September 1, 1997

Last Day of Summer

The sun and balmy air lead us on -- hoping for a last-of-summer overnight paddle on the Columbia River. We got it. Becky and I rolled out of town at the amiable hour of 11 am and launched at Aldrich Point an hour later, trading gossip with duck hunters at the ramp -- getting their shacks ready for the opener next week. Our launch time hit the tail end of the ebb, which swept us across the river and down a mile or so to Jim Crow Point, less than an hour's paddling/drifting in the sunshine, an 8 knot easterly breeze at our backs. "Gap" outflow winds to 15 knots were predicted, so we were a little leery of getting trapped across the river on the WA side. Skirting the eddyline below the point, we slid ashore, astounded that no one else had preceded us.

The previous night's high tide (an 8 footer) had outlined the safe camping area, and we debated whether to pitch in the "front yard" of the frequently-visiting steelhead fisherman, who had made a roomy shack from dryer felt inherited from the local pulp mill. Five inches of rain fell here over the past week, renewing the sand, logs, and our sittin' spots. We set to, pitching tent, laying out cooking gear, and yarding yaks above the tide line. Then time to lay in the sun, swim a little, watch the River traffic (no freighters!), hit the Guinness some, maybe a couple of corn chips, and, yes, please pass the sunscreen, I AM feeling a little red!

After a little afternoon entertainment, it was time to fire up the vegie-slicer and the wok, as the wind dropped and the temperature hit 80 (this is fall?). Yumm! Seasoned mashed potatoes topped with stir-fried cajun pork strips and vegies! Too much to eat, can't tolerate the thought of dessert! Loll around, dodge the freighter and tug wakes, try to raise a tacking sailboat on the VHF, as it drifts towards dusk. At dark, a monster tanker obliterated the lights on the opposite shore, ghosting by quietly downbound, the VHF announcing preparations for a pilot exchange an hour (and 15 miles) hence, off the Astoria waterfront.

Midnight bladder breaks revealed a brilliant half moon and a heron grokking along overhead. Morning came on with 10 plus knots of downriver breeze, over our heads and off the point, with the eddyline really cranking! Breakfast was slow, with double hits of coffee as we watched bait fish flash in the shallows and a tern patrolled overhead. The VHF was out of entertainment. Some dragger offshore had 16 nailed with an open mike -- we could hear the noises of his reel and hydraulics work the net back aboard.

Time to shove off -- this wind is brisk! Quartering against it and the heavy downriver current, we worked our way across the shipping channel to Woody Island, taking the downstream end to avoid the wind. A stop at the float house where the kitty lives revealed her owners were home -- processing comb honey from hives set on the islands! A brief rest and slog, slog through the shallow channels, reaching the launch point in twice the time the reverse trip took yesterday!

83 degrees at the weather station yesterday. When is winter?
---
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR

Copyright 1997 by Dave Kruger.
May not be reproduced or redistributed without author's permission.
Originally posted on WaveLength mailing list in Sept. 1997.
Republished here with permission.