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Downey Creek -- Please Spew Advice Here:


wrench

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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? wave.gif 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! confused.gif

 

Thanks!

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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.

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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.

 

06Waterfall.JPG

 

Photo by Benman

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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.

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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.

 

01Bush.jpg

 

Photo by Benman

 

The trail is only a couple of hundred feet beyond the bridge. I can't believe that bridge was washed out.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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