charlybldr
08-02-2006, 03:45 PM
Gorge Creek July 24, 2006
We had just left the folks from the ACA Technical Canyoneering Course at Index and were headed back to Seattle looking forward to dinner at Haavik’s and hooking up with Hank and Tom who had flown in Saturday for a week of northwest canyons. I was curled up snugly on a one foot by one foot (just barely) padded bench in the back of Rob’s Tacoma pick-up (or “ute� as Joe would say) when Rob’s cell phone rang. It was Ram.
Ram was just winding down his annual North Cascades alpine climbing trip. Not content to check into a hotel, shower, and pack and have a leisurely trip to the airport the next day he was calling to see what we had on our schedule for Monday. Last summer Ram had hooked up with us for a descent of Gorge Creek and was hoping to get in on a similar adventure again this year. We were planning on doing Gorge Creek the next day but would not arrive early enough for Ram to do the canyon and make his flight. But Tom was in town. Hmmm… A few minutes later and Ram called back again. Tom was good to go and was willing to drive up from Seattle that night to allow a crack of dawn start. “How’d conditions look in there?� Ram inquired.
Rob and I had been up to scope out Gorge four days earlier and were impressed with a noticeably higher volume of water than we had encountered the year before. Ram had been watching conditions all week as he drove back and forth over the bridge on his myriad alpine adventures. Convinced the water levels didn’t look bad he, Tom and Aaron would give it a go the next day. Both Rob and I viewed the water levels as a bit more sporting but wished them a good time nonetheless with a “be careful� caveat tacked on. A few minutes later the phone rang again.
“I caught a tone in your voice. Both of you.� Said Ram. There wouldn’t be something you’re not telling me about would there?� Rob and I both expressed our concern over the water levels but we were sure Ram and crew would be up to the challenge. After all Rob had created a “high water diversion� for just this situation, Ram had done the canyon the previous summer and he knew the drill. But that last waterfall had looked a bit rough from the bridge. A little more discussion explaining our concerns and Ram was happy. Besides, they could always bail out up that nasty gully if needed.
Monday morning and we arrived at the parking lot next to the bridge spanning Gorge Creek. We found Tom making sandwiches (or “sangers� as Joe would call ‘em) with wet suits and gear spread out in the sun. “How’d it go?� we asked. “We bailed.� Tom replied, a clear tone of disappointment in his voice. “The traverse is covered in slime�. This didn’t sound good. The intrepid trio had indeed gotten a crack of dawn start making it to the beginning of the technical section plenty early. Unfortunately, spray from the higher water levels had left the ledge covered in a wet, greasy slime that looked quite unappealing. After careful consideration they started reciting quotes from Monty Python and escaped up the loose talus gully Ram and Stevie B had pioneered on their first exploration. We walked out onto the bridge for another look.
Through the binoculars we could see the ledge indeed looked very wet. And the view straight on makes the climbing appears to be impossibly steep. We were all twitching nervously and discussing possibilities when Rob decided to take a picture with his phone. Don’t ask me how it happened but we all stared in disbelief as the telephone slipped from Rob’s grasp and careened two hundred fifty feet to the rocks below. Silence ensued. Rob looked up at our surprised expressions and without a pause said, “can I use somebody’s phone?� We all backed quickly away stuffing cell phones, binoculars and other valuables deep into our pockets.
Half an hour later Rob, Hank and I were flaking the rope into the canyon wondering in what kind of shape we would find the traverse ledge. None of us were looking forward bailing out up that loose escape gully crying “Run Away! Run Away!!� Once in the canyon proper we set up the first rap and started in. Rob went first to film from below (Joe stayed on the bridge to get that angle). I followed and soon Hank had joined us. We were now committed.
The traverse ledge was indeed slippery. “Slicker’n owl shit on a barn floor.� as my uncle used to say. A foot placed on the slime skittered off before you could weight it. “Hmmmm… a truly frictionless surface.� Somebody could make a lot of money patenting this technology. A bit of fiddling about and we formed an action plan. Hank lowered Rob a few feet to a small ledge just before the start of the downward traverse allowing Rob to step sideways (instead of down) and use a more positive set of holds than would otherwise be the choice. A few moves and he was past the slick bit moving confidently down the diagonal traverse stopping along the way to replace the slings and rapides that had been beat all to hell since last summer. With a belay from below, I was then able to lower myself off the anchors to the lower ledge and tension across, pulling the rope behind me as I progressed steadily toward the hanging stance.
Once I was comfortably situated Hank and Rob rapped to the giant chock stone (cleverly avoiding the drowning machine) where I soon joined them. Things continued in a straightforward manner until the second chock stone blocked our passage. At this point the waterfall pours over and around this obstacle. To rap through the falls you get a full on, three-second face shot after which you are mercifully behind the falls. Unfortunately, the water level was high enough that we couldn’t see through the boiling froth to tell if the landing had changed. Normally it is dry (or at least relatively so) but we had seen enough other changes that we weren’t sure what we’d find. Was the gravel bar we landed on last summer gone now? Would a rap into the maelstrom assure certain death? Probably not, but we thought better of it anyway.
A nice ledge traverses out canyon left at this point. Rob suggested we explore another “high water diversion� possibility at the end of the ledge. We were of course, loaded for bear and Rob promptly pulled out the drill. “This should work,� he said. A few minutes later and we had a bomber anchor situation in a perfect spot to avoid the second drowning machine and a 90’ rap dropped us into a crystal clear swimmer. Minor rope entanglements developed on retrieval but Rob soon had ‘em sorted out and we headed on downstream in search of remains of the unfortunate hand held electronic device dropped earlier in the day. No sign of it was found. Complete disintegration! We did however find 35 cents in change, a couple of orange highway cones and numerous other object of detritus regularly dropped by tourists from the bridge above. “Maybe we shouldn’t hang around here too long,� said Rob as he gazed nervously up toward the massive span.
I’m sorry things didn’t work out for Ram and crew but am glad we were able to get in there none the less. We probably could have taken the hit at the last waterfall but Rob had been considering the “high water� alternative anyway so it’s good we made time to rig it. Gorge Creek isn’t the prettiest canyon in the northwest (it’s no Davis Canyon) but it certainly offers up a few challenges and is well worth doing if you’re in the area. Can’t wait to see the video.
We had just left the folks from the ACA Technical Canyoneering Course at Index and were headed back to Seattle looking forward to dinner at Haavik’s and hooking up with Hank and Tom who had flown in Saturday for a week of northwest canyons. I was curled up snugly on a one foot by one foot (just barely) padded bench in the back of Rob’s Tacoma pick-up (or “ute� as Joe would say) when Rob’s cell phone rang. It was Ram.
Ram was just winding down his annual North Cascades alpine climbing trip. Not content to check into a hotel, shower, and pack and have a leisurely trip to the airport the next day he was calling to see what we had on our schedule for Monday. Last summer Ram had hooked up with us for a descent of Gorge Creek and was hoping to get in on a similar adventure again this year. We were planning on doing Gorge Creek the next day but would not arrive early enough for Ram to do the canyon and make his flight. But Tom was in town. Hmmm… A few minutes later and Ram called back again. Tom was good to go and was willing to drive up from Seattle that night to allow a crack of dawn start. “How’d conditions look in there?� Ram inquired.
Rob and I had been up to scope out Gorge four days earlier and were impressed with a noticeably higher volume of water than we had encountered the year before. Ram had been watching conditions all week as he drove back and forth over the bridge on his myriad alpine adventures. Convinced the water levels didn’t look bad he, Tom and Aaron would give it a go the next day. Both Rob and I viewed the water levels as a bit more sporting but wished them a good time nonetheless with a “be careful� caveat tacked on. A few minutes later the phone rang again.
“I caught a tone in your voice. Both of you.� Said Ram. There wouldn’t be something you’re not telling me about would there?� Rob and I both expressed our concern over the water levels but we were sure Ram and crew would be up to the challenge. After all Rob had created a “high water diversion� for just this situation, Ram had done the canyon the previous summer and he knew the drill. But that last waterfall had looked a bit rough from the bridge. A little more discussion explaining our concerns and Ram was happy. Besides, they could always bail out up that nasty gully if needed.
Monday morning and we arrived at the parking lot next to the bridge spanning Gorge Creek. We found Tom making sandwiches (or “sangers� as Joe would call ‘em) with wet suits and gear spread out in the sun. “How’d it go?� we asked. “We bailed.� Tom replied, a clear tone of disappointment in his voice. “The traverse is covered in slime�. This didn’t sound good. The intrepid trio had indeed gotten a crack of dawn start making it to the beginning of the technical section plenty early. Unfortunately, spray from the higher water levels had left the ledge covered in a wet, greasy slime that looked quite unappealing. After careful consideration they started reciting quotes from Monty Python and escaped up the loose talus gully Ram and Stevie B had pioneered on their first exploration. We walked out onto the bridge for another look.
Through the binoculars we could see the ledge indeed looked very wet. And the view straight on makes the climbing appears to be impossibly steep. We were all twitching nervously and discussing possibilities when Rob decided to take a picture with his phone. Don’t ask me how it happened but we all stared in disbelief as the telephone slipped from Rob’s grasp and careened two hundred fifty feet to the rocks below. Silence ensued. Rob looked up at our surprised expressions and without a pause said, “can I use somebody’s phone?� We all backed quickly away stuffing cell phones, binoculars and other valuables deep into our pockets.
Half an hour later Rob, Hank and I were flaking the rope into the canyon wondering in what kind of shape we would find the traverse ledge. None of us were looking forward bailing out up that loose escape gully crying “Run Away! Run Away!!� Once in the canyon proper we set up the first rap and started in. Rob went first to film from below (Joe stayed on the bridge to get that angle). I followed and soon Hank had joined us. We were now committed.
The traverse ledge was indeed slippery. “Slicker’n owl shit on a barn floor.� as my uncle used to say. A foot placed on the slime skittered off before you could weight it. “Hmmmm… a truly frictionless surface.� Somebody could make a lot of money patenting this technology. A bit of fiddling about and we formed an action plan. Hank lowered Rob a few feet to a small ledge just before the start of the downward traverse allowing Rob to step sideways (instead of down) and use a more positive set of holds than would otherwise be the choice. A few moves and he was past the slick bit moving confidently down the diagonal traverse stopping along the way to replace the slings and rapides that had been beat all to hell since last summer. With a belay from below, I was then able to lower myself off the anchors to the lower ledge and tension across, pulling the rope behind me as I progressed steadily toward the hanging stance.
Once I was comfortably situated Hank and Rob rapped to the giant chock stone (cleverly avoiding the drowning machine) where I soon joined them. Things continued in a straightforward manner until the second chock stone blocked our passage. At this point the waterfall pours over and around this obstacle. To rap through the falls you get a full on, three-second face shot after which you are mercifully behind the falls. Unfortunately, the water level was high enough that we couldn’t see through the boiling froth to tell if the landing had changed. Normally it is dry (or at least relatively so) but we had seen enough other changes that we weren’t sure what we’d find. Was the gravel bar we landed on last summer gone now? Would a rap into the maelstrom assure certain death? Probably not, but we thought better of it anyway.
A nice ledge traverses out canyon left at this point. Rob suggested we explore another “high water diversion� possibility at the end of the ledge. We were of course, loaded for bear and Rob promptly pulled out the drill. “This should work,� he said. A few minutes later and we had a bomber anchor situation in a perfect spot to avoid the second drowning machine and a 90’ rap dropped us into a crystal clear swimmer. Minor rope entanglements developed on retrieval but Rob soon had ‘em sorted out and we headed on downstream in search of remains of the unfortunate hand held electronic device dropped earlier in the day. No sign of it was found. Complete disintegration! We did however find 35 cents in change, a couple of orange highway cones and numerous other object of detritus regularly dropped by tourists from the bridge above. “Maybe we shouldn’t hang around here too long,� said Rob as he gazed nervously up toward the massive span.
I’m sorry things didn’t work out for Ram and crew but am glad we were able to get in there none the less. We probably could have taken the hit at the last waterfall but Rob had been considering the “high water� alternative anyway so it’s good we made time to rig it. Gorge Creek isn’t the prettiest canyon in the northwest (it’s no Davis Canyon) but it certainly offers up a few challenges and is well worth doing if you’re in the area. Can’t wait to see the video.