Middle Fork of the North Fork (MFNF) Trask: Barney's Playpen

Runnable levels are about 100 cfs or more coming out of Barney Reservoir, which generally only happens when the reservoir is full (1640.9').  At 100 cfs the bedrock drops are runnable and fun, but the in between is rocky. 200 cfs is a fun flow, and feels more medium in the boogie.  Be cautious about going in at higher levels if you aren't familiar with the current wood situation.

 Don't expect to get on this run early in the season as it takes awhile for the reservoir to fill up each winter. 

The run has many fun class IV rapids, both bedrock and boulder features.  Moving around on the bank is relatively easy compared to other obscure Oregon streams.

110 cfs

 Photo: Pete Giordano

There were two rapids in the mile above the confluence with Elkhorn Creek that had old growth logs requiring extra attention (still runnable and fun-ish).  The run also had a number of alders sprinkled throughout the run, but none that required portaging in Feb 2016.  Be diligent about checking for wood your first time down.  If it hasn't been run in a a couple years, there is probably going to be downed alders in the creek bed, boater-friendly beavers are responsible for keeping this run in good form.

Coming from the Willamette Valley, I have used Turner Road out of Yamhill (Blocked to the public by Weyerhaeuser in Spring 2017, then re-opened in Fall 2017).  Check with them for current accessibility, you can inquire on their recreational Facebook page.

Rules posted at the gate.

Access is also available from the coast, along the NF Trask River Rd.  This route is always available.  It is recommended that someone in your group do some rudimentary map-work before heading up there. Coming from the coast you can drive up along the Trask itself.  

Click to enlarge.

The take out (45.4656, -123.4612) for the MFNF is the same as the put in for this run.

Put in spur (45.4667, -123.4199): Drive to its end, then walk back the way you came a short ways down the road to find the access trail.  Or just schwack downhill to the creek.  This spur is at the 6 mile marker for the mainline logging road, a "6" has historically been painted on the tree adjacent to this spur.

Marker for the start of access trail.

It's not a good path, but orange flagging was there to help with finding the easiest way down.

Put in at the confluence of Coffee Creek and the MFNF Trask: 45.4629, -123.421

Thanks Pete, Nick, Joe, Jesse, Mark and Priscilla for helping suss out the particulars of this run.

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Story:  Like trail building, but the trail is a creek.

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Nick Hymel, Pete Giordano and I had run nearby Elkhorn Creek and found ourselves with time left over.  Pete and I decided to paddle the MFNF Trask that afternoon since it shared the same take out and we had seen water entering Elkhorn as we passed by.  I had run it once by myself a couple years before, but only remembered a few rapids and the water had been very low.  I had considered it a one time trip.

This time with a decent flow, I was surprised how enjoyable the run was.  Lots of nice ledges and class IV bedrock rapids dotted the run.  However, there were quite a lot of alders in the stream blocking lines and forcing portages.  The reservoir keeps this creek from flooding, so it doesn't get flushed out naturally like other streams of a similar size might.  Most of these trees were not in rapids, so we had a good time even with the 10 or so portages. 

A good enough time in fact that a group of boater-friendly beavers returned that year, and by the end of a long day the amount of portages had been reduced to zero.  I came back a couple more times that year, and even did a double day with Connor Dixon, not getting out of our boats on the second lap.  The next season I tried to return, but found a locked gate and the run fell off my radar.  Word is the gate is back open in 2021, but the wood has returned and no one has found the time to clear it out for boating yet.

      -jacob

Riding the surge

1996 is a year most people from the PNW are familiar with, its the last mega flood we have seen in the area.  That year the Willamette River peaked on February 9th, which coincided with my dads birthday.  He and a friend decided to get out and paddle that day.  Below is his story.

My friend John Godino and I decided to kayak through downtown Portland to celebrate my 32nd b-day the day the Willamette crested.  The water was up to the bottom deck of the Steel Bridge and tons of debris were trapped and pushing up against it.  They had the middle section raised, so our big concern was making sure we were in the middle of the river by the time we got there.  The water was up to the seawall in downtown and I was planning on paddling over to it and high-fiving the spectators there!  We put-in at the park just downstream from the Sellwood Bridge after checking with the Harbor Master (works for the Fire Department) to make sure the river was still open to navigation, and he said that it was.  He was a little puzzled as to why I was asking, and I didn't elaborate. 
       
     There were a lot of naysayers trying to talk us out of doing it as we geared up.  They were convinced we would get wiped-out by the large debris rocketing downstream:  huge trees, docks, parts of houseboats, etc.  Our theory was that we would be travelling at the same speed as the debris, so the flotsam wasn't likely to sneak up on us.    Our thoughts about being "just another piece of debris" turned out to be mostly correct, although the weird currents would occasionally surprise us and something large would suddenly come out of nowhere and rush towards us.  The river seemed pretty friendly overall and you could only sense motion when you looked towards the shore and saw it zipping by at 15 miles an hour. 

 Across the river was a tug-boat that had been working full-time for days pushing upstream to keep a group of houseboats from breaking loose from their moorings.  I'm sure that was not cheap, but they won the battle and their moorage ultimately survived.  We were feeling very confident after about 5 minutes on the water and were looking forward to our pass through the center of town, when we saw a Multnomah County Sheriff's river patrol boat making a beeline for us.  They were visibly angry and started yelling at us as soon as they were within earshot.  They said the river was closed and to get on board immediately.  As they pulled us and our boats onto the deck, I was starting to worry we were going to get a ticket or worse, so I quickly played the "Fireman Card."  I told them I was a Portland firefighter and had checked with our Harbor Master earlier to make sure the river was open to navigation.  They said the decision to close it must have come after that conversation, so things cooled down quite a bit at that point.  They did contend that we were crazy, but the earlier animosity died down and they offered to drop us at Oaks Amusement Park, less than a mile from where we started. 

 As a "Plan B" it wasn't bad as we paddled around the flooded rides, even dragging our boats to the top of the giant slide and riding it down into the water - very fun!!  The roller rink was flooded about halfway up the doors, so we peered in and saw the wooden floor floating above the water.  It is designed with flotation and during floods, they run a chain-saw around the edges and it bobs on top of the water, saving the floor from ruin.  Pretty clever!  After awhile, a crew of Oaks Park employees came by in an outboard and pretty tersely told us to leave, so we worked our way to dry land and made the short walk back to our truck.  I'm still a little disappointed that I didn't get to paddle through downtown, but it was memorable regardless.  Hopefully I will live to see another one just like it - or bigger - and can triumphantly complete the run we started 20 years ago. 

A shot from inside Oaks Park that day.

Below is an Oregon live article with a couple videos. The first video is around Portland, and the second one is in the Willamette Valley, locals will probably will recognize some of the locations.

Remembering Oregon's epic 1996 flood: 20 years ago (photos)  

Bonnie Falls in a Tube

 Here is Nick tubing Bonnie Falls on the North Fork Scappoose last summer.

   -Jacob

Oswego Creek

all photos: Matt King

About 5 years ago I was attending an event with my family in Portland. I was still an Ik'er but the bridge we drove over was intriguing even then. I guess it was a precursor of things to come, but I just HAD to find out what was in that creek. I didn't have the map skills at the time to figure out what creek it was, so I just took a mental image and stayed up that night imagining what was flowing along under that bridge.

Then earlier this summer I am driving through Portland and drive over and recognized that bridge.  I pulled over hopped out to take a look.  My hopes were low, but it looked like there was some bedrock down there, not what I was expecting.  Anyway, I drove around some more and saw some wood, but the first drop looked worth the effort to me, so I did some research and found out my mystery creek was Oswego creek. I tried to find when they did releases, but this project fell on the wayside as more promising creeks emerged.

This last weekend, driving back from Bend I returned to the Willamette Valley with a message from Matt King.  He was standing next to a creek flowing through downtown Portland and it was running, he said it had a 20' tall, 30' long slide and said we should run it!

I called back and he informed me he came across the creek after riding his bike to pick up a ladder, how some things happen.

The drive home from Bend was brutal and I almost fell asleep a few times, I even think I had a dream or two.   However, the thought of getting to finally run this creek kept me going and motivated to make it to Portland that night where Nate, Matt and I awaited the mornings events. I was up as soon as I heard footsteps in the hall.

We skipped breakfast and loaded up. We were in high spirits and showed up at the put in bridge to see... other kayakers!  Word had gotten out that Lake Oswego was being drained for maintenance to the dam.

After we were informed of the protocol for the day (don't be on river right due to landowner issues), we went to the put in and did some scouting before dropping what was a pretty fun slide right there in downtown Portland.

Nate and I, round two.

Matt and Nate dropped down Blue angel style, Matt's paddle got caught in some rocks and he almost went over, but kept it upright and retrieved his paddle. We then all hiked up for round two as the LOPD showed up with an unhappy landlady.

"I am, not a crook"

We foresaw an obnoxious argument with landowners who were uninformed about Oregon's navigability laws about to take place.  This was a possibility Matt, Nate and I had anticipated and didn't much want to be a part of.   We paddled off downstream and into the Willamette, across the river, then hiked up a road through Matt's neighborhood to his house.  The other group stuck around to talk to the bystanders, but the police officer was informed, and after some discussion allowed the other group to continue paddling for awhile.

Downstream on Oswego Creek

Upon arrival Matt's girlfriend Caitlin had a big breakfast made up for us, ending a unique morning in quality fashion.  Matt and Nate had more in mind so headed off for the Truss, and I drove back down to school.

Put in:  outlet for Lake Oswego    45.4101, -122.6675

Take out:  George Roger's Park.   45.4105, -122.6608

Total length:   1/2 mile.

This creek only runs once every three years when the lake is lowered for residence to fix boat docks and more rarely for the city to clean sewage pipes beneath the lake surface. 

All smiles after Oswego Creek dawn patrol.

All photos: Matt King

-Jacob