Washougal, N. Fork

W-1200 to Skamania Mines Road Bridge

At the put-in, the river is small, narrow and shallow. Don't fret! Just around the corner the river consolidates and begins to bounce through some fun ledges and twisty turns. At high water this section really moves along and the currents are tricky in several places. After just over a half mile on the river, Hagen Creek enters on the right and the river drops to the left over Teakettle Falls. Be sure to catch an eddy at the mouth of Hagen Creek in order to scout Teakettle. Teakettle is a 2-part rapid with a shallow slide at the top and a powerful 10-foot ledge at the bottom. The right side of the ledge drops onto a rock and the left side drops into a sticky hole. If boaters decide to portage Teakettle there is a faint trail on the right. Boaters can lower boats to the base of Teakettle or continue downstream to less steep access to the river.

Below Teakettle the river mellows to Class 3 for several bends. Watch out for a tricky, narrow ledge drop at the end of a series of shallow slides. This drop tends to push boaters into the left wall so be ready! There is a sneak on the far, far right. After this drop, be on the lookout for mist rising from the next big drop, Cracken. There is a shallow eddy on the left close to the lip of this double drop. Be sure to catch the eddy. About 50% of boaters seem to run this big drop. The rest portage on the left to a 10-foot seal-launch to the base of the rapid or there is a faint path through the woods to the base of the pool below the rapid.

More boogie below Cracken leads to the Skamania Mine Roads Bridge that is an intermediate access point.

Skamania Mines Road Bridge to Main Washougal

Once boaters pass under the road bridge (Skamania Mines Rd, where the gauge is located), there is one rapid before the next commonly portaged rapid. Catch the eddy on the left at the lip of the drop just after a series of fast waves. This nast

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