Scouting is the key to success on this river. As the guidebook suggests, "the best way to make your first trip down the Carbon is to follow someone who both knows it well and has explored it recently." Few people know this river well and from what I understand, nobody had run it recently.
First Scout:
Bottom up is generally the best way to scout a river. Bennett's book mentions a 14-foot falls near the end of the canyon so that was my goal. On October 30, 2001 I set out to find it. I left my kayak behind figuring that I could cover more ground without it. The drive from Puyallup through Orting was relatively painless. I made it to the take-out in a half-hour and was pleased to find a trail that continued alongside the river. The weather wasn't so pleasant. A cold rain led to a shivery dress. It was bearable with a wetsuit but I was glad to be alone because nobody in their right mind would choose to follow. The trail had washed out within half-mile so I was forced back and forth along the banks. Some of the crossings were difficult but the flow was a measly 200cfs so I managed to keep my vitals dry. I reached a barrier at roughly 1.5 miles. There were no visible crossings short of swimming so I climbed the east bank and continued along an overgrown road. A fenced off tunnel forced me to turn around at roughly 2 miles. This was a strange piece of civilization but even stranger was the brand new lawn mower that I found on my way back. It appeared to be some type of camp. I'm not sure who lived there but I'm glad they weren't home when I passed through. Anyway, I was disappointed for busting 4 miles of bank and getting nowhere.
Second Scout:
I returned to the Carbon the following week, scouting from top down and bringing a friend. Jason and I parked at the Fairfax Bridge, which turned out to be the best glimpse we got. Hiking up and down the east bank was a pain. We found an old road just below the new but it was still several hundred feet above the canyon rim, which was several hundred feet above the river. Getting to the canyon rim was difficult with an assortment of downfall and devil's club. Getting to the river was impossible without a rope. Nevertheless, we caught a few glimpses that scared us into thinking we might actually be able run it someday.
Third Scout:
Some easier Class V during the next few months led me to consider the Carbon. Jason and I decided to make another attempt to scout it from the bottom. This time we took our kayaks, which allowed us to ferry instead of wade. We made it past my far point and continued along the road. I wished that we could drive there but it appeared to be private. We followed its lowest fork until it ended at a stop sign. At last, the first Class IV. Landslides left a path on the east bank but there were a few cliffs that forced us to ferry. Our progress slowed but what bothered me the most was all the trash lying in and around the river. At one point we found a crank and pedal sticking out of the sand. Turns out it was an entire bicycle. That was the least of my disgust. It seems that the miners and loggers forgot to clean up after themselves. There were large chunks of metal and concrete strewn about and a variety of trash floating in the eddies. I'm sure a few scumbags still use the Fairfax Bridge as a dump. What a great punishment it would be to send them down with their trash.
This is as far as we got during our third scout.
Jason running one of the fun few during our third scout.
Jason and I turned around at roughly 3 miles and had a great 0.5 miles of Class III and IV. The last 2.5 miles weren't so great. Jason flipped in shallow water while trying to play. He caught a rock with his forehead and it left him with a nasty bruise. We were both thankful for not having to walk.
Fourth Scout:
Fully tempted, Jason and I returned the following week for a more thorough scout of the canyon. Hiking up and down the east bank was still a pain. Knowing better, we decided to traverse along the canyon rim. Bennett's book mentions two rapids along with a 14-footer that they portaged. Welcome being below the bridge and Lobster Claw a short ways down.
Myself scouting Lobster Claw from a log spanning high above the river. The 8-foot drop is just below here and can be recognized by this log.
We were pretty sure that we found Lobster Claw and everything above it looked doable so we weren't too concerned about Welcome. The 14-footer concerned us until we confirmed that it was an easy portage. That left us with a few miles that we didn't bother scouting and the anticipation of a lifetime.