July 19, 2001

Sand Island, Mouth of the Columbia River

John Haide and his 12-year-old son Matt paddled their snappy-lookin' Folbot Super around Sand Island at the mouth of the Columbia River yesterday. I was a tag-along, and much gratified to be there. Mild drizzle (Oregon sunshine) gave way gradually to real sunshine over our paddle, which began at the ramp at Ft. Canby State Park. Dodging a couple CG vessels engaged in drills, we scuttled down the channel to the main river, "waked" now and then by the many salmon fishers and the occasional commercial vessel.

As we cleared Jetty A (base of the river "bar"), the River was in full flood, so we wended our way upriver along the S side of Sand Island. The island is a relict of Oregon almost inset in a hook of land at the extreme SW tip of Washington, and is separated from the rest of Oregon by a mile and a half-wide waterway. This strange arrangement came about as Sand Island moved, in response to the action of the jetties, northward, pushing the old "North Channel" toward the WA shore and taking the OR/WA border with it. Nowadays, the old "South Channel" is the only viable channel for shipping.

In days gone past, the shoreline was a hot spot for horse seining for salmon, but there were no horses or seine nets around on this day. Terns smacked the water in search of smolts, brown pelicans floated overhead, and a forest of murres dove around us in search of bait fish below. Small swells bounced ashore, with John and Matt well outside. I got too smart for my britches and was wetted by a larger than average one, because I was paddling too close to the break line. Guess that's what paddle jackets are for!

Eventually we rounded the last pile dike on the upstream end, paddling back towards the ocean so the flood current did not trap us against the pilings. Ashore, binoculars revealed an enormous cormorant nesting colony on the next island east. We dawdled and ate, basking in the sun (what do you call the first sunny day after two days of rain in Oregon? Monday!).

Back in the boats and off with the heavy clothing as we paddled shallows and skimmed by the shore to the northwest, eventually rounding the N end of the island. Enroute, there was an old winch on a barge, a memory of the cable ferry that relayed supplies to the island, and salmon to the Washington shoreline.

At the ramp, lots of folks were curious about John's Super, and one older man was amazed that it could be sailed.

A great day.
---
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR

Copyright 2001 by Dave Kruger.
May not be reproduced or redistributed without author's permission.
Originally posted on Paddlewise mailing list on 7/19/2001.
Republished here with permission.