SEA KAYAK COLUMBIA

The Lower Columbia River at Skamokawa, Washington is excellent level one practice.
River flow runs at 3-4 mph carrying the kayak downstream into a fresh afternoon breeze with an incoming tide. with low tide levels, the river becomes a level 2 rapid with light pressure eddies and clapotis.
Moderate paddling in a Solstice Titan produces 6mph.
Given the current and tide available on June 26, bracing and turning practices are continuously probable without forward effort.
In the morning before afternoon winds begin around 11:30am, paddle upstream from Skamokawa at Vista Park county camping, a left side eddy carries the kayak upstream, paddle a calm wind river crossing from Steamboat Road to the Tenasillahe Island’s north end, turning right down into an incoming tide with the afternoon wind on the Clinton Channel over 1.5 foot waves.
Past Clatsop Forest point, paddle upwind then surf east downwind onto Red Slough. A beautiful channel, windblown, wildlife, quiet before a second river crossing for surfing upriver to Elochoman Slough’s mouth then turning west downriver to Skamokawa for 2.5 miles of level 2 water and eddies.
Trip total: 15 miles on a 3-4 mph current, offering continuous practice onto oncoming wave action with low forward paddling effort. Angle toward the wave, allow wave action to unbalance the kayak then balance knee up head down, brace and paddle.
Paddling Steamboat Slough into Skamokawa, the last leg escape from main river churn, is a pleasant cool down before surfing onto the beach at Skamokawa Creek.
Passing Red Slough for a turn east onto the Columbia below Tenasillahe Island extends the trip and effort.
Vista Park camping and the village of Cathlemet provide excellent support. The area is un-crowded and environment excellent. Rescue is probable before passing the 3 mile limit.
Natives ? People from Oregon say Washingtonians are obnoxious abusive snotty rich folk. People from Washington tells us people from Oregon are ignorant abusive rednecks. This is true.
But the river overcomes.

Interesting report. I have paddled some of the area covered by your report, but I'm not familiar enough to know whether the 3-4 mph currents you speak of are common to that area, or were the result of the runoff that has been occurring lately. While there are areas of exceptional currents in the Columbia where I most often paddle, I think the average for ebb tides is much less. In any case, the nice thing about the Columbia in most locations is that one can paddle very close to shore and nearly avoid the current.

It appears that the freshet is over and the river is back to normal. However, I haven't seen the current turn around yet, but I think that is more a matter of timing on my part. Usually the current turns at the latter part of the flood and I just haven't been on the river at the right times for that, lately.

I find it interesting that a lot of paddlers pass up what in my opinion is the best parts of the Columbia as they head further downriver. Specifically, the Willow Grove area just downriver from Longview has much to offer.

I was out there yesterday and while it was a little lumpy out on the main part of the river, there are always back channels and sloughs that are quieter. That's not to say that the main river is rough all the time, but you can count on some nice wind waves on sunny summer afternoons--perfect for surfing.

If you are interested in checking out this area, I suggest the best launch site is at Willow Grove Park--the picnic area, not the boat launch area. The parking is great; the park is free and there is nothing but sandy beach to launch from. The closest parking to the beach is closest to the park entrance; not further downriver.

Before crossing the river, I spoke with Columbia River Kayaking behind Skawokama's Post Office. His opinion was downriver current at the Skamo narrows is always stronger than west wind upstream and incoming tide combined.
The river's width at Hansen's Refuge and then past Red Slough to Skawokama is narrower than the area above Puget Island.

Last trip through I saw a shuttle opportunity for a good run over low tide level 2 standing waves at under and past the Astoria Bridge's north side.

I've seen the same conditions at the north end of the bridge and wouldn't touch it. I'm not an adrenaline freak, but for those who are, have at it.

The bridge's standing waves are practice waves for unexpected conditions. The waves are relatively constant and predictable, safe, and escape to shore probable.

On ebbing at Skawokama, the river flows as an upland river off the increasing shallows of refuge islands toward Skawo's banking and hill below.

I did not consciously compare low tide slack with high tide slack at Skawokama, memory sez high tide slack gives a tranquil surface, low tide slack does not. I did not measure current with the GPS at Skawo at low tide and have no prior experience comparing spring flow with fall's.

Visited Skawokama 2 weeks ago: October 8. No wind from the coast, low tide 3 hours past sunset and no dredging equipment: flatter than Ol' Macdonald's pond.

datakoll, does that mean you didn't get your paddle wet, or what?

The river has been pretty flat this month and after a very windy summer, I've enjoyed the laid-back paddling.

No paddling. Next spring. Rain was forecast, the visit was a rest stop to the Deschutes where weather was excellent, river beautiful, air clean. Oregon's generosity for low income campers continues with $5 lawn on riverbank campsites, deserted during the mid October week.