It was a sunny and mild day for January as we topped off our boats and dry suited up. Once on the water, it’s a couple hundred yards until we hit the grey, muddy flows of the North Fork Toutle River confluence. Here the volume more than doubles and is a pleasant one mile float until you approach the first canyon section. When the canyon starts closing in you’ll first notice both truck and house-sized boulders. This is where the series of class III to III+ rapids kick-in that consists of Staircase, Teakettle and numerous other rapids. At the higher river flows that we were boating which were around 5,600 cfs, the truck and some of the semi truck-sized boulders were under water which in return created large waves and holes in their place. It was an entertaining and lively section of the canyon, but I was surprised at just how much more powerful this higher flow was compared to the lower flows that I’ve experienced on previous runs.  

Photo: Skip Currier below Teakettle Rapids

After the first canyon the river settles into class II rapids and then opens up into a broad valley with numerous braided channels to choose from that shift from year to year. At lower flows there’s a good chance that you’ll bottom out if you take the wrong braided channel. After a couple miles, we entered the lower canyon. The walls closed in and the class II+ to class III rapids started up.

You’ll know when you’re approaching the class IV drop of Hollywood Gorge Falls. The basalt cliffs along with a steep walled gorge appear. A distinct horizon line with a deep roar will greet you. Pull off to the right bank to scout and be careful of the quicksand mud and ash along the shoreline. Carefully scout your run. At our higher flows, the large center rock at the beginning of the drop as covered and had created a huge center hole. The best route when running Hollywood Gouge Falls is to run the left side of the entry hole at the beginning of the drop and then pull hard right to miss the lower thrashing hole towards the bottom left. It sounds easy enough, but with the greater river flows it takes some brawn and might to pull away from the powerful suction of the lower hole.  Not everyone made it as the surging hole claimed one victim and two others were pulled in but successfully made it through.  

After righting the cat-boat and a couple of light-hearted laughs, we were off to run the remainder of the class 3 and 2 rapids in the lower gorge. The river starts letting up and houses start to appear on the right bank. Once the bridge is in sight, be ready to take out just upstream of the bridge on the left. There’s a single lane gravel road that you can back down on to load up your boat.  

Photos: Boats above Hollywood Gorge Falls,  Shannon Smejkal doing a tail stand in a Hollywood Gorge Hole, Not all holes are punchable (Shannon's boat)

Despite the eruption of Mount St. Helens was over 40 years ago, the massive mud flows and devastation that accompanied the eruption is still very much evident. Deep ash and silt deposits shift from year to year. The combination of thick grey muddy banks and the equally muddy water creates an eerie yet exciting feel to this trip on a rainy winter day.  

The Toutle River is best boated from November through March or April during the rainy season. The bottom end for rafting is around 1,500 cfs on the USGS gauge for the Toutle River at Tower Road. It’s around 10 miles in length and drops at roughly 32 feet per mile with a river time of 3 to 4 hours to float.

Photo: Toutle Crew.  All photos by Scott Harvey.