Willamette River Paddle

 Saturday, we participated in a nine mile paddle down the Willamette River.  We were joined by our friends Bob and Mary.  The paddle was sponsored by Willamette River Keepers and Oregon State Parks.  They provided canoes, paddles, and life jackets and the event was entirely free.  28 people signed up, many bringing their own vessels.

The weather was perfect!  The two rangers in the canoe are transporting a wheel chair for a man with paraplegia who paddled his own kayak.

Ahoy, Bob and Mary!

We made several stops along the way. Here a ranger talks about this primitive campsite.  They have over 90 campsites along the river, but you can also camp on the gravel bars.  It's kind of like backpacking except you can load up your canoe with a lot more stuff.

Here we are beached on a gravel bar.  The rangers and two River Keeper folks shared a lot of information along the way.  We learned about the native mussels, invasive water plants, "secret" swimming holes in abandoned quarries, and other recreational opportunities.

After the paddle from Corvallis to Albany and about 4 hours on the water, we had a picnic before heading home.

🚣