Full Name:: Paige Light-Powell
Narrative:: Come spend a day on the river with Paige and Jon! This is Paige's favorite section of the Willamette River, and maybe her favorite paddle. There are no public points of access between these two launch sites, and so very few other people, just wild river banks, eagles, osprey, great blue heron, and others, and lots of gravel bars with agates, jasper, and petrified wood to be found. We'll meet at the boat ramp at Willamette Mission state park at 8:30, unload boats, then take the cars down to San Salvador County Park, and come back in our Subaru Ascent, please car pool so we have two boats/people per car. After a brief safety talk, we'll launch around 9:45 am, and explore the river. There are several back channels behind islands to explore on our route down river, as well as newly emerged gravel bars to stop on to hunt for agates. We'll find a nice spot for lunch, hopefully with some shade, and have a swim, and continue down to the take out at San Salvador, arriving no later than 4 pm. This is a leisurely trip with bird watching, swimming and agate hunting, expect several stops. But also, a large, moving river with a few spots that are swift, have snags to avoid, and some swift shallows as well. This is also long paddle, at 15 miles, you'll need a boat at least 12' with bulk heads. If you have any loose line on your boat you must carry a knife that is easily deployed, or we'll be removing those before we launch. The current forecast is a high of 82 with little to no wind. Bring everything for a day in the sun: hat, sunglasses, long sleeve sun shirt, lots of water to drink, a yummy lunch and snacks.
Meeting Time:: 8:30:00 AM
Launch Time:: 9:45:00 AM
Type of activity:: Paddle Trip
Put in:: Willamette Mission Boat Ramp: 3XR5+WH Gervais, Oregon
Take out:: San Salvador Boat Ramp, 1800 Horseshoe Lake Rd NE, St. Paul: 6XCF+W4 St Paul, Oregon
Route Alternative for bad weather:: cancel
Required equipment::
Minimum Immersion protection:: None
Primary Organizer:: Paige Light
Co-Organizer(s):: Jon Powell
Has organizer paddled here before?: Yes
Has organizer led an OOPS paddle here before?: No
Organizer's first aid and CPR current?: Yes
First Aid /CPR Person::
Maximum number of paddlers:: 8
I certify that I understand and will conduct this activity in accordance with the OOPS Activity Policy:: Yes
Estimated Air Temperature:: 75-82
Estimated Water Temperature:: 72
Estimated Water Time (including breaks/lunch):: 6 hours
Tide times & heights:: N/A
Current information:: 1/2 to 2 knots
Hazards::
Wind strength:: Level 1: 0-7 knots (8 mph)
Waves, Swell, Breaking Waves: Level 1: Under 1' waves, no breaking waves
Sea state:: Level 1: Waves up to the deck seam; water glassy to rippled, no 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 3: 11 to 15 miles (Trips Director Note: new down river adjustment applies to this trip. Level 2: 6 to 18 miles)
Open crossing:: Level 1: Less than 0.5 miles
Paddling Environment::
Overall rating:: Level 2
Rating Comments::
Location:: Willamette Mission Boat Ramp: 45.09240643038417, -123.04106903319254
Photos (Optional)::
COVID-19 Status of Trip:: Participants of this trip may, or may not, be vaccinated for Covid-19
Tide Station:: N/A
Link to map of route (Optional):
