Yes, you’re reading correctly. Today, I kayaked from Bowman Park in Albany upriver to Hyak Park along Hwy 20 and then back again. I kayaked along the north side of the river and stayed close to the side to avoid the river current (where there was one!). Because the river level is so low right now, it was completely doable!
If you haven’t been to Bowman Park in Albany, it has a very good launching area. You can back your vehicle down right to the river’s edge on the left/west side of the ramp because boats only use the right side. This makes the whole process of unloading and loading so much easier.
Today’s kayaking adventure was a last second thought. I was absolutely thrilled to wake up this morning and find that the wildfire smoke had finally blown elsewhere. So, off to the river I went!
I love kayaking the Willamette River, especially south of Salem. The view is always amazing!
If you’re fairly new to kayaking and/or not a strong paddler, going upstream may not be the best choice to make. But, for seasoned kayakers, it was a fairly easy paddle. There were only a few times when I found myself in the current, but with steady non-stop paddling, I was able to get through those sections without any difficulty. Today’s kayaking adventure was more about enjoying myself rather than paddling a whole bunch of miles. So, I slowly paddled upstream and enjoyed everything there was to look at along the way.
Within viewing distance from the boat ramp is the railroad bridge over the Willamette River. I would have loved it if a train had actually been crossing, but no such luck today. However, I love this picture I captured when I was returning to Bowman Park.
If you look closely, you’ll see two Eagle nests positioned atop the bridge. It’s the wrong time of the year to see any birds in those nests though. The other, more important matter, is the extremely large pile of logs that are laying against one of the pillars of the bridge (to the right in the picture above). That pile of logs has been there for quite some time. It is definitely bigger than the year before. I’m not sure why it hasn’t been dealt with. Yes, those are concrete pillars, but it still seems unsafe to have all of that weight resting against one of them. Hm?
Just after the railroad bridge, you will kayak under the two bridges which carry vehicles north and south on Hwy 20. A pretty view today. (Again, my picture taken upon my return turned out better than my photo at the beginning of my excursion.)
Located under the northbound bridge is the boat ramp located at Takena Landing.
This boat ramp is seasonal. During the rainy season, it is taken out of the river and returned in the Spring. This is also a great kayak launch site this time of the year because it’s basically unusable for boats. The water is very shallow all the way out to the end of the boat dock.
After you pass this boat ramp, you will see Bryant Park on the left side.
This is a great place to get out and stretch your legs, eat lunch, and/or use the restroom. It has a long gravel lined shoreline with virtually no current at all. If you’re kayaking a long distance, this may be where you decide to rest (but no overnight camping is allowed).
Once you’ve kayaked past the park, you’re immersed in the beautiful wildlife along both sides of the river. You can hear traffic traveling along Hwy 20, but I found that most of the time I just sort of tuned it out.
I took so many photos along today’s kayaking adventure, that I’m not sure which ones to share. It was just so gorgeous!
One of the sights I ALWAYS see along the Willamette River? – Egrets, Herons and/or Eagles! Today I encountered several Egrets. They’re very alert and not stranger friendly. Also, they typically sit somewhere where they sort of blend into the background and on one occasion today, I was just as surprised as he was when I paddled along side one. But, I’m usually able to capture some sort of video of their takeoff.
You’ll have to excuse the glare from the sun. I always enjoy watching them fly. They’re so graceful!
Since I was staying close to the shoreline, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the wild flowers and such that I encountered. Normally, I’m out in the middle of the river somewhere and so I don’t always see what I found today.
I took the time to look up each of these flowers, because I don’t want to come across as too ignorant. HA!
The yellow flower is a Floating Primrose Willow. The middle picture is called an Aster. And the last one is called a Willow Weed. They were all growing in abundance on the north side of the river as it receives direct sunlight all day.
And these pictures show “fruit” from three different plants. The first one is called Bittersweet. It is poisonous, so no snacking on these guys. The second picture shows fruit from a Dogwood. And the last photo shows a Clematis, or “Old Man’s Beard” as it’s commonly known.
This is the first time I’ve noticed all of these plants. This is what happens when you traverse along the shoreline!
As I was kayaking along, one of the things that kept drawing my attention was the sky! There were multiple trails from jet planes and they stayed in the sky for a long period of time. I always wonder where everyone is headed. At any rate, I was able to capture this great photo!
So, having worn my tracking watch, the distance from Bowman Park to Hyak Park via the river is 3.0 miles exactly. This is the boat ramp as seen from the water.
This is a nice small park along Hwy 20. Many people, on the weekends and throughout the summer months, use this ramp as their launching point. Most of them are using inflatables, rather than kayaks. It gets crazy during these times and I’d rather just kayak all the way down to Bryant Park or Bowman Park than enter or exit here.
At this point, I had reached as far “up” the river as I had planned and so I turned around and headed back.
Today was the first time, out of many trips along this section of the river, that I noticed a channel of water on the south side of the river shortly after leaving Hyak Park. Today, I checked it out!
Straight away, the first thing you’ll notice is the algae growth. In fact, you don’t have to paddle very far before the surface of the water is completely green.
But, let me offer a huge observation – it’s not gross like other algae infested waters that I’ve traveled along. In this section, it’s mostly just a thin layer laying across the river and there is NO foul smell. So, with that said, you have to check it out. Reason? Wildlife.
I saw at least 100 ducks back here. They were deathly afraid of me and flew away in masses with every paddle forward. But, I saw all kinds of birds – small and large. And I heard them in the trees chatting with one another (probably about me – ha!). It was just really cool being back here. I’m guessing most kayakers don’t bother with this channel, but I highly recommend it. The algae will wash off your kayak when you enter the mainstream again.
After my brief (3/4 mile roundtrip) adventure, I continued my journey along the river, returning to Bowman Park.
There is still a lot of opportunities for you to embark on this journey before rain returns and the current moves a bit faster. My suggestion – Go! You won’t be disappointed.
2024 – Kayak Trip #39
Thanks for another great episode! I just have to remind people that even if you are a good paddler, going on the Willamette by yourself is just not a good idea. I know it is a
slow time of year and you are a great paddler but you never know what bizarre thing might happen. Best to go with a buddy.
I completely agree with you. However, I don’t always have someone available to join me. I never go where it might be risky and I always have my cell phone with me. Thanks for your comment.