Testing The Waters: North Santiam: Packsaddle to Mill City

After a successful and uneventful trip down the lower Clackamas, the guys seemed ready for something a little more challenging for their new pontoon boats. So, we headed for the North Santiam. This is a great beginner run and provides lots of opportunities to practice boat control in a relatively safe river.

Packsaddle Park

The trip starts out with a class II boulder garden. Everyone bounced their way through without too much trouble. The trip proceeded without issue until we got below Gates where the rapids get a little bit bigger. Knowing that a challenging rapid lay ahead, I opted to stay in the boat to lend assistance rather than to hop out and take pictures. It ended up being the right choice even though I would have love to have some pictures of a raft looping backwards. Everything turned out fine except for a lost hat and some minor aches and pains. Hopefully it was a good learning experience for everyone how quickly the river can turn on you.

Shortly after the flip, we came to the largest rapid of the day, Spencer's Hole. This is a great play spot for hardshell kayaks, but can present a challenge for small inflatables. We watched an inflatable kayak surf in the hole sans rider for almost a full minute before flushing out. This gave everyone pause, which I think made them select a line to hit rather than charging in blind. Good choice. Everyone cleaned up on Spencer's and the kayakers got some good play in the wave.

Shawn volunteers to go first