12/19/2020 - Willamette River, San Salvador Boat Launch, St. Paul, OR

Time: 1.84 hours
Distance: 3.72 miles

We put into the Willamette River at San Salvador Boat Launch just outside of St. Paul, OR. The river was running very fast and it was the heaviest sustained flow we'd ever kayaked in. It took us just over an hour and a half to paddle 1.86 miles up-river where we finally gave up and headed back. The return trip took only 16 minutes and we calculated our return speed at around 7 mph. On the way up-river we were having to stop about every 15 minutes after what was close to a total sprint to make only a couple hundred yards. There were several spots (including where we gave it up) where we could just barely make forward progress. Additionally, at one point, both of us got our kayaks stuck on trees that had fallen in the river as we tried to take an easier route near the bank.

Lynda preparing to put in.

A short video taken on our first rest which shows the current we were fighting.

Lynda taking a short rest in a small calm area right after we had both been stuck.