Fall in the Wall is a low-volume, steep, and fast paced creek run. At low flows, you will want to be upright for the stacked IV+ features. As flows increase, the run becomes solid class V, the drops blend together and a swim would be very serious. The whole run can be scouted from the river left bank by walking down from Forest Road 58. Given the short length of the run, paddlers will often take a second lap by hiking the road back to the top.
To get to the put-in, exit 52 off Interstate 90 near the Summit Ski Area. Take National Forest Road 58 back under the overpass and look for a stone wall with an overlook. Locate the “cup rock” that gives you a sense of water levels. Continue west of this road for a short distance and look for a user trail down to the river to launch just upstream of the Fearsome Foursome.
*A note on levels: While the gauge on the SF Snoqualmie can be used to estimate levels, it can be fairly unrepresentative of the flow given it is far downstream. Sometimes it reads that the run is “in” despite it being mid-winter when this section is under ice and snow. The gauge can be misleading depending on if the flow is coming from snowmelt or rain. It is most common to use the “cup rock” which is a visual gauge that is located at the base of the overlook described above.
Trip Highlights
Mile -0.1: Fall into the Wall (V). An alternative put-in exists further upstream for those wanting a couple more rapids including “Fall into the Wall” falls. This 20+ foot drop has a headwall, a cave and a narrow exit. Most paddlers will be content to put in downstream.
Mile 0: The Fearsome Foursome: (V-/V). This run offers little in the way of a warm up and most paddlers will access the run right above the steepest sequence of four slides and ledges. After launching into a small pool from a ledge on river left, there is one small entry ledge to negotiate before dropping into the Foursome proper. There are a variety of possible lines and you can scout the full sequence from the left bank before launching. There is a one-boat eddy after drop 1 before the river barrels over number 2 and 3 with limited space to recover in between. There is a pool to recollect before the fourth and final sloping ledge.
A kayaker runs the last drop of the Fearsome Foursome.
Mile 0.2: Island (IV) rapid follows a shallow section at most flows where the river recollects before splitting around a mid-stream boulder and plunging over a ledge. The left side offers an airplane turn move into a boof, while the right is more of a straight shot over a clean ledge.
The left line around the island on Island Rapid.
Mile 0.2: Fishermans (IV+) is a sloping ledge that tends to form the most retentive hydraulic on the run and a blown line often results in a beatdown followed by a swim. Maintaining control in the entry before driving to the right shoulder and boofing into the right eddy tends to yield the best results.
A clean boof off of Fisherman's prevents a beatdown in the sticky hydraulic.
After Fishermans, there is a ledge sequence (III+) that is typically run in a two step move near the left wall.
Mile 0.3: Green Room (III+/IV-) is the final significant rapid for most. Here the river gets funnelled through a narrow, powerful slot where boaters often go deep before resurfacing in an impressive tail stand.
It is a good idea to have scouted your take-out to ensure you get out before Rootball (V). This slide can be run, but there is little room for error because just around the corner is the lead-in to the 135-foot Franklin Falls.
