Marten Creek (North Cascades)

Marten Creek (North Cascades) Canyoneering Canyoning Caving

Rating:	Log in to rateLog in to rateLog in to rateLog in to rateLog in to rate 4.0 (12 ratings)
‌	Difficulty:‌4C2 III (v4a5 III) Swift water Raps:‌5-8, max ↨70ft Metric Overall: 4.5-5.5h  ⟷2mi Approach: 1h  ↑1100ft Descent: 3-4h Exit: 30min  ↑100ft No Red Tape:‌No permit required Shuttle:‌None Vehicle:Passenger
Location:	48.0821, -121.6138
Condition Reports:	29 Sep 2024 "Lovely day at Marten. It was a lot of fun at current flow levels. We set a couple of new anchors with webbing to rap in the flow. We did more rappels
Weather:
Best season:	Aug-Oct winter spring summer fall Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
Regions:	North America United States Pacific Northwest  Washington North Cascades Darrington Ranger District

https://www.facebook.com/groups/pnwcanyoning/posts/10154001548435789/

48.0821, -121.6138https://ropewiki.com/images/2/2a/Marten_Creek_%28North_Cascades%29.kmltopo

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Reference photos

29 Sep 2024: Moderate-Low. A bit low, still fun but not very challenging (class C1- = a4-).

13 Jun 2024: High. High water, only for experienced swift water canyoneers (class C2 = a5). Siphons, recircs & pounding flows.

These reference pictures are used in the Waterflow analysis to predict current conditions. More reference pictures will produce a more reliable prediction.

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Welcome! Canyons in the Pacific Northwest can be different from those you might be used to. Be ready for unlinked bolts, retrievable traverse lines, and challenging aquatic environments. For more on local practices, and the best way to get started in the region, check out the WCC Safety page. Unlinked Bolts - groups should be comfortable rigging unlinked bolts, either temporarily linking them for all but the last person, or using a passive redundancy method. Most importantly, if you find two bolts side by side that are unlinked, do not add webbing to them. Linking bolts designed to be unlinked will likely cause damage during seasonal floods. Traverse Lines - many canyons are rigged to allow traverse line access to an exposed anchor station. This should be done using self-belay or team belay techniques. Do not leave fixed lines in the canyons. Challenging Environments - the highly aquatic nature of PNW canyons can surprise many. Cold temperatures, slippery rocks, loud waterfalls, and strong currents all lead to unexpected problems. Do not underestimate the need for strong team work and technical proficiency. Belays are frequently not possible. Unattended gear will sink or float away. Sliding and jumping is the cause of most major injuries, so it's critical to effectively communicating water depth & submerged hazards.

Introduction

Don't confuse with Marten Creek (Alpine Lakes).

This beautiful & easily accessed watercourse is a combination of steep slabs and large potholes with many small drops and a few more substantial ones.

The current can create dangerous conditions, especially since the creek bed is very narrow in places. Fortunately, the drainage is easy to escape from in many places, so it is possible to bypass many of the drops and re-enter the canyon further downstream. The class 4 rating was initially chosen because of anchor building; you may find few anchors and need to make the others.

Marten Creek has some of the most beautiful nuance rappels around, intermixed with raps which have real teeth.

Special considerations

• Frequent down-climbing, which while being possibly protected with impromptu natural anchors, will greatly slow down teams not confident in personal movement.
• Potholes & constrictions mean there's hydraulics & siphons to account for. Real risk to persons & equipment exist.

Approach

From Granite Falls, follow the Mountain Loop Highway east. The trailhead (a small pullout, actually) is immediately east of Marten Creek itself (signed at the bridge), 9.6 miles east of the Verlot Ranger Station.

Hike about a mile up the excellent trail, gaining 1100 feet of elevation. Marten Creek Trail 713 has an interesting history, once running all the way to Darrington over Granite Pass. Along the way it provided access to mines still visitable today. In 1925 it was the site of an experimental forest to investigate the growth of different specifics of tree.

Leave the trail and drop into the drainage of Marten Creek when the trail makes the right turn into the now gentle Marten Creek Valley. This will be obvious since the slopes on the west side of the trail will become substantially less steep. You are aiming for a creek elevation of about 2300'.

Descent

The descent contains numerous sections of down-climbing and/or nuance rappels using natural anchors. Therefore depending on the conditions and if anchors survived or not, it's hard to give a complete description of the descent.

There are many pools which look very appealing to jump/slide - sadly most require a very technical landing. That said there are still enough safe ones to provide good fun.

Highlights

Since it's hard to give a complete description of the descent, here's some highlight to look out for.

12' Slide or jump

DCR corner rap from single bolt

20' jump or short-rope into deep pool, from single bolt DCR

Crux: Two-stage with middle recirculating pool, from single bolt DCR

Rooster tail

Steep funneling ramp

The technical portion of the creek drops 700 feet in 0.6 miles and includes a short gorge.

R1: 30’ from tree between the split falls into pool

Creek walk for 20-30 minutes.

S1: 10’

R2: 45’ RDC from bolt

R3: 70’ LDC from pinch - Two-stages and empties into a pool. In higher flow, beware the siphon LDC at the bottom since it may not be visible. (alternatively, 40' RDC from tree)

S2: 20'

DC 12’ on left through rabbit hole and continue DCL (alternatively, DCR in the falls).

J1: 15' into deep pool

R4: 20’ DCR from single bolt - In higher flow, the exit from this may be difficult due to the recirculation.

R5: 70’ DCR from single bolt - Two-stage rappel through three falls and a huge water-filled alcove. At higher flow, the exit here may be difficult due to the recirculating pool.

R6: 70’ DCL from huge log

R7: 50’ DCL from tree root

R8: 50’ DCR from root ball. Note that the approach to this is a false floor.

DC several more short downclimbs and DC 50’ on right in crack

The creek's gradient is consistently steep. If you trust your scrambling skills and have high traction footwear, you can scramble a lot of these steep sections.

Exit

Follow the creek down to the road, cross under the bridge and exit left on a clean trail up. There are several log piles that appear difficult but have large openings that make them easy to surmount.

Alternatively if the debris in the creek is frustrating you, consider exiting hard left, and climb up the clear(er) forest to rejoin the approach trail for the final section (just an idea - not tried yet).

Trip reports and media

https://www.facebook.com/groups/pnwcanyoning/posts/10154001548435789/ 2016 with video.

Credits

Marten Creek (North Cascades)

Information provided by automated processes. KML map by (unknown). Main photo by (unknown). Authors are listed in chronological order.

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