Weeden Canyon
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| | Raps:18-22, max ↨200ft
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| Condition Reports: | 10 Aug 2024
"Really beautiful canyon with impressive slot sections. This run gets a lot of sun which makes the water temp pleasant at lower flows. Some anchor work |
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| Best season: | July-Sept
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47.9785, -121.4552
48.0268, -121.4441
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Introduction[edit]
Lord the Rings fans rejoice. This canyon might as well be the real-life version of the route to Mordor. This canyon likely could be done in a very long day but take note that an early start, strenuous day, and a headlamp exit are likely in your future. While you won't encounter any orcs, you may encounter bats, pikas, and some very healthy looking bear scat.
Approach[edit]
Hike the steep Gothic Basin Trail for about 4 miles (elevation gain of 2660'). Just before entering the basin at 4878', veer off the trail and drop down to a boulder field, heading to the saddle at the far side.
The next section involves some dirty, steep, bushy down-climbing. Using the surprisingly strong bushes to lower yourself without crashing into your team mates. It might be helpful to put on your harness to navigate through the next section in case you accidentally cliff-out. Continue forward and navigate your way around/over a rock bend and through young trees until you reach the bottom of a large rock wall on your right. Follow the left-hand slope down an open rock field until you reach the drop in.
Note the first creek you reach may be a smaller tributary, R1 is at the larger creek from which you can see the canyon slot-up far below.
Descent[edit]
The Multi-Pitch Entrance
Back-to-back rappels initially take you down broad open slabs, then drop you vertically into a unique square slot. Standing in the middle of the falls by R1 it's possible to see all the way to R10, located on the far side the first narrows.
R1: DCL 210' from webbing around tree. This can be done with 2x 60m ropes, but just barely. R2 station is just in sight of R1, located out of the flow.
R2: DCR 200' dry rap from 2 bolt station trending further DCR. Alternatively 230' bypassing R3 and staying in the flow to the bottom of the falls.
R3: DCR 200'. Connected with webbing. Located considerably DCR from the main falls.
At the bottom of the falls are an unlinked pair of bolts are located at the top of a unique square channel the water flows down. They may be unnecessary to access R4, which can be walked down to in lower flow.
R4: (a) DCR single bolt above a boulder 20' to help access to (b) 2 bolt station DCL just below, 100’ to pool below.
The canyon makes a left turn; scramble around the rock fin on DCR to access the next bolt station.
Upper Narrows
The canyon slots-up into shorter quick-fire rappels.
R5: DCR 80' from single bolt. The bottom half of the full rappel line is through a crack that could be spicy in high flow. Stopping halfway at a ledge and utilizing R6 provides an alternative which keeps you out of the crack.
R6: DCR 30' An optional alternative to avoid the crux crack on the lower section of R5.
R7: DCR 60' from unlinked bolts. This rappel goes down a vertical crack into a mid-sized pool below. Mind the pull as there's a mid-pitch square chock-stone which can catch the rope.
R8: DCR 40' from single bolt. The bolt is perched quite high on the wall, you'll need to scramble up to access it.
R9: DCL 30' from a single bolt; or steep down-climb DCR.
At this point the walls retreat and the canyon opens up. But don't worry the slottyness will resume in a short while.
The Brief Return of the Sky
A large two-stage rappel in wide-open space contrasts the narrows you just exited.
R10:
- (a): DCR 25' access pitch from unlinked bolts.
- (b): DCL 200' from unlinked bolts. The anchor station is tucked around the corner on DCL and isn't the easiest to access. The anchor manager may prefer to extend a longer clip-in/safety point for rappelers to make the transition easier.
R11: DCL 15' from tree branch (no webbing). Alternatively down-climb DCC in lower flow.
It is possible to escape the canyon at this point. The escape is not easy as it involves blazing through dense young trees, route finding, and navigating through large fern patches. Plan for at least 1-2 hours to reach the banks of Weeden Creek. Refer to the 'The Dark Place - Potential Escape' and 'Forest Exit Route'.
Middle Narrows Section
Return of the slot! Here the canyon narrows up again, with dramatic mountainscape on view, and concludes with passing under the Bridge of Khazad Dum.
R12: DCL 40' from single bolt
R13 and R14 are in rapid succession and form a beautiful 2-tier waterfall sequence.
R13: DCR 45' from 2 bolts, into the slot.
R14: DCL 100' from single bolt (replacing a damaged DCR bolt). Gain your first glipse of the Bridge of Khazad Dum.
R15: DCL 20' from a single bolt on large boulder. Be mindful of the sharp ledges.
R16: DCR 15' from webbing wrapped around a log at ground level. Drops you into the archway.
R17: DCR 40' from webbing around chock stone at ground level downstream of the archway.
Lower Narrows Section
The canyon makes a left turn, and consists of shorter drops & multiple down-climbs.
R18: DCR 30' from a high-up single bolt.
R19: DCR 40' from a high-up single bolt.
R20: DCR 30' from a single bolt into swimmer pool. Careful down-climbing then shallow jump is possible.
Next 15' drop not bolted - bypass by down-climbing DCR
R21: DCR 50' from single bolt down a chute. This rappel can be bypassed down-climbing DCR if needed. (2024: bolt is damaged)
R22: DCR 100' from webbing extended from tree limb.
The remaining pools can be down-climbed until creek-walking dominates.
Exit[edit]
Plan for your exit to take 3-5 hours.
Option A - 2024 River Exit[edit]
Follow the river gravels to the junction of the NF Sauk River (about 2 miles). There’s some route-finding through the braids of the river bed, but overall it’s easy walking and easy navigation, with minimal brush. Cross the NF Sauk (which in August is ankle deep), and pickup the Monte Cristo trail a short way into the trees on the other side. Hike the trail back to the trailhead. This option allows for exiting with no re-ascent. Thanks to Adam Bercaw's memory of hiking this way as a 10 year old child.
Option B - The Original Exit[edit]
Follow the meandering river gravels of Weeden Creek for 1 mile until you reach the point where you cut into the forest. The river disappears and re-appears through the river gravels in numerous spots. Before cutting into the trees, fill up on water and energy before entering the forest. The forest route is about 0.8 mi. Head West into the forest until you reach ~2430' where you will find pink flagging. The route has been flagged until you reach a shallow lake/basin depending on the time of the year. Proceed uphill until you rejoin the approach trail. Follow the trail for 2 mi back to the trailhead.
Red tape[edit]
A Northwest Forest pass is required to park at the trailhead.
Beta sites[edit]
Trip reports and media[edit]
8/20-21/2022 Facebook pictures from first full descent
Background[edit]
The first half of the canyon was first descended on Aug 3, 2019 by Jake Huddleston, Tiffanie Lin, Kevin Steffa, Haruka-James Lipscomb, and Peppe. Packs were heavy and the team decided to escape half way through the canyon due to time. The early exit and "hike" (if you could call it that) back to the car was brutal and took 5 hours. It consisted of bushwhacking through dense forest, monster fern fields, wet river gravels, and more dense forest with log jams and devil's club...all in the dark..and all the while being thirsty and starving. We started hiking at 630 AM and arrived back at our cars at 1230 AM the following day.
It took us 3 years to muster the courage again to attempt and thankfully complete a full descent of Weeden. The second time around, we planned to finish the canyon in 2 days and camped at the start of the middle narrows. It also decided to lightly rain on us all night because that's what Summers do in the PNW.
In a nerd voice... well actually the first full descent of Weeden Creek was 10th Aug 2024, when a team ran it from Gothic Basin all the way to its conclusion at the Sauk River without exiting into the Forest along the way. However one day an even greater pedant may start the descent from the saddle above Foggy Lake just to out do everyone further!