Paradise River: Washington Cascades

BETA

1/3 mi

Stream: The Washington Cascades on the Paradise River are short, but sweet.  Located within Mt Rainier national park, they can be tacked on after an Ohanapecosh trip or if driving through to see the park.  Park at the Ruby Falls Bridge over the Paradise River, and walk 50 yards downstream on river left to scout along a convenient trail.    Safety is easy to set, and the trail on the left allows for laps to be had. 

After the initial set of slides is a double drop before the river turns right, then left again down some small slides that were run center-ish with the main current.  There are a few take out options, so poke around a bit to determine what your plan of action will be.  It is possible to hop out on either side after the double drop or on the left where the bedrock ends and boulders begin to hike back up for another lap, or continue through some class III to a predetermined take out on the right where the road gets close to the creek.  DO make sure you have a pre-determined take out, as going too far would result in an un-survivable trip over Narada Falls.

Transition from bedrock to boulders.

  
Flows:  We thought flows were perfect the day we were there for the first two drops, the rest of the section would have been better with a little more water.  I'd do it again at the same flow or with more water.  The run is at 4700' and is fed from snowmelt, and snow is often present along the banks when there is enough water to float the creek.  When we were there patches of snow needed to be negotiated along the trail, but were not prohibitive to paddling this section.

We paddled this section June 16, 2019

COWLITZ AT PACKWOOD

NISQUALLY AT NATIONAL

Just downstream from Ruby Falls were a couple little pinches.  We used the one shown below as a reference.  It would be nice if the rock with the circle had some water spilling over it.

Access:  This section is located within Mt Rainier National Park, there is an entrance fee of $30 as of 2019.  We did it after a day on the Ohanapecosh River.  From secret camp just head upstream about 3 miles and turn left into the park entrance.  19 miles later you cross a small bridge (46.778404, -121.739020) just before a "T" in the road, park next to this bridge.  The drop under the bridge (Ruby Falls) did not look runnable to me, the slides start about 50 yards below the bridge, there is a trail to scout on river left.  

Ruby Falls the day we ran the Washington Cascades

 You can either hike back out from the bottom along the trail, or find a spot downstream to take out on river right next to the road.  A lack of diligence runs the risk of going too far and not being able to stop above the un-survivable Narada Falls.  

Refer to the map below for orientation.

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Story
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The Ohanapecosh River is a favorite of mine, I try to make a trip up there each year.  It's fun doing laps on the classic section, but I try to mix it up each year and do something new on top of the classic section.  That has typically meant just heading upstream on the Ohanapecosh itself, but this year Priscilla and I spent a day checking out Mt. Rainier National Park.  I had seen photos of a group running the Washington Cascades years ago (I believe it was Luke Spencer, Chuck Taylor and friends) so we decided to see if it had water while we were up there.

It looked like it had just enough water, so we continued wondering around the park and decided to come back Sunday after spending Saturday on the Ohane.  My dad was with us that weekend and had his IK, we thought the foam floor might be nice to pad out the low-volume slides.  When Sunday rolled around we headed back up to the Paradise River and had a nice afternoon sliding down the cascades in the IK.   The run is similar in style and every bit as fun as Sweet Creek, Henline Creek, or the Lake Creek slides.

Cispus: Super Slides

Photos:  Priscilla Macy

BETA

More beta for this run can be found here, and here.

Stream: If you put in on Goat Creek with a similar configuration of trees as we found in 2017, you will find a small stream with numerous portages around logs and some loose boating.  If you put in on the Cispus, you might have a quick portage or two before the slides start.  Of the two approaches, I preferred the second.  It requires about 30 minutes of downhill walking through open forest, the classic Northwest forest allowed for easy dragging.

Once you reach the Cispus, the stream is consolidated and there are a couple class III-IV rapids before the first horizon line which can be easily scouted on the right.  From this point to a point less than 1/4 mile above Walupt Creek Falls the stream is continuous slides.  All fun, all straight forward.

The trick is finding eddies, when there is enough water for the run to be fun, you need to scout eddy to eddy which can take a fair bit of time/effort.  The first lap took us 4-5 hours, the second lap (once we knew the run) took us less than 15 minutes.  

The scouting and eddy situation starts out friendly once on the Cispus and slowly works its way towards tricky as the slides bend around sharper corners.  Nannie Creek enters the Cispus over the below pictured waterfall.  This falls is a good indicator of having reached the finale, the rapid above it is the first corner that requires creativity to scout.

The river bends right below the Nannie Creek confluence (last easy eddy), back to the left and then drops away steeply into the finale.  Once past the horizon line, paddlers are committed to nearly 1/2 mile of continuous slides.  It took about an hour to scout the first time high on river right, which we were able to do thanks to Adam making a dicey eddy and pulling us in out of the slide one at a time.  Once at Nannie Creek Falls, don't leave any eddies until you know how to get into the next one, or are comfortable committing to the next half mile of slides.  The second trip we knew it was clear so didn't scout and it took just a couple minutes to run.  The line for us was to stay center, justified to the inside of any corners.  

                            The steepest part of the final 1/4 mile, from Adam Edward's perspective.


This final 1/2 mile rapid below Nannie Creek ranks up there with one of my favorite rapids of all time, I felt the effort of the run was totally justified by the largest scale class III-IV rapid Iv'e ever run.  Giggles all around.  The whitewater soon peters out and then ends where Walupt Creek falls enters on the left.  There was a surf wave and rocky beach here, making for a nice lunch stop.

After taking in Walupt Creek Falls, it's time to head downstream.  If you are taking the trail out (a little under 1/2 mile downstream of Walupt Creek), keep an eye on river left.  After passing the second notable rockslide, there will be a 30 foot high cliff on river left visible downstream.  Eddy out just below the cliff on river left.  Walk up to the bench 10 feet above river level, you should see another rockslide at this point.  Parallel the river along the bench until you come across a trail, follow this trail up to the vehicles.

If you are using the bridge take out, you will enter the swamp a short distance below the final rockslide.  Downstream progress will become difficult for 1/4 mile as you portage through the swamp.  The river re-consolidates a short distance above the bridge.


  
Flows:  We ran this twice in June 2017, The Cispus was flowing from snowmelt with bumps from significant rain.  June 16 was a fun, friendly flow.  June 18 was a little lower, but still worth it.  Word is 3,000 is medium, give or take 1,000 cfs to get the range of low to high, 500 cfs or more than that in either direction are pushing into the distant edges of runnable.  Eddies are the limiting factor on this run, they were scarce at low flows.  So if you knew the run and that it was clear of wood, you might be able to push the flow levels up a bit if you were willing to forgo scouting.

Access:  The standard route into the area (NF-23 out of Randle) was not passable due to the road being washed out by the Cispus River near Blue Lake.  We took NF-21 paralleling Johnson Creek (which looked like it was at a friendly flow).  For that route, leaving Hwy 12, take NF-21 16 miles and turn left toward Walupt Lake.  Cross the Cispus 1.5 miles later.  This would be the preferred take out, except there is a 1/4 mile long portage through a swamp if you choose that route.  We chose to continue another 1.7 miles to a trailhead, where you can hike about 3/4 of a mile uphill at the end of the day to avoid the portage.

Bridge Take Out:  46.4146, -121.5244
Trail Take Out:  46.4234, -121.5011

To get to the put in return to the bridge across the Cispus and head back towards NF-21.  If you have a high clearance vehicle you may choose to take a short cut shortly before reaching NF-21 on NF-2152.  If you have a Subaru, continue to NF-21 and turn right.  There is a map below that lines it out, but here are the step by step directions as well


 Continue 2.9 miles and turn right again on NF-2150 (the road becomes unmanaged).  Another 1 mile and turn right onto NF-2152, and in another 0.6 miles left onto NF-016 (the road can be rough).  In 0.9 miles there will be a spur road going off to the left (don't take it), in another hundred yards you will notice a small marshy-pond to the left, park here.  Follow the rivulet leaving the marshy-pond down to the Cispus, the distance is under 1 mile.  You will know you are close when you reach a second marshy-pond area.


                                                                    NF-016

If you want to put in on Goat Creek, just continue past the marshy-pond to the end of the road.  Goat Creek is visible from there.  

Hike in to the Cispus:  46.4494, -121.5144

Walk in to Goat Creek: 46.4585, -121.5102

Paddlers:  Adam Edwards, Whitney Butler, Brandon Lake, Priscilla Macy, Jacob Cruser

Ohanapecosh River

Photo: Clinton Begley

The Ohanapecosh is a great run, one of my favorites.  Spending a weekend up there camping and doing as many sunny laps as can be handled on the lower run is something many of us PNW boaters look forward to each year.

That's not all the Ohanapecosh has to offer though, this page described each of the sections that have been paddled on the Ohanapecosh. I have yet to do them all in a single day (or even a single weekend for that matter), but it would be possible and is something I'd like to do at some point.

Because the points along the river are usually encountered heading upstream from Packwood, and the further upstream one goes the less commonly it is run, I have laid them out that way.  i.e. the first description is of the lowest access point, and the last the highest access point.

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Access to NF-1270 take out (if La Wis Wis is closed)
46.6642, -121.6003

From Packwood, travel upstream on Hwy 123 just shy of 5 miles and turn left onto NF-1270.  The river is reached in about half a mile.  *Mark the take out at river level*

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 Cowlitz River (La Wis Wis to NF-1270)

1.25 miles

I only include this section, because when La Wis Wis Campground is closed it is easier to continue through this section than to hike the road out from La Wis Wis.  The water moves along quickly through class II and III rapids, and the scenery is quality.

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Access to La Wis Wis
46.677, -121.5834

From Packwood continue up Hwy 12 for 7 miles and turn left into the campground.  Turn right at the bottom of the hill.  Make another quick left and leave a vehicle by the large, covered wood structure.  There are a number of short trails that lead to the confluence of the Ohanapecosh and Clear Fork from this spot.

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Secret Camp to La Wis Wis Campground

2.85 miles

This is the most commonly run section of the Ohanapecosh, and has the lowest hassle-factor.  The levels are easy to predict, you put in where you camp, it's usually warm and it is commonly run with no portages. It is one of my favorite sections of any river.

Sliding in from Secret Camp, it's already abundantly clear why this is such a special place.  It's worth taking a look at the first rapid from shore before putting on if you haven't been here before.  Next up are a couple ledges that offer up nice deep boofs that can be scouted if that's wanted.  A 1/4 mile of class II proceeds the log slide, which should be scouted on the left upstream of the class II lead in.  You can tell the rapid is coming up because downstream you can see large, room sized boulders on the right bank and a vertical left wall.  It's a pretty straight forward move to get right, but people who are nervous and clam up at the lip sometimes miss the move and fall off to the left.  This used to be a worst case scenario type of situation, but in 2016 the consequences were reduced drastically when some logs moved.  

However, I'd still rather find myself right of the log than left.

Photo: Clinton Begley

When scouting from the left, it can be tough to see around the corner.  It provides peace of mind knowing its a moving pool.  Run the next rapid along the left wall, it's class III.  The next half mile is read and run class IV and loads of fun.  However there are some small, but sinister sieves to watch out for, so if you are not following someone down they can be worth a peak your first trip through.  If in doubt, stay far away from the banks.  I have three first hand accounts of someone flushing under a rock or sieve in their boat on this run, popping up a few wide eyed moments later.

Meanwhile in the middle of the river, fun lines can be had by all.

At the end of the read and run is Butcher's Block, a rapid that used to get portaged regularly but cleaned up in 2016 and is now regularly run.  This drop is signaled not only by a horizon line, but a slight opening of the canyon and large boulders.  At medium to low flows it's easy to scout on the right.   The main hazard is a large boulder on the right that has water flushing under it.  There is a nice boof just to the left of the boulder, the weak kneed can portage with a little effort on the right.  When the water is up, a slightly more involved portage on the left is the best bet.

 Jesse Shapiro lining up the boof in Butcher's Block

Immediately downstream is Triple Drop, which is scouted on the right after Butcher's Block.  There are numerous ways to enter the rapid, make the call for yourself.  At the end of the rapid the flow piles into a rock, so finish with a strong move to the left (or right) in front of the rock/pillow at the bottom.  Below a 2' boof in the runout to Triple Drop a waterfall and vertical wall can be seen downstream on the right.  Most of the current goes center through the rapid here, but that route is not commonly run due to some sieve hazards.  Most people start with some rock bashing down the right, getting to the far right flow against the wall when possible for a fun slide.

The next rapid used to be my least favorite, but now I rather enjoy it after some high water boulder re-arrangement circa 2016-ish.  Enter with the main flow, eddy hop, read and run or shore scout, regardless finish far left.

Read and run rapids continue until Summit Creek is seen entering on the left (largest tributary to this portion of the river).  Boaters bumble through a small entrance rapid, then downstream are confronted by a clean horizon line.  Drive down the right side of the main current, and don't be afraid to launch a big boof off this beautiful 8 foot ledge.

Below this ledge, it's time to start getting ready to eddy out on the left to scout Elbow Room.  If it's your first time I encourage you to error to the left in the lead in to the point of silliness and scrape down to a scouting eddy on the left before the river falls off a ledge back to the right and into Elbow Room.

Elbow Room is typically run down the left side, and through a narrow crack at the bottom that goes better than it looks like it would during the scout.  There is also a stouter entrance on the right, and a super stout (not recommended) line through the bottom right.

A couple paddlers taking the bold right side entrance.

Messing up the right line has severe consequences.

Video from Cascade Classics

If you would like to portage, head upstream along the shelf from the scouting eddy gaining elevation (watch your footing).  When the vegetation is reached a bit of a trail becomes present, head downstream along this trail a couple hundred yards.  Eventually following it back down to the gorge rim.  The throw and go is the best/most fun option here, but if you don't like jumping there is a way to walk down to river level and have everyone else lower gear to you.  Remember to be a team player here.

Just downstream is a nice bedrock rapid, it's class III on the right and has a class IV double ledge on the left. 

Read and run leads to the signature rapid of the run, Ohanapecosh Falls.  The lead in hole is powerful, but a good stroke will typically get you through.  The further right you hit it, the easier it is to make it through.  The outflow of this hole pours over a beautiful 15' falls.  The left channel is what most people aim for, but the middle line is fine too.  The left side line on the falls delivers the best results if you climb up onto the wall high and early, holding that right stroke until you are airborn and resetting your hips on the way down.

Adam Edwards about to get it good.

The next rapid downstream is Petrified, the most notorious on the run aside from Elbow Room.  There are many fun line options here, scout them for yourself from the left.  The center hole has a reputation for being extremely sticky, though something changed in 2017 and it seems more forgiving than it once was.

Ben Mckenzie adding a little steeze to Petrified.

 Photo: Priscilla Macy

There are a number of read and run rapids below Petrified, but keep an eye out for wood. Things ease to riffles by the time you reach the confluence of the Clear Fork Cowlitz and the take out at La Wis Wis Campground.

Trip Report from 2016 @ 1,200 cfs

Trip Report from 2010 @ 2,000 cfs

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Access to Secret Camp

Travelling upstream on Hwy 123 from either of the previous access points or Packwood, you will cross the Clear Fork of the Cowliz via a bridge high over the stream.  Just over a 1/2 mile later turn left onto Hwy 123.  In 2.2 miles NF-44 takes off to the right (stay on Hwy 123), within a couple hundred yards turn left onto an unmarked gravel road that leads to the secret camp.  Kayakers typically use the most upstream campsite.  If you pass under the National Park entrance arch on Hwy 123, you have gone about 100 yards too far.

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Ohanapecosh Campground to Secret Camp 

 1.75 miles

Photo: Shaun Riedinger

Ohanapecosh Campground used to be the typical Ohanapecosh put in, but some time ago a landslide occurred and dumped an inordinate amount of wood into the run.  People could avoid the wood by putting in at Secret Camp.  The wood stayed around long enough, and kayaking culture shifted towards classic-only whitewater enough that Secret Camp was established as "the" put in for the Ohanapecosh.

The wood situation has improved quite a bit over the last couple of years, and the upper portion of the run is starting to get done again.  There are still two large log jams that need to be portaged, along with a couple small logs to be dealt with and one rapid that most will portage.  Aside from that, there are many class IV-V rapids in a section of the Ohanapecosh with a more "serious" feel.   Certainly worthwhile for the adventurous boater.

Whitney Butler on one of the good ones above Secret Camp.

Photo: Alex Neilson

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Access to Ohanapecosh Campground

Travelling upstream on Hwy 123, you cross under a wooden archway.  Just a bit over a mile turn left into Ohanapecosh Campground, stay right at the first juncture and you will reach the bridge shortly.

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Park Entrance to Ohanapecosh Campground

1.7 miles

   In 2013 the Lucas’s, Matt and I decided to add a little variety to our Ohanapecosh weekend and checked out the section starting at the Stevens Canyon road bridge and ending at Ohanapecosh Campground.  The trip started out pretty exciting when we got boxed in above a class VI slot.  Matt saved the day by doing some sketchy climbing up the left wall and roping us up after him.  Just below was a fun drop we named Hawt Fire as we had all been listening to Andrew Bradley yell “Hot Fire” after everything he ran the week before.

We portaged Silver Falls and scouted out the gorge below, which contains two boxed in ledge drops that were good to go and class IV-ish.  *On the flip side we were up there one weekend around 2,000 cfs and there was a bathtub sized log stuck in the second ledge hole the entire weekend.*  Below here things eased off to class II-III with the stand out feature being a travertine warm springs on the left that was too shallow to bathe in, but neat to check out.  To continue below Silver Falls I look for ~1500+ cfs. We took off and vowed not to confine ourselves to the lower Ohane when we came up here in the future.  Hawt Fire has even proven worthy of a park and huck (easy to lap) if you bring a lunch and a fun group on a sunny day.

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Access to the park entrance

1.8 miles upstream of Ohanapecosh Campground, Stevens Canyon Rd heads left and through the pay entrance to the National Park.  Thee is a pullout at the intersection that can be used for free.  The bridge is within 100 yards of this intersection.

Instead of putting in at the Park Entrance Bridge, these days we walk in 100 yards before Stevens Canyon road turns left off of HWY 12, thus avoiding the boxed in class VI that gave the Lucas's, Matt and I trouble that first time down.  It's a short/easy walk through old growth (veer to the right side of the gully).

Hawt Fire access

click to enlarge

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Panther Creek to Park Entrance

1.8 miles

I have not done this stretch of the Ohanapecosh, it is full of non-hazardous wood amongst gravel bars.  You are floating through the Grove of the Patriarchs though, so if you are not opposed to a number of easy portages it might be worth doing.  It looks like there would be some nice gravel beaches to camp on in this section as well.

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Panther Creek Access

4.2 miles upstream of Ohanapecosh Campground on Hwy 123, you cross over Panther Creek.  Access to the river is easier a short ways (walking distance) downstream from the Panther Creek bridge.

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Eastside Trail to Panther Creek

1.5 mile hike

2.1 river miles 

 This is the most adventurous section of the Ohanapecosh that has been documented.   It involves a hike in, some dealing, one involved portage and some fun rapids including a runnable 30 footer.

There is a good trip report at Oregonkayaking.net

This section has only been done at lower levels, as one of the portages is tricky even at low water.  So if the Secret Campground section is feeling runnable but manky, this section might be worth checking out for adventurous boaters.  I felt after doing the trip that if the tricky portage changed and became runnable, I would endeavor to run this section every couple of years.

*While hiking in, it is easy to pick off Stafford Falls on Chinook Creek.

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Eastside Trail Access
46.8045, -121.5653

3.6 miles upstream of Panther Creek on Hwy 123 is the Owyhigh trailhead, which leads quickly downstream to the Eastside trail.  Continue downstream paralleling Chinook Creek for 3 miles to a bridge over the Ohanapecosh at a double falls.  This is the put in.  If you are handy with a map, you might notice that Hwy 123 parallels Chinook Creek on the shuttle.  If you want to knock off most of the hike, just park anywhere and bushwhack down to Chinook Creek and wade across.  The trail is typically within 50 yards on river right down there.

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Upstream of the Eastside trail bridge

unknown

 Upstream of the Eastside trail the Ohanapecosh still has enough water to boat, and gradient to create whitewater.  Access would be extremely challenging, but not impossible.  There has been no documentation of trips occurring up there, I imagine it would be an exceptionally difficult trip with hard whitewater and portaging. 

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The Ohanapecosh from Daniel Price on Vimeo.

Hawt Fire at healthy flows, 1200 or so on the gauge.

  -jacob

Wiki #7

My roommate Pat and I headed north to visit our Earth Science friend Kara in Rainier, WA over winter break. I thought maybe Ill bring the IK and see if there is anything worth exploring. An hour or two looking at the maps and an exploratory run had been paved out complete with clean 25'er.

The run required a 2.5 mile hike in past a Weyergaeuser gate, then a short bushwhack once passed the abandoned park and some smooth talking to access. The falls was great and totally worth it! Below the gorge the stream gets flat with some wood portages. I saw an old dirt road on the right after a mile so took out and hiked back to the main road, followed by another mile hike out in order to meet Pat and Kara, but there is bridge access too.

The next day we rounded off the trip with a day at White Pass before a 6am departure the next morning to get Pat back for a day of mountain biking in Monmouth.

Deschutes and Rainier on the same trip! (I'm not just talking about the beer)

Video on Vimeo

Wiki 7 from Jacob Cruser on Vimeo.
    -Jacob

Waterfallin: The Clear Fork Cowlitz

A lava flow, which is believed to have been dammed up by a glacier, yielded these amazing basalt walls through out the canyon.

The Clear Fork of the Cowlitz is a run that is held in high regard amongst the who's who of the PNW creeking scene. With a glowing endorsement from both the guide book and the page on Oregonkayaking, the Clear Fork certainly possess a fair share of 'hype'. That being said, there is a relative dearth of recent information on the run. In a time when social media and online trip reports are at an all time high, the Clear Fork still lingers in obscurity. I think part of this has to do with the fact that it's a difficult and committing run that keeps a large number of folks away. Secondly, the run has been chocked with wood for the last few years (since the online media craze really hit) Thirdly, the mission is such an undertaking that crews often become focused on finishing the run before dark and conserving energy (not so much on getting video and photos.)

Alex Kilyk dropping into the top tier of 'the brain'. I was told later that this rapid is called actually called Furious in the guide book.

Dan Rubado's got boofing on the brain.

All of this being said, it's been at the top of my list for the past few seasons and a few weeks ago, I was finally able to put to that proverbial check-mark in the books. With much trepidation over the water level Alex Kilyk (a Clear Fork vet), Dan Rubado, Stephen Cameron, and I departed Portland at 5:30 AM. Reached the pull off (where you start to hike) at 8:30 AM and put boat to water around 9:15. We didn't reach La Wis Wis campground until 5:30 PM that evening! A long day for sure, but what an amazing creek! With only 6 wood portages, plus the mandatory portage at the Palisades and a few other drops we didn't want to run, the Clear Fork is no longer on life support. That is to say that the work to fun ratio is right where you want it to be as someone who enjoys exploratory kayaking. It's not the Little White, where you drive to the put-in walk 30 feet and don't get out of your boat till the take-out, but its certainly worth the effort. For every portage, there are 3-4 great drops!

Rubado with a text book line: lead in to Bitch Slap Falls

After our initial trip, I was really anxious to get back on the run before she dropped out for the season. This past Sunday I was able to do just that! Again, a group of 4 rallied from Portland at 5:30 in the morning and after a quick run-in with the law (no citations issued) we were hiking our boats down into the canyon. Ryan Cole, John Edwards, Jacob and I put-on around 10 AM this time and reached the take-out around 3:45. Having done the run a few weeks prior, we were able to shave a few hours off the total. We took the time to grab some media and Ryan put together an amazing edit! In my opinion, it's the most complete guide to the Clear Fork that's out there right now. Although he forgot to the turn the camera on for the legendary "bitch slap" falls, he did an amazing job of capturing what the canyon's all about! Unfortunately, my GoPro, along with all my footage is currently at the bottom of the river. Always tether!

Check it out!

The bottom of the Palisades Portage

Quick Hits:
Flows for both my trips were ideal. The reading on the Cowlitz @ Packwood was 3200 cfs on the first trip and 2500 cfs on Sunday. Despite the 700 cfs difference, the creek felt about the same. Go figure?

The white-water isn't as hard as something like the Little White, but it's incredibly committing. There are several blind corners and unportageable drops. Complete with at least one Un-Un and lots of spots where "you want to be on your line."

The nature of the river changes dramatically below the Palisades. The bedrock ledges of the upper portion of the run give way to giant boulder gardens between vertical walls in the second portion of the creek.

The canyon is absolutely one of the most beautiful places that I've ever been.

Bring a lunch!

Ryan's video is below.

Clear Fork of the Cowlitz from Ryan C on Vimeo.



 Directions: 

The typical take out is at La Wis Wis Campground.  To get there from Packwood continue up Hwy 12 7 miles and turn left into the campground.  Turn right at the bottom of the hill.  Most people make another quick left and leave a vehicle by the large covered structure and take out at the confluence with the Ohanapecosh River.  If you want to check levels don’t make that left and you will quickly cross over the Clear Fork. 

If La Wis Wis is closed (it often is when the Clear Fork is running), backtrack towards Packwood 2 miles and drive down NF-1270 to where it ends at the river.  This adds on 1.25 miles of class II+, but it sure beats hiking out from La Wis Wis. Tip:  Mark the take out when you drop vehicles so you don’t float past at the end of the day.

To get to the put in return to Hwy 12, turn left.  In 4.9 miles there is a pull out on the left to park in.  A decommissioned road heads off toward the river on the other side of the freeway (next to the mile 143 marker). As soon as you see a gully heading down to your right, leave the old road and descend the gully.  Following the road would put you in above Entrance Exam, which has had problematic wood since Iv’e been keeping tabs on the Clear Fork.