Molalla at Low Water

One more run on the Molalla - it's hard to stay away from the scenery and the variety of rapids. Sadly, it was quite low, at 851 cfs, today. We chose to simply run from Turner Bridge to below Baby Bear. It seemed like the day might be awefully long otherwise - it was a good decision. The video shows the little spin wave just below Papa Bear. It was pretty good at this level. Although there were some scrapy spots, we did pretty well going downstream. I was here last Friday and could remember a lot of the good lines. It's definitely more technical, but it's very much fun. The only problem was the wood stuck on the tree in the left hand channel of the island between Teen Bear and Baby Bear. We all portaged/scraped to the right of it. And we all ran Baby Bear, root ball and all, with no problems. After a brief discussion of how this has to be the absolutely lowest level anyone in their right mind would run it, I realized I'm likely to be back here if there is 700 cfs on a nice sunny 70 degree day in April. SYOTR.

Windy Day

Another trip on the Washougal. The recent high water changed Big Eddy rapid. It's certainly more forgiving and seems to be a little easier. It always gets me going - too much history, I guess. The right hand eddy across from the Twin Rocks is more accomodating, and it looks like the right of center line will go at lower water now. Perhaps to make up for it, the river has made the line above Kelly's Hole more difficult. The wind was not bad until we came around the corner below MP 5. Then it was blowing the spray off the tops of the waves. We did not go much further before spotting 2 C-1's on the bank, with their owners just then coming back to pick them up. There was just too much wind for the canoes.

Poem

Ask Me

Some time when the river is ice ask me

mistakes I have made. Ask me whether

what I have done is my life. Others

have come in their slow way into

my thought, and some have tried to help

or to hurt: ask me what difference

their strongest love or hate has made.

I will listen to what you say.

You and I can turn and look

at the silent river and wait. We know

the current is there, hidden; and there

are comings and goings from miles away

 that hold the stillness exactly before us.

What the river says, that is what I say.

                         - William Stafford

Washougal - otra vez

One more trip at about 7.55' It was great to see the sun coming out. From MP 7, it's always a nice relaxing run.

Washougal - Medium Water

Well, I had to try my Optio W60 for video yesterday - there're some things I need to learn. It would help to have a steady-cam or tripod too, although it's hard to imagine how it would fit in the boat. Particulars about the run are that the WASW1 gauge was about 7.75' and there were a few good surf waves. The one at MP 6 was okay but it really needs more water.

Washougal - High Water

Friday I didn't boat - the water was still pretty high, but I made this video. The WASW1 gauge was about 9.5'. Thanks to John Meier...

Not Today

Late today we've got about 17,000 cfs rushing downstream - it looks pretty scary.

in the big river
square slabs of snow, too
float away

  - Issa

Hood River, Lower Run

New Year's Day, 2 feet of snow on the ground, 18 boaters, level 5.3' and rising fast, what could be more fun? Fun for continuous read-and-run class 3-ish, but not much fun for swimming after boats, it turned out.

Last Trip of 2008

December 30 run on the Washougal. Still lots of snow, but an easy level. Roughly 7.21' on WASW1. We all snuck Big Eddy right, me extreme right to center, others to far right. Some surfing, but nothing spectacular.