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
Associated Rivers
Baker Creek
WA
Old Bridge to Middle Satsop III-IV
Big Creek
WA
Big Quilcene
WA
Big Quilcene
WA
Bogachiel
WA
Calawah, N. Fork
WA
Calawah, S. Fork
WA
Calawah
WA
Canyon River (Satsop trib.)
WA
Christmas Creek
WA
C2400 bridge to Clearwater River II+(IV)
Clearwater
WA
Clearwater
WA
Clearwater
WA
Donkey Creek
WA
Dosewallips
WA
Dosewallips
WA
Dosewallips
WA
Duckabush
WA
Dungeness
WA
Dungeness
WA
Elwha
WA
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
Gray Wolf
WA
Hamma Hamma
WA
Hamma Hamma
WA
Hoh, S. Fork
WA
Hoh
WA
Humptulips, E. Fork
WA
Humptulips, E. Fork
WA
Humptulips, E. Fork
WA
Humptulips, W. Fork
WA
Humptulips, W. Fork
WA
Hyas Creek
WA
FR 29 030 spur to SF Calawah confluence II-III(IV)
Lyre
WA
Matheny Creek
WA
Matheny Creek
WA
Queets
WA
Quinault
WA
Quinault
WA
Salmon
WA
Sam's
WA
Satsop, E. Fork
WA
Satsop, Middle Fork
WA
Satsop, Middle Fork
WA
Satsop, Middle Fork
WA
Satsop, W, Fork
WA
Satsop, W. Fork
WA
Sitkum
WA
Skokomish, N. Fork
WA
2. Staircase to Lake Cushman II-III
Skokomish, S. Fork
WA
Snahapish
WA
Sol Duc, N. Fork
WA
Sol Duc, S. Fork
WA
Sol Duc
WA
Sol Duc
WA
Sol Duc
WA
Sol Duc
WA
Sol Duc
WA
Solleks
WA
Stequaleho
WA
C-1066 Road to Clearwater Campground II-III(V+)
Tshletshy
WA
Vance Creek
WA
Wynoochee
WA
Wynoochee Reservoir to Save Creek II-III(V)