Let’s Paddle Friendly Creeks
By John Saltveit
When many people talk about going creeking, they are talking about going on class IV and class V streams. I think that’s great for people who have the skills and inclination to do that. I love to paddle on creeks, but I prefer those that aren’t so difficult.
Creeks have a sense of mystery and intimacy that larger rivers do not. There are fewer roads on them, and fewer businesses. They are quieter and more connected to nature. I have seen a lot of wild animals on creeks that I don’t see on rivers. There is a wonderful feeling going on a stream that is only 8 inches deep for 50 feet in a row. When you go paddling on a creek, many people don’t even know that it’s possible to go on that stretch.
There are many creeks and small rivers that I enjoy paddling on here in the Pacific Northwest. It is important to know the optimal flow for each river section. When people ask me which is my favorite river section, I often say Thomas Creek, from the gate down to Jordan dam. It is beautiful, it feels like wilderness, it has great surfing, and it has an easy bike shuttle. Another small river that I like to go on is the Necanicum. It’s in Clatsop County, and the section I like goes from a few miles above Klootchy Creek County Park to a few miles below. This is the park for the tree that used to be the largest Sitka Spruce tree in the world. There is a delightful section on Abiqua Creek that starts at a covered bridge, makes several pretty turns toward the west, joins the Pudding River, and ends up below another bridge.
Some small streams are nearer to Portland and lots of fun. The East Fork Lewis has some sections from Lewisville Park on down that are fun and interesting. I have paddled on some sections of the Tualatin river near West Linn that are fun. We have also enjoyed paddling on Salmon Creek in Vancouver. There are some creeks in Hillsboro that I paddle on when it is flood stage. It may not be safe to paddle other rivers at flood stage, but it is fun and safe to paddle these creeks.
Don’t forget surfing! Some of my favorite surfing streams are small rivers and creeks. I call Mill Creek, near Sheridan, the “Candy Store”. How much surfing do you want? I often start laughing in the middle of this run because it just keeps having more and more great surf waves. For years, my wife and I paddled Humbug Creek, in the Coast range. It has great adventure, great surfing, and near wilderness quality. The lower Nestucca, below Blaine, isn’t close to Portland, but it has great surfing and a wilderness feel.
Some people like to paddle on creeks because they can be very challenging, but there are many other reasons to go on creeks as well.