Today was absolutely perfect! It was the perfect weather, Foster Reservoir is full again, enjoyed my kayaking adventure with perfect friends and the sights were…you guessed it – PERFECT!!! All in all – it couldn’t have gotten any better.
We decided to begin our trip at the Calkins boat ramp and then head towards the right, leading up into the channel where water leads into the reservoir from the South Santiam River. First and foremost, it was so great to see Foster Reservoir full again. While I enjoy all of my kayaking adventures at Foster Reservoir, it was so nice to see it full again. In case you’re wondering, Foster Reservoir is kept nearly 20 ft lower during winter and fall to accommodate for rain and snowfall. Typically, they allow the reservoir to fill again by Memorial day weekend. You can see this year’s data in the chart below.
The lowest point at Foster Reservoir was recorded on December 1, 2023. The water level was measured to be just 610.72 ft. Today, as you can see from the above chart, the reservoir was measured at 636.06 ft. That is a 26 ft. difference. Shocking! Foster Reservoir will typically stay at this level until the middle to the end of September. So, my helpful advice – get out there and enjoy it now!
Back to our adventure!
The one part of today’s venture that sticks out more than anything else was just how green everything was – all the plants eluded this vibrant, nearly neon green color – it was really something.
My photos make the water seem somewhat green in color. Instead, what you’re seeing is the reflection from the trees and bushes. The water was a perfect blue color! But, as I mentioned, the greenery of everything was truly amazing! (PS – those are my 4 kayaking buddies from today!)
So, this is my third year of kayaking and therefore, my third year of enjoying kayaking adventures at Foster Reservoir. Today, more so than any other trip in the past, the wildflowers were gorgeous! And, they were everywhere! This yellow flower was truly something. It looks like a cactus type of plant and it was growing all over the sides of the rocks. It was so vibrant!
But, as we kayaked along – we saw the wildflowers were growing everywhere! The colors varied from purple, deep red, pink, white, orange, yellow – it was really something.
I just don’t remember seeing all of these wildflowers in my trips before today. If you’re a flower enthusiast, take your wildflower book with you and you will have a splendid time! There were quite a few places where you could stop and get out to look at them up close.
Of course, a trip down this section of the waterway isn’t complete without stopping to look at all of the waterfalls. The largest one is the first one you come to after you paddle under the bridge – it will be on your right side. Of course, it looked much different today with so much water, but it was still enjoyable!
My personal favorite and first ever discovery was the waterfall at the end of our journey. The river will take a sharp turn to the right and there you will see water trickling over rocks and that is normally the furthest you can go during the summer months. Today, however, there was just enough water that I was able to keep paddling. It was tough going because the water was moving towards me rather swiftly and I could see all of the very large rocks just underneath my kayak. But, I stuck with it until I just couldn’t go any further.
This is where I exited my kayak. It really was picturesque!
Up ahead in the distance, I could see the waterfall. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this one. I had to walk quite a ways on the rocks until I found myself directly across. It was really great! Now, this is a true waterfall! When the water level drops down even a couple of inches, it will be too shallow to paddle as far as I did. Timing was everything!
After taking a short break, we began our return journey. Looking at the sides of the river coming from the other direction was like looking at all new stuff we hadn’t seen yet. I was just so incredibly amazed by just how green everything was! It was really something. But, there were other neat features as well.
One of the things about kayaking that I absolutely love is everything you see along your journey. Mother Nature is truly amazing! Logs laying in patterns on the ground or rocks with dying algae – just very cool sights to see. Everything is just so photogenic!
This shows one of my kayaking friends enjoying her journey as I was as well – which is why I took this photo! The scenery was absolutely breathtaking! I loved every second of my kayaking adventure today.
When you round the corner of the river and see the bridge in the distance, you know your journey is almost over. Below you will find two photos to compare. the first one shows the water level as measured in February 2024. The second picture is the same bridge and it was taken today. You can see that there’s another entire section of the pillars that are now completely underwater. Very cool to see.
We arrived safely back to Calkins boat ramp. It felt so incredibly great to be out in the warm sunshine with friends! I hope you are able to go enjoy the same adventure we took today!!!
2024 – Kayak Trip #24
