The Cedar Slot

[chameleon]

On Monday I made a short trip up Ruckel Creek, hoping to get some good photos of the section between the lower falls (not the one along the road, but the small one below the Indian fire pits) and the middle falls. I also wanted to get a couple of rappells in. So I hiked up to the top of the middle falls and rappelled down that - which was a very fun rappel - directly through the falls, and then followed the stream down.
It enters a narrow slot area, with large cedar trees having fallen in at places. It goes for 1/4 mile and ends at a beautiful spot with big boulders and cedar trees, right above the small lower falls. There are 2 or three small slides in there, and one nice 6 ft falls. For those venturing in here, use caution with the 6 ft falls. It's easy to get down, but keep in mind that the pool at the bottom is waist deep! Make sure your stuff will stay dry if you take a plunge!
In that area between the 6 ft and the 15 foot lower falls there are even places flat enough to camp. From there I did a nice little rappel off a small tree. Then, even though I have many photos of the lower falls, I couldn't help but stop and get some more! It is such an incredible grotto down there! Here are a few photos of the trip. Between that middle and lower falls there was also a cougar kill from this last year, so I thought I'd include a photo of that as well, given the recent discussion on another thread. Note in the photo how the bones have been completely pulled apart and gnawed clean!

[airdrum]

Cool photos Zach. When Don, Jamie, Lindsay hit the three ruckel creek falls, we did explore that entire slot. We did not know about the lower 15 foot falls so were were planning on following the stream down. That slot is quite enchanting isn't it? After slowly wandering through there we finally discovered the lowermost fall and then had to hike all the way back out, up to the trail and then down to it, what a pain! But it was all worth it, a cool little area, thanks for positing good pics of it!

[pyles_94]

wow. this is cool! i love the looking over the lower falls picture.... my favorite from the bunch.

[joerunner]

Great photos chameleon. I saw an Oregon Field guide episode featuring guys doing that back country waterfall repeling. Looks like a really cool adventure. I've always wondered how you guys retrieve your ropes when you get to the bottom. Care to inform me?

[Splintercat]

Hey Joe - that OPB segment was shot along Henline Creek. I've posted several trip reports over here. In fact, if those were the guys that put the Canyoneering Northwest site together, then they might have learned about the canyon from my trip reports - not sure. They asked to post my photos on their site a few years ago. It's not necessary to use ropes or swim on that trip, however, provided you know the route (map on my website).

Zach, those pics are beautiful -- but be careful out there if you're doing rappels without belay!

-Tom

[chameleon]

Joe,
There are several ways to retrieve your rope. If it is long enough, you can simply rappel down both strands, and then pull it down afterward (looping it around a tree, or through a sling wrapped around a tree). This is the way I prefer - a lot more control on the rappel, with twice the friction. However, if it is a long rappel, you can rappel down a single strand by using a "block." In this case, you have a sling wrapped around a tree, with a quicklink or rappel ring on it. You tie the rope to a carabiner that can't pass through the quicklink or rappel ring. Then you attach a small cord the same length as the rope to the carabiner and throw both the rope and small cord down. Once you've rappelled down your entire length of rope and you're at the bottom you simply pull the small cord (attached to the "unblocked" side of the carabiner),and down comes your rope! Evan had a very cool clove hitch block that inspired me to get a new book on canyoneering that has all sorts of other options I haven't seen! There's some pretty ingenious stuff out there with rope usage.
-Zach

[jaimito]

Very cool photos Zach… Here's a shot of Andy and Me looking at Don above the lower falls trying to find a way out…

[chameleon]

Cool pic Jamie - that's right at the beginning of the slot isn't it? I'm trying to remember those large logs overhead...I wonder if they've slid down into the channel now. Or I may have just passed under them without remembering. In either case, isn't that a cool area once you finally do get to the top of the 15 foot falls? I didn't check it out completely last time, but it looks like there is a very convenient ledge you could take directly down from the top of that falls to the grotto area (on the east side).