Canyon (Canyoneer) Montana

Diagon Alley

Introduction:

Hidden beneath the northern pines, a quaint drainage lays between the folds of the highest peak in Bonner county. In the spring, this small drainage holds its name true as cascade creek, but as the spring run off begins to dissipate. One will find a fun small day adventure. One of which will pull you into the world of magic. It’s surprisingly entrenched body, holds 5 plunge pools yet no swims. Perfect oasis for a hot smoky Idaho day. Welcome to Diagon Alley.

Stats:

Technical rating: 4C1 II (V3A2II**)

Time needed: 3 1/2 -5 hours.

Number of rappels: 6 - 8

Number of downclimbs 1 - 3

Longest rappel: 70 feet

Distance round trip: 2.8 Miles

Elevation gain/loss: 386 feet

Significant hydraulics: Possible strainers in extreme flow

Special recommendations: STAY OFF THE PRIVATE LAND AT THE EXIT OF THE CANYON

(Technical rating will drop from a 4 to a 3 when anchors are placed, this canyon has been GHOSTED)

Season: Late June - October

Getting there:

From Sandpoint Idaho: Take highway US-2 West until you reach Idaho 200 West. Take a left onto Idaho highway 200 West.

Follow the highway for 25.2 miles until you reach the small town of Clark Fork.

The highway will turn into 4th street when you arrive in the town of Clark Fork.

Turn left onto main street.

Follow for .6 miles

Main street will bend right and then left, at this point Main Street will turn into Mosquito Creek. Don’t let the road name scare you away. There is a fun adventure to be had.

Follow for 2.2 miles on fine dirt road. Enjoy the broken-down truck with bullet holes in its windshield. This is a find reminder to always stay on public land.

Take a right turn onto NF-2294 and cross mosquito creek.

Follow the road for .5 miles.

Then take a left turn onto USFS Road 2294 (If you stay straight the road will turn into USFS road 2295)

Follow the road for .2 miles and take the SECOND left.

Follow the slowly deteriorating dirt road until you reach the Scotchman Peak Trailhead. Approximately 2ish miles.

If you find you need clarification, ask for directions at the town of Clark Fork. DO NOT CROSS SOMEONES LAND TO ASK FOR DIRECTIONS.

The approach:

From the Scotchman Peak Trailhead:

Wahoo! You made it to the trailhead, the hard part is over, now is time for the fun.

Look at the trailhead, this is not where you are going, say goodbye to all the happy granola people enjoying their day hike, you are in for a different kind of adventure.

In the parking lot, you will see a clear cut which is approximately to the left of the signage. You can tell it is a old logging road and may even have a faint trail. Its time to follow the faint trail (or the logging road).

Continue down this path, trying to stay on a faint trail. Don’t trip. I have, and it hurts.

Eventually, the trail will dissipate, and the logging road will turn to the left. Do not follow the logging road. It is time to plunge into what appears to be thick timber. Take a right (from your positioning it feels more like a straight shot).

Walk through some relatively easy timber. Until a trail begins to appear. Someone has illegally cut a trail into this point of the journey. We are unsure who, however it benefits the canyoneer.

Follow the path approximately .2 miles. Until you see this point (and where the gps trail cross the creek)

At this point, you get to enjoy the only type 2 fun for the day.

Cross the creek bed and trample through the woods up to the mountain ridge. There are deer trails that will make your life slightly easier if you can find them. If not, oh well, up the hill you go. Follow up the ridge till you hit the elevation of 3,143 feet. Now its time to take a left and side hill until you hit the cascade creek drainage. You will find sections of steep grassland, followed by nasty brush. The brush is short though.

Soon you will hear the sounds of water. You are close, you should meet the canyon at 3,170 feet. Here is where the majority of the canyons action is. If you are at the end of our GPS tracks and can scramble down into the creek. You’re in the right place. It shouldn’t be too difficult to get into, and there is a rotting log. Do not trust the log as you drop the 15-foot steep slope into the canyon.

Congrats, if it’s a warm day and its low flow, throw on the harness and helmet. If not, it’s time to suit up. A 4/3 would probably be as much as I would want to take in the early summer. 3/2 with a rain jacket would probably be perfect. Mid to late summer, you can get away with just getting wet as is.

Its also a good idea to check for ticks before you get into the action!

The fun part:

Welcome to the mystical world of wizardry, you are about to have a wonderful adventure. You get to experience the Fern Room, Aragogs Den and the Deathly Hollows. Packed with rappels right on top of each other, there’s no boredom to have. It’s time to jump in.

Once you’ve suited up, the canyon kicks right off, you’re gonna run into a small drop that almost looks like a downclimb, or maybe you could walk around it to the right? Nope, this is rappel 1. Don’t try to get around it, leave the vegetation alone.

Rappel 1 (20 feet): takes about 20 feet of rope from a tree DCR (Down Canyon Right). This tree could be slung with webbing, if someone were so kind and wanted to use a tasteful black color.

Walk down the canyon a couple feet and you will arrive to down climb 1 or rappel 2.

Down climb 1 (or rappel 2) (10 feet): The first downclimb is about 10 feet long and goes under some fallen trees into a waist deep pool, it is pretty slabby, so in higher flows (3 Cubic Feet per Second or more) perhaps rappelling the short distance will be a safer alternative. You have plenty of anchoring options. Be mindful of the vegetation.

Once done with the first down climb, you will walk down a slabby creek bed for a couple of feet until you reach the second rappel. Please be careful, this section could be difficult to stay on your feet in higher flows and a fall would be catastrophic. Cross the flow DCL.

Rappel 2 (55 feet): DCL after the slabby walk, you will find a tree that would also enjoy a black colored sling. From here rappel down the 55-foot falls, it starts with a roll over, but don’t be food, it becomes a bit more vertical out of view. At the bottom you will find a waist deep pool and an old log that jets out to the right.

Walk a couple more feet down the canyon until you reach what appears to be a slide. This section should take considerable risk management. In low flow, you can downclimb/slow slide into a small pool before the next rappel. However, if you do not use caution or there are higher flows, there’s a significant risk of going over rappel 3. We recommend making it a short rappel just to be safe. However, you’re an adult, make a decision that makes the most sense. Once you get down into the small pool, this is where rappel 3 starts.

Rappel 3 (50-60 feet): Sling a tree DRC or, if someone is so kind, bolting the wall to your right may be possible. IF the rock appears to be in good condition (that’s a big if), please just do one hanger and a quick link. Once on rappel DCL could use a redirect (rock permitting). We did so with a quick draw off a root when we did the first descent, that is not typical practice. Please do not do that. A redirect here will help avoid ferns being damaged by the pull.

Rappel into the fern room, fall in love with natures ability to accent even the littlest of details.

Once you are done admiring the hanging ferns, continue down canyon a couple more feet, you will find a couple fallen logs, this indicates rappel 4.

Rappel 4 (25 feet): Choose the sturdiest deadfall and run double strand off them. If deadfall has surprisingly moved, finding other anchoring methods may be necessary, however we are doubtful. Please do not use webbing and a quick link. These trees are already dead, in doing so, you can sling your rope right around them. Due to the short distance of the rappel, and the size of the dead trees, this will be a viable option for a while.

Walk a couple more feet down canyon and you will reach rappel 5.

Rappel 5 (35 feet): Rappel on the left side of the fallen log off another log DCL.

Look down canyon and see a large stack of fallen deadfall, don’t worry, this is a fun little downclimb. In higher flows, please be careful, this deadfall can move and can become a significant strainer. It is easier to go UNDER the dead fall in low flow. In high flow AVOID AND CLIMB OVER.

Down climb 2 (Aragog’s den downclimb): This downclimb is more of a slide on your butt to the best of your ability. However, you will feel like you are sneaking through Aragog’s nest. Be mindful of deadfalls instability. Once through, enjoy the beauty down canyon.

Walk down the canyon a couple more feet and you will see the tree’s part, welcome to the last rappel (conditions depending). While not much larger than the fern room rappel, it does feel somewhat dramatic.

Rappel 6 (70 feet): Cross the flow DCL, use significant caution. You may use a couple different trees. We used the funky looking one, you’ll know what we are talking about when you get to it. Choose a tree and sling it. Please use black webbing once again. Depending on the distance of your chosen anchor, the rope needed for this rappel could be a couple feet longer. Please be mindful. In significant flow, there will be a fun rooster tail mid-way through this rappel. This rappel is technically a two stage, but most people will understand that from above.

After the last rappel walk down the canyon a couple more feet. In higher flows, this final downclimb may want to be a 7th rappel. There is a lot of deadfall and could become a strainer. Use caution.

Down Climb 3 (The deathly hollows, 20 feet): Down climb the nasty downfall DCL, hug the wall and use the fallen vegetation as a way to stem down to the canyons exit. Once again, in high flow, this may be a rappel with strainers. Use extreme caution and chose an ALIVE tree to rappel off of. If manageable, please do NOT leave any anchors.

Congratulations, you have completed Diagon Alley. You’re a wizard (your name here)!

The exit:

NOTICE: THERE IS PRIVATE LAND NOT FAR AFTER THE BRIDGE, AVOID THE PRIAVTE LAND LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. (BECAUSE IT MIGHT). IF IN DOUBT EXIT HARD LEFT!

So now you’re out of the canyon. It is time to make your way out. If done right, the exit won’t be too bad. If done wrong, you could exhaust some energy.

Once out of the canyon, follow the creek bed until you reach a bridge, cross the bridge and follow the cut path, follow this path down the ridge, approximately 1,200 feet. DO NOT FOLLOW THIS TRAIL TOO FAR, IT IS ILLEGAL AND GOES ONTO PRIVATE LAND. A second drainage will appear on your left, take it up, follow the drainage 1,500 feet. To your right that trail that you followed from the old logging road will appear. Climb up the bank, follow the maintained trail up until it dissipates, and you are back on the old logging road. From here. Take a left and follow the old logging road with the faint trail back to the trailhead where your vehicle is parked. We strongly suggest you use a gps for this, staying off the private land will make your life easier.