SF Skykomish: Fish runs Eagle Falls

Fish drops the entry on Eagle Falls

This trip report written by Scott Waidelich

Video: Fish runs Eagle Falls.




The morning started off with phone calls debating the drive to the Ohanapecosh river. After concluding that no one was up for it, we opted to stay local and drive to the Top Tye, our local backyard creek run. Mike Hoover and Mitch McDougall picked up David Chatham, and met Novak, Brian and I. As we drove up Hwy 2 we stopped at Eagle Falls to scout, as David has been wanting to claim a PFD on this one. He forwent the descent for the moment and we headed for the Tye put in. After a steller run on the Top Tye we packed up and headed back down Hwy 2 to scout Eagle Falls for the second time of the day. The group saw Davids motivation to run, so safety was discussed and camera angles sought. After another hour of hanging out and discussing marginal lines, I had a sudden urge to committ. For the first time that day I looked at this rapid with a sense of commitment. I promptley ran to the Xterra, got dressed again and ran down with my boat and sat above the maw. No one knew what I was thinking, I hadn't told anyone yet that I was gonna run it, I really hadn't even scouted it. But it was time to man up!!! I sat in my boat gave a whistle blow and slid off the rocks into the river. Peeling out I had two strokes then came to the first monster hole boof move, crap!!! It pushed me way too far to the right. I corrected angle only to hit the rock wall on river right, then I backed surfed the pillow and went into the biggest hole I'd been in all year, BACKWARDS!!! I was surfed back into the hole and pulled off a roll to stern squirt maneuver that today I still can't understand. I made it, I ran eagle falls and I stuck it!

Here are the photos of my run:











Fish mans the camera for David's run.

This trip report written by Scott Waidelich