Toutle

Fun trip low water many exposed rocks

Fun winter run. Just wanted to mention that a Washington State Discover Pass is required for the take out spot at Tower Bridge.

Ran this at about 550 on 7/29 in a jackson duo. The whole run was bony but runable, free from any obstructions and good to go if you dont mind a creekier run.

As of today the run is free of significant woody obstructions and good to go. It is still a run where swimming is not advised due to the abundance of metal debris in and around the water.

Better put in is the Hary Gardner Park on S Toutle Rd. Put in is on the South Fork of the Toutle just upstream of the north and south fork confluence.

The hole at tempest in a teapot is far worse than it looks. Two years ago 2 paddlers on my raft were recirculated in the hole 3-4 times each before flushing out. Yesterday, Sunday February 21, we were running in a large group. We scouted and all decided to run the far left channel to avoid the hole. A very experienced kayaker in the group changed his mind and decided to run the tongue at the left edge of the hole. He thought he was through only to be swept backwards into the hole, and was recirculated until he let go of his IK and flushed out. The IK surfed in the hole until we could send in a tied off swimmer who waded in partway and was able to snag the kayak with a paddle. Next a cat in the group missed the left line and went into the hole. His passenger was thrown free, but he recirculated to the point of exhaustion. The cat surfed in the hole for about a minute before we could get it out. My feeling is eventually someone will drown here. This rapids 3+ rating and fairly straightforward line combined with the fact that the hole is far, far stickier than it looks may lead some who don't know any better (like my group on our 1st trip on the Toutle) to challenge this hole, and someone will drown. Run or line (below 2000cfs it will be too shallow to run) the left channel.

Running Hollywood Gorge. The two main drops of the gorge are visible. Run the first one to the left and then drive back hard right to avoid the hole on the bottom left.
The WDFW access site at Tower Road has been improved over the past year with a new ramp to the river.

Mt. St. Helens with Spirit Lake and the headwaters of the Toutle River to the right. A journey down the Toutle River provides a fun opportunity to experience a river that felt the full impact of the Mt. St. Helens eruption.

The exit from the Hollywood Gorge section.
Ash deposits from the erruption of Mt. St. Helen's are transported by the river forming sandbars like these all along the run.