Trip Report
Intermediate Canyon - Lake Creek
A big day in a wild and remote canyon
Madeline Hwang
- Sat, Aug 21, 2021
- Intermediate Canyon - Lake Creek
- Lake Creek
- Canyoning
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The canyon had not been run in the past two years and we completed a good amount of anchor replacement. We used over 100' of webbing and 10+ quick links. All of the bolts were in good condition. Waterflow was moderate low.
Lake Creek is a remote and rarely-run canyon on the north side of Baker Lake. The approach starts off along the Baker River Trail. Just before the Lake Creek drainage, we left the trail and started heading steeply uphill through the forest. We gained about 1,500' of elevation, dropping into the canyon around 2,200'.
The canyon kicks off immediately with a 100' rappel. The action is non-stop with 18 rapid-fire rappels one after the other as the creek dives steeply down to the Baker River.
The views were incredible. There were moments when you could look upstream and see the last three or four waterfalls you just descended. Then you could turn downstream and see expansive views of the forest down to the river.
We admired the beautiful topography of the canyon with its black, white and red-speckled bedrock, as well as the sculpted chutes and pools the creek had carved over thousands of years.
The last two rappels demonstrated the constantly changing nature of canyons. Below is a photo comparing the first descent in 2018 to our trip 3 years later. Rockfall had completely filled in the pool atop the last rappel with jagged rocks.
It was a big, fun day focused on moving efficiently through the canyon, assessing and rebuilding anchors, and taking care of each other on a long descent.
Our team of 9 completed the canyon in 10 hours and 45 minutes from car-to-car. It was a great day!