Chehalis West Fork to Pe Ell
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Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13793
Printed Date: 07 May 2025 at 11:46am
Topic: Chehalis West Fork to Pe Ell
Posted By: nelsonwoods
Subject: Chehalis West Fork to Pe Ell
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 10:50am
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Im lookin at running this section next saturday. what can you tell me about it? Put in? Take out? Anything about the run? Thanks
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Replies:
Posted By: SOPBOATER
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 2:16pm
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access gated. Weyco is denying you. sucks neat little run. wish i had better news. you can hike it. right along the grade, but i hate hoofing a perfectly good road.
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Posted By: nelsonwoods
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 5:52pm
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and i suppose walking in one day and then running it the next is frowned upon also...
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Posted By: geomorph
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 6:27pm
This is the run that I learned on back in the early 90's. The lower part (WestFork to Chehalis) used to be good solid class III with a little IV. The last time I was in there was Dec. 2007 with BIGWATER and JIHAD. We went in after the big flood and there was an epic wave just downstream of where the covered bridge used to be. Put-in used to be upstream of where the new road goes high, and the take-out was at the Pe-Ell bridge. The new put-in is probably at the confluence of the east and west-forks.
I haven't been in there since 2007, but I'd bet it is worth checking out. Depending on the season, the gates might be open (check with WeyCo to be sure).
If you do run it, please post a Trip Report. That used to be a great intermediate day run out of Oly.
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Posted By: jalmquist
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2014 at 12:51pm
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I just inquired about this a few weeks ago. Road #1000 (that extends beyond the terminus of Muller Rd. near the Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell timberlands operations facility) is closed to public vehicle access. The gate is partway up the new section of road that switchbacks up the hill from where the washout occurred. Walk in access is allowed, and you can park at the old road berm and walk the old road bed, staying at river level. That makes for somewhat easy access to the lower "above Pe Ell" gorge, as it's a fairly short hike upriver to get above the entry drop. Beautiful, short gorge with a couple of fantastic play spots. Lap potential? But for anything upstream of here - the many miles of fun play water, Cape Horn / Fisk Falls, and the forks further upstream, AND Crim Creek - that makes for one heck of a hike... FYI, Weyerhaeuser does issue a limited number of public permits that provide August - January vehicle access. If I remember correctly, application period for those start June 2014
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Posted By: SOPBOATER
Date Posted: 26 Feb 2014 at 7:33am
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good info John. i believe there are limited permits, and they cost.
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Posted By: Arrow6
Date Posted: 26 Feb 2014 at 8:30pm
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200 permits a year and they're all sold out
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Posted By: jalmquist
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2014 at 8:56am
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They were sold out for the 2013 permit season, which went from Aug 2013 through Jan 14. But in my discussions with Bruce Montgomery from Weyerhaeuser / Central WA Opperations division / Pe Ell Forest Area, he noted that the application period for the 2014 permits (which are valid Aug 2014 through Jan 2015) didn't begin until later this year (I think it was June, but don't quote me on that). Bascially, you can pay for one of the limited (I think 200 is correct) public vehicle access permits, which allows you vehicle access from Aug-Jan. Permit or no permit, there is no public vehicle access allowed Feb-July. That's how I remember it... It's definitely disappointing, as there was some good boating up that road.
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