Document - A Paddler's Guide to the Olympic Peninsula

Abstract

Paddling a new river is one of my life's most fulfilling experiences. I seem to go into sensory perception overload as I try to deal with the challenge of the river combined with the hypnotizing scenery. With ouzels and otter as my guides, I cruise through mysterious gorges and eat lunch among massive, old-growth Sitka spruce. This is my Disneyland, a place where I can go to escape the real world. Unfortunately, the real world is encroaching on the vulnerable Olympic Peninsula. Greedy people are already fighting over securing rights for water projects on most of the rivers. As you read this 500-year-old trees are dropping, changing the entire climate along the river corridors. Fortunately, we had the foresight to protect some of this unique treasure with Olympic National Park. This area insures that we and future generations can experience nature and it's humbling powers. This can help us to put our own lives into perspective. Some of the runs in this book are so beautiful they are beyond description. When I first paddled in the Olympics I was stunned. I wondered why I'd never seen pictures or heard stories about these rivers. I had traveled allover looking for this kind of boating and was usually disappointed. This obsession with Peninsula rivers is what prompted me to write a guide book. In November of 1982 I started writing run descriptions and had my first book done in the fall of 1986. Then in 1992 the second edition came out. Now in 1997 I've come out with the third edition. One thing I've learned in this time is how fast the rivers of the Olympics are changing. I have tried to update the runs and shuttles as much as possible, but I realize the rivers and roads are changing with every big storm that blows through. It has been a lot of work. Since 1984 I've been paddling over 100 days a year. In 1994 it reached an all-time high: 161 days. I'll be checking into a recovery and rehabilitation center sometime soon. Some of these days have been spent riding a bicycle up and down bumpy dirt roads to run Class I water with trees to portage every 100 feet. Or just driving in circles, lost on clearcut shuttle roads only to find last months storm washed the road out. But in this time I’ve seen sights few people will ever see; images and experiences that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I wrote this guide book so more people can enjoy the rivers and experience this area as I have. So accept my invitation and join me in seeing some of the most beautiful places on this planet.

Description

A comprehensive guide to 75 river runs on Washington's beautiful Olympic Peninsula.

Document Information

Filename - A Paddler's Guide to the Olympic Peninsula1659.pdf

Size - 10.30MB

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Associated Rivers

Baker Creek WA
Old Bridge to Middle Satsop III-IV
Big Creek WA
Bridge above Narrows to South Boundary Road Bridge III
Big Quilcene WA
1 - bl. Tunnel Creek to Rainbow Campground (Upper) V+
Big Quilcene WA
2 - Rainbow Campground to fish hatchery (Lower) IV-V
Bogachiel WA
Park Boundary to Hwy 101 II
Calawah, N. Fork WA
Balch Bridge to SF Calawah confluence II+
Calawah, S. Fork WA
Rugged Ridge Trail to Hyas Creek III-IV
Calawah WA
Hyas Creek to Bogachiel River II-III
Canyon River (Satsop trib.) WA
FR 2260 to Cougar Smith Rd. II
Christmas Creek WA
C2400 bridge to Clearwater River II+(IV)
Clearwater WA
1 - Upper Clearwater Rd. access to Clearwater Campground (Upper) III-IV
Clearwater WA
2 - Clearwater Campground to 144 Gross Bridge (Middle) II
Clearwater WA
3 - 144 Gross Bridge to Queets River (Lower) II
Donkey Creek WA
Perfection Falls to W. Fork Humptulips I-III+
Dosewallips WA
1. Dosewallips Falls to Elkhorn Campground (Elkhorn Canyon) V+
Dosewallips WA
2. Elkhorn Campground to Six Mile Bridge III-IV+
Dosewallips WA
3. Six Mile Bridge to Dosewallips State Park II-III
Duckabush WA
2515 Bridge to Highway 101 at mouth IV
Dungeness WA
1. Gold Creek to Dungeness Forks Campground III-IV
Dungeness WA
2. Dungeness Forks Campground to hatchery III
Elwha WA
1. Grand Canyon V
Elwha WA
2. Glines Canyon to Highway 101 II-III(IV)
Elwha WA
3. Highway 101 to river mouth (ocean surf) II-III(IV)
Goodman Creek WA
FR 2931 100 spur access to Soleduck River III+(V)
Gray Wolf WA
Deer Park to Dungeness Forks Campground IV-V
Hamma Hamma WA
1. Boulder Creek to Hamma Hamma Campground (Upper) V+
Hamma Hamma WA
2. Hamma Hamma Campground to gorge (Lower) III-IV
Hoh, S. Fork WA
Park boundary to South Fork Campground II-III
Hoh WA
Ranger Station to Hwy 101 at Oxbow II
Humptulips, E. Fork WA
1 - FR 2206 access to FR 22 Bridge (Narrows Run) III
Humptulips, E. Fork WA
2 - FR 22 Bridge to Gorge (Falls Section) III
Humptulips, E. Fork WA
3 - Gorge Run downstream to Boise Bridge III
Humptulips, W. Fork WA
1 - FR 2204 bridge to FR 2203 access (Gorge) IV+
Humptulips, W. Fork WA
2 - FR 2203 access to Donkey Creek Rd. (FR 22) II
Hyas Creek WA
FR 29 030 spur to SF Calawah confluence II-III(IV)
Lyre WA
Off PA J-3000 to Lyre River Campground IV-V
Matheny Creek WA
FR 21 Bridge to Q-1800 Bridge (Lower) III-IV
Matheny Creek WA
North Fork to FR 21 Bridge (Upper & Middle) IV+
Queets WA
Queets Campground to Hartzell Launch II
Quinault WA
1. Pony Bridge to Graves Creek IV-V
Quinault WA
2. Cannings Creek to South Shore Rd. access II
Salmon WA
West Boundary Road Bridge to Q-100 Bridge II(IV)
Sam's WA
500 Bridge to Queets Campground IV-V
Satsop, E. Fork WA
Simpson Hatchery to Cook Creek II
Satsop, Middle Fork WA
1. Walter Creek to Baker Creek (Upper Upper) III+(IV)
Satsop, Middle Fork WA
2. Baker Creek to road off Kelly Hall Road (Fools Canyon) IV-V
Satsop, Middle Fork WA
3. Access off Kelly Hall Road to Tornow Road II
Satsop, W, Fork WA
1. FR 23 to FR 2260 Bridge (Gorge Run) IV+
Satsop, W. Fork WA
2. FR 2260 Bridge to W. Satsop Rd. II
Sitkum WA
Above Brandeberry Creek to Hyas Creek II-V
Skokomish, N. Fork WA
2. Staircase to Lake Cushman II-III
Skokomish, S. Fork WA
Browns Creek to Vance Creek (Gorge Run) IV-V
Snahapish WA
C-2700 Bridge (near Correction Cntr.) to Clearwater River II+(IV)
Sol Duc, N. Fork WA
N. Fork Trail Bridge to FR 2918 Bridge IV
Sol Duc, S. Fork WA
FR 2920 Bridge to FR 2918 Bridge IV+
Sol Duc WA
1. Salmon Cascade to FR 2918 Bridge IV
Sol Duc WA
2. FR 2918 Bridge to Klahowya Campground III
Sol Duc WA
3. Klahowya Campground to Bear Creek II+
Sol Duc WA
4. Bear Creek to Hatchery III
Sol Duc WA
5. Hatchery to Maxfield Road Bridge II
Solleks WA
Sollecks Bridge to Clearwater Campground III-IV
Stequaleho WA
C-1066 Road to Clearwater Campground II-III(V+)
Tshletshy WA
Headwaters to Queets Campground IV-V
Vance Creek WA
trail off FS 2350 to Vance Creek Bridge (FS 2341) IV
Wynoochee WA
Wynoochee Reservoir to Save Creek II-III(V)

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