Today, I was invited by a fellow kayaker to go check out a new area of which neither one of us had ever paddled before. Olalla Reservoir is located off Highway 20 between Philomath and Newport. There is signage on the north side of Hwy 20. Once you turn, it’s another 2.9 miles traveling north. The last mile of the road becomes quite narrow, so slow down and be careful!
Olalla is the adopted word from Olallie, which in Chinook jargon is the word for berries. The reservoir is owned and maintained by the Georgia-Pacific Corporation who built it in 1957 to supply water for their paper processing mill in Toledo. This channel of water runs through the dam and down the West Olalla Creek. It then meets up with Yaquina Bay and eventually enters into the Pacific Ocean. Olalla Reservoir is more like a water holding spot. The goal is to use as little water as possible while still maintaining production levels and sustaining employment for approximately 400 workers.
This week we’ve enjoyed some beautiful sunny weather in between all the rain we’ve received recently. Any chance to go kayak was perfectly fine with me. The drive took me approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes from Albany (yes, I drive fast). As I was driving through the Oregon Coast Range, I was surprised to find so many areas still covered in snow.
The first picture shows Mary’s Peak and the other two photos I captured while driving. There wasn’t any snow on the roadway, but it sure made everything look so pristine.
I finally arrived at my destination – Olalla Reservoir.
So, here is where my story gets a little interesting. When I arrived, my kayaking buddy was no where to be found. So, I began to unload my kayak from the roof of my vehicle. I got all the straps and cords unfastened and just needed to get the key to unlock the security lock which I keep on my vehicle when I leave my kayak stored on the roof over night.
Bottom line: The key wouldn’t work. I tried for approximately 20 minutes and it just wouldn’t enter the lock. I don’t think I let out any swear words, but I’m going to say I was probably close. I climbed back into the front seat of my car to relax for a minute and saw my cell phone. My kayaking buddy had just sent me a text message that he wasn’t going to be there for another 30 minutes or so.
So, I quickly fastened my kayak up again, through my stuff into my vehicle and headed for town. I went straight to the police station and asked them to “please help me.” No, they can’t because of the cost of liability. OY! I asked them to phone the fire department and ask if they would….YES THEY WOULD. I waited another 5 minutes before they arrived. Let me tell you what that “bike” lock has to be one of the toughest ones on the market. They finally got out the jaws of life to rip it apart and that took a few attempts. I was impressed. I thanked them over and over again and sped back to Olalla Reservoir. As I drove to the boat ramp, there was my kayaking buddy. Good timing. Now, there’s a lesson here! A big one!!!! 1. Never panic! That never helps! 2. Inspect everything before you leave for a kayaking adventure. 3. Don’t just quickly assume you know what’s happening.
When I got home, both sets of keys were hanging from my key rack! All I could do was laugh and then go buy a new one! LOL LOL LO
Now, back to our kayaking experience! Ha!
The boat launch is perfect. Electric motors are NOT allowed at Olalla Reservoir and so the boat ramp is slightly narrow, but it’s graded perfectly and it’s an easy entry into the water. There were 4 or 5 folks sitting along the water’s edge fishing, but they were all very quiet. We quickly entered the water and it was absolutely OUTSTANDING!
The weather was absolutely PERFECT. It’s almost more fun when there are large while clouds in the air because they leave the greatest reflections upon the water’s surface. Now, when you first arrive, you just see a smaller sized amount of water straight out ahead of you. Well, as we continued, we began to turn to the right – WOW! It was a lot bigger than I thought and it is absolutely gorgeous. You know, I never saw a single piece of garbage. The water is so very clear and the air was so fresh. There were times when all I wanted to do was just stop and take in a great big deep breath.
This area is heavily forested with beautiful pine and fir trees. They were all so beautiful! As we continued our journey to the right, we came upon a “dead end.” Well, that’s what it looked like while sitting in our kayaks. There was a small area where you could get in & out of your kayak easily and so we did. We encountered two sites.
There is a 4.5 mile walking path that borders a large portion of the reservoir, so that’s where we were standing. And then getting out of our kayaks and looking across, there was another bay full of water. I really wanted to go kayak over there. It would have been an exciting downhill trip into the water, but I’m not sure how we would have gotten out. That would be a great summer activity when the water is warmer and lower.
Anyway, this large grassy area would be absolutely perfect to sit and relax, have lunch, chat and catch some sunshine (future trip, for sure). At this point, you can’t hear anyone or anything – except birds. I could have sat there all day!
This is a panoramic video I took so you see not only the size, but just how incredibly beautiful everything is all around you!
My kayaking friend and I spent a lot of time just “taking everything in.” Olalla Reservoir has some arms that were a lot of fun to explore. Each one was so different and fun to check out. I think one of the things I especially loved were the old tree stumps sticking out of the water. They were definitely dead, but many types of plants were growing upon each one of them. They were so unique from each other.
I can’t even imagine just how much nicer these are all going to look when our growing season really begins! I’ll definitely be returning for a later trip, for sure! This area is very heavily populated with evergreen trees. However, there are other bushes and plant varieties beginning to show their buds as well.
The one photograph I really wanted to get but just wasn’t able to. One of the arms we kayaked into we saw at least a dozen or more salamanders. I’m not talking about tiny little creatures. They were easily around 4-5 inches long and there were a bunch of them! By the time we got to that area, the wind had picked up a bit and that made it too difficult to photograph them swimming under the water. Next time!
Besides all of the beautiful scenery and the herons, birds, ducks, salamanders, etc. – the pure silence was heavenly! We pulled to the end of one of the arms because we could hear running water and we wanted to try and see it. There was a bit you could see, but the sound of pure silence was amazing! (Turn your volume all the way up!)
Olalla Reservoir was absolutely perfect! If you’re interested in going, go soon! My suggestion; go during the week days if at all possible or go early in the morning. I wouldn’t even go during the peak summer months as there are just too many people and too much noise. Dress warmly, take sunglasses, and plan on getting out of your kayak to do a little exploring along your kayaking adventure! This location is an A+.
I’ll leave you with one last beautiful sight we enjoyed as we headed back. Take care everyone!
2024 – Kayak Trip #10
