Pilot Creek
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| | Difficulty:3B I (v3a2 I) Raps:4, max ↨50ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Optional Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 5 Apr 2025
"Water was cold, webbing for R7 appears to have been a washed away, and needs to be replaced. |
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| Best season: | Summer, Fall (avg for this region)
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48.4676, -121.9629
48.4675, -121.9622
48.4706, -121.9660
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Introduction
A short but easily accessed route. Its main appeal is as a training venue for beginners - both in terms of technical skills & overall canyon experience. It offers a mixture of both wet & dry rappels at moderate angles. Even a little cave to explore too.
Nearby O'Toole Creek is an obvious progression for beginners after this. Both can be done in a single day.
Approach
- Turn off the South Skagit Highway onto the Finney-Cumberland forest road [48.5055, -122.0142].
- Climb the switch backs up out of the valley, and onto NF-17.
- The road is in decent condition and should accessible with a regular clearance vehicle.
- Leave one vehicle at the exit point [48.4706, -121.9660] and then continue uphill 1km/0.6 mile until a left turning.
- Take the left turning [48.4618, -121.9628] onto a smaller forest road which after 2200ft/700m opens into a clearing, park here (or at a slightly earlier pullout).
- The route starts a few feet away.
Half-wearing your wetsuit is an effective way of staying cool on the first section while minimizing the amount you need to carry down to the creek.
Descent
From the clearing at the top, a dry slot canyon immediately drops northwest (48.4676, -121.9628). The first 3 raps are dry, and take you to the bottom of the slot.
The route has been bolted to maximize training opportunities. Experienced groups will likely combine the first 3 raps, and/or down climb the last section.
- R1 - 50' From a tree at top of the slot.
- R2 - 15' Bolts DCR with webbing, directly above an overhang.
- R3 - 40' Bolts DCL, below the overhang.
From the exit of the slot continue straight into the forest. Orange tape marks a route north to the creek about 800ft away.
After reaching the creek, walk & scramble downstream until the first major obstacle.
- R4 - Two options:
- Dry: 30' Bolts DCL above rock slab provide a dry option and a good place to practice ascending.
- Wet: Webbing on log DCR provides a wet route, dropping you into a small rain room.
A cave DCL of the rock slab takes you back up to the top, allowing for an easy but highly adventurous method of lapping this rappel.
- R5 - 50' Bolts on the back wall of a pool above an obvious mellow slope. Rap to flat area below still in sight. There is a redirect option DCR to avoid flow if desired
- R6 - 30' Webbing from tree DCR take you down the final slope. Creek then makes a right hand turn toward the north.
Downclimb DCR over a small drop/logjam utilizing the flakes on the rock face.
- R7 - After some potentially slippery slabs, 35' from webbing on a tree DCR drops you over the penultimate waterfall.
- R8 - Very shortly after R7 bolts on wall DCR drop you 50' into the final pool, with the road visible.
Exit
Red tape
Beta sites
-
CanyoneeringNorthwest.com (archive.org) : Pilot Creek
Trip reports and media
- First decent photos https://www.facebook.com/groups/pnwcanyoning/posts/10157260996865789/
- https://youtu.be/fxBr9BWLvxk
