Whitewater

There’s something quite special about whitewater in the Gorge. When most rivers have run dry, the White Salmon is still runnable by both rafts and kayaks. It’s a beautiful little river that runs through a shady Gorge, with a class II section, a class III section, a class IV section, and a class V section.

In early spring, the half-day raft trip – I book with Wet Planet – includes the Middle and Lower sections, class III, with a portage around Husum Falls. After the river drops below 2.5 feet or so, they start running the class V Husum Falls. If you want to run it, be prepared for carnage and swimming, along with possible recirculation in the hole at the base of the Falls. That said, it’s a pretty exciting run.

When the river drops below 2 1/4 feet, Wet Planet starts running the Class IV upper section, concluding with Husum Falls and one more class II+ rapid, Rattlesnake, located just before the takeout.

Also available for local rafting (and boating) is the Class V Wind River, run early to late spring, and the Class II+ Klickitat, a great place to learn to kayak.

More information coming soon, of course…