Washington’s Little White Salmon is a well-known Class V run that’s runnable in the winter and Spring. The crux of the run is 35-foot Spirit Falls and the nasty hole at Chaos just downstream. Most people portage both on the right. Even on a good day the portage is tricky, with a short section sloping to the edge of a 30 ft cliff that lands on rock and shallow water. In the winter, when the portage gets icy, some paddlers bring yak tracks or spikes for traction. Other plan to run the falls. On January 30th Grant Garman apparently slipped in an icy spot during the portage, fell, and landed head-first. His partner heard the fall and saw Mr. Garman unconscious in the water. He pulled him ashore below Chaos, attempted CPR, and when that failed ran out to the road to get help. First responders later recovered his body.
