Klickitat: Parrott Crossing to Fish Hatchery

I had never run the Klickitat, so when Kory suggested we do a leisurely trip at a time of year when there wasn't much in the way of new stuff to check out it was an easy sell.

His wife Jo rafted with Priscilla and their dog Jackpot, my dad and I IK'ed and Kory took an RPM Max.  This assortment of craft fit right in on the Klickitat.

We had about 1200 cfs from snowmelt on August 13, 2017.  

We had concerns the low water would render the run a pain, but it was plenty of water for seeing the canyon.  The raft only stalled out once when they took the wrong route.  In a kayak, the depth was of no concern.  The whitewater was continuous and engaging class II-III without any real flat water, yet no distinct rapids.



There were some nice cliffs to look at, apparently at high water avoiding them and the hydraulics they create are the stand-out challenge of the run.  There was an outdated sign at the put in about a dangerous log jam, it must have washed free this last Winter.  We took all the main channels and while there was wood in play here and there, nothing was sketchy and nothing required a portage or shore scout.  I'd imagine this river only gets more fun as the level rises.

The shuttle directions on American Whitewater were spot on.

    -jacob