Breitenbush River (South Fork North Fork)

Valhalla was overrun by the Lionshead Fire in Sept 2020 and is open. The road to get to the canyon from the 46 is closed to vehicle traffic. Use extreme caution when descending the creek. Between landslides, fallen trees, and loose rocks, this area may be unstable and dangerous for years to come. The canyon may have changed dramatically. Do not rely on the beta below being accurate. The South Fork North Fork Breitenbush River is located within Mount Jefferson Wilderness in Marion County, Oregon. It forms the boundary between Mount Hood National Forest to the northeast and Willamette National Forest to the southwest. A half mile section of the stream begins with two ~100 foot tall waterfalls in an amphitheater (one emanating from a tributary originating from Dinah-mo Peak and Bear Lake), followed by many small waterfalls and a narrow canyon. It was brought to widespread public attention by Oregon Public Broadcasting's Oregon Field Guide in February 2016. The typical best season is July-September, with high flows at the start of the season that mellow out as summer progresses. The reference pictures used below are of the first rappel, which may look similar to each other but show the waterfall with very different water densities. Keep in mind that the flow in the creek roughly doubles after this waterfall. If you find too much water after this rappel, you can still escape the canyon.

Access to the following roads is closed seasonally from 1 December to 1 April, and snow and other factors can prohibit access beyond the seasonal closure. Check with the U.S. Forest Service for updated road conditions. From Detroit, Oregon, take Hwy 46/Breitenbush Rd 16.5 miles. Shortly after a sharp left switchback, turn right on unpaved NF-4220 (High clearance recommended but cars can make it if driven carefully.). Drive 4.4 miles, and look for suitable parking. The route indicated on the map was first scouted by Karl Helser. It requires a small amount of bushwhacking at the start, and then goes across an open old burn, and finally down a very open hillside in mature forest.

Snowmelt can produce extremely high flow in the canyon that can make the descent very difficult and dangerous. Major undercuts are present where the stream sharply turns a corner; avoid these spots at all cost in high flow conditions. The descent uses natural anchors, but keep in mind that conditions can change from year to year, and some anchors will be carried away by spring floods. Winter floods will rip through here and re-arrange everything. Therefore, teams (especially the first team each season) should be prepared accordingly with plenty of webbing, maillon rapides, and perhaps a bolting kit. Expect the unexpected, there may be the need for more rappels than the writeup indicates, in which case the canyon could take significantly longer than indicated. R1: 25ft. tree L. R2: 100 ft (30 m) from a large dead log spanning the river at the edge of the waterfall on DCR (down canyon right). This section of the canyon is very unstable with lots of loose rock. You will likely be in the full flow of the waterfall at times, although it is often possible to avoid most of it with skill. The pool at the bottom is not deep, so there are no issues with hydraulics. Escape: escape is possible after R2 on DCR. Very steep scramble route. Beware loose rock. R3: 20 ft (7 m) from a tree high on the slope DCR into a pool. This is in the full force of the water but the drop is short and the water doesn't have time to build much momentum. R4: 15 ft (5 m) from the logjam at the edge of the pool. R5: 50 ft (15 m) from a deadman anchor (will need to be rebuilt every season). This rappel is sometimes the crux of the descent, although depending on where the deadman is built it can be a dry rappel in lower flows. (NOTE: Anchoring the Deadman on the natural L side will put you almost completely out of the flow and away from any hydraulics- if any actually exist.) R6: 30 ft (10 m) from a semi exposed tree at the edge of the falls on DCL. It is recommended to make a handline belay to reach the tree and then rappel from there. More: all of the other waterfalls and logjams along the route are more or less downclimbable or bypassable, but you may also build anchors and rappel these in low to moderate flow. They will be impossible or very dangerous to tackle in high flow. R7: There is one particularly difficult and exposed DC down a log (then crawling behind the falls) towards the end that most would choose to rappel off a log anchor on DCR. In extremely high flows (probably at least 160-180cfs) this could be a dangerous strainer.

Now you earn your day by finishing with a 1600' exit climb. Follow the route indicated on the map to hike back to the parking area. Make sure you wait to turn the corner before starting your ascent, or you will get cliffed out. Do not go up the obvious big talus/dirt slope or you will get cliffed out with extremely loose and dangerous rock and dirt. Above the cliffs you will be in in open, mature, and easily walkable (but steep) forest for most of the climb out. The final ~0.4mi crosses large talus on with an old burn and then finishes with a bushwhack for the last part before the car.