After our adventure on the Farmlands, we ventured down to the BZ Section, bypassing the more difficult Green Truss Section.  This section begins at the parking lot on the right side of Hwy 141 in BZ Corner.  DO NOT SPEED IN BZ CORNER.  This is a sweet put in because there is a ramp the whole way down to the river.  If you put your boat across the two rails, it will slide easily down it.  If you jump on your boat as it goes down the rails, it will fly down like a slide.  Super fun put in.

There is a break in the rail where a path leads up the river.  This path leads to the top of Maytag Rapids, Class IV.  We didn't hike up, but it is a fun start to the run through the jumble of big holes that flip raft after raft all summer long.  Lots of awesome carnage here!

JP launching into the middle of Maytag Rapids.  Catherine is down below launching at the bottom of the rapid.  Pick your put in.

After Maytag Rapids, the river has many great features.  At higher flows (above 3 feet), this run is non-stop fun with great wave trains, holes, and beautiful clean spring water.  It is definitely a playboat run, although we only brought down our creekers.  The upper part of the run was formed when a lava tube coming off Mt. Adams collapsed, so check out the geology of the run.

Fun rollercoaster ride down on the BZ stretch of the White Salmon.

There is an undercut cave on the right side about a 1/2 mile down from the put-in.  Stay on your toes and ferry left in front of it.  It is easily avoidable, but could be difficult for a novice paddler.

There are lots of other fun rapids down this stretch, but at 3 feet they all just blend together.  This includes Grasshopper, Siwash, Staircase, and others.  They were all just fun wavetrains at this level, and we completed the whole run in 1 hour and 15 minutes.  There is a cave about 4 miles down that was used for mining more than a century ago.  Today it is a fun cave to paddle through.  Don't go in if the water is too high!

JP dodging through the mining cave, river left about 4 miles down.

The end of the run is near where the Hwy 141 bridge crosses the river above world famous Husom Falls.  This drop is run many times a day in rafts all summer long, and very few people get injured.  Many paddlers (including the author) claim Husom as the first waterfall they ever ran.  There is a compression wave at the top right of the falls that you need to bust through before going deep into the frothing whitewater.  JP, Peter, and I all got totally worked here, flipping upside down, backwards, and end over end.  It is very soft and pretty forgiving.  Have fun, paddle safe.

Peter comes up all okay at the bottom of Husom falls.

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