Testing The Waters

TRADITIONALLY THE THIRD YEAR IS LEATHER

2009-09-16T07:13:00.001-07:00

The first year is paper and the second is cotton. Today, September 16th 2009, would be mine and Ryan's third wedding anniversary. While there wasn't much about us or our marriage that was traditional, our gift giving was. The first year Ryan gave me a re-gifted gift card for a local coffee shop. I gave him a book, the hikes of the grand canyon. The second year Ryan gave me towels that we had monogrammed DMR. He said he picked out the color (sky) because it matched our bathroom... our bathroom is green and tan with a palm tree theme, not blue. He insisted that it would match our bathroom some day. Always practical, that year I gave him new underwear. Calvin Klein Steel cotton. Ryan's gift giving/ present buying skills were not sharp. Usually he waited until the last moment to buy the gift, where as I would have his anniversary present and his birthday present bought, wrapped and hidden under the bed not later than mid august. His abilities were getting better. This year for my birthday he took me to Washington to stay in an amazing hotel and take me to dinner at a French restaurant and see Jewel in concert. A dream I have always had. She only had four U.S. dates this year. Definitely an amazing time together.
This year is leather. Ryan was going to buy me boots. Which is to say he was going to suffer through hours of frustration on department store chairs as I tried to find a pair of boots that fit over my calves. He was going to buy me cowboy boots, because as a city council member we had VIP passes to all the Molalla Buckeroo events. I didn't have anything appropriately Western for the events. It was a great gift. My grandparents bought me boots recently that I wear around the house and laugh at myself and runner's legs.
I was going to get Ryan up to date with either a new belt (he needed a black one) or a wallet. And I had planned to buy this gift from the Coach store. While I have a purse or two (three) from the brand Ryan stuck to his die hard no-name pieces. It would be a thing I shared with him as I gifted him with something I love so much. It also had a double meaning for me as I acknowledged the position that Ryan would ever hold in my life as my personal coach. Not to mention unreasonably hilarious when he would have to explain it to his brother! Ryan with a designer wallet...
This year Ryan and I would not be going to our traditional get away at the beach. While it had always been an amazing place to stay and gave us lots to do together, this year we had other plans. September 20th I will be running around Timothy Lake. 14.2 miles of it, in my first half marathon. When I told Ryan I had a race picked out and was training with my Cousin's wife and my best friend April, Ryan was so excited for me and asked to run with us. I firmly said no. I explained we all knew Ryan could do a half because he had in the past done these longer races including full marathons. April and I had not. This was going to be hard for us. He understood and every time I told him how the training was progressing he just glowed with pride for my tenacity and my ability to listen to my body. He reminded me constantly about taking care of myself. "A bad day that you have to stop early on is better than the best day on the couch." I haven't stopped training and will be running with him this coming Sunday. It will be the race of my life for sure.
The gift I sit here with today is that of the house and the good memories. Ryan truly believed he was to take care of me and protect me. While I struggle with all the details of losing Ryan, figuring out financials, and grad school I knew I needed to take the time today and write. The gift I have today will take me a long time to unwrap, that will be frustrating. But once unwrapped I will be a strong woman living in a house that a man who loved as much as he could in the only way he knew how, gave me. I will be here achieving my dreams and living my life. I will a be woman shaped by memories of a good man. I am blessed.

2009-08-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

A little more video from the Truss.

Ivor Davies Park: Dragons & Damsels

2009-08-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

As a new Molalla city councilor, I have found myself putting my time and energy into improving our parks. Ivor Davies Park has particular interest to me as a wonderful example of a nature park within a city. As we have worked to enhance this park, I have found myself spending my free time there trying to capture the nuances of this great place. I have decided to attempt to put together a photo catalog of the various Dragonflies and Damselflies that call Ivor Davies Park home. This not a complete representation as of yet, but I will update this page as time to shoot allows and good fortune to capture these creatures presents itself. I have done my best to identify these dragons and damsels, if you have a correction, please let me know. (I am also stuck on a few, help is much appreciated) All pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Striped Meadowhawk (Symetrum pallipes)

Spreadwing (Lestes ?)

Bluet (Enallagma ?)

Nighthawk on the Molalla

2009-07-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

While out checking on some trail projects that our summer work crew has been working on, I stumbled upon a Nighthawk. At first I didn't realize it was a bird or an animal at all, it blended in so well. However, upon careful and more thorough examination, it turned out to be a Nighthawk. If you have had the good fortune of watching these guys in action as they devour insects in the twilight you know just how amazing these birds are. I kind of figured that this was a one time opportunity to get some close up photos so I took my time and crawled slowly closer to grab some shots of this very cooperative bird. Here are the results. Enjoy.

EF Lewis River: Horseshoe Falls

2009-05-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a look at Horseshoe Falls on the EF of the Lewis River. This has to be one of the easiest waterfalls around.

Horseshoe Falls from Ryan Morgan on Vimeo.

John Day River: Service Creek to Cottonwood Bridge

2009-05-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

After a few years away from the John Day River, my parents and I decided that it was time to go back. (Our last trip was in 2005, you can read about it here) The trip was planned and we headed out at the end of April along with my father in-law. The river ended up being higher than we had planned so we added on some more miles and opted for the Service Creek put in. We had 5 days on the river and covered 118 miles. It was a fun trip. Previously, we had run the Clarno to Cottowood Bridge section in 5 days at 4,500 cfs. This time we were adding 40 miles for the same time frame. However, we were also putting on at 13,000 cfs.

The weather cooperated for the most part. The wind picked up and really got going on our third day. I was a little nervous about Clarno rapid knowing that it would be fast with some holes to avoid and with my father in-law a relatively new rafter. In the end, we elected to just read and run the rapid. What a great rapid! It was long, not too difficult of moves, and some nice big waves. We both had nice lines and no problems. Basalt rapid, just downstream, also proved to be a great rapid at this level.

The fourth day ended up being our hottest and the fishing finally turned around. We didn't catch more than perhaps a dozen small mouth bass, but more than we had thought given the high water and cool temperatures.

Big Fluffy

2009-03-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Big Fluffy from Ryan Morgan on Vimeo.

A Quick Look at the Little White Salmon

2009-03-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

First Time on the LW from Ryan Morgan on Vimeo.

Molalla River: Table Rock Fork Gorge

2009-02-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

The author portaging the only log we had to deal with.

The Table Rock Fork Gorge is not often run. Water levels are hard to predict, the run is short and it can not usually be linked with other sections. These factors along with the committing nature of the gorge proper limit how many people see this section every year. I, however, find myself running it once or twice a year as flows allow and boredom sets in. The run is relatively short, but a good change of pace, great scenery and it usually presents an opportunity to show someone a new section of water. The gorge never really gets beyond class IV, though this changes as the water levels increase. The crux drop in the gorge consists of a 4-6' ledge/hole that can be very retentive at higher flows. This combined with the fact that drop is jammed between smooth rock walls perhaps 8' apart can make for some exciting times.

On this particular day, Markus and I found ourselves fighting a very poor start to the boating season as many of the standard late fall rain storms had failed to materialize. In search of something to do, we decided to head up to the Table Rock Fork Gorge. Markus had never seen it and I am always up for taking someone new through the gorge. We drove up to the take out, which also is the put in for the 'Old Bridge' section of the Molalla. (This is the higher put-in option for the Three Bears run) We then did a quick, but thorough scout of the main gorge for wood and to check the crux drop to see how retentive it would be. Things looked good so we headed up to the second bridge to put in.

The author running a rapid above the gorge.

Things started out with some great technical class III boulder gardens. Things got bigger as we entered the gorge. I went first so as to set up and grab some pictures of Markus coming through the crux drop. I was in my playboat and got stuck in the ledge hole in the heart of the gorge. After some back surfing and clawing at the wall I was finally able to grab my paddle, get a couple strokes in and break free. Markus cruised through without trouble.

Markus running the crux drop in the gorge.

Markus finishing up the hard part of the gorge.
(The crux drop is in the background, notice the wood in the left slot.)

We only had one log to contend with that should be portaged. It was another great day on the Molalla. If you do venture out on this section, be sure to scout the gorge before putting on. One misplaced log could spell disaster for you. If the Three Bears is getting marginal, the Table Rock Fork should be great. See you on the water.

Oregon Slender Salamander

2008-11-12T19:32:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I found myself with some extra time on my hands. After taking a look outside, I decided to grab my camera and head out to see if I could stumble onto any salamanders. I felt my chances were pretty good for finding an Ensatina.

I poked around up the Molalla River a little bit before heading out to my parent's place in the foothills northeast of Molalla. To my surprise, I found an Oregon Slender Salamander. I have been trying to find one of these little guys on and off for a couple years and it a was great thrill to find one on my family's property. I was able to get a couple pictures, but the lighting was very poor and I didn't want to handle the little guy too much.

The Oregon Slender Salamander is Oregon's only endemic salamander and can be found primarily on the western side of the cascades over it's 240 km range. They are an old growth associate, but have been found in naturally reproducing stands of 50-80 year old forests. (This is what my parent's place has) There are thought to be less than 200 discrete sites known for this species in the world. This salamander is quite a treasure for us as it exists no where esle on earth. I'm thrilled that I was able to see and photograph such a special animal.

I was up the Molalla River again yesterday and came across a juvenile Oregon Slender Salamander. I was happy to finally find one along the Molalla.

As you can see, these guys are really small on top of being difficult to find. (The adult pictured at the beginning more than covered my hand)

I also came across several Dunn's Salamanders, but they proved to be too fast and elusive to photograph. However, I did manage one shot. I also want to mention that if you do go searching for salamanders that you be sure to replace anything you turn over or look under. The micro-habitats that salamanders depend on can easily be destroyed by careless searching.

Clackamas River: The Killer Fang Section

2008-10-20T19:03:00.001-07:00

Looking into Prelude

With summer coming to an end and the winter rains yet to come, I found myself eager for a little adventure. I had never done the Killer Fang section of the Clackamas and it kept calling me as it's the only section I haven't done. I made a call to Marcus and we agreed to give it a shot. While I was on my way to the river, Marcus gave me a call saying he was really sick and wasn't up for boating. Nuts. So, I decided to go ahead and give the run a shot solo. It didn't take too long before I was able to hitch a ride up to the put in from some great people from Bark. If you aren't aware of their organization, I recommend you take a look. They do some great work protecting the wild places we all like to visit. I quickly put on my gear and slid into the river at the confluence of the Clackamas and Collawash Rivers. The river is very scenic and very mellow. The first mile or two was basically flat water. I soaked up the scenery and the solitude that this most remote section of the Clackamas afforded me. Slowly the rapids started to appear, but nothing Killer. Mostly just nice class II and III drops. Eventually, about 2/3 of the way into the trip the canyon starts to close in and I came up on the first significant rapid that I needed to scout, Prelude. The rapid exits through a couple different slots and feeds into the pool above Killer Fang. I did a quick check for wood and made sure I could see the eddy to get out above Killer Fang before hopping back into my boat. Prelude proved to be a nice rapid with plenty of space to exit the river above Killer Fang.

Killer Fang Rapid

Killer Fang is an ugly rapid. That said, there is a thin line that could be run, but a mistake would put you in a huge sieve where most of the river is going. IF you make the cut left, you would still have to deal with an undercut cliff wall before exiting into the pool below. It was an easy descision for me going solo and in a playboat, so I shouldered and did the somewhat difficult portage. (Lots of climbing and lowering the boat)

The outflow of Killer Fang

Looking back at Killer Fang.

The lead-in to The Sieve.

The next rapid below Killer Fang is a rapid known as the Sieve. I hopped out and scouted right first and then ferried back left to get another look. The Sieve is a solid class IV rapid with significant consequences for a mistake. After looking it over, I opted to portage the initial drop leaving a mandatory ferry back to river right. (The Sieve can be portaged it's entire length on the left.)

The entrance to the Sieve. I portaged just below the log.

This is where I put back in to ferry across. Still class IV, but manageable.

The rest of the run was fun with one class three that stood out. I had a nice mellow level of about 1,000 cfs at Three Lynx. It was nice to finally see the run, but I think it will be awhile before I go back. If you haven't seen it, I wouldn't let the Killer Fang name hold you back. It is just one rapid after all. Do be careful to check all of the narrow slots for wood before committing, otherwise it's a nice class II-III float.

Little White Salmon River

2008-09-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

Jacob on S-Turn Falls

I finally was able to make my first trip down the legendary Little White Salmon River this weekend. What a fantastic river. We had low flows which provided a more technical run, but lots of eddies. We had around 2.5' on the stick gauge at the put in. The trip consisted of myself and Jacob Cruiser. Jacob's dad had planned on hiking in to meet up with us below Boulder Sluice so as to avoid Gettin' Busy, a half mile class V boulder garden dropping around 150'. Unfortunately he took a fall on the way in ending his plans for the day. (He ended up with some broken ribs, I hope he has a quick recovery) Jacob and I took our time, scouting when needed, which is often on this run. We had a fantastic trip and I feel lucky to have been able to experience this incredible place. There are some great write ups out there about this run and I would direct you there for more details. Jason Rackley has an excellent site that I would strongly recommend: Oregon Kayaking.

Spirit Falls

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Little White, here is a neat perspective of it by Evan Garcia. (The water level in this video is significantly higher than on our trip)

Little White Helmet Camera from Evan Garcia on Vimeo.

Molalla River Map

2008-07-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Music

2008-05-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

TR: Rafting the Green Truss

2008-04-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

Will and Nick on Little Brother

So Will Volpert gave me a call saying he was going to be in the Portland area and he wanted to go rafting and that Andrew, Kyle and Dan would be joining us. The initial plan was to head to the Upper Wind, but low water killed that idea. After some thought and a few emails we decided to give the Green Truss run on the White Salmon River a shot. The only problem was that we were one person short to make two R2 rafts as Dan and I were going to kayak the run. This left Will without a paddling partner. Apparently the guys from Idaho, Andrew and Kyle, said they would find someone for Will to paddle with. We met up at 9:00 AM at BZ to allow plenty of time to get down the river. After a fairly easy put-in given the terrain we were on our way. The run went surprisingly smooth. We had a couple interesting moments, one at Bob's Falls and again at Little Brother when Kyle and Andrew knocked heads before Andrew was ejected from the raft. Overall it was a fantastic day on the river. Outside of Big Brother and BZ Falls it seemed like a very reasonable raft run. We ended up running everything except BZ as nobody in our group felt up to it. We had roughly 2.5' at Husum and the springs didn't seem to be kicking a lot so most of the flow was still coming off the top.

Here is the video I was able to get of our run:

Here are the pictures from the trip, thanks Will and Dan.

Ryan and Dan scouting Bob's Falls

Bob's Falls

Hitting the line at Big Brother

The group below Double Drop

Upper Zigzag

The Team

Here is a link to Will's Trip Report
Green Truss Section of the White Salmon Trip Report

Illinois River Video

2008-03-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

At the end of February, my friend Will Volpert put together a great trip on the Illinois River in southern Oregon. Here are the video clips from the trip. We had just a little raft carnage on an otherwise fantastic trip. I hope to post some pictures and a write up soon. Will had also arranged to have a writer and a photographer from the Medford Mail Tribune with us on the trip. Here is a link to the article. Wild Ride on the Illinois

Video courtesy of the Mail Tribune

Video courtesy of Will Volpert

Video courtesy of Alan Douglas

Also, here is a link to an interesting short film about a documentary being made about the Illinois. Illinois River Video

TR: Upper EF Lewis

2008-03-18T10:27:00.001-07:00

The Upper EF Lewis River has been a run I have wanted to do for some time. It's not the hardest run around, but one I have been meaning to get to. This past weekend, Dan Thurber was back in town so we planned on getting out on the water. The initial plan was to try for Copper Creek, but with more rain than we had expected we turned our attention to the Upper East Fork. We set shuttle, using Mike Olson's house as our take out, and headed up to the put in. We got stopped by snow just short of the put in, which wasn't all bad as we could see a mandatory portage around some wood just upstream.

Wood was on the menu for the day. Lots of small alders had fallen with the heavy snowfall this year making us keep on our toes. Everything was manageable with lines around all of the wood.

As we approached Double Drop, I was probing and somehow missed the normal eddy. Fortunately, I grabbed the last chance eddy just upstream of the lip. While it looked good, no one in our group decided to run it. We continued the portage past Tombstone and headed down river. Tombstone looked awful at this level with all the water pounding the 'Tombstone' rock in the center of the drop.

Looking back up at Double DropLooking downstream into TombstoneWe made our way down to Sunset Falls without much trouble. However, that damn Huka got Dan stuck in yet another hole providing some amusement for the rest of us. Sunset was different than I had seen it in the past, much more water. The left side that I usually run didn't look so inviting so it was time to try the middle line. After a short look at the falls, I took off first to get below and take some pictures. What a great line over this falls. I really enjoyed it. Alex came down next and took the far right line without trouble. Everyone else went center and mostly had good lines. Dan was the only one that struggled here getting shoved into the center slot on both trips over the falls.

Dan proving the center line can go wrong.

After Sunset it was nice trip down through Sky Pilot to Mike's house. Another great day on the river.

Canyon Creek, WA Video

2008-03-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

TR: Sandy Gorge or: That Hole That Almost Kicked My Ass

2008-02-20T11:20:00.001-08:00

It had been about a year since I last went through the Sandy Gorge. With the Marmot Dam coming out this past fall and limited time in my day I found myself interested in revisiting this section of water. Alan Douglas and Matt Haven met me at the put in and after a quick shuttle we were on the river. The gorge looked good and it was a beautiful day to be on the water.

Alan and Matt gear up for the Gorge.

We had heard that there was new wood in the first significant rapid, Boulder. I eddy hopped down the left side and scouted for a route through. The right line and the center line both had wood so we opted for the easy portage down the left side.

Matt sneaks down the left side at Boulder.

Looking back upstream at Boulder.

Below this the rapids get closer together with the next one being Rasp Rock. I felt pretty confident about running this drop so I charged ahead. It was only as I began to drop in that I realized the size of the hole. I disappeared into the foam and resurfaced a couple feet shy of breaking through. The rodeo had begun.

Rasp Rock aka "The Hole"

I quickly got pulled back into the hole and threw a nice compilation of boat ends and paddle blades as I struggled to gain control over my boat. I was just hoping Alan and Matt had decided to scout because it was looking like I was going to need a rope soon. After what seemed like far too long I managed to get a my boat under control and began a bouncy side surf in the hole. It was at this time I realized that the hole was backed up by a large rock and the exits were only on the extreme edges of the hole. It also quickly became apparent that this could be extremely difficult to swim out of and there still was no guarantee that someone was going to be able to hit me with a rope. As the gravity of my situation began to settle in I happened to look to river right and see the bottom of Alan's boat in the hole with me. OH SHIT!! Now there's two of us in here, what the hell are we going to do. Fortunately, Alan's time in the hole was relatively brief as he was able to grab some deep water and flush out the right corner of the hole. Unfortunately, there was no way I was going to be able to surf over to that exit without getting trashed and it wasn't a sure thing that I would flush out the same as Alan. My only option was to back surf out the left side. Working my skulling brace I managed to get to the left corner and begin to finally find some water that was exiting the hole. I pulled hard and popped free. I was immediately propelled downstream and flipped before hanging up on another rock just downstream. I reached around the rock with my paddle and pulled myself free. A quick roll and BAM!! piton into a rock. I drifted into an eddy, spent and happy to be free. What a ride. Lesson learned, scout Rasp Rock. (Not only for the hole, but it is known to collect wood) I walked back up to get a picture of the hole that nearly kicked my ass. It was strong and I certainly would have run it differently had I looked at it ahead of time. It did feel good to know that I was able to handle a tough situation. It was the first difficult hole I've ever been in with my Salto and it performed great. It also appeared to me that it would have taken Matt a while to get a rope to me if he could at all. It looked a little sketchy and I'm not sure he could have positioned himself in a manner that would have allowed him to pull me out.

A closer look at the backed up hole that almost gave me a beating.

After some pictures of Rasp Rock we continued on to Drain Hole. Drain Hole has an ugly sieve on river left that you must cut hard to the right above in order to miss it.

Matt runs through Drain Hole first.

Alan takes his turn making the "move"

Everyone had clean runs at Drain Hole and we proceeded to the last rapid on the run, Revenue Bridge. This rapid has cleaned up nicely with the extreme right and center lines looking really good. I went center while Alan decided to go right. Matt had portaged down the left. All in all, it was a fun run and I'm glad that I gave the gorge another try.

Alan at the top of Revenue Bridge rapid.

As a side note, it appears that Revenue Bridge is being replaced so parking is limited at the take out.

The River List

2008-02-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick reference list of the runs I've made it down since I began kayaking in August 2004 to date. I have provided links to descriptions of the runs from the best sources I could find as well as links to my trip reports.

Breitenbush River, OR
Cleator Bend Campground to Detroit Reservoir: IV

Bull Run River, OR
Bull Run Rd to Sandy River: III

Butte Creek, OR
Bridge above Upper Butte Creek Falls to Butte Creek Falls: II+ (V) Trip Report
Boy Scout Ranch to Hwy. 213: III (IV)

Canyon Creek, WA. (EF Lewis)
Fly Creek to Lake Merwin: IV-V Trip Report Video

Clackamas River, OR
June Creek to Collawash River: III+ (IV)
Collawash Rive to Sandstone Bidge (Killer Fang): IV (V+/VI) Trip Report
Three Lynx to North Fork Reservoir (Upper): III (IV)
McIver State Park to Barton (Lower): II+
Barton to Carver: II
Carver to Clackamette Park: II

North Fork Clackamas River, OR
3.75 miles above North Fork Reservoir to North Fork Reservoir: IV+ (V)P

Collowash River, OR
Hot Springs Fork to Clackamas River: III

Colorado River, AZ
Lee's Ferry to South Cove: III-IV+ Trip Report

Copper Creek, WA
End of Rd to East Fork Lewis River: IV-V

Deschutes River, OR
Warm Springs to Buck Hollow: III (IV)

Drift Creek, OR (Marion County)
Victor Point Rd. to Hwy. 213: III

Fish Creek, OR
End of Rd. to Clackamas: III

Grande Ronde River, OR (Wallowa River)
Minam to Troy: II (III) Trip Report

Hood River, OR
Dee to Tucker: III (IV)

West Fork Hood River, OR
Lake Branch Fork to East Fork Hood River: IV (V)

Upper East Fork Hood River, OR
Sherwood Campground to Hwy. 35: IV+-V

Illinois River, OR
Miami Bar to Oak Flat: IV (V) Video

John Day River, OR
Service Creek to Clarno: II Trip Report

Clarno to Cottonwood: II (III) Trip Report

Klickitat River, WA

Yakama Reservation to Leidl Campground: III+

East Fork Lewis River, WA
Green Fork to Sunset Falls (The Upper): IV-V Trip Report
One Mile above Sunset Falls to King Creek: IV (V) Trip Report

Little White Salmon River, WA
Fish Hatchery to Columbia River (The Lower): V-V+ Trip Report

McKenzie River, OR
Olallie Campground to Paradise Campground: III

Metolius River, OR
Source to Lake Billy Chinook: III (IV)

Milk Creek, OR
Bonney Rd to Beavercreek Rd: III+

Molalla River, OR
Table Rock Fork: Third Bridge to Gravel Pit: III (IV+)
Table Rock Fork Gorge: IV+-V Trip Report
Copper Creek Fork: Bridge above Copper Creek to Table Rock Confluence: III (IV) Trip Report
Table Rock Fork to Turner Bridge: III-III+
Turner Bridge to Glen Avon Bridge: III (IV)
Glen Avon Bridge to Feyrer Park: II-II+

North Fork Molalla River, OR
Dead Horse Creek Bridge to Molalla River Confluence: IV+

North Santiam River, OR
Pamela Creek to Bruno Mountain Rd: III
Bruno Mountain Rd to Detroit Lake: III (IV)
Big Cliff Dam to Packsaddle Park: III+ (V)
Packsaddle Park to Mill City: III
Mill City to Mehama: II-III

Little North Santiam River, OR
Old Mine to Three Pools (Opal Creek): IV (V) Trip Report
Three Pools to above Salmon Falls (Opal Gorge): V (VI) Trip Report
Elkhorn Valley Recreation Site to Mehama: III (IV)

Pine Creek, OR
One mile above Molalla River to Molalla River: IV Trip Report

Roaring River, OR
3.2 mile above Clackamas River to Clackamas River: IV+ Trip Report

Rock Creek, WA (EF Lewis River)
Dole Valley Rd. to above Moulton Falls: III-IV (V) Trip Report

Rock Creek, WA (Columbia Gorge)
Lower Put in Bridge to below Steep Creek: IV (V/VI)

Rogue River, OR
Grave Creek to Foster Bar: III+

Sandy River, OR
McNeil Campground to Lolo Pass Rd.: IV+
Zigzag to Marmot Bridge: II-III
Marmot Bridge to Marmot Dam (Dam was removed in 2007): II+ (IV)
Marmot Dam to Revenue Bridge (Dam was removed in 2007): IV Trip Report
Revenue Bridge to Dodge Park: II+-III
Dodge Park to Oxbow Park: II+ (III)

Silver Creek, OR
Lower North Falls to Silverton Reservoir: IV (V)

Tieton River, WA
Rimrock Reservoir to Windy Point Campground: III-III+

South Fork Toutle River, WA
Harrington Place to Big Wolf Creek: II-III

Trout Creek, WA
FR 43 to Footbridge (Upper): IV+-V Trip Report
Dam to Wind River (Lower): IV+-V

Washougal River, WA
North Fork Washougal River to Lower Fishing Access: III (IV) Trip Report
Dougan Falls to Salmon Falls (The Gorge): III (IV)

North Fork Washougal River, WA
Mile Seven to Washougal River: IV (V)

Wind River, WA
Stabler to High Bridge: IV+-V Trip Report
High Bridge to Columbia River: IV+

White Salmon River, WA
Warner Rd to Green Truss Bridge (Farmlands): IV-V
Green Truss Bridge to BZ Corners (Green Truss): IV+-V (V+) Trip Report Video
BZ Corners to Northwestern Lake: III+ (V-)

TR: Rock Creek/EF Lewis III-IV (V)

2008-02-17T23:23:00.001-08:00

Little Rascal

Still fighting low snow, not much water and an itch to do something new I found myself gravitating towards Rock Creek. (Though there are many Rock Creeks, this one flows into the EF Lewis above Moulton Falls) After a brief call to Alan Douglas the plan was set and we were off. We quickly set shuttle and drove to the bridge that marked the put in.

Alan preparing to put on.

While there was ample flow to float your kayak it was still a small creek. The upper section of the creek isn't very steep, but moves along with a constant gradient. This is a good thing as this is also the most likely section to have wood problems. We encountered some minor wood, but nothing requiring a portage. After about a mile, Cedar Creek comes in on the left and added about 60% to the flow. It was enough that we began to question if we had put in on the correct creek. We proceeded downstream and the scenery began to improve when we came to a small tributary coming in on the left. It was a nice 4' ledge that looked like a nice park and huck. (There wasn't much more than class II action above this point making the drop look more enticing) But, I decided it really wasn't worth it to get out and carry my boat up the bank to run. The next corner after this the character of the creek changed and we found ourselves quickly grabbing an eddy on river right. We had come to Little Rascal and the beginning of the good stuff. After a quick scout I decided to run it first. While the guidebook states that you can run the middle slot and get buried in the foam I opted for the boof just to the right of center. Alan followed my line shortly after and we continued on downstream.

Alan hitting the boof at Little Rascal. The slot is to his left.

The creek turns to bedrock at this point and some nice surf waves show up. A couple of nice rapids appear below this before coming to the last large rapid before the confluence with EF Lewis. We took a quick scout for wood before continuing as the canyon became tight and it was difficult to see through the rapid.

Alan scouts the upper half of the last rapid on Rock Creek.

We exited the creek and found ourselves in a large river with some fun rapids. I was surprised by the amount of action once on the EF Lewis. For some reason I didn't think there would be much. Now that we were on the EF Lewis, we kept our eyes open for the last and biggest rapid of the day, Naked Falls. Naked Falls is a three part drop separated by short pools. The first drop looked the hardest as the line through the hole looked thin. The second drop looked good and the third has a clear line right of center. After a lengthy scout on river right, we decided to ferry to river left and portage at least the first drop. (Eddies are scarce on the right side above Naked Falls, so be cautious approaching this drop) We didn't find any place that looked good to launch above the second drop so we both put back in in the pool above the third part of the rapid. We both had clean lines.

The first two drops of Naked Falls.

Looking downstream at the last drop of Naked Falls.

We decided to take out at the confluence with Yacolt Creek as the eddies above Moulton Falls were small and not really worth the risk. (I scouted the falls before we put on and had no interest to run it due to the size of the hole and the undercut wall)

The gage on the EF Lewis was reading about 2,200 cfs at Heisson and slowly falling. This seemed to be a nice low first time flow. (However, it is important to note that things had been falling for two days without any rain and snow melt is most likely what was keeping the creek and the EF Lewis up.)

TR: Upper Wind River IV+-V

2008-02-17T22:30:00.000-08:00

With Dan and Will still in town and a successful run down the Washougal with my wife we decided that we could step things up a little bit. After gathering some beta from the group of rafters that had hit the Upper Wind the day before we made plans to do the run. I was still a little nervous about Danielle going, but Will is a very good rafter and Danielle had the right attitude. With Dan's car fixed, we car pooled up to the take out which was still covered in 1 1/2' of snow. This was going to be a beautiful run. The water level was a little higher than I had run it in the past, but it looked good. We quickly piled everything into Will's truck and headed up the road to the put-in. We found 3'+ of snow, but easy access to the river.

Dan and Will getting ready for the Upper Wind.

Danielle getting geared up. (Thanks Will for the dry suit)

Will decided to run the raft as an oar rig today with Danielle adding paddle assistance when needed. I wasn't able to get many pictures as the whitewater was continuous and my camera is hard to get to. In any case, it was the best time I've ever had on the Upper Wind. I was a little fuzzy on the rapids so it turned into some of the best read and run whitewater I've done in a long time. I was truly amazed at how Will was able to move that raft. It was so much fun. Danielle had a great time and the scenery was incredible. The only minor problem occurred at Climax. The hole was a little retentive and pulled Dan back in for a second ride. Of course the raft couldn't see this so I quickly threw up my hands to signal the raft to hold up so they wouldn't drop in on him. Unfortunately that's all it took for an eddy monster to grab my boat and flip me into the wall. A took a hit to my back before I could locate my paddle and snap off a quick roll. Dan came out and rolled up.

Dan works on getting the raft down to the river.

It was a really nice day on the water and fun all the way around. Danielle has started entertaining the idea of future river trips. (Provided Will is at the oars) I'm looking forward to our next chance to get out on the water.

The water was just going through the horns on the gage rock
providing a nice medium/low level.

Danielle has a little fun in the snow while Will and Dan run shuttle.

You can also read Dan's write up at The Water Cycle and Will's at Tales from the Rio.

TR: Washougal River: Big Eddy Section

2008-02-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

After our Grand Canyon trip, my wife Danielle has been more open to the idea of rafting. She just told me that she has to have a good dry suit and a guarantee that she will stay in the boat. I figure that's a fair deal, after all, we managed to make it through 25 days on the Colorado in a 13' 9" raft with a rookie rafter at the helm. It also helped having Will Volpert and Dan Thurber in town to help. These guys were on the Colorado with us and were essential in getting Danielle to give it another try. Will had brought up a 12' raft with him from Ashland and Dan was again with his Huka. We were still fighting low snow levels this weekend, however the Washougal suddenly shot up with warmer weather and localized rain giving us a great option to get Danielle on the water. Will had been hoping for a run down the Upper Wind, but I wasn't sure how Danielle was going to do and I wasn't too keen on getting her out on such a demanding run. After a brief discussion, we settled on the Big Eddy section of the Washougal. The gauge was reading right at 6,000 cfs or 8.77' and slowly falling. Not the highest I've done it, but a pretty stout level for the run. After meeting up at the Burger King in Camas we headed on up to the take out. We quickly formulated a plan to skip the normal put in and head on up to the bridge on the North Fork. This would add an extra mile or so to the run and provide an opportunity to catch a couple extra play waves. (I had brought my EZ for the run) Will decided that they would run it as a paddle raft which meant Danielle would get the chance to really RAFT rather than be the professional passenger that she claims to be.

Will is pumped to get on the water.

Danielle doesn't look so excited.After some rope work, the guys managed to get the raft lowered down to the river and with some quick instructions for Danielle, we were off.

Lowering the boat at the put-in on the NF Washougal.

Things went well until we approached Big Eddy rapid. Today it was a solid class IV drop complicated by a tree that had fallen across the exit of the rapid blocking off the entire right side and presenting a serious hazard. I charged in first and was suddenly faced with a monster hole in front of me. I managed a quick move to the left just skirting the hole and following a seam through the rapid. I grabbed a surging eddy on the left bank just in time to look back up and see the bottom of Dan's blue Huka rising out of the hole. As he drifted by I was really hoping he was going to hit his role as a second large rapid waited around the corner and a swim could easily result in a lost boat not to mention the strainer on river right. Fortunately, he snapped of a roll a few moments later and paddled to an eddy. I climbed out of my boat and set up to take pictures of Will and Danielle. They entered dead center and judging by Wills response, the huge hole in the middle of the river was a surprise. The raft dropped into the hole a little sideways, spun around and got quickly spit out. What a ride!

Danielle and Will at the top of Big Eddy.

Discovering that there really is a hole in this rapid. Hold on Danielle.

"That was one smokin' hole."If you look closely you can see the strainer downstream on the right.
You can also see the big smile on Danielle's face.

With the largest rapid behind us, I knew Danielle would be fine. As we rounded the corner and dropped through the next rapid I could see what looked like a kayaker on the left bank. Dan and I paddled over to him to see if he needed any help. It turns out that he had taken a swim along with his buddy in Big Eddy. They were paddling an inflatable two-person kayak and were caught off guard by the size of the rapid, swam and got separated. We signaled the raft over and offered to give him a ride back to the road side which he gladly accepted. I took off downstream in search of his buddy. I eventually found him about half a mile later looking upstream. I explained that we had found his friend and that everyone was ok. I also mentioned that there were a couple other spots that they may need to be careful at, namely around Cougar Creek. A few minutes later Dan came down followed by Will and Danielle. Apparently they had dropped the stranded kayaker off back around the corner. We headed on downstream and enjoyed the rest of the run. Will and Danielle even got in on the surfing action with the raft. It turned out to be a great day and another step to getting my wife to join me on some of my adventures. It also helps that Will is an incredibly skilled rafter as we would discover the next day and Dan would get a chance to use his Huka on water it was designed for. But that's another story.

You can also read Dan's write up at Team Kettle Chips or The Water Cycle.

TR: EF Lewis River

2008-02-10T22:09:00.001-08:00

The East Fork of the Lewis River has long been a local favorite delivering clean falls and great rapids. Today, it seemed to be one of the few runs that could still be reached after the huge low elevation snowfall that we have had over the last couple of weeks. Dan Thurber was back in town and Alan Douglas was able to make it so Dan picked him up in route to the river. We had planned on meeting up, but decided we would just meet up at the take out. As it turned out, Dan and Alan caught up to me just outside of Battleground. I happened to notice that Dan was pulling off to the side of the road behind me so I gave him a call. It turns out that the new alternator in his car had died due to a bad battery overworking it. In any case, Dan spent the day dealing with getting his car towed and other random wanderings that I'm sure you will be able to read about on Team Kettle Chips. After deciding that there was no way to get Dan on the water, we pulled his car into a nearby driveway and continued on toward the river to meet up with Ryan Cole and Tyree. We quickly changed and headed up to Sunset Falls for a quick scout. The middle and left lines looked good. Shortly after we got back in the truck continue up the road for a longer run we began to hit snow. We made it perhaps a mile before the snow got too deep to go further. With a little bit of shoveling we managed to get the truck safely out of the road and headed to the river.

Ryan Cole on the short hike to the put-in.

First up, Sunset Falls (17'). I decided to go first and get some pictures. I elected for the standard left line in my EZ. I didn't scout the entrance to the falls so I plugged the little hole above the lip, hit the bottom of the river with my bow then fell over the falls landing on my side. A harder hit than I wanted, but I paddled away. No problem. Tyree and Ryan fired up the middle line with style in quick succession. Alan took the left line making it look way too easy.

Ryan Cole taking the middle line at Sunset.

Alan on the left line at Sunset.

Tyree and Ryan taking in the scenery.

After Sunset, the river offers up some really fun class III rapids. Skypilot, Screaming Left, Dragons back and Hippie John's Swimming Hole all provided some great read and run excitement. (I didn't get any pictures of these rapids on this trip) The last major feature is Horseshoe Falls (22'). Tyree offered to go first taking door number 3. This is a very narrow entrance that lines you up for an effortless drop over the falls. Alan went next and made it look super easy as well. Ryan had his eyes set on coming in through door number 5. He slid through with a great boof. We were all a little surprised at how well the line worked out. I went last through door number 2 and plugged the drop. What a great falls. We finished the run and headed home.

Tyree takes on Horseshoe Falls.

Alan takes his turn at Horseshoe Falls.

Ryan trying door #5 at Horseshoe.

Here's a short video of the footage that Alan was able to capture on his camera. (Thanks Alan)

A Snow Filled Day on Canyon Creek,WA

2008-02-05T10:05:00.001-08:00

Dan Thurber takes flight at Hammering Spot with Champagne in the background

With low snow levels and not much water, we decided to do Canyon Creek again. Dan Thurber was in town and it was one of the only class IV runs with water and access that I could find to take him on. We were all a little surprised at the amount of snow when we arrived at the take out . The snow fell all day making for some difficult scouts. It was a great trip with the creek running about 6" below the unit. Mike Long grabs a few photos of the drop zone

The crew at the take out

You can see more pictures from the trip on Mike Long's site, Mike Long Photography.

TR: Canyon Creek, WA.

2008-01-28T12:11:00.001-08:00

With the local rivers running low because of the lack of rain and a low snow level, boating options have been limited. The decision was to do a low water run down Canyon Creek, WA. It's always been a fun run and given we had a relatively new boater coming along it seemed like a good fit. It turned out to be a beautiful day and a great run. (For those of you familiar with the run, the creek was running about 12" below the unit.)

Alex runs Prelude to Thrasher without a problem

Dropping into Thrasher

Markus throwing down at Thrasher

Big Kahuna was a lot of fun. This was going to be Markus's largest falls, 18' to 20' depending on flow, and the rest of us were interested to see how he would do. He cleaned it without any trouble. Great run Markus.

Alex showing us how it's done

Markus dropping in.

Markus at Champagne and Hammering Spot, a couple of 12' falls back to back.

Alex at Hammering Spot

Will Volpert

2008-01-23T16:18:00.000-08:00

I first met Will in the Grand Canyon, or there abouts, in 2007. Since then we have managed to fit in some exciting trips and I look forward to many more to come. So far we have made it down the Illinois River, the Grand Canyon, the Green Truss and the Upper Wind. Will usually fancies himself as a rafter, he's the only one that can get Danielle on the river, but I know there's a kayaker in there somewhere screaming to get out. I'll let you decide.

Back Home: Return from the Grand Canyon

2008-01-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

Nankoweap

Pictures are starting to come in from everyone and the video should be underway soon. Here are a few more pictures from the trip and a brief story. Check back often as I will continue to add pictures and video as I soon as I can.

Danielle and I at Havasu

Keith and DeeDee

The Power of Lava Falls or: How I Lost My Sock

Lava Falls is always exciting, however it was just a little more exciting than normal this time around. A couple of guys in the group weren't up to rowing through Lava so we had two brave volunteers step up to hike back up and run the boats through. Well, after a long wait, the first boat appeared just above the ledge hole and dropped in. Things went well at the start, but the boat ended up too far right, caught a wave and flipped. Nothing special for Lava, lots of boats flip here. However, as everyone jumps into action to go after swimmers and a flipped boat things don't make sense. As the oarsman climbs back onto the boat he looks incredibly pale, not the bright yellow of his drysuit. OHHH!!! HE'S NAKED!!! This now explains the long wait for the boats to come along, but wait, there's another boat coming and he appears naked too. Fortunately, the second raft makes it through without trouble. Some how, a throw rope appears floating right next to the boat the naked rafter throws it to shore and we pull in the boat above Little Lava. Of course, I know they are going to need help to flip the boat back over (it happens to be the kitchen boat). Unfortunately for Danielle, the only eddy I can catch is also were naked rafter #2 is stopped. So, I left Danielle to talk, take pictures and find something else to look at while I scramble up shore to help out. By the way, the first boat over to help rafter #1 is Will and Laura, the trip leader's 17 year old daughter. Well, this was supposed to be a learning experience, a Grand adventure to help her see the world and learn about life. I have a feeling it exceeded everyone's expectations. (We'll talk about the sauna later) Everything worked out well, the boat came back over easily and everyone got dry and warm without too much trouble. Oh, the guys were wearing socks they found on the boat as a last minute attempt at modesty though the river had other ideas. This brief description doesn't do the story justice, but here are a couple pictures.

Rafter #1 post Lava Falls

"What's everyone looking at?"

Rafter #2: "I make Lava look good"

Danielle and I enjoying the canyon

North Canyon

Sunset at South Canyon

Enjoying the Redwall

Danielle hiking Nankoweap Creek

Anasazi pottery shard near Nankoweap Creek

Danielle about to rule the world from an agave pit

Tanner Butte

The author hiking Shinumo Creek

The man that made this trip happen

Tappeats Creek

Thunder River as it emerges from the redwall

Thunder River heading towards Tapeats Creek

The author exploring Travertine Canyon

Danielle shows off her mad climbing skills in Travertine Canyon

Alan enjoying the water of Travertine Canyon

Sunrise on Christmas EveThe setting moon on Christmas Eve

Bighorn Sheep

Danielle and I at Elves Chasm

Sunset at Lower Bass Camp

Keith and DeeDee enjoying the canyon

Will and Laura at House Rapid

The author motoring out to Lake Mead

You can also read Dan Thurber's write up at Team Kettle Chips.

EF Lewis: Waterfall Section Video

2008-01-12T23:28:00.000-08:00

Salamanders and Updates

2007-10-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

Well, things have been busy lately and it has kept me from posting. This will be just a brief update and I hope to get some good trip reports up soon.

We finally got some good rainfall and I got one great weekend out on the local rivers. I didn't grab any photos, but it was a spectacular weekend. I thought I would post a few of my latest shots and let everyone know that I have created a Flickr account that will display most of my favorite pictures. It also has the advantage of being easily kept up to date. So, I hope you like the pictures and maybe I'll catch you out on the river. The boating season is under way.

Here's the link to the "Best Of" slideshow: Ryan Morgan's Best Shots
(I have also included a link on the blog for future use)

Dragons & Damsels

2007-10-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

I've been working on my macro photography this summer and here are some of the results. I found these guys to be a real challenge to photograph. I haven't been able to ID all of these, but if you have any suggestions please post a comment.

More Kayaking Blogs & Links

2007-09-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Kayak Attack
Liquid Kayak
Playak
Kayak Mind
Cali Product
Humbled By Water
Eddy Flower
Mike Long Photography
Oregon Paddling Blog
BRT Insights-Whitewater Kayaking
2006 IR Vacation to Hell
The Sublimity Life
Same Deep Water
Pacific Northwest Boater
This River Life
Team Swain
Wet Willie Blog
Beyond H2O
Wonder Midget
PDX River Explorers
Tales from the Rio
Mt. Hood H2O
WWIK Riverlog
This River Life
The Range Life
Jefferson State Creeking
The Water Cycle
PDX 2006 Film Festival
Oregon Paddling

Updated: Random Wanderings/Pictures

2007-09-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

Just some pictures from random small trips over the last couple weeks.

Click for more pictures

Finally, A good look through my eyes

2007-08-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

The inner view of the outside world as photographed by Danielle Morgan

This is my version of the point-n-click method

Smuggler Pee-wee Poker Ride

2007-08-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

Created by Danielle Morgan.
Click for more pictures.

Update: Gnome Plant

2007-08-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

Click for full write up and more pictures.

TR: Green Truss

2007-07-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

Click for more pictures and a full write up.

TR: North Santiam River

2007-07-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

Click for full write up and more pictures.

North Santiam: Packsaddle to Mill City

2007-07-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

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

David is up next

Nick takes his turn at Spencer's

Alex enjoys the sun below Spencer's

Smuggler 2007 Pee Wee Poker Ride

2007-07-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today my wife and I joined her aunt and uncle to take their grandkids to the Smuggler Pee-wee Poker Ride. The ride was held in Capital State Forest in Washington. Danielle, her aunt and myself drove around taking pictures and cheering while her uncle and the two kids, Jacob and Harmony, enjoyed the 6 mile ride. This was Jacob's first ride on his own and we were all a little nervous for him. He did great. It was a fun day and gave us all lots of memories. Jacob is 6 and Harmony is 4. Enjoy the photos. (I will add some of Danielle's soon)

White Salmon River: Green Truss

2007-07-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

Today, I finally made it down the Green Truss section of the White Salmon River. I have been wanting to do this run almost since I began kayaking not quite 3 years ago. After a little talking with some friends, Ryan Cole put together a trip and off we went. The river was running just shy of 2' on the stick at Husum and proved to be a great first time level. We had four people on the trip with everyone having at least one run down except for myself.

The put-in requires a little bit of a sketchy climb down a steep hill. We of course had our share of mishaps as two of the boats fell about 20' and took off down the river. Thanks to Tony who jumped in after them, we didn't have to go far to catch up to our boats. (Mine being one of them)

Once on the river, the action starts off fairly soon with some nice class III to IV. Some of the more notable drops were Elbow Basher, Meatball and Bob's Falls(10') before we came to the first big drop of the day, Big Brother(25'). Now, I had actually planned on walking this my first time down, but I was feeling good, the line looked good and I had just watched Tony clean it and Ryan C. go into the cave and paddle out without too much of a problem. I was a little concerned that the low flow would equal a hard impact and I've stayed clear of big drops since Alex's accident. This was after all a class V 25' falls with a technical lead in, shallow landing on the left that has ankle breaking potential and a cave on the right that if upright, didn't seem bad today. I gave it a go. My line wasn't the best, I ended up in the cave, but I did stay upright and paddled out without trouble. What a rush!

Ryan Cole firing up Big Brother
The author giving it a try
Next up was Little brother(14'). This has the reputation of being an easy falls. Everyone ran it while I took pictures. Gary had some trouble, but nothing serious. I fired it off, not thinking and through a right boof stroke. This effectively screwed up my line enough for the falls to pull me back in at the base and tumble me a couple times. I managed to surf my way out. What fun.

Gary on Little Brother with Big Brother in the background
Ryan Cole
We cruised down to the next big rapid, Double Drop(18'). This drop is a roll of the dice at best and the guide book lists it as a class V-V+. I had thought about portaging this before today as well, but I skeptically watched as everyone else gave it a try. Tony shot through without trouble. Then Ryan went and, well, he got caught in the bottom hole and took a ride. He eventually worked his way out, but swam in the end. Gary had a better line, flipped but shot through. I tried to follow Gary's line and had the same result.

Ryan Cole's run through Double Drop
Gary's run through Double Drop
Below Double drop was some easier water before the last big rapids that I planned on running, Upper and Lower Zigzag. Upper Zizag was a blast, just line up and hold on. This was a really fast rapid.

Tony probes Upper Zigzag
Lower Zigzag was not runnable due to some new wood that showed up this spring so we got to do a little climbing and a rappel back to the river. I don't have any real climbing experience so this proved to be just about as exciting as the river. The rappel was about 30' with the last 15' or so off of an overhang. It gave me the opportunity to use my Astral PFD as a harness and it worked surprisingly well. Below Lower Zigzag the river presents easy class IV before ending with BZ Falls, a nasty V+ waterfall(15'). Unfortunately for me, I was a bit tired and got a little lazy during the relatively easy water below Zigzag canyon. I ended up getting stuck in a very uniform hole and got some rodeo action. My paddle got ripped from my hands on the second time through and I had no choice but to swim. It took me awhile to get some air as both my boat and I were held in the hole and I couldn't get out from under the boat. I got out and with some help from the other guys we rounded up my boat and got back on the river.

We soon got to BZ Falls and we all shouldered our boats for the portage except for Tony. He ran a great line and made it through without too much trouble. Still, not a falls I have any desire to run. Anyway, the run lived up to my expectations and was a blast. I hope to get back soon.

Random Wanderings

2007-07-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from random small trips from the last couple weeks. I really took my time with many of these and felt like I got some really nice pictures as a result.

Molalla River
Bald-Faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata)

Oregon Tiger Beetle (Cicindela oregona)
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans)
Aquila Vista Educational Site: Molalla River Corridor
Pacific Treefrog (Hyla regilla)

Spotted Tussock Moth (Lophocampa maculata)
Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illota)
Metolius River
Spotted Tussock Moth (Lophocampa maculata)
Home
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Plasterer Bee (Colletes fulgidus)
Field Crescent (Phyciodes campestris)Western Yellow Jacket (Vespula pensylvanica)Pine Creek: Molalla River Corridor
Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophis ordinoides)

Butte LakesTule Bluet (Enallagma carunculatum)(I'm not sure what it found to eat, I couldn't make it out)Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illota) Common Whitetail or White-tailed Skimmer (Libellula (Plathemis) lydia)Memaloose Lake

Rattlesnake Orchid (Goodyera oblongifolia)

Gnome Plant

2007-07-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

This has proved to be a great summer for finding uncommon and rare flowers in Oregon for me. Thankfully my work keeps me in the forest most of the summer. I recently came across three different populations of a little known and rarely seen flower called Gnome Plant. Gnome Plant, Hemitomes congestum, is the rarest of the monotropoids. This is the same family as Indian Pipe and Pinesap. Besides being rare, it's incredibly small typically only standing 3 or 4 cm above the ground when flowering. It's range is also small existing from central California to southern British Columbia. According to the Botanical Society of America it is still unknown what insect pollinates Gnome Plant. It is also thought that the flowers are later eaten by an animal that disperses the seeds. However, it is uncertain as to what animal may feed on Gnome Plant.I also came across several examples of the pink variety of Pinesap, Monotropa hypopithys.

Update/Photo Dump

2007-07-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Things have been really busy lately so I haven't been able to update the site for awhile. I managed to get back to Table Rock twice, paddle the lower Wind and run Shipherds Falls, paddle the middle White Salmon, paddle the Clackamas and some other random hikes in the Molalla River corridor. Here are the pictures. (I'll add plant names and information as I get time)

Table Rock Wilderness

Corallorhiza maculata
(Western Coralroot, Uncommon)

Monotropa uniflora
(Indian Pipe or Ghost plant, Rare)

Monotropa hypopithys

(Pinesap, Uncommon)Lilium washintonianum
(Washington lily, Uncommon)

Grande Ronde River 2007

2007-07-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

This June provided a unique trip. For the first time that I can remember, my father and all his brothers along with my brother, Todd, went on a trip together. Last year my father joined me and a few friends on a 3 day float down the Grande Ronde River.

Put-In at Minam

It quickly became a family favorite and so as this spring approached this years return trip began to come together. With some planning and help from my dad and my brother we made our way to Minam to join up with the rest of the group.

Lunch Break

We ended up with 9 people in all counting my friend Dave that had joined as a second kayaker and a few more family members that decided to join us. We spent the first night at Minam State Park before putting on the river.

Sheep Creek Camp

It didn't take too long to rig up the boats and get underway. We quickly realized, to no surprise, that we were a little overloaded only having two 14' rafts and two kayaks for 9 people. I had wanted to take 3 rafts, but I was unable to secure one in time. Nonetheless, we headed down river with my dad running his raft and my brother running the rental. Todd did great even though he hasn't ran a boat in almost 15 years. Not only was the boat heavy with gear and three passengers, but the river had dropped early this year leaving a minimal flow of 1800 cfs. This created a much more technical run than what we had encountered last year at 3500 cfs . We cruised down river to Sheep Creek for our first nights camp. What a great camp. There was a good kitchen area, plenty of room for tents and a great fishing hole just upstream on the other side of the river. The cook group got into action and we had a great dinner. There was some animosity and about the groover system, a new experience for most I take it, but all went well. After dinner I did some exploring and found some flowers that I have been looking to photograph this spring. The next day brought us to my favorite section of the Grande Ronde valley. This is prime country for wildlife and some incredible scenery. As the day wore on, people on Todd's boat were getting a little cramped so they asked me to find a place to take a break. I searched for awhile, not really finding anything that I liked until I finally spotted a shoreline I felt the rafts could make with some shade. Shortly after the rafts pulled in and everyone found a spot to rest under the shade of a big Douglas Fir and take in the beauty of the canyon, we had an incredible wildlife moment.
As we sat under the tree, across the river a moose wandered down the hill to the waters edge. Now, some of us had thought it to be a slim possibility of seeing a moose on the trip while others simply thought the idea completely impossible. Indeed, this was a discussion the previous night. In any case, we now had the good fortune of seeing one of the few moose in Oregon.

At first we moved cautiously so as to get a couple picture before it would inevitably leave. After ten minutes or so and everyone getting a picture the moose had other plans. It stepped into the water. It began to cross the river and it was coming right at us! A little bit of confusion set in as this was very unexpected.

The moose continued to cross in magnificent form without any trouble. It came up on the shore not 50' away, seemingly turned and posed for a picture, then headed on down the shoreline and into the forest. What an amazing sight!

"So there really are moose in Oregon"

That night we had planned on camping at Big Tree, but we found the camp occupied and so we floated down another mile or so to camp for the night. It turned out to be a nice camp and worked well. The cook group for this night made a great chicken fajita dinner and we found ourselves having another great night on the river.

The next day we headed down river towards our last camp of the trip and one that we had stayed at last year. Potter Bar is a great camp and is the location of an old homestead. There are no buildings left, but there are various pieces of farm equipment and trees that were planted by the homesteaders.

The most obvious and beloved are the three large Catulpa trees the line the beach.

This camp has it all. Easy offloading of gear, excellent shade, nice tent site, great kitchen site, a fishing hole across the river and some local history and artifacts thrown in. This was a great last night on the river. This camp and the river certainly did not disappoint.

Our final day brought us to the town of Troy were we pulled the boats apart and headed our separate ways. It was truly a great trip and I hope we are able to get together again next year for another trip.

Table Rock Wilderness

2007-06-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

This week afforded me the opportunity to take some kids into the Table Rock Wilderness. We had been working on a SOLV site all week removing Himalayan Blackberry and English Ivy and were in need of a break. We typically schedule educational days into our work schedule and this was a perfect time to head into the Table Rock Wilderness. We had a great hike and the flowers were amazing. I managed to grab a few shots during the trip of some of the flowers we encountered. Enjoy.

Calochortus subalpinus
(Subalpine mariposa lily, Uncommon)

Corallorrhiza mertensiana
(Western coralroot or Merten's coralroot, Uncommon)

Polemonium carneum
(Salmon polemonium, Royal polemonium, or Great Jacob's ladder, Locally common)

Eupeodes lapponica
(Flower fly, Common)

Pterospora andromedea
(Pine-drops, Common)

Bombus vosnesenskii
(Yellow-faced bumble bee, Common)

Corallorrhiza maculata
(Spotted coralroot, Locally common)

(Lupine)

Polygonum bistortoides
(Western bistort or American bistort, Common)
Cosmosalia chrysocoma
(Yellow velvet long-horned beetle, Common)

Pedicularis contorta
(Coiled-beak lousewort, Uncommon)

Allotropa virgata
(Sugarstick or Candystick, Locally common)

Xerophyllum tenax
(Bear grass, Common)

Headed back.

Family Falls

2007-06-02T22:35:00.000-07:00

Today we set out to get a second look at Family Falls. This is a series of waterfalls discovered by Maynard Drawson. Following his writings about his discovery, we set out to retrace his footsteps a couple years ago. The trip was great, but we failed to get many good pictures. So, after waiting far too long, we finally got back on the trail and revisited Family Falls.

The falls were named after Maynard's children and his friend, Jerry Morey, that had joined him on the adventure totaling 8 falls in all. There is no trail beyond the first falls and requires some thinking to ascend to the next falls in the series. (Rather than trying to describe this waterfall wonderland in great detail I would direct you to Maynard's description of his discovery)

The first falls of the trip is Henline Falls dropping 90'. There is also a mine shaft to the right of the falls. On our first trip we explored the mine shaft to its end.

Henline Falls

After some steep and loose scrambling, we reached the top of Henline Falls and proceeded to Jerry Falls. Henline and Jerry falls are the farthest apart of all the falls. Jerry Falls stands at 79' and is named after the man that had joined Maynard on the trip.

Jerry Falls

Above Jerry Falls is my favorite series of falls of the trip. Mark falls is the first waterfall with Dan falls above it in the distance. It's one of the best waterfalls I have seen. Mark Falls is 29' while Dan Falls is 58' tall.

Mark Falls with Dan Falls behind

Dan Falls

Beyond Dan Falls, we climbed on to Ron and Dave Falls. Ron Falls is perhaps the most interesting of the group. To ascend above Ron Falls to the base of Dave Falls requires passing through what Maynard's children affectionately referred to as Maynard's Cave. This can be a challenge to find and other groups have been unsuccessful in their attempts. After some careful review of Maynard's writings and searching the area, we finally stumbled onto it on our first trip. However, we did not get any pictures.

Ron Falls with Dave Falls in the distance

Ron Falls 37'

Dan after coming through Maynard's Cave

Dave Falls 40'

After Dave falls the creek mellows out briefly as you work your way to Deanna's Slide. Deanna's Slide is a sloping 12' falls.

Scotty taking a look at Deanna's Slide

Above Deanna's Slide is Jackie Falls is Jackie Falls. This falls drops 23' through a narrow crack in the cliff. Being a little adventurous, we chose to climb the falls to the base of Steve Falls.

Jackie Falls

The author on a previous trip climbing Jackie Falls

Todd makes his way with Dan and Scotty looking on

Steve Falls is the last of the Family Falls standing at 55'.

After Steve Falls is a tough climb back up to a trail that leads back to the car. I also spotted some Spotted Coralroot along the trail on the way back.

It was a great trip. The lighting wasn't that great for pictures, but at least now we have some.

Todd

2007-06-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

What can you say, he's my brother. We have been doing trips and exploring the Pacific Northwest together for a long time. Todd is a mechanical engineer and brings a methodical and calculated approach to our trips. He also is just tough. I've always had a hard time out-hiking him.

Grande Ronde River 2007
Family Falls
Olympic National Park
SF Clackamas Exploratory Hike
Mt. Rainier & the Wonderland Trail
Mt. Adams Climb
Middle Sister Climb
Table Rock
South Sister Climb: A Mountain Revisisted
South Sister Climb

Hiking Trips

2007-06-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

Abiqua Falls
Apparition Falls
Family Falls
Gnome Plant/Table Rock Wilderness
SF Clackamas Exploratory Hike
Table Rock Wilderness
Hiking in the Olympic National Park
Updates/Photo Dump
Winter on the Molalla
Wonderland Trail and Mt. Rainier
Valley of the Giants

Dan

2007-06-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

Dan and I went to high school together and have pretty much been doing adventures ever since. Whenever an adventure has presented itself, he has always been game. Dan has always been great with pulling the planning side of things together. He finds the maps, comes up with great meals and overall helps plan our trips. He currently is developing his climbing skills, something that our team has lacked in years past and is a welcome addition.

Dan's blog is My Greatest Adventures.

Family Falls
Olympic National Park
SF Clackamas Exploratory Hike
Mt. Rainier & the Wonderland Trail
Pine Creek
Mt. Adams Climb
Table Rock
Mt. St. Helens: Ape Caves
Middle Sister Climb
South Sister Climb

What's New

2007-05-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't been able to get out much lately except for a few short hikes and a couple runs down the Clackamas. I just completed my Wilderness First Responder course. I have to say that I am glad I took it and I would highly advise anyone who does a fair amount of back country travel to take it. One of my classmates shot some video and I will see if I can post some of it here. I hope to have some new trip reports soon. I have also updated the photography section, specifically Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest.

I did manage to get down the Farmlands section of the White Salmon recently. Here are a few shots from that trip.