May 17, 2020
Today I canoed down the Luckiamute River. I’ve done this probably a dozen times over the years, but never in June. It is recommended to only do such in the winter months up until April or possibly early May. The later you do this trip depends entirely on the water level of the river. As the rains lessen in springtime, the water level lowers, making travel more and more difficult.
This year has been quite wet, even until quite recently. I drove by the river yesterday and could see it appeared high enough to take the chance, so I called my brother-in-law requesting to borrow his canoe, to which he was glad to lend.
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| The place where I put the canoe in the river - this bridge is part of Rt 99.
I did not get it in the water until noon, which is later than I normally do. Looking at the river close up I could sense that the water level should be high enough to make the trip worthwhile - not too many obstacles to surmount, and the current seemed acceptable.
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| The first log jam. I was able to go through the opening on the left. |
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| A typical scene while floating down river |
It was a beautiful day, not too hot and not too windy. But around the first bend - there it was, a large log jam. My heart sank some as it made me wonder, “If this is any sign of what is down river, I’d be wishing I never embarked on this journey.” Each year the log jams may be in different places and you never knew where they’ll be. I was planning on at least some, especially about half way along where a R&R trestle was built so that the main support pillar is square in the middle of the river, and there was always a jam there, sometimes 10 feet high! But you never knew how much would break loose from the winter rains and higher water levels, and you never knew what new trees would fall into the river adding to or making new jams. But as I approached this first one, there was a small opening on the left side on it, just big enough for me to go through. A nice relief. And this happened more than once on this trip.
Just a hundred yards further along someone saw the only record for the county of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and so I was hoping for a repeat there or farther along downstream in the endless willows lining the banks. And speaking of birds, they were all over the place, and I could hear and see many, but they were mostly camera shy, so I was only able to take a few poorer quality ones. Oh well, the pleasantness of the trip made up for it. But before I reached that area I flushed a Great-horned Owl. This has happens every trip down the river, but never so close to the start. I never did find a Gnatcatcher.
You have probably surmised by now that this was a solo trip. Often my wife Rosie accompanies me, but not today. This meant that I was in the back of the canoe, making the front rise just slightly out of the water. This makes it harder to control, so I had to be more on the alert, always keeping it headed downstream. The average width of the river for the first few miles is about 25 feet, eventually widening the farther along you go. It may go without saying then, that the current is faster where the river is more narrow. So on an average trip, you don’t have to paddle much for the first half, but the second half you do. I usually see other wildlife beside birds, such as deer, otter, beaver, raccoons and once a mink, but not this time. I believe I disturbed a beaver though, as not 10 feet from me I heard a low pitched growl coming from inside a clump of willows, but I could never see what made it, but judging from all appearances, my best guess is a beaver. Otherwise, the wild blackberry flowers were out in force, and wherever they were thick enough I could hear the drone of honey bees.
Here are some random shots along the way:
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| Occasionally the willows lining the banks make for a narrow passage |
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| A great idea for your next planter.......... |
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| This was 2 P&J Sandwiches at one time....... |
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| This is where I ate lunch |
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| Yours Truly |
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| Just another partial blockage |
There is only one place along the river, about 5-6 miles from the start, where the river narrows creating some rapids. I could hear them coming, so quickly put phone and camera in their proper places and braced for the “ride.” Not having Rosie with me was to my benefit here because the front of the canoe rode higher than the tops of the rapids, so no water came over the gunwales. However, there was a time when she was with me and we rode right into a wave or two, and she was thoroughly soaked, such that there were a few inches of water in the canoe and we promptly have to pull over to the river bank, get out so she could change her clothes and I emptied out the canoe. It is not always quite so bad, but you just have to be prepared.
Eventually I reached the R&R tresstle and was thrilled that it was quite clear of debris, but that was not to say I could paddle right through. I decided it best to go to the left side where I pulled onto dry ground, hauled the boat over a few small logs, and was back in the water in less than a minute. I doubt next time will be so easy.
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| There it is! The dreaded R&R Tresstle. |
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| Usually the jam is as high as the top of the debris. I went left again. |
In another couple of miles I reached the first bridge. While it is no big deal, it simply helps me know exactly where I am and how much father I have to go. So this is probably the best place to explain just how long of a trip this is. The portion of the Luckiamute where these jaunts are done is a little over 13 miles, and starts just below Sarah Helmick Park. Then the Luckamute empties into the Willamette River, which drains the Willamette Valley and is basically a slow moving river at this point in the valley at this time of year. It is then almost 2 miles downstream to Buena Vista where I disembark. So when I reach the first bridge I am a little over half way done.
The second bridge is another 2 miles along. At each bridge the Cliff Swallows build their nests, and so I stopped to take a few pics of them. In the past there has been a Barn Owl here, but I have not seen him in a few years.
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| Cliff Swallows use mud to build their nests, and there were probably a couple dozen under this bridge. |
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| This looks to be an adult in the nest |
Just before the Luckiamute empties into the Willamette, there is a slough on the north side of the river. I made one final stop here before going into the big river. I texted Rosie as planned so she could start heading to Buena Vista to pick me up. I paddled to the far end of the slough, about 100 yards. There were 2 turtles sunning themselves who let me get fairly close, and you can see them posing in the pic. I ate a little and got rehydrated while enjoying the scenery.
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| Two Red-legged Turtles (I think) |
Being mid June, it was time for the many cottonwood trees to be dropping their seeds. As you can see from this pic, it appears to be snowing at the slough, and the surface of the water is quite covered with them.
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| Cottonwood Seeds all over the place! |
Then it was off down the big river. The current where the Luckiamute joins the Willamette is always strong. While you don’t have to worry about capsizing, you do need to keep the boat headed downriver or you might get sucked into a back eddy, heading back upriver. I forgot to take pics of my entry here, which may have been a good thing. It takes about 15 minutes to get to Buena Vista, and Rosie pulled in just after I got there - perfect timing.
I mentioned there were lots of birds. I did not add up the total species, but I think it was around 65. I did a loose tally with the eBird app, which prefers I don’t count birds on more than a 5 mile stretch, so it was broken up into 4 segments. Here are the top six species totals:
- Cedar Waxwing 105
- Black-headed Grosbeak 83
- Swainson’s Thrush 67
- Western Wood Pewee 52
- Bushtit 52
- Bewick’s Wren 26
Here are a few shots of some of the birds I saw.
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| Western Tanager |
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| Western Wood Pewee |
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| Black-headed Grosbeak |
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| Robin |
Otherwise, finding a female Hooded Merganser with a brood was meaningful. Other fun sightings were flushing another Owl, seeing an adult Bald Eagle fly over. Hearing a Pileated Woodpecker at Luckiamute Landing. Hearing Stellar’s Jays imitate Red-tailed Hawks.
A nice plus for this trip was that I did not see another boater. I think this is a first. Sometimes they even motor up the Luckiamute, which makes it somewhat crowded. Most of them are fishermen, and there are plenty of small mouth bass to be caught.
As I write this, Saturday morning, it is raining. So I suspect the water level will stay up, tempting me to do a repeat trip........
