Conditions:Slollicum Creek (Upper)-20220901083845

Latest:	27 Aug 2022 (2 yrs, 10 mos ago)

Reported by:	Mads (61 reports)
Quality:	Amazing
Waterflow:	Moderate
Wetsuit:	Drysuit
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Advanced
Time:	10 hours

Team: 4 people with experience level Advanced

Trip report URL:

Comments: This is a truly special canyon with high verticals that are only rarely enjoyed in the Pacific Northwest. The descent took us close to 10 hours, which included installing 14 unlinked bolts (including 3 hanging rebelay stations), measuring pitch lengths, and rigging natural anchors for the remaining drops. The rappels are rapid-fire and there are some truly epic lines through the flow that are just pure fun. The rock is sharp and we managed rope abrasion on every pitch. This canyon is amazingly fun and I can't wait to go back! Much gratitude to Artem and Nic on the FD team for exploring this one and sharing it with all of us!

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
14 Sep 2024	Amazing	High	Full wetsuit	Special challenges	6 hours	4 people Advanced	Coops (126 reports),Kirbside (98 reports),Cmason (3 reports),AdamOtter (56 reports)
Comment: Amazing day in Slollicum! We had a mix of mostly clouds, a bit of rain, and sun towards the end making for a cold canyon. The vertical nature of this canyon makes it quite special. We used the CB1100 road approach (not the alternate). Signage at the bottom states that the road is closed on weekdays but was open on the Saturday we descended. Rain the previous couple days made the rappels quite sporty. Multiple rebelay stations were in the spray adding to the shiver factor. We added 3 bolts throughout the canyon including a traverse line bolt to R5, a rappel bolt in the upper section, and a new bolt at the first stage of the middle sequence (R12) to replace the log. R4 (20m from tree high up DCL) core shot a CE4Y 9mm rope; one of the ledges under the water is quite sharp. The first rappeller cut ~60% of the circumference of the sheath off of a 2 inch long section of rope. By the time the 4th rappeller reached this section the rope had been de-sheathed on a 4 inch section with the core starting to show damage. Be very careful on this rappel especially in higher flow as it is possible it is visible in drier conditions. Sticking to the dry line in general may be advised. We stuck a rope at the first pitch of the lower sequence. It remained stuck even pulling from the base of the falls. Eventually it yielded by climbing ~15m vertical DCL. Likely the figure 8 caught in the bolts somehow but we were unable to confirm. Quite pushy rappels, rebelay stations in the spray and an inability to communicate via whistles through the pounding falls made today high flow conditions for this canyon with the current bolting. Make sure that your group is prepared for special challenges if running in similar conditions. Overall an underrated and quite fun canyon for our group in these conditions. The canyon while not enclosed has a strong sense of verticality all the way from reaching the upper sequence until the very last rappel. This is a good chance to test yourself on your rebelay efficiency and techniques across a good variety of rebelay setups. Time is car-to-car from the parking on CB1100 (at the gate) to the bottom car at the bridge.
26 Aug 2023	Great	Low	Thin wetsuit	Special challenges	8 hours	4 people Beginner to Expert	Logan (60 reports)
Comment: Beautiful open creek with nice cascades. We encountered 14 rappels and 1 jump. The flow spreads out wide making for nice gentle showers while on rappel. There was one true hanging rebelay. The others all had footing to stand and take the weight off your harness. It is rigged for high flow and can be done much earlier in the season most years. We got out in the nick of time, as 2 days later the AQI index went black, the worst rating possible. Need to keep an eye on the AQI index due to prevalent wildfires.
20 Aug 2023	Amazing	Low	Thick wetsuit	Special challenges	9 hours	7 people Intermediate to Advanced	Mads (61 reports)
Comment: What a great day! Slollicum is a good canyon to run in a low flow year, as all of the prime rappels are still in beautiful flow lines, and the high verticals and hanging rebelays really make this canyon memorable. The slide and jump were still in, even with lower water levels. Other highlights included waving at spectators on the bridge as we were descending R17, enjoying the beautiful colorful rock throughout the creek, and taking in the views across Harrison Lake. The creek must flow high during the spring as nearly half the nuts needed tightening and one of the R7 ring anchors had been washed off of its bolt. We had difficulty pulling from R14 on our last two trips. As the anchor location is protected from high flows, we replaced the unlinked bolts with a chain anchor, and now the pull is smooth. We evaluated rock quality at Lower Slollicum Falls (R17 & R18) and assessed that the bolts are placed in bedrock, despite visible cracks in the shale. Ongoing assessment of the rock quality of each bolted anchor on this sequence as well as the rest of the canyon is recommended for future parties, especially for the first team each season.
27 Aug 2022	Amazing	Moderate	Drysuit	Advanced	10 hours	4 people Advanced	Mads (61 reports)
Comment: This is a truly special canyon with high verticals that are only rarely enjoyed in the Pacific Northwest. The descent took us close to 10 hours, which included installing 14 unlinked bolts (including 3 hanging rebelay stations), measuring pitch lengths, and rigging natural anchors for the remaining drops. The rappels are rapid-fire and there are some truly epic lines through the flow that are just pure fun. The rock is sharp and we managed rope abrasion on every pitch. This canyon is amazingly fun and I can't wait to go back! Much gratitude to Artem and Nic on the FD team for exploring this one and sharing it with all of us!