S2.13 Buena Vista to Independence

 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 concrete chunks, with a waterfall just up the ravine. There was some more concrete pieces along the top edge of the bank, and just downriver from this spot, there was the remains of a very old car, partially caught on a tree trunk growing from the bank. 


There are a few small rapids, enough to make it difficult to paddle upstream, but nothing remarkable. Just enough to make some cool river sounds, and a short burst of speed.





We got in the river just after 2pm, and this float took about 3 hours, which means the sun was starting to get low. There was no other boats that we saw on the river until we were near the Independence bridge. It was a quiet, beautiful float on a gorgeous day, that may be our last float of the season. It's nice that we have this beautiful natural resource available to us so close to home. 


Our ride was waiting for us when we arrived, so after getting our truck, we ended our float with a traditional dinner out. 

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