Conditions:Whitehorse Creek (Olympic Peninsula)-20250803020308
Latest: |
2 Aug 2025 (2 days ago) |
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| Reported by: | Highhatt (2 reports) | |
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| Quality: | Great |
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| Waterflow: | Low |
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| Wetsuit: | Full wetsuit |
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| Water temperature: | ||
| Difficulty: | ||
| Time: |  6 hours
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Team: 5 people with experience level Beginner to Expert
Trip report URL:
Comments: Ran the full canyon as outlined in rope wiki. Flow has tailed off now as the snow has mostly melted from up high on the mountains. Still a great run and a fun time in the water!
All condition reports
| Date | Quality | Waterflow | Wetsuit | Difficulty | Time | Team | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great | Low
| Full wetsuit
| | 6 hours
| 5 people Beginner to Expert | Highhatt (2 reports) | |
| Amazing | Moderate High 
| Thin wetsuit
| Special challenges |  10 hours
| 8 people Advanced to Beginner | Briwellman (82 reports) | |
Comment: Whitehorse full run is an amazing, action-packed creek with almost all rappels coming back-to-back in quick succession. Expect a high-energy descent with very little downtime.
The current beta was significantly off—many rappel lengths were understated, which led to some logistical challenges. We took notes but didn’t get everything dialed, so expect discrepancies. Because we based our gear off the existing beta, we didn’t bring many long ropes and ended up short-roped several times, waiting at stations for the long rope to catch up. Most anchors needed to be rebuilt. We used approximately 100 feet of webbing and were starting to worry about running out. Where possible, we ghosted anchors to conserve material. Water wasn’t particularly cold. Air temps reached around 70°F. I ran it comfortably in a 4/3 Farmer John with a rain jacket. While most nearby creeks are running on the moderate-low side, Whitehorse was definitely moderate-high—stronger flow than expected given the conditions in the area. Bring extra webbing, I updated the beta closer to what we found the raps to be. Killer creek with great flow, but be prepared.
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| Great | Low
| Thin wetsuit
| Normal | | 4 people Beginner to Intermediate | Hangtime (34 reports) | |
Comment: Ran the main. Flow was low but still great day with a couple beginners. Replaced webbing at several anchors and ended up linking R11 and R12.
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| Great | Moderate
| Thin wetsuit
| Normal | 7 hours
| 5 people | K arc (384 reports) | |
Comment: Returning to Whitehorse this year, we scouted out the lower entrance just off the old logging road. This is a much better approach (it drops you in just above R9) and improves the creek's pay-to-play ratio significantly. Last time we were pretty tired by the time we got to the big rappels. We spent some time establishing anchors and installed two bolt stations on R15 and R16 (both outside the wilderness boundary) allowing you to run the flow. Other groups will probably be faster. This canyon has everything you could want: great access, good water, and fun rappels. If camping in the area, try to grab Big Stump Camp (a dispersed campsite marked on the map). This allows you to exit the creek and have a leisurely stroll down the road and right into your campsite. Outstanding!
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| Good | Moderate
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 8 hours
| 5 people | K arc (384 reports) | |
Comment: Hiked the Putvin Trail and dropped into Whitehorse at the toe of the avalanche field. Our time may be a bit longer as every drop had to be assessed (we found all of two anchors from previous parties). Toward the bottom we were getting a bit tired, but it would be fun to set more anchors to run the flow on the lower drops, especially the final section below Lower Whitehorse Falls. Next time need to look at the feasibility of dropping into the creek from the decommissioned road. This would shorten up the descent and allow more time to enjoy the best falls towards the bottom of the creek.
Flow was strong/pushy in the narrow sections. Most drops, however, had the option to rappel down the edge of the flow so you could avoid getting blasted. We're probably a little early for Whitehorse; it'll probably be more fun in a couple weeks as water levels continue to drop. There are a of couple deep pools, but no real swimmers on the creek. No serious water hazards were encountered. Bonus note: Just east of the bridge where the Hamma Hamma Rd crosses Whitehorse is a campsite with an enormous old cedar stump. It's ideally placed for canyon teams exiting Whitehorse after a long day.
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