Dane and Lynda Kayak

Time: 2.92 hours Distance: 8.96 miles We put into Yale Lake at Yale Lake Park, WA late in a sunny and calm morning. We paddled South, into Siouxon Creek and as far up as we could go before hitting the creek proper. The day got a bit more cloudy during the second half of the paddle but the winds were very light and we got no rain. The mild weather and lack of traffic on the lake made for a very pleasant paddle. Lynda preparing to put in. Lynda paddling on Yale Lake. Lynda paddling under the bridge at the entry of Siouxon Creek. Lynda on Siouxon Creek looking at a small waterfall. Lynda pausing near the end of the navigable water on Siouxon Creek. The end of the road on Siouxon Creek. Lynda and Dane just before heading back. Siouxon Creek. Lynda paddling back down Siouxon Creek. Lynda paddling back towards Yale Park and the get out.

Time: 2.25 hours Distance: 7.86 miles We put into Multnomah Channel at Gilbert Boat Ramp on Sauvie Island OR on an overcast morning, paddled up-river for just over an hour and then turned back. Though the weather wasn't the greatest with intermittent rain and some wind the river was totally empty and peaceful. Along the way we got to see four Bald Eagles sparing with each other over the water. We'd seen quite a number of Bald Eagle in previous trips but we'd never seen them behaving in this way. They would "fight" in the air diving each other and screeching then fly low above the water back and forth over the river. One even decided to try and prey on a small water foul that was floating in the water. Every time he'd dive down the smaller bird would just duck under the water only to pop back up after the Eagle had flown by. We watched this behavior for several minutes before moving on. Lynda preparing to put in. She wasn't in the mood to have her picture t...

Time: 2.83 hours Distance: 8.86 miles We put into the Trask River at Carnahan Park in Tillamook, OR on another day with rain and high winds forecast and another King Tide. We thought the incoming King Tide would slow the flow of the river but the Trask was flowing fairly fast and it got faster as we went up-river. We paddled several miles up-river before turning back. Near the end we took a detour down the Trask Slough before finally heading to our get-out. Lynda gearing up and preparing to put in. Lynda going around a small island on the way up-river. Lynda paddling up-river in the rain. Got to stay hydrated. Dane paddling under a bridge on the way back down-river. Dane paddling by a large tree on the Trask Slough.

Time: 3 hours Distance: 9.16 miles We put into the Tillamook River at Memaloose Point in Tillamook, OR and headed up river on a day with a weather forecast for rain and winds from 10-15 mph. Additionally King Tides were coming in at the Oregon coast and the tide charts called for a high-tide of +8 feet. We put-in three hours before high-tide and so witnessed the full effect of its reach.  The first part of the paddle was pleasant with no rain and little wind but that changed as we neared the Hwy 131 bridge where the wind picked up considerable. Over the next hour we paddled into fairly consistent 10 mph winds with intermittent showers. More than once we almost turned back. As we moved up river the winds subsided and the rain was light. We turned back at the bridge on Tillamook River Rd and the paddle remained pleasant for the next hour. Shortly before the Hwy 131 bridge, where the up-river wind had been the worst, we were hit by a hail storm and wind gusts of 25+ mph. The next 20 m...