| Description:
***The waves are not nearly as good as
the pictures make them look.
During the all too dry summer months here in
Oregon, paddlers often gaze at Willamette Falls and have whitewater
daydreams. Tucked away in the back
river-left channel at the outflow of a dam is a
pair of ledges that churn up a couple of
surfable waves. These waves are however not of the highest quality,
though they are in through out the low water months here in the
Oregon when the Willamette is low. If you want to surf badly enough
that the dirty water and the thought of a 15-minute upriver paddle
followed by a portage just to get a mediocre play spot doesn't scare
you, then The Toxic Waves are for you.
Playing in the out flow of dams is rarely a safe activity. It is
doubly risky here because of a couple of manmade complications. In
order to get out to the waves you have to ferry across a shallow
rocky pour over hole formed from a dam out flow, with a strongly
circulating eddy pushing you into it. While making this ferry
you also have to narrowly avoid the first plume of falling water
from over head. If you should inadvertently paddle into this first
plume the force of the falling water usually enders your boat
immediately and hits you hard. If you ender then you will have to
roll up immediately and either paddle explosively to attain the 2nd
wave or avoid the second plume which is right behind you and packs
many times the punch of the first plume. All this just to get onto a
pretty marginal set of waves with small playable pockets (unless you
have a long fast boat). The strength of the plumes varies and
sometimes they are but a trickle but sometimes they are a torrent
(Watch out!). Just as the flow through the plumes varies so does the
outflow from the dam. Often in the middle a session the water level
will go up and the waves will green out in just a couple of minutes
leaving nothing worth surfing. If you
are paddling a spud-boat you may only be able to reach the second of
the two ledges to surf with considerable effort. I think that most
people would have better success with longer faster play boats that
will them let attain better against the current and surf flatter waves.
|
