Evans Creek
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| | Raps:6-8, max ↨175ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Required Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 23 Jul 2016
"Found a few anchors along the way, so definitely not a first descent. Dropped in via the tributary with some nice warm up rappels. The upper falls w |
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| Best season: | June-Sept
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44.8568, -122.3707
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Introduction[edit]
Current Status: Open.
Be aware: this creek was overrun by the Beachie/Santiam Fire in Sept 2020. Use extreme caution when descending the creek. Between landslides, fallen trees, and loose rocks, this area may be unstable and dangerous for years to come. The canyon may have changed dramatically. Do not rely on the beta below being accurate.
- Update 2024: Per Santiam State Forest and Marion County Public Works, the area has reopened.
- Closure Info.
- Marion County Public Works road closure information.
Evans Creek is a major tributary of the Little North Santiam River, north of the small community of Elkhorn Valley. It's a close cousin of Henline next door, but the rappels are spaced further apart. Best done with a shuttle. Map and GPS are handy as the exit route is not entirely obvious. Evans has three main waterfalls spaced out over 1.25 miles. There's also a small, cave-like, boulder drop between the upper and middle drop that has some neat geology.
Approach[edit]
Enter Evans Creek via a side drainage that drops in just before the upper falls. This will add 3-5 rappels. There is also a decent ridge that can be walked that avoids the rappels
For extra bonus points, there's another waterfall immediately upstream of the road. Thrash up the climber's right side of the drainage and drop back in above it. The falls is about 30ft high but may require more rope to get down. It is possible to pass through the culvert underneath the road, but be aware: the stream drops about 12ft on the far side requiring tunnel-crawlers to undertake an awkward downclimb out one side or the other and down a dirty embankment.
- R1: 25ft, tree on right.
- R2: 35ft, tree set back about 15ft. A doubled 100ft rope is about 10ft short, but one can downclimb the rest.
Below, pass through an interesting bedrock area with several downclimbs and slides. There's a 10ft slide into a pool, followed by a second drop which can be downclimbed.
- R3: 20ft, tree on the left. Walk another minute downstream to the confluence. The water will, effectively, triple at this point.
Descent[edit]
- R4: Upper Evans Falls ~175ft. Anchor is on a tree DCR. This waterfall is two-tiered with a nice hanging pool between the tiers. In summer, with low flow, it's possible to rappel the entire falls from this anchor. In high flow, use a bolt station DCR above the second tier and rappel along the side of the falls. Very photogenic.
Downstream, the creek passes through a nice narrows with some areas of bedrock. It's about 0.3mi to:
- R5: 25ft. The creek turns a corner here and funnels through a narrow slot into a cave-like space under a giant boulder. Beware unseen pothole near the top of the falls that can be tricky to get out of in high flow. If you choose to run the drop, it will be pushy even in summer. Drop can be bypassed easily DCR.
Continue downstream another 0.3mi through more bedrock areas to the middle falls. Along the way:
- Reach a 35ft drop between some giant boulders. Gap was clogged with old growth logs. Rappel or downclimb DCL.
- Reach 15ft drop and carved out channel/slide on the creek. Rappel or downclimb DCR.
- R6: Middle Evans Falls 120ft from tree DCL. Walk 150yrds to the lower falls.
- R7: Lower Evans Falls 50ft. Tree DCR.
- About 100ft downstream is the final drop on Evans. It's about 10ft high. Rappel, slide, or downclimb DCR. Below is a deep channel to swim out. You can bypass this area in high flow by scrambling up a narrow chute to the ridge DCL.
Exit[edit]
Exit the creek immediately below the last drop up an old logging grade / game trail. Follow this east/southeast through some brush to eventually encounter an old logging track. Folow this back out to Evans Mountain Road. A map & GPS are handy to keep you on track here. The exit takes 15-20min. (Do not keep going down the creek or you will enter private property.)
Red tape[edit]
Saw a bunch more trash and shooting along the road. Be mindful that locals will shoot directly in the road and you may hear it while running the canyon.
Beta sites[edit]
Trip reports and media[edit]
Karl Helser's NW Adventures : Evans Creek Canyoneer 7-23-16
