Trip Date: June 13, 2024
Otter Falls Slab Sport-Climb
Taylor River Valley
Lipsy Lake
Otter Falls
Poppy’s Peril Route (Class 5.8)
Trip Report Summary
Region: Central Washington Cascades
Sub-Region: Taylor-Tolt Mountains
Locale: North Bend, WA
Setting: Taylor River Valley
Approach Starting Point: Snoqualmie Lake Trailhead at end of Taylor River Road (Elev. 1150 feet)
Approach Way Points: Taylor River Bridge & Snoqualmie Lake Trail / Quartz Creek Trail junction & Marten Creek Bridge & Anderson Creek crossing & Otter Creek crossing & Otter Falls Trail junction & Lipsy Lake (trail hike)
Feature: Otter Falls Slab (Base Elev. 1700 feet)
Route: Poppy’s Peril (5 pitches of sport climbing)
Approximate Stats for Approach: 8.2 miles round trip; 650 feet gained outbound; 100 feet gained inbound; 3.5 hours elapsed.
Approximate Stats for Climb: 400 feet gained & lost; 2.3 hours elapsed.
Full Trip Report
Otter Falls is a popular hiking destination located in the Taylor River Valley northeast of North Bend. These falls consist of a long, braided waterslide that flows over a large granite slab with a total vertical drop of about 600 feet. At the bottom of this granite slab is a cute little pond called Lipsy Lake, which can be reached by a 4-mile hike on the Snoqualmie Lake Trail.
The dramatic setting and solid rock of Otter Falls Slab has attracted a handful of trad climbers over past decades. Then, in 2023, a multi-pitch sport-climbing route called Poppy’s Peril was established closely right of the waterslide. This new route comprises five pitches of delightful friction climbing, with a reported difficulty ranging from Class 5.2 to 5.8. Given its spectacular location, moderate rating, and generous bolting, Poppy’s Peril offers an exceptionally fun and unique backcountry sport-climb suitable for a broad range of abilities.
Plenty of information regarding the approach and climb for Poppy’s Peril is available from Mountain Project and probably other sources. Nonetheless, an alternative viewpoint can oftentimes be very helpful. The following paragraphs and photographs serve to describe the experience that Kellie and I had as first-time visitors to Otter Falls Slab.
The Approach
Kellie and I headed out from the large Snoqualmie Lake Trailhead parking lot on a cool Thursday morning. We immediately crossed the Taylor River on an old vehicle bridge and proceeded up the river valley, following an abandoned-road-turned-trail that ascends at a very gentle gradient. Distances from the trailhead to key waypoints along the approach trail are noted below.
- 0.37 miles: Pass a junction with Quartz Creek Trail. Continue straight ahead on the Snoqualmie Lake Trail.
- 1.75 miles: Pass a side trail that leads down to the Taylor River.
- 2.70 miles: Cross Marten Creek on a sturdy wooden bridge.
- 3.25 miles: Cross Anderson Creek by rock-hopping. This creek can be identified by a 2-foot-diameter culvert that has washed out of the streambed.
- 4.00 miles: Cross Otter Creek by rock-hopping. This creek can be identified by a 6-foot-diameter culvert that is partially exposed in the streambed.
- 4.05 miles: Arrive at a marked turnoff to Otter Falls. Turn left here and ascend a footpath through dense forest.
- 4.10 miles: Arrive at Lipsy Lake. Walk around the right-hand shoreline to the base of the large slab.
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The Climb
Kellie and I roped up on the lakeshore at the right-hand base of Otter Falls Slab. Pitch-by-pitch comments regarding our climb are summarized below. It should also be mentioned that every pitch is bolted with modern stainless-steel hardware, and every pitch ends at a two-bolt anchor station.
The official starting point for Pitch 1 of Poppy’s Peril is a belay station located at the bottom of an obvious crease about 75 feet up the slab, so it is necessary to make a diagonally leftward traverse up to the anchors. I regard this traverse to be “Pitch 0” of the climb. It really isn’t as difficult as it first appears, but we had no protection along the way. (Update: A friend of mine did the climb a week later and reported that two new bolts have been installed on the traverse.) Depending on season and weather conditions, there might be one or more water streaks that must be crossed along the way. Be careful. The day Kellie and I were here, a climber slipped on the traverse and took a 10-foot slide!
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Pitches 1 and 2 follow a low-angle dihedral that runs parallel to the waterslide. There are numerous bolts in place on the right-hand lip of this dihedral. These two pitches are rated at Class 5.2 and 5.6, respectively, but both ratings felt overstated to me; I would estimate them to be closer to 5.0 and 5.4.
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Pitches 3 and 4 wander up a series of slabs, cracks, and ribs on steeper and more irregular terrain. These pitches are rated at Class 5.8 and 5.7, respectively, due to a few delicate friction moves, but most of the climbing is lower Class 5. There are ample bolts in place, and the crux moves are well-protected. Be aware that Pitch 3 is particularly long, such that a 60-meter rope will be almost completely stretched out.
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Pitch 5 extends straight up a shallow rib feature and ends at a small headwall. This final pitch is relatively short and is rated at Class 5.6. Protection is excellent, as usual.
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The Descent
The route developers correctly predicted that Poppy’s Peril would become a very popular route, so they installed a separate set of rappel anchors to climber’s-right (descender’s-left) of the belay anchors. The spacing of these rappel anchors provides five or six single-rope rappels using a 60-meter rope, and each anchor comprises two bolts with chains and/or rings. It should be noted, however, that the lowest anchor does not have any chains or rings. Consequently, in order to reach lake level you will either need to leave a rappel sling on the last anchor or use a double rope on the previous anchor. Alternatively, you can simply walk down the lowest portion of slab, as Kellie and I did.
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Equipment Comments
Kellie and I used a single 60-meter rope and a dozen quickdraws on our climb. We also used several extended draws to reduce rope drag in a few locations. I should mention again that a 60-meter rope barely reaches the top anchor at Pitch 3, but it does indeed reach; as such, a 70-meter rope is truly not necessary.
Kellie wore conventional rock shoes on the climb, whereas I wore technical approach shoes (La Sportiva TX Guide, reviewed here). In the end, we were both happy with our footwear choices. The fine-grained granite provided adequate friction for our shoes, even where the slab was wet.
Route Map & Profile
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Photo Gallery
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