Whitewater Crafting

Navigating Oregon’s Breathtaking Williamette River on PWC

Text and Photography by John O’Dwyer

With all due respect to my fellow PWC riders shredding frosty donuts and jumping their own wakes in the party zone, none of that wet whiplash can match the excitement of discovery and mental challenge of a PWC river expedition. Given all the attention paid to redlines and high-speed agility, it’s easy to forget how ideally suited PWC happen to be for marine exploration. They’re small. They’re nimble. And they’re perfect for shallow water. Add your own GPS, a Camelback™, a little extra rope and you’re good to go.

Just south of Portland, Oregon, there’s a section of the Williamette River that’s ideal for satisfying the burgeoning Lewis and Clark in anyone. Begin your quest as far downstream as possible. (Cathedral Park has a ramp.) When exploring rivers, it’s always advisable to head upstream first. This way, if you encounter any trouble, the current will be your friend instead of enemy. It’s also easier to spot and react to underwater hazards and rapids from downstream. From upstream, you might be halfway over a waterfall before you can react in time, or the river’s momentum might make your quick exit strategy impossible to execute.

Fortunately, the Williamette is a simple river to negotiate. It’s wide and easily navigable most of the year. Working up-current is hardly a pinch on the throttle and you can pause between the Morrison and Hawthorne Bridges for a postcard-perfect view of Downtown without any fear of getting swept away.

You could spend an entire afternoon carving up this spot to the envy of all on land, but the real fun lies further upstream. Continue south and take the right fork of the river for the best opportunities of sighting ospreys and bald eagles populating the trees overhead. Keep one eye on the surface, though, as this shallow section of river is hugely affected by tides and rainfall and can present you with sudden sandbars and partially submerged timbers.

Ten minutes south and it might as well be the 19th Century – a shimmering ribbon of blue wending its way past silent acres of forest, save only a few farms and historic mansions. Further along, you’ll encounter George Rogers Park on the right, a great place for a quick snack. You’ll find plenty of boulders here to make land on, gently. If you have an anchor, the bottom is shallow and rocky. Just remember to set on the lee side of the boulders or risk drifting into them. In this skinnier section of river, the current is more noticeable. Also, beware of swimmers in the area since this bend in the river attracts a lot of sun worshippers from nearby Lake Oswego.

Follow the salmon upstream and you’ll find another fork in the river. Again, keep to the right. The “forks” in this river are, in fact, just large islands that only appear to be peninsulas. You’ll have an opportunity to explore the other tributaries on the way back if you adhere to the keep right rule. Only one island, Cedar Island, will trap you in a shallow cul de sac, but the still, flat water created by the U-shaped prominence of land actually makes this nook a perfect place to have lunch.

You brought lunch, didn’t you? You’ll need it, because a few meandering miles upstream from here will test you with some challenging whitewater before you get to the crown jewel of the area: a beautiful set of waterfalls named after the river.

I’m told it’s possible for boats to pass up and over the falls via a series of channels and locks installed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A smaller version of the Panama Canal, boats enter on one side. The locks are then closed and filled with water. After the boat rises to a certain point, it enters the next lock and so forth until it exits above the falls, further upstream.

A late start this morning means I’ll have to save that adventure for another day. The sun is setting and it’s a long way back to the car.

Fortunately, I have the current with me.