Washington's Olympic Peninsula is possibly one of the most amazing places in the PNW for wilderness exploration.  Super threaded drainage systems, Giant old growth forests, and an abundance of wildlife.  Surprisingly still not a whole lot of tourists probably due to the rain that seems to appear every day.  Perfect weather conditions for the motivated kayaker who doesn't mind hiking a little ways into remote canyons.  Then going back to camp for a night of rain.  Just be prepared to be wet for the remainder of your visit to the OP.  Here is some of the goods we sampled on our new years adventure

 Dec 30...Matheny Creek...Class 3-4

Put in creek.  Run this 1/4 mile to the confluence

JP getting ready to practice self rescue

Looking good so far

Happy to empty his boat out after a quick visit with log claw 

After this point we were running short on light so we cruised through the rest of the run without stopping.

Dec 31...Sitkum... Class IV

For every good Creeking run there is a town full of hillbillies, the Sitkum's town is forks.  Home of the new "hit TV show" Twilight.  Good to see the local support.

The put in says it all

Dave chargin

Brett flying off the put in drop

Crushin the foam

John wanting to make the eddy

Brett comin in hot

Good to go!

Flyin off one of the best drops on the section.

Sweet triple drop

The third drop

Getting ready to run a perfect 30 footer located in the middle of the run on a trib creek

Jan 1...Fools Canyon...Class IV

Boating on the first day of the year is a must.  No better way to kick off the new year than in your boat.  Guide books will tell you it's not recommended to do is this run.  With vertical walls making it imposable to portage, and the forest of alders surrounding the canyon when you get to put in.  Makes this run very committing.  Luckily it is very manageable class IV with a continuous nature,  and spectacular  scenery through a very narrow canyon. 

Log boofing

glorious

A view from downstream

Yet another great drop

At take out we were hypmotized by the serinity of this marsh, relaxing before a ten minute hike up to the road.

The next day we found time to go fishing, great way to end a road trip 

Robe Canyon 

         5.8 ft

Fish and Totten trudging to the put in

Puttting on

Chris fallin' in

Hairy fairy

Fish

Garbage

Troll bridge

The new Off  Broadway

Bout to go squirt boating

Fish lining up

Goin' deep!

Tryin' the new solo

Resurfacing

Boofing into the sunset

double down

 No better place to experience epic class V creekin' to sweet surfin' all within a five mile drive of each other.  Hagen Gorge is one of the best creeks around for the NW play boater.  Due to the surf waves just downstream of the confluence at the main Washugal.  just make sure you wait to get in your play boat until you're done with hagen.  if you are just looking to surf down there. warning to beginner play boaters.  the eddy below can hand out a beating, even to seasoned boaters.

.

At these lower flows, (  3500)cfs the double feature is perfect for crowd surfing.  At higher flows (5000-8000)cfs  the upper wave disappears transforming the lower whole into in my opinion the best wave within a hour drive from Portland.

Leif  shows us how to helix in a surf boat

Logan takes a break  from taking pictures.
time to shred

trying out a rockstar

team fluid out tearing it up 

canyon creek is back again

photo's courtesy of  Logan Farrell, pictured below

Nice to see Canyon Creek back again,  level was about three inches below the gauge.  It felt nice to re-live familiar lines, and you can't find a class IV-V creek around with cleaner line's than Canyon Creek.  it's a great place to go sharpen your boofing skills, also a couple of nice boulder gardens mixed in.

  

party on Canyon

sick shot at toby's

love this drop

just boof it!

one of the last boofs for this burn

michal finding the boof