Calendar

Past Activity

Waldo Lake Kayak

  • Start date: 08/23/2018

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 08/25/2018

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

This is a redo of the 2016 Waldo kayak trip. The objective is to paddle the length of the lake on two consecutive days camping one night on the north end and a second night on the south shore. The 2016 trip went smoothly given the great weather we had. Any routes undertaken on this paddle will take into consideration the weather and the lake surface. We will be flexible. A poor weather forecast for the proposed dates will postpone the trip or cancel it. Daily starts will be early to avoid the afternoon winds at this elevation (over 5000 feet) that can bring whitecaps to the lake surface. With early starts, we should be into camp by early afternoon. This will allow for day hikes into the Wilderness, swimming, or leisurely naps. I expect the mosquitos will not be a problem after a dry summer. Don’t expect it to be mosquito free.
The proposed trip is leave north lake put in by early afternoon, camp Thursday near outlet to North Fork Willamette, paddle to south end to spend Friday night, return to north take out by mid to late afternoon on Saturday, drive home.
There will be a pretrip meeting about a week before the trip. Unless you have done this paddle with me previously, it will be mandatory. The pretrup meeting date will be announced shortly after signup opens. I’ll provide a trip checklist for gear needed for kayaking, otherwise, everyone will be expected to bring appropriate camp gear. The kayak pace will be leisurely to moderate. NO sit-on-top kayaks. You will want at least a 12 foot touring kayak or it may be difficult to keep up with other touring kayaks. Spray skirts are advised. PFDs are mandatory and will be worn. All paddlers must be comfortable paddling in wave conditions as the surface can go from smooth to rough with little warning.

  • Event Leader: Randy Sinnott

  • Event Leader Phone: 541-915-0234

  • Event Leader Email: randall.sinnott@gmail.com

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Trips

  • Area Type:

  • Departure Location: Lane Community College, parking lot nearest stoplight

  • Rating: Moderate

  • Roundtrip total drive miles: 156

  • Season: 2018

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required: Kayak, paddle, PFD, whistle, sun screen, sun glasses (and items included on my kayak check list which I’ll provide.) Camp gear, food for two and a half full days. Water and a filter if you have one. I will provide one but more would be useful. Remember, all these items must fit into your kayak.

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 14

  • Member Fees: 2

  • Elevation Gain:

  • Non-Member Fees: 10

  • Committee: Trips

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

There were many cancellations leading up to this trip as the smoke and weather forecasts changed almost daily. Fires in British Columbia and a recent blaze ignited at Terwilliger were the main culprits. Ultimately, four of us set off from the North Boat Launch and paddled west to the outlet of the North Fork Willamette where we had our choice of several campsites. After settling in, we tried a clockwise hike that would have looped around to Chetlo Lake but encountered many annoying blow downs. We restarted a new hike to Round Lake and were content with almost getting there. (Not as many blowdowns but would have added lots of elevation on the return.
The second morning we got off to an early start and noticed lots of smoke pushing over the north end of the lake. We visited Rhododendron Island for a break. Huckleberries were scarce here and most other sites. The smoke continued to follow us and we crossed the lake from just north of Klovdahl to a peninsula near Islet Campground thinking we might camp there so that we could escape if the smoke became unbearable. But our final decision was to recross and continue south to the intended destination. Like two years ago, that beach was occupied. We landed at last on a nearby beach we had camped on in 2016 - only then there were eight of us. We set up camp and hiked to South Waldo Shelter and Jorry led us to a nearby site, Camp Edith, where Judge Waldo liked to camp. A heart is carved on a tree in dedication to his daughter. Back at camp we were happy to see the forms of Middle and South Sister that the smoke had obscured most of the Day. After dinner and cards, everyone was ready to retire.
The night was clear, stars were out and a meteor fell around midnight. The following morning, we rose to find kayaks covered with ice droplets. We had a more leisurely start and paddled north over some choppy water, not yet to the whitecap level but edging close. Smoke from Terwilliger was beginning to mushroom to the north as the wind increased. We stopped for half and hour to lunch at a small beach on the east coast as the waves increased, then made a successful beach launch into some brisk waves. Another hour and a half of paddling returned us to our takeout by 1:30. An interesting adventure, all in all, testing us with several challenges and group decisions to make and ending in success due to the great spirit of the group.