Jay's Kayak Trip Log: County Line Park to Cathlamet January 2008

On a sunny Monday in January Jon Walpole led a group of paddlers on a trip on the lower Columbia. We paddled from County Line Park (imaginatively near the county line between Cowlitz County and Wahkiakum (We-kayak-um) County) to Cathlamet. Slack before ebb was at about 1pm. The plan was to put in a bit before slack (somewhere between 11am and noon). An east wind would also propel us westward toward Cathlamet, perhaps giving us some waves to surf.

The weather prediction was for cold (high 38 F) and windy: 17 mph east wind gusting to 25 mph. Brrr! And indeed when we met the rest of our paddling team at Alder Creek Kayak parking lot bright and early this morning it was clear and a cold east wind was blowing, and we were cold in that parking lot there just shuffling boats around.

We drove to County Line Park (can’t people come up with better names for nice parks???), turned into the park, and magically slipped into an alternate universe. We got out of the cars and there was no wind. It was clear. The sun was baking down. We were warm!

Some folks shuttled a few cars down to Cathlamet Marina (our destination) and noted that near Cape Horn the wind was indeed blowing as predicted. Well, we weren’t surprised.

But at least when we started the trip we were warm and basking in a beautiful January day on the river. What luck! So on we paddled downstream in calm air and slack tide.

Just before Cape Horn (where the wind starts) we found a nice beach. We stopped for lunch to enjoy the last of the warm day with no wind. It was beautiful.

Then off for adventure! We got to Cape Horn and… no wind. Well, maybe 3 – 4 kt east wind. And by now it had turned into an ebb tide. So we had a (very) light breeze at our backs and a gentle current taking us downstream toward Cathlamet. And it stayed calm all day. Amazing.

We crossed over to Puget Island and paddled among the sloughs on the east end of the island (near Ginni's farm). We saw eagles and herons and seals, oh my.

We crossed back over to the Washington side of the Cathlamet Channel to view the waterfalls along the cliffs and avoid the breeze that was now picking up just a bit. Watched the sun set over the hills on the Oregon side and saw the full moon rise over Cathlamet.

12.6 nm.