the Salmon River Canyon. Was all psyched up for a long, arduous day, and it didn't happen. There wasn't even any bushwhacking! Gorgeous canyon and beautiful falls. Not super technical, but visitors need to have their swiftwater game on. We skipped the early exit and floated a little over a mile downstream to exit up the bank right onto the trail. Beta has been updated. Edit: I would deem flow "moderate" by the standards of the Salmon River. Some pushy current in places, but the water features/hazards were challenging but relatively easy for an experienced team trained in swiftwater skills. That said, it is a real river and packs considerably more water than many other canyon destinations around Portland. Likely best to run on a 100-degree day in late summer. For reference, the Sandy River water gauge reached a high on this day of 270cfs.
23 Aug 2025	Great	High	Thick wetsuit	Special challenges	8 hours	5 people Advanced	Briwellman (85 reports)
Comment: I was on Kevin’s crew but wanted to share my own review, as my experience and perspective were a bit different. We started hiking at 6:30 a.m. based on an old trip report that estimated 15 hours. I believe we were changed and getting into the water around 9:00 a.m. The water was freezing—even on a hot day, it made my hands ache. I wore a 4/3 farmer john, a 4mm jacket, and an impact vest, and I still felt cold at times. By noon, the temperature had climbed over 90°F, and sitting in the sun felt amazing. I will start later next time and still plan on a hot day. Due to the high flow (15cfs salmon river at gov camp), we downclimbed around many of the falls. While we floated a lot of the route, we were extremely cautious—there was a lot of wood, many undercut boulders, and strong, pushy water throughout. This is not the kind of gentle creek most of us are used to—this is river canyoneering. Frustration Falls is pretty spectacular. We went down canyon right (DCR), and I’m glad we took the path we did—I would absolutely do it the same way again. I went first since I’m a strong swimmer. My original plan was to swim across the pool, through the whitewater, and exit downstream. That plan fell apart quickly. The current was extremely strong and pushed directly into the undercut. I adjusted my line—approached the edge next to the undercut, pushed off, and swam hard across. I didn’t get far before being pinned against the rock. Fortunately, it was fairly easy to push across the face of the undercut. I stuck my legs inside and couldn’t feel anything—it’s deep. I was very glad to have extra flotation that day. If you attempt this, ensure your entire team has proper flotation and carry at least a 100-foot throw rope ready to deploy. The final waterfall was also stunning, and at this flow, the exit path downstream was easy. We climbed out as close as possible to the trail, and it was actually marked with pink flagging tape. At this flow, R3 and R4 were the only rappels where we were truly in the creek. The rest were bypassed or done dry to avoid swift water hazards.
7 Jul 2018	Great	High	Thin wetsuit	Advanced	15 hours	4 people Advanced to Beginner	Carsten (6 reports)
Comment: First time doing this section for our group. Was involved in the SAR mission for an injured canyoneer here a year ago, so played it cautiously and really took our time. Did it as an out and back from Salmon River TH. Accessed river via drainage between Goat Creek and Kinzel Creek. Rappelled 5 times; replaced 3 anchors with new webbing and SS rapides: 1) Vanishing Falls; 2) rapid below Vanishing; 3) Final Falls. Noted a couple log strainers, but all near rapids and easily avoided. Water was pushy in a couple spots. Exited canyon by returning to trail 650m past Final Falls. Temperature was 5-10°F warmer than forecast for Welches.