{"id":11678,"date":"2017-01-12T08:00:57","date_gmt":"2017-01-12T16:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=11678"},"modified":"2017-07-31T10:45:20","modified_gmt":"2017-07-31T17:45:20","slug":"portland-by-paddle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2017\/01\/12\/portland-by-paddle\/","title":{"rendered":"Portland by Paddle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ask any hipster on their fixie or yuppie in their loft what they like about Portland and you\u2019ll hear about food carts, coffee, microbrews, and mountain or ocean access within an hour\u2019s drive. What\u2019s often missing is any mention about the city\u2019s boatability. Portland is not just the shining mecca of hipsterdom, it sits at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers. The majority of the West flows past Portland: Year round whitewater rocks the Columbia River Gorge and within city limits you can paddle to uninhabited islands, sandy beaches, industrial sloughs, and the largest waterfall by volume west of Niagara.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re in town for the weekend, head over to the Portland Kayak Company<\/a>. They can hook you up with a kayak or SUP for Willamette excursions at their doorstep. The five-mile Ross Island Loop is the perfect intro to Portland paddling. Downtown skyscrapers dominate the view, but as you wrap around Ross Island you might spot a bald eagle or see a beaver swimming from Oaks Bottom. You\u2019ll get the natural view of the city, and possibly need to practice your brace stance on motorboat wakes as they cruise past.<\/p>\n

If you live in a Craftsman bungalow or a Mississippi Street studio and are looking to buy, then try Andy and Bax<\/a>. This is the shop for rafters. Their upstairs is a military surplus store, but their basement boat department is filled with all the goodies: rafts, drysuits, coolers, and pumps, and badass photos of local boaters pulling harebrained stunts hang on the walls. If these guys can\u2019t help you, then you\u2019re likely beyond repair.<\/p>\n

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To up your river game, the spot for instruction is Alder Creek Canoe and Kayak<\/a>. They host a range of classes from whitewater 101 to rescue clinics. They also host a variety of events to meet other paddlers, get beta on trips, or find new river partners. They\u2019re the indispensable pulse to the Portland boating community. They also have a huge warehouse and rental fleet of rafts, kayaks, SUPS, and more.<\/p>\n

Once outfitted and informed, here\u2019s the scoop on the places you need to know.<\/p>\n

Willamette Falls
\n<\/strong>Willamette Falls is actually in neighboring Oregon City, just south of Portland city limits. So on your way out of town, stop in at Water Avenue Coffee<\/a>. Their coffee will satisfy the most discerning drinker, and the egg sandwich is the perfect fuel for your day. Willamette Falls is 40 feet high and is only trumped by Niagara Falls as the largest volume waterfall in the United States. The major difference is hardly anyone knows about it. The site is difficult for the public to view because since the 1880\u2019s power companies and paper mills have industrialized the site. This two-mile tour is best suited to SUPs or kayaks and is equally steeped in natural drama as it is historic. Eerie industrial buildings rise from the swirling pools beneath the falls. Most are abandoned glorifications of the industrial era, but before then, Oregon City was the end of the Oregon Trail. The short jaunt to the base of the falls makes for an incredible window into the past, but it\u2019s also an insight into the future. All of those derelict walkways and mill towers on the waterfront are slated for a redevelopment project that showcases Willamette Falls for the natural wonder that it is.<\/p>\n