With a free day on Saturday, I decided to go and view the Breitenbush Cascades. Late start, so I started off with a filling breakfast in Woodburn, and arrived at the parking spot at about 11:15am. Good thing the days are long. I really didn’t know what to expect, but considering that this section of the drainage is only about .6 mile long and drops 1500’ of elevation (makes my ears pop just think’n about it), I knew I should bring a rope and harness… Good thing, because I ended up rapping 4 50’ raps over rock bands along the way. I stayed out of the water due to high water flow. It took about 4-hours to drop the 1500’ to where the SFNF merges with the NF of the Breitenbush. After a 30-minute rest and cool-down, I started the 1.6-mile exit up through a beautiful old-growth forest, with no bushthrashing until near the road. A great 6-hour tour…
The unsuspecting water of the upper North Fork Breitenbush, before meeting the Breitenbush Cascades…..
Breitenbush Cascades – Waterfall #1
Waterfall #2…
Waterfall #2…
At the top of waterfall #3…
#3 waterfall…
Steep flow below #3…
Looking up the steep flow…
Top of #4…
#4….
Waterfall #4…
Steep flow below #4…
Steep flow below #4…
Top of waterfall #5…
Waterfall #5….
Waterfall #5…
Downstream from waterfall #5…
Top of waterfall #6…
Waterfall #6…
Waterfall #7…
Waterfall #8…
Steep Flow…
Mild flow….feels good to not be hanging….
Stepping over a small tributary that’s falling into the North Fork Breitenbush…
Small tributary falls over bedrock…to tired to climb up to it.
Large shelter under this house-sized boulder. Large pile of sticks (right)…
Spyed through the forest, the small trib (right) dropping into the N Breitenbush…
Tired water after the 1500′ drop….
Where the SFNF meets the North Fork Breitenbush River…
Looking up the South Fork North Fork Breitenbush River…
Now the 1.6 mile x 1740′ gain exit up through a beautiful old-growth forest. No thrashing until you get up near the road….
Color in the forest……
Today’s Track…
