Thursday, May 09, 2013

Summer Death March : Canoe-tastraphe!


That's right, the first aquatic Death March! Officially on the calendar for August 9-11 (and possibly much longer if anyone has time off).



















I was hoping to roll this into a much larger event including elements of Chvnk, Sprokettes, etc but that event seems to have mutated into a short float from Oregon City and a very long party on Ross Island. Which would be fun, but I've been dreaming of a much longer, river exploring adventure. So I plan to put in just north of the Eugene rapids on Friday morning and see how it goes. I hope to make it to Independence or Salem and possibly as far as Oregon City. It should be fairly easy to join in for a day or two, there are lots of places to launch and cell phones should work along the river.

I realize many Team Wreck members have little or no experience with canoes, kayaks or rafts but I think that's part of the Death March experience, being a little out of your element, snowshoeing, spelunking and now this.
Portland is awash with kayaks and canoes. You could borrow one, buy one cheap on craig's list, or build a raft. I would be glad to help, I think we could build a sturdy 8'x8' raft out of plastic barrels, 2x4s, plywood and steel cables for less than $60.



Willamette Water Trail

Willamette River Guide PDF

Detailed account of a trip up the Willamette with photos


You may wish to reread Huck Finn, Kon-Tiki or The Journals of Lewis and Clark for further inspiration.