Kayaking and Hiking Adventures

 We had not floated this stretch of the Willamette before. Normally, when  we put in at Buena Vista Park , we would pedal upstream to the Luckiamute River and float back downriver so we didn't have to shuttle. Today we decided to float downstream, with a shuttle car in Independence. Our other kayaker ended up not being able to come, so, since we had already unloaded everything, we scrambled to find a ride after our float. Once we had someone lined up, we launched downriver.   The park at Buena Vista was closed much of the summer for renovation. I'm not sure what happened, but apparently the contractor fell through. The lower lot is now gravel instead of paved, but the rest of the park is no different, and the boat ramp was still accessible. This stretch of the Willamette is not very different from other stretches downriver. It is a bit wilder, with fewer roads along the river, so not much road noise. There are a few farms and houses along the way. This spot had a large pile of

 Our intention was to put in at Wallace Marine Park in downtown Salem, and float to Spong's Landing in Keizer. However, when we went to drop off our car, it was apparent that there is not a boat ramp at Spong's Landing. You could carry lighter kayak's down to the river, but it's a long haul for heavier craft. So, instead we dropped the car off at Keizer Rapids , and headed back to Wallace to launch. The boat ramp is very nice here, with a small dock and plenty of parking. The only bathroom near the ramp, however, is a nasty port a potty. While Wallace is smack dab in the middle of Salem (okay, more to the West, but close...) it doesn't take long to get away from busy road noise. There weren't too many people on the river, probably because we put in pretty late in the afternoon, almost 4pm.  There was quite a bit of wildlife, including this heron which took flight when we got too close. We saw several heron, jumping fish, ducks, and hawks. But the scenery is alw

 We've been hearing about the Willamette Narrows for quite a while, now, so we finally took the opportunity to check it out. We put in at Bernert Landing , in Willamette Park, in Oregon City. The park has a nice boat ramp, but it looks like most kayakers use an old ramp before you get to the new one. You do have to carry your boat a bit, but there's 2 parking areas nearby, so it's not a bit deal. The park has nice bathrooms, picnicking and a play area. Bernert Landing is at the mouth of the Tualatin River, and it is a very calm place to put in. There was a lot of weeds and ducks, both getting in the way. There's not much of a current when you get into the Willamette either, at least not late in the summer when we were there. There were a lot of paddle boarders present, and they had no trouble with paddling upstream.  We stayed on the right (West) side of the river as we headed upstream, and soon came to the first narrows between a small island and the bank. This stretc