Touring
joe.hoffmann114@gmail.com
Santa Cruz Rowing Club’s Willamette River Rowing Tour 2022 REPORT
Willamette River Rowing Tour since 2003
On Labor Day Weekend in 2003 a team of ten rowers from the Santa Cruz Rowing Club undertook the first Willamette River Rowing Tour, rowing from Independence to Scappoose at the Multnomah Channel in Oregon. SCRC rowers have enjoyed this beautiful river since then. For the first ten years we visited the Willamette River bi-annually and since 2015 the tour has alternated bi-annually between the European Rowing Tour and the Willamette River Rowing Tour.
This year’s tour was the 8th Willamette River Rowing Tour, where twelve rowers, four kayakers and two accompanying spouses joined the tour. We rowed from Buena Vista near Independence to Champoeg State Park near Wilsonville. This is a summary of our journey through the Willamette Valley in Oregon in June of 2022 by Joe Hoffmann.
Participants:
Karen Carlson Teresa Scrodin Elizabeth Gummere Ole Dam Kofoed Diana Garrett
Dan Garrett
Margaret Niven
Tim Kelly
Kristina Martin
Gerard Martin
Star Wood
Tim Wood
Jürgen Hoffmann
Jay Hicks
Irene Hoffmann
Joe Hoffmann
Accompanying Spouses: Marilyn Schultz and Jake Higgins
Drive-up to the Willamette
On the first Friday in June, under the guidance of Beth and Karen, we loaded nine rowing boats and two kayaks onto the boat trailer and the roof rack of Karen’s 4Runner for the drive up North to the Willamette River.
The next morning Saturday, some friends send us off to our adventure in Oregon. We drove via the East Bay onto Highway 5 and up to Ashland for an overnight stop at the Windsor Inn where we had lodged many times before. For dinner we went to the “Brickroom” for a casual dinner with excellent food and a friendly service. For the conclusion of the evening, each team member received a gift from Diana and Dan in the form of a towel with an imprint of the map of the Willamette River. Many thanks to Diana and Dan for the nice gifts.
On Sunday morning, we continued driving up Highway 5 to Albany from where we crossed into the beautiful countryside and drove on to the small town of Buena Vista. Here, at the bank of the Willamette River, all participants met to unload the boats. Our first impression of the Willamette was concerning since we could observe a strong currents due to heavy rains in the previous three weeks. Fortunately the weather forecast promised no rain for the coming days.
A short drive along the Willamette River brought us to Salem where we checked into our hotel, the Shilo Inn, where we had stayed many times before.
For dinner we visited the nearby pizzeria, where all of us gathered to eat our first dinner together. We enjoyed a variety of delicious pizzas, pastas and salads.
Day 1 - Buena Vista to Salem - 18.5 Miles Entering a Raging River
As forecasted, the heavy rain subsided, but occasional showers and over casted skies lingered on. Getting the boats on the river in Buena Vista was a slow process since only a small ramp was available to launch one boat at a time. First the kayaks and then the doubles followed by the singles. Jay, who helped most rowers to launch their boats, was the last one to get his boat on the water.
Very soon we noticed that the strong current was moving our boats faster than we had experienced during previous tours. We measured river current of more than ten miles an hour. Very little muscle power was needed to row, but extra caution and good boat handling was required to avoid obstacles such as fallen trees and debris in the water. After rowing less than an hour, we passed the River Road Bridge at the entrance to the small town of Independence. The underside of the bridge was covered with swallow bird nests where the birds were flying in and out to feed their young. A calm jetty at the Independence boat ramp made for an easy landing and after securing the boats we walked up to the Riverview Park for the obligatory group picture at the water fountain. Most of us followed Dan’s advice to take lunch at the outdoor patio of the new riverside hotel “The Independence” where the food and cocktails were delicious and the service was friendly. We might visit this hotel and restaurant again at future Willamette tours.
The afternoon row started with an easy launch from Independence and soon we reached the outskirts of Salem along the eastern riverbank. We reached the overnight landing site for the day, the Salem Yacht and Boat Club in record time due to the strong river current. Mr. Tom Meinzer, who has been our host during previous tours, welcomed us at the club’s river shore. We placed our boats on a meadow up from the river and some of us played a round of Frisbee while waiting for our transportation to the hotel.
For dinner we visited the nearby Olive Garden Restaurant for a good pasta dinner, excellent service, and enjoyed the company of the entire team.
Day 2 – Salem to Wheatland Ferry - 15 Miles The Bridges Of Salem
On a bright and sunny Tuesday morning, our friend Tom Meinzer from the Salem Yacht and Boat Club gave us a friendly send-off to our next destination: Wheatland Ferry which is located in an area of the Willamette Valley called the French Prairie. While getting into the daily rowing routine on the straight first four river miles, we reached the downtown Salem Riverfront. There we paused for a short break near an anchored paddle wheeler to review how to navigate the strong currents between the pillars of the upcoming three bridges and then it was off to the races. After passing the bridges without an incident, we were rewarded with a gentle row along the beautiful riverfront homes in the town of Keizer. The Keizer Rapids were easy to pass due to the high water level, but swift maneuvering was required to avoid the big boulders in the downstream left side of the river. The high water level and strong current prevented us from landing at the pre-determined lunch landing site but Jay found a safe landing site a short distance downstream. It was a delightful spot with a picnic bench and wheat fields, walnut orchards and forests, all around us. We enjoyed this luncheon very much and Jay was declared the hero of the day for finding this beautiful lunch break location.
The five mile afternoon row proceeded as planned and soon we reached Wheatland Ferry. Here we landed at the boat ramp and stored the boats under the trees of the Boat Launch Park. The ride back to the hotel was delayed since the taxi had a hard time reaching us but we used the time for some friendly chats and another round of Frisbee.
For dinner we followed Teresa’s and Karen’s recommendation and walked to the Continental City Grill across the street from our hotel. The food was so delicious that we thanked the kitchen personnel with a standing ovation for the wonderful dinner.
Day 3 – Wheatland Ferry to San Salvador State Park – 16 Miles A Rescue Team Mission
We launched from Wheatland Ferry for an eight mile morning row to the predetermined lunch break site at “Stone Throw Beach”. Short before the lunch landing site, the river splits into four channels. Each channel required a different approach to pass safely through it. Most rowers chose the river right channel which carried the strongest current, but also contained debris from fallen trees and washed out bushes. The first group landed for lunch at an island within this river delta. The second group continued down the river for a few hundred yards and landed at Stone Throw Beach. Across from the first group, in the river right channel, Jay got entangled between tree branches that were washed up near the river bank. While trying to row out of this “snatch”, the strong river current broke his boat into two parts. The sound of the breakup could be heard throughout the river valley. Luckily, Jay was able to swim within a jetty to the nearby river bank. Our hero of the day Karen called 911 for a rescue mission. A Yamhill County Sherriff’s Boat was dispatched from Newberg and reached us within an hour and we directed the deputies to the accident location. After a few attempts they were able to reach Jay and lifted him onto the rescue boat. After leaving the rescue scene, they landed at Stone Throw Beach to pick up Jay’s broken Wintech Boat which Teresa and Gerard had recovered from the river. We thanked the rescue team for their efforts and waved Jay off on his rescue boat ride to Newberg where his wife Marilyn was anxiously waiting for him. Despite the seriousness of the situation, while waiting for the rescue boat, we found time to explore the surroundings of Stone Throw Beach, collected some beautiful river pebbles, and staged a river stone skipping contest.
The eight miles afternoon row went smoothly and we reached San Salvador State Park with no further difficulties. Good teamwork made for a fast landing even though only a narrow boats ramp was available and the river current was still very strong. We placed the boats in a grassy area above the
riverbank. San Salvador State Park has a reputation for being visited by trouble-makers at night and therefore we left the boats in the safety of a hired overnight guard.
For dinner, some of us visited Elmer’s Restaurant. A family oriented diner where we enjoyed hearty portions of comfort food and the friendly service was much appreciated after such an eventful day.
Day 4 – San Salvador State Park to Champoeg State Park – 11 Miles Pay Back Day
Before launching the boats, we decided that this would be the last day of rowing for this tour since heavy rain was forecasted for the next day. A short distance downstream from San Salvador State Park, the Willamette turned into a wide river and the current had slowed down significantly. Finally we had time to relax since it was easy to navigate the slow moving river. We used this opportunity to row our boats gently down the stream, enjoyed the scenery, and sung a few songs along the way. Beth, Karen, and Margaret serenaded the beautiful river and the rest of us listened with much joy and excitement. Soon we reached Newberg where we landed at Rodgers Landing for lunch. The rainclouds started to build up and while we enjoyed our lunch in the park, we had to move beneath the big trees to escape the first showers. While overseeing the river, we saw how an Eagle scooped up a fish from the river and then flew up onto the trees to enjoy its own luncheon.
A light rain accompanied us during the six miles row to Champoeg State Park and then stopped just on time for landing at the boat ramp. Here the tour ended with a “Grand Finale” in the form of an art class conducted by two team members and distinguished artists Margaret and Gerard. Gerard started the session with an introduction into water color composition on landscapes, while Margaret introduced us to portrait drawing. We ended the art class with an exhibition of our drawings and paintings. Many thanks to Margaret and Gerard for their efforts and special thanks to Gerard for organizing the art class and for providing the equipment and materials.
In the evening the rain showers poured heavily while we drove again to the nearest Olive Garden Restaurant to enjoy another delicious pasta dinner.
Day 5 – Uploading the boats onto the trailer A Rainy Day
Friday morning was scheduled for loading the boats onto the trailer for the return trip. The morning started with a group of text messages, stating that some team members had fallen sick and tested positive for COVID. To clarify the health status of our team, Irene and I went to the nearest drugstore to purchase several COVID test-kits. After distributing the kits, the results showed that eight out of sixteen team members tested positive for COVID.
Regardless of the individual team members COVID status, everyone who felt capable to help with loading the boats onto the trailer, put on their face mask and joined the team at Champoeg State Park. By that time the weather forecast came true and the rain showers started pouring. When all boats were loaded onto the trailer and secured, we said goodbye to the participants who wanted to get an early start on their drive home.
The evening dinner was held at the nearby Continental Grill, and for the last time we raised our glasses and said our goodbyes to the beautiful Willamette River.
Return Drive to Santa Cruz via Moss Landing
Return Drive to Santa Cruz via Moss Landing
On Saturday, the remaining team, including the trailer party and a support team got on the road on time for the drive back to Ashland. Heavy rain accompanied us on our drive through the Willamette Valley and Klamath Mountains. We reached Ashland in the early afternoon and everyone went out for dinner separately.
On Sunday, the rain and heavy overcast followed us all the way through the Siskiyou Mountains, the Northern Central Valley and the Bay Area. We arrived in Moss Landing in the late afternoon where a team of participants was waiting for us to help with the unloading of the first group of boats. Then we drove on to Santa Cruz where another team was waiting for us to help with unloading the last two boats and kayaks. Finally Karen and Teresa returned the empty trailer to the RV and Boat storage near the harbor. Many thanks to Karen and Teresa for all their efforts to bring the club boats and the trailer to the Willamette and back. We could have not undertaken the tour without their support.
As a strong team, we overcame many challenges during this adventure but more importantly we enjoyed rowing and kayaking this beautiful river and we enjoyed each other’s company. A warm thanks to all participants. We shall do this again, maybe under more favorable circumstances.
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PREVIOUS TOUR PHOTOS
The Santa Cruz Rowing Club arranges group tours to a variety of locations. Recent trips have included the Willamette River valley and a tour of the Thames and Weser rivers in Europe.