Philip Jones - Canoe and Kayak Routes of Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington: Including Southwest Washington

canoe and

kayak routes

of Northwest Oregon

including Southwest Washington

canoe and

kayak routes

of Northwest Oregon

including Southwest Washington

Third Edition

Philip N. Jones

Trip
Descriptions

Early morning at Hosmer Lake (Trip 31)

The preparation of the first edition of Canoe and Kayak Routes of Northwest Oregon was made possible largely through the able assistance of David Puls, Holly Mitchell, and Jack Holmgren, all of whom helped paddle many of the fifty trips that were described in that edition. The second edition expanded the geographic scope into the Columbia Gorge and the Cascades. My wife, Holly Mitchell, and sons, Mitchell Jones and Alex Jones, helped paddle many of the trips described in this and prior editions. Many others, including employees of various public agencies and members of local paddling clubs, helped in countless ways. Paddlers who frequent various Internet mailing lists devoted to Northwest canoeing and kayaking provided considerable information.

I would appreciate hearing from readers who spot errors or have suggestions or updated information to offer. Many changes from earlier editions resulted from readers who were kind enough to offer their suggestions and corrections. Please write to me either in care of the publisher, or directlymy address and phone number can be found in the Portland phone bookor send me an email at .

Updates and corrections to this book will be posted on the websites of the Lower Columbia Canoe Club at www.l-ccc.org/routes and of the Oregon Ocean Paddling Society at www.ooopskayak.org/routes.

Little Deschutes River (Trip 33)

Safety is an important concern in any outdoor activity. No guidebook can alert you to every possible hazard or anticipate the abilities or limitations of every reader. The descriptions in this guidebook are not representations that every trip is safe for you or your party. If you decide to take one of these trips, read both the information block and the entire trip description carefully before beginning the trip. You assume all risks and you assume full responsibility for your own safety. River channels frequently change due to flooding and other natural forces. Water conditions, weather conditions, logjams, changes in riverbeds and shorelines, and the capabilities of your party and your selected craft cannot be predicted by the author or the publisher, who disclaim any representation concerning the accuracy of the material contained herein or that any of the described trips are suitable for you or your party.

Waldo Lake (Trip 34)

This guide is an attempt to catalog some of the flatwater paddling opportunities on rivers and lakes in northwestern Oregon; a few trips spill over into southwestern Washington. The area covered is roughly the Willamette Valley from Eugene north to Portland, the north and central Oregon Cascades, the Columbia Gorge and southwest Washington, the lower Columbia River and its tributaries, and the coast from Willapa Bay in Washington south to the Siltcoos River on the central Oregon coast. Most of the flatwater rivers in the region are covered, but only a few of the hundreds of lakes are included.

All of the trips can easily be paddled in one day or less. The Willamette River, for example, has been divided into sixteen trips of a few hours each, although the trips can be combined into tours lasting several days. Some of the trips are sufficiently short that two can be paddled in a single day.

Most of the trips are suitable for novice paddlers equipped with an open canoe or a sea kayak and some common sense, but some are on swift streams or open waters that require paddling skills not possessed by a beginner; read the trip descriptions carefully when selecting a trip. Also keep in mind that conditions often change, and a trip described as flat may become difficult due to changes in riverbeds, weather, water level, and other factors.

When the first edition of this guide was published in 1982, the title was Canoe Routes: Northwest Oregon, even though the author paddled most of the trips using sea kayaks. While the text discussed both canoes and kayaks, and the illustrations displayed an assortment of both types of boats, the title was chosen to avoid the widely held connotation that kayaks were exclusively whitewater craft. At that time, sea kayaks were relatively uncommon. Today, sea kayaks are as popular as canoes, particularly here in the Pacific Northwest. As a result, the title for the second edition was changed to reflect the wide use of both canoes and sea kayaks (many of which never venture out into salt water). The text, however, retains its original theme: canoes and kayaks each have their advantages and disadvantages, and each is particularly suited to different conditions, different uses, and different users. The important thing is to select the craft that best meets the conditions and the cargo, keeping an open mind toward both types of boats. Advice on selecting either a canoe or a kayak is included later in this introduction.

For each trip described in this book, the following information is summarized in capsule form at the beginning of the description:

Location: A general indication of the area in which the trip is located is given, usually by reference to a nearby city or town.

Distance: For most of the trips, an estimate of the distance to be covered is given in miles. For river trips, the mileage should be quite accurate because it is usually based on the rivermiles shown on U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps. In some cases, however, the distances to be covered may be approximate due to changes in riverbeds. In other cases, significant changes in riverbeds may make the official rivermiles very inaccurate and an estimate of the distance is provided. For trips on lakes or bays, only a distance range, such as from 2 to 6 miles, is given if no specific route is described.

Time: The estimate of time is a rough guess of how much time will be spent on the water, but keep in mind that the type of boat, ability of the paddlers, and water level all affect speed. These estimates are on the generous side; you may be able to paddle some of the trips in half the estimated time, particularly if water levels are high and currents swift. The estimates allow enough time for a leisurely pace and a relaxing lunch, but they do not include driving time or time spent shuttling cars.