Columbia River: Lemon Island - (Level 2)

This trip is limited to members with a wet exit certification (except for level 1 trips when the paddler is not using a spray skirt).  To successfully register you will need to sign into your OOPS member account, and your account will need to be a member of the "Wet Exit Certified" group.

Narrative: Thursday may be the last day dry day for a while, so 4 hours paddling on the Columbia sounds right to me. We'll launch from the sloping sand beach at the Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp, paddle upstream 4 - 5 miles; on the return we'll find a good beach at the east end of Lemon Is for a lunch break & be back at the put-in by 2:30 p.m. (avoiding afternoon rush hour traffic on the drive home).

We'll be launching & paddling with the early flood (necessarily against the river's current), and paddling with the current (but against the later flood) on the return.
Those conditions shouldn't be difficult to accommodate as we cover 8 - 10 miles at a reasonable pace.
There is some possibility of a rising fog early, but we'll easily follow the channel between the Or shore & Lemon ( note: the main shipping channel follows the WA shore, so no large boat traffic to be concerned about on this trip).
Wind is forecast to be 6 - 7mph from the east, so it should assist us on the return (& everyone will be fresh when we paddle into it at the start), so if we're lucky there may be some moving water to enjoy in both directions.

The Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp is on NE Marine Dr., approx. 1/2 mi east of the intersection with NE 33rd. Park at the far east end of the 2nd parking lot, which makes for an easy carry down onto the sand. Parking costs $5; the machine accepts only credit cards (no cash). There are bio facilities in the parking area.

Air temps should be between mid-30's to mid-40's so be sure to wear sufficient insulation under your dry suit & have adequate warm gloves. A thermos with warm drink is a really good idea at this time of year. A cag or windbreaker could be useful during the lunch break if we're exposed to the wind.



Meeting Time: 9:30:00 AM
Launch Time: 10:00:00 AM
Type of activity: Paddle Trip
Put in: M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp
Take out: same
Route Alternative for bad weather: unlikely, but TBD
Required equipment:
Minimum Immersion protection: Drysuit
Primary Organizer: Stuart Teicher
Assistant Organizer(s): TBD
Has organizer paddled here before? Yes
Has organizer led an OOPS paddle here before? Yes
Organizer's first aid and CPR current? Yes
First Aid /CPR Person: self
Maximum number of paddlers: 7
I certify that I understand and will conduct this activity in accordance with the OOPS Activity Policy: Yes
Estimated Air Temperature: mid-30's - mid-40's
Estimated Water Temperature: mid-40's
Estimated Water Time: 4:00 hours
Tide times & heights: At Vancouver WA: L 10:03 a.m. 0.3'; H 3:13 p.m. 2.8'; L 11:36 p.m. 0.24'
At Ellsworth WA: L 9:29 a.m. 1.3'; H 2:10 p.m. 8.6'; L 10:27 p.m. 2.2"
Current information: current approx. 2 knots
Hazards:
Wind strength: Level 1: 0-7 knots (8 mph)
Swell/Surf size: Level 1: Under 1' waves, no breaking waves
Sea state: Level 2: Waves up to armpit; light to moderate chop, scattered whitecaps
Landing types: Level 1: Frequent easy landing opportunities including gently sloping, sand, gravel or grass
Currents: Level 2: Mild currents (up to 2 knots): current increases / decreases group speed by half
Total distance: Level 2: 6 to 11 miles
Open crossing: Level 2: Less than 1 mile
Paddling Environment:
Overall rating: Level 2
Rating Comments: Level 2 because of distance, currents on the Columbia & seasonal temperatures. A few wing-dams are on this route, but can be readily avoided. Bring adequate snacks & food and wear sufficient insulation for winter temps.
Location (Optional): 4325 NE Marine Dr, Portland