wrench Posted June 9, 2004 Posted June 9, 2004 Has anyone crossed Downey Creek where the bridge approach is washed out on Suiattle Rv Rd? Or is everyone waiting for someone else to post info like I am? NFS web site says "Downey Creek cannot be crossed" but I figure it's gotta be just a CYA. NFS road damage repair The picture of the creek in this link doesn't make a crossing look very difficult at all! Thanks! Quote
JoshK Posted June 9, 2004 Posted June 9, 2004 Where there is a will, there is a way... THE NFS is going to be pretty careful about telling people it's crossable since they dont want inexperienced people getting themselves swept down the river or something. I'm 99% sure you can find a crossing either up or down the river if you try. Quote
AllYouCanEat Posted June 9, 2004 Posted June 9, 2004 Oh yea, there is a way. This river can fluxuate a lot but is definately something you could portage. There are many logs that cross the creek. I've kayaked this creek twice by carrying up and I know that there are logs that cross the river. Watch if you hike across it. You don't want to get swept down, but during the summer this creek shrinks drastically and wouldn't be bad to cross. Go for it. I posted a pic on another thread like this looking at the river in the past. Here it is again. Photo by Benman Quote
ski_photomatt Posted June 14, 2004 Posted June 14, 2004 Here's a photo from the national forest website (web site ) Perhaps it's possible to cross on or near the guard rail to the intact bridge remnant? Quote
klenke Posted June 15, 2004 Posted June 15, 2004 Take your skateboard and ride that rail!!! Yeah baby! Quote
JoshK Posted June 15, 2004 Posted June 15, 2004 So how far does that leave you from the downey creek trailhead? only a few hundred feet, right? Isn't the road end not much further too? Quote
klenke Posted June 15, 2004 Posted June 15, 2004 It's not far from bridge to T.H., not far enough to worry about. In the above picture, note that the person is standing on the bridge and that it is washed out (broken) on its west end. For that person to have got there they must have been able to scramble onto the bridge (probably from the railing area on the right) because I doubt they waded the creek first. Quote
AllYouCanEat Posted June 15, 2004 Posted June 15, 2004 Looks like a nice paddle. Yep, it is. This area is where I learned to boat...mostly on the suiattle. Downey creek is a nice kayak only if it isn't choked with wood. I would only go if you're interested in more walking than kayaking; more exploring and scenery. Photo by Benman The trail is only a couple of hundred feet beyond the bridge. I can't believe that bridge was washed out. Quote
wrench Posted June 15, 2004 Author Posted June 15, 2004 Thanks for the responses. looks like it'll go one way or another and shouldn't be a huge issue. Quote
Alex Posted June 15, 2004 Posted June 15, 2004 If that really is the bridge over Downey, then the parking lot for the trailhead isnt more than 100 yards further up the road. However, it means you won't be able to park there. Not sure where the next best parking spot is on the West side of the bridge. The area sees alot of use, I would expect to have to hoof it for a ways on the weekend. Quote
AllYouCanEat Posted June 15, 2004 Posted June 15, 2004 There is a pull out on the right. There used to be a nice camp I used to stay at down next to the downey. Quote
hopalong Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 I think that right gurdrail is still connected to the bank. Just guessing from other pictures I saw. Might have eroded more since then. Quote
Nate Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 Is Downey creek a popular trailhead? I plan on finishing the ptarmigan traverse there on a Friday (July 16) with the car still at cascade pass, is there a good chance of getting a ride out to civilization? Quote
AllYouCanEat Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 No (not a popular trailhead). Not a good place to hitch a ride. Once kayaking, we nearly had to walk the 17 miles back to our other car when we (umm, I) forgot the keys... Quote
Alex Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 (edited) doh! not fishing, finishing! Edited June 16, 2004 by Alex Quote
Nate Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 Not fishing, finishing. The problem will be getting back to the car. Is it possible to drop down to the east from the Dome area and catch a trail that will bring us to the road between lake chelan and cottonwood? then we could walk back over cascade pass, it doesn't look that for and relatively flat. We only have a week out there and I don't want to spend a lond time walkting roads hoping for rides. Quote
Alex Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 you could conceivably hike out Agnes Creek. From White Rock lakes it looks nasty in the initial valley bottom, but you could skirt alot of the initial part by staying in the scree and talus below the Dome and Chinkamin glaciers. I believe there is an unmaintained "trail" that comes part of the way up that valley, and is sometimes used to approach Blue Glacier and Gunsight. Consult Beckey's, but I would expect a fair amount of bushwacking down Agnes Creek in reality, since the area is so unfrequented from the East. To be honest, Bachelor Creek is an easy (though somewhat boring) way out from the area, going downhill. It doesnt take overly long, perhaps half a day from Itswoot Ridge camp. I think you could conceivably go from White Rock Lakes all the way out before dark. A week is a long time! We did it in 3.5 days, and it was fine. Quote
graupel Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 You would likely spend a few days in your walk to try to return. Judging by various reports, it sounds like the shuttle bus in the Stehekin area is not able to travel further than High Bridge this year, so you would have a fair amount of road followed by the trail from Cottonwood Camp over the pass. That is going to cut into your "week" time. You would probably be better off trying to cajole someone into doing a day of driving with you so you can leave your car at the end. Quote
Alex Posted June 17, 2004 Posted June 17, 2004 Probably about 4 hours to do the shuttle, all told. Quote
klenke Posted June 17, 2004 Posted June 17, 2004 Alex is about right. 20 miles on Suiattle River Road at 30 MPH (40 minutes), 11 miles to Rockport at 60 MPH (11 minutes), 7 miles to Marblemount at 50 MPH (8 minutes), then 22 miles to Cascade Pass Trailhead at 30 MPH (44 minutes). Add that up and you get 60 miles in 103 minutes (35 MPH average) between the two points. Multiplying that by two: 206 minutes . However, there is the additional time of stopping at the ranger station, hitting the head, slacking off, changing the flat, chasing the snaffles out of your car, etc. that will add to the total time. All told, it will take you about 3 hours OF DRIVING depending on how crazy a driver you are. Quote
JoshK Posted June 17, 2004 Posted June 17, 2004 However, there is the additional time of stopping at the ranger station.... Huh? Quote
estivate Posted June 19, 2004 Posted June 19, 2004 I believe some intrepid soul put up a makeshift walkway or ladder to the bridge deck from what's left of the embankment, so this may be a complete non obstacle, with no fording or log-walking needed. But no guarantees of course. Quote
ski_photomatt Posted June 21, 2004 Posted June 21, 2004 There is a ladder to the remaining bridge. I suspect it was the forest service as there has been some other work done too - the guard rails are gone, and there is a large road block about 1/4 mile before the bridge with a newly cleared lot for a few cars. The crossing is now delightfully uneventful. Quote
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