Level 3 Paddle - Peoria to Salem 3-day/2-night Self-supported Kayak Camping Trip

This trip is limited to members with a wet exit certification. 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.  Your acceptance is conditional on approval by the Organizer, who may contact you with questions about your skills and equipment.

Narrative: All subject to change, the plan is that I will be doing this trip as a shakeout trip, two weeks prior with a small group and do any modifications to this one as needed.
Launch: Peoria Boat Ramp, 29900 Peoria RD, Shedd, OR 97377. River Mile 141.5 Meet up time is 8 am, we will launch around 8:30.
Final take out: Wallace Marine Park, 200 Glen Creek Rd NW, Salem, OR 97304. River Mile 84

First Night Camp Site: Half Moon Landing at river mile 127. This has a fairly long and level pebble rock beach landing with sandy areas for tents. No facilities here. Flushing bathroom and drinking water resupply stop is the next morning at Hayak Park, River Mile 122. Swimming and bird/animal watching at this camp. 

Second Night Camp Site: American Bottom at river mile 102. This site has a porta potty, tables and fire pits. Landing here is rocking and depending on water levels can be steep. Plan on possibly doing some work getting your things up to the camp area. 

Itinerary: Based on a river level for 8000 to 14000 cfs at Salem:
Peoria to Corvallis- has some small moving water areas where you need to watch for a few strainers in the water, but these are mostly right after launching.
Corvallis to Albany- At Half Moon Landing, we need to be on river left to stay out of a strainer. Before Hayak Park, we need to be on river left due to shallows on river right.
Albany to Buena Vista Ferry- After a long section of pretty quiet water the Santiam River comes in two miles above Buena Vista Ferry with moving water. Typically at the junction with the Santiam we will need to be on river left.
Buena Vista Ferry to Independence-As we pass Buena Vista ferry we go far right and then some moving water to go through just past the ferry. This area had a few shallow spots last time we went through. If this was a day paddle, all OOPS class two water. Our second campsite is just past the Ferry on river left. This section typically requires some decision making as we pick our way around small “islands”.
Independence to Salem- Flushing toilets and water available close to river edge here. We may run into a few powerboats at Independence and we will almost definitely run into powerboats just before and into Salem.

Power Boats: As a general rule, we go to the shallow water, give the power boats the deeper stuff, as they need it. One of the trip organizers will yell out which way to go.
Self-support part: We will of course support each other as a group, but you need to be prepared to haul everything you need in your own boat for 3 days/2 nights on the water. There are stores in Albany and Independence that are about 1 mile walk away from the dock areas. You are responsible to bring all of your food, water, comforts, and camping gear. We do have a few places where toilets will be available, but for the most part it will be “cat-holes” so plan accordingly in this regard. 
Water: There are stores in Albany and Independence that are about 1 mile walk away from where we can land. Also, we have a refill spot at Hayak Park am of second day, I will arrange for someone to be at Buena Vista with water refills about late afternoon of second day, and we have a refill spot about noon on last day. 
Car/Shuttle: You will need to plan your own shuttle, but I can offer some help in this area. I would not recommend leaving a car at put in or take out. I will have someone who can get me to put in and then take my car back to Salem and they will pick me up at the end. I highly recommend that everyone does the same. I live in Salem and trip participant cars can be left at my place for take-out, with the understanding that the neighborhood is a typical Salem neighborhood. I will arrange to transport drivers that leave cars at my house to get to my house to pick up cars and then drive them back to take-out. 
Other: You should test how your boat handles when fully loaded before the paddle. We did not do this paddle last year, but the prior 3 years we have done this one. We have seen eagles, deer otter, ferrets (we think), bobcats, fish, all kinds of stuff. We have swam in the Willamette a few times when it was really hot and have had a great time. We seem to have cell phone coverage the entire time and since we are in the middle of the Willamette Valley, all kinds of bail out points. We will have a goal of being on the water by 8:30 each morning.

Class: Class 3 due to distance, not difficulty. A lot of time spent in the kayak.