Wood River Snags

Several weeks ago now, a group of us kayaked down the Upper Wood River.  This was the second time this season I had done so, and remembered that last year the big old pine tree at the Day use and access park had looked sick or dead then, and was slightly tilted. This year, it was not only the color of a long dead tree, but it had also fallen completely across the river, blocking our river passage.  Right behind it is another old fallen tree that in the past, have had to pick through a narrow opening on the right side downstream bank.  The water is swift as it comes from a u-turn bend into another slightly less of a bend. On the latest day we hopped out to portage around the tree, a Forest Service Ranger happened to be on the park side of the bank with a group of students.  She asked our opinions regarding the blockage, and how did we feel knowing we had to cross private property to get around the tree.  We told her that due to the swift water at that point, and the depth of the water cut banks, it's not the safest place to get out.  It is done, and best with the group helping each other steady their boats.  If you miss the pull out, being swept along, you run straight into the branches.  There are no holes to scrap through even, and it creates a serious strainer and entrapment hazard for open river passage.  The ranger recommended that we voice our concerns to the      Chiloquin Ranger Station.    Also at issue is the thought to let it lie as it is to create more fish spawning habitat, even though the old snag is still there.   
  The fun part of contacting a listening ear:  Chiloquin phone # is 541-783-4001, talk to Mike Cutler.  He will tell you to call the Klamath Ranger District and talk to Mike Lawrence, District Ranger, or Margaret Bailey, District Ranger, 541-885-3400.  If you want to go further you can call the Lakeview Interagency Office and talk to the Forest Supervisor, Fred Way at 541-947-6201.  Mr. Cutler told me it has been discussed and determined to be too dangerous to remove, but he didn't mention that dangers to boaters were considered either.  So, please call these people and voice your concerns.

And Now, It's August

   My summer kayak trip list is slowly being checked off as August inevitably heads into the fall.  This last weekend my family got together and it was a blast giving the older kids a chance to try out the kayaks in the relative calm dock harbor waters at Moore Park.  Even my 8 year-old grandson, Liam, handled the paddle and kayak pretty well. No dunkings, tippings, -just, "yeah!  I like it!"  I got in the word to my son, "See, you've got some built in kayaking partners!"  I wish they lived nearer.
  On our calendar for August 19-22 is a paddle camp at Waldo Lake.  The final arrangements will be listed shortly and emailed to anyone who signs up.  This week I'll be calling the Oakridge ranger station to inquire about the snow in the area, (Crater Lake still has bunches...you can't even get to the wildflower garden) and check on the mosquitoe levels.  At Union Creek, nearer to Crater Lake, there are reports that mosquitoes are very thick that have necessitated a large amount of repellent use.  I think I'll plan on bringing a screen tent, if the snow isn't saying other things about camping.  In a book I picked up recently, 'Canoe and Kayak Routes of Northwest Oregon', by Philip N. Jones, I gathered more interesting features to look forward to. The irregular shore line is roughly 21 miles, on a lake 6 miles long and 2.5 miles wide.  Primitive sites are dotted along the western shore which will serve as base camp to explore the shoreline.  There are islands, but they cannot be camped on anymore.  I'm finding the observation of lake winds more interesting as time goes on.  The book mentions the 'moderate to gentle southwest winds that usually blows each afternoon.'  A sail would be most interesting to use when heading downwind.
     Of special note on July's happenings:  Several of our group attended a River Safety weekend on the Santiam River.  The report was excellent for the training portions and the hosting group did very well with organization and PRIZES!  An event well worth repeat attendance.
   Enjoy the heat of the summer, the cool of the water, and may your kayak and paddle take you true.

River Flow Levels

A week and a half ago, I paddled the Sprague River  with Mary and Lee.  Mary had told me to let her know when the water flow was between 600-800  cfs, and I checked in to see it just over 800.  Good enough.  By the time we went the level had dropped, and while the rapids over the rocks only lent us a tap down now and then, a week later, on another paddle, Mary reported that the continuing drop in the water flow resulted in even more bumps on the rocks  in the same areas.  This is a good example to check water levels on a regular basis to determine the passability of a favorite stretch of river.  In the trip reports you will find Mary's listing of various cfs levels and a description of the results in the rapids, as well as the apprearance of features, such as rocks and shelfs that may make the river either  more difficult to travel, or too low for a continuous passage.  Read through and pick out the reports for the Sprague River and you will find an interesting picture of a pleasant river run to try and how it looks at various water levels. 
Another trip report of note is of the Upper Wood River and the changes you will find in the run so far this season.  Rather than spoil the read, just let me ask this question:  "Does anyone have a chainsaw??"   
For your reference, and to check on the river flow levels of a river you are interested in, see 'Oregon River Flows' under Useful Links in the column to the right.
                                                    Have a great paddle!

Kayakers Portable Toilet

In response to Becky's post regarding having to pack out waste, a subscriber sent us to the following BLM page which shows how to make a Kayaker's Portable Toilet.

http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/rogue/portable-toilets-kayak.php

And now we know what's in that big bag she lugs everywhere.

The Importance of Being Earnest

   Mary loaned me a book to read,  "Rowing to Latitude" by Jill Fredston.  I can't put the book down!  A journal of the trips the author and her husband took together along the coast of Alaska, and elsewhere, are compelling with detail on a grander scale than we may experience on our short trips.  Thrown in are generous dashes of the philosophical, and quotes that give the reader a sidebar of the thought process of the long distance paddler.  From the first paragraph in the preface, I found quotes to make a quote book of my own.
   So, the title, the 'Importance of Being Earnest' came from my reading so far, and laying to rest one  'silly me' thought and raising another thought about camping far from home with certain considerations.  The 'silly me' refers to my habit of packing a day bag everywhere I go paddling with friends.  On the scale, it weighs a hefty 8.4 pounds and includes items such as spare food and water for 24 hours, a limb saw, a duct tape repair kit, first aid kit, emergency blanket, rope, a flashlight, personal care bag, microfiber towel, and other items that would carry me  through 24 hours of being stuck to wait for help.  Two years, and paddling, and I've only dipped into my bag to cycle things that would age out.  Even beef jerky has its limits!  My personal satisfaction is that I would be ready, just in case things didn't go well, and that I could not only help myself, but someone else, too.  I'm glad it's been a long wait, but I like the joy of being prepared.
   Preparing for a long trip, or a 'self-sufficient' short trip without tables, showers, or an outhouse requires more thought.  In the book, Jill tells the process they go through preparing for their trip.  Clothes take a good scale down, and layering is emphasized over choice garments.  Food is dehydrated to reduce space and weight.  Showers may just have to be a fresh water splash when available.  Okay, now the 'shhh!!' part:  the potty bag.  In some places, it must be packed out!  A book, "How to Shit In the Woods by Kathleen Meyer addresses this topic with candor, and humor.  Knowing where to safely squat is a good thing, and wondering how that porta potty on the Walmart shelf would pack in a kayak is a minor mystery and consideration.
   Ahh....sometimes I think of all the fun stuff to go camping with, and picture the opposite in the determined face of a dirty little boy running away from home with his stuff in a bundle tied to the end of a stick!  Camping teaches us how to be where we are with what we've got, sometimes wishing we had more, seldom less, but leaving us to think about 'next time'.  The balance and fun of the experience is just being there, a part of what it is, planned for, prepared fir, or not, and just breathe the air.  Preparation is being earnest with what we've gained from experience.

River Hazards

Click on the link below to read a great article on river hazards.

http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?566

The Life of Water

Sunday afternoon I set out for a short paddle on Upper Klamath Lake, noting the wind at my house, which is  in the same vicinity, appeared to be light.  When I arrived at the boat launch a short while later, I could plainly see that the winds were elsewhere and sending choppy waves to shore.  The short paddle turned into an intense study of wave action while pulling through troughs and splashes and cutting through waves in a sideways direction,  staying parallel to the shoreline at a safe distance.  The winds were still not heavy at this end of the lake.
 Yesterday morning I took a walk on the hill overlooking the lake, and made note of the smooth lake surface in the morning sun and thinking of other times that I've noticed this phenomenon.  Camping at Waldo Lake, of course, and taking the canoe out in the dawn as the rising sun filtered through the tree tops.
  Morning paddles on the lake offer quiet waters, sometimes with rising mists that appear 'sprite'- like.  In the  afternoon, winds pick up across the water.  What seems interesting is that the winds have a familiar pattern based on the surrounding hills and how the air seems to flow based on where they are situated.  The wind and air flow seem to follow a fairly predictable  pattern from one side of the lake to the other.  Not very scientific, just a comparison that may be useful.  For instance, I think, "Do I want to work more going out or coming in?"  I choose going out against the waves and  the wind  at my back for a swift ride back, though with the waves at an angle to the shoreline, concentration is still needed for what I can't see behind me.  Waves, for example, that are a little larger for no good reason, and some action that wants to send me out into the lake instead of towards the shore.

Upper Klamath Lake



Shore Acres SP, Oregon Coast



Benham Falls, Deschutes River

  When we talk about paddling rivers, we talk about volume and flow; rapids and obstacles like rocks, holes, strainers, and more.  When we talk about the ocean, we talk about tides, waves and surf.  We talk about about eddies, wind conditions, and water temperature.  All to get to know the character and the life of water, and perhaps ourselves as well.