Thomas and I met up on a beautiful afternoon that quickly turned sour as the thunder rumbled and the clouds moved in.  Damn Washington liquid sunshine!  We left a car outside Flaming Geyser State Park to avoid paying to park in the park, and to add another mile or so to the trip.  I would recommend this as a good way to extend the trip.  Park at the fishing access (gravel lot on right side of the road before the bridge) as you head into the park.  Then we headed up to Paradise.  DO NOT SPEED THROUGH BLACK DIAMOND.  This is another one of those towns (Leavenworth, Enumclaw, ect...) that makes its living off the 25mph signs. 

At Paradise we met a treasure hunter guy with metal detector in hand who was headed up to the the old mining town of Franklin.  If you walk to the end of the parking area at Paradise and then follow the logging road up past the gate about 2 miles there is a ghost town, cemetery, and mine that goes 1,300 feet down.  He said it goes 500 feet below sea level, and is one of the deepest mines in the area.  He told us that two people were repelling down the mine shaft when their rope broke, so the forest service has since barred off the entrance to prevent a similar accident (not sure if this is true... anyone know?  Contact me.

We decided to hike down below Paradise to the lower put in to avoid the first few more difficult rapids below the ledge.

Looking upstream towards Paradise Ledge from the put-in.

Looking downstream from the put-in.  Beautiful walls and mossy rocks characterize this run.

Thomas warming up at the put-in.

As we put on the thunder really started to boom and the rain came down.  It poured on us most of the trip.  The first rapid of note is around the corner from the pipes that cross the river (I think there is a hot springs here).  The rapid goes around a wide corner and can be run anywhere.  The Cathedral as I have named it is pretty easy, but is a uniquely beautiful spot.

If I could name this spot, it would be called The Cathedral.  Huge overhung walls and they tower a hundred feet over your head.  Amazing spot.

Below The Cathedral the river continues pretty slowly with a few Class II type rapids.  The next harder rapid comes up after an island.  It can also be run anywhere, but the middle channel seemed the cleanest.

Thomas scouts the hardest rapid on the run.  The bridge is just downstream of here and there really isn't much below it.

The Enumclaw-Black Diamond Road bridge comes into sight just below that rapid.  It is smooth sailing from here down to the park.

The Enumclaw-Black Diamond Rd SE Bridge high overhead.  There was a fresh log here on our trip coming off the left bank.

There is one more small rapid below the bridge.  At lower flows there is a rock that sticks out and creates a strange sideways wave/ hole thing.  At this flow it was fine and just had some compression waves as you come down it.

Rapid with curling wave at lower flows.

Thomas below the rapid.

The rest was flat until the Flaming Geyser Park.  There is a log down in the park around the corner from the white bridge.  You can go over the top of it or go around it to the left.  Then there is a sweet set of ledges that make for beautiful beginner surf before the takeout at the fishing access.  Note that there are at least 4 river access spots in the park itself, but they are all pay parking.

daysontheriver.com

All content © Jonathan Blum, 2004-2008 • Contact webmaster
No part of this page may be reproduced, copied, sold, or used for promotional materials without the express written permission of Daysontheriver.com.