I had been watching the weather, waiting to kayak again. My opportunity finally came up! I loaded my kayak on my car and headed to Foster Lake. The weather was perfect. My entire kayak adventure was fantastic!
During the winter months, the water level is kept low. Therefore, the only boat ramp that is usable is at Sunnyside County Park. This was the 3rd or 4th time I’ve gone at this time of the year, but I’m always surprised at just how low the lake is during this time of the year.
I paid my $7.00 park fee at the kiosk as I entered and headed down to the ramp. (FYI-the kiosk only accepts debit or credit cards). Again, it’s so different here when the lake is so low. The boat ramp seemed forever long as I backed my car down to remove my kayak.
The water color was nothing close to normal. But, that was mostly near the boat ramp. The further I ventured away, the clearer the water became.
Today’s journey I decided I would turn right from the boat dock and head west. I decided I wanted to kayak all the way around to see the other area I’ve previously used to launch, the Calkins Boat Ramp.
One of the most startling sights throughout my journey was all of the rocks and trees protruding from the bottom and sides of the lake. It was amazing! This isn’t something I’ve ever imagined when kayaking there in the summer months. As I paddled along the shore line, I had to keep a vigilant watch for obstacles in the water. And yet, they were beautiful. As I entered the main body of the lake and began my route in a southerly direction, there, in stark contrast, was a huge land area that is normally completely underwater.
The land area was littered with tree stumps and they were HUGE! I paddled slowly as I was completely enamored with the scenery. The size of some of the stumps was just amazing! It made me think about just how big those trees were before they were cut down. I want to point out again that during the busy summer months when the lake is full, you have no idea any of this is there. So, go check it out now!!!
I continued my journey around all these sights. I want to mention that I was the ONLY one on the entire lake that day. So, the water was like glass throughout my journey. It was amazing.
I finally paddled around to the furthest southeast side and the location of the Calkins Boat Ramp. In a word – WOW! I stopped by there in my vehicle on my way out to Sunnyside Park and it’s pretty amazing to see from atop the boat ramp, but it’s another whole moment of awe to see what it looks like from the water level.
Again, once winter is over and they allow Foster Lake to fill up again, it will be completely usable. But, it’s still something to see. This boat ramp is unusable every year during late Fall to Spring. You could probably walk your kayak down, but I just didn’t think it was worth it.
Once you pass the boat ramp, you come to a bridge that crosses over the water. This is the same bridge I traveled across to get to Sunnyside Park. This whole area beyond the bridge is the South Santiam River dumping into the lake. Everything is so different on this side of the lake and in the fresh water. The water is a lot clearer and everything seems a bit more green. Below are a few of the pictures I captured of the area.
This section was easily my favorite part of the journey. I just couldn’t believe how beautiful it is! I’ve kayaked here in the summer months when the water level is a lot higher. And so, this time, it was like seeing the area for the first time. Because we had just experienced multiple days of rain, there were small and large waterfalls and streams leading into the lake. I loved all of them. There’s something so relaxing about the sound they make. My favorite one was the one at the end of my journey heading east.
The water is streaming down the hillside and running completely underneath this tree. I just thought it was one of the coolest things I’ve seen while kayaking. I sat there for awhile just enjoying the sound and the scenery.
At this point, I decided to turn around and head back. Heading back due west, I was able to capture some phenomenal sun/sky photos. I’m telling you what this whole kayaking adventure couldn’t have been any better!
2024 – Kayak Trip #4
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