Oregon and Washington: My Future Home (one of them at least)

With only 3 weeks left in the semester, we have already covered a significant distance. From the Feather and Trinity Rivers in northern California our traveling circus headed west for the coast where ocean waves would allow us to dust off our playboats. I found yet another slice of heaven amongst the Redwood trees at our campsite in Jebadiah State Park. For two mornings the team’s workouts consisted of a meandering trail run to one of the oldest groves of these trees on the west coast, aptly named Stout Grove. Like the gold at the end of the rainbow, suddenly your quick footsteps bring you around a bend and the undergrowth melts away to reveal 20-30 of the biggest trees I’ve ever gotten to wander beneath. I was halted by their beauty, unable to look down at the trail.

Adding to the list of firsts for the year, possibly longer than previous years already, I traveled up the epic Oregon coastline toward Florence, our next destination. Around every bend was yet another view of steep cliffs dropping into the ocean, waves crashing and the sun setting. As this passed out of view the vans weaved through the magnificent coniferous forest waiting to reveal the next jaw-dropping vista. I wished I could stop at every one and take in the view completely. Another time perhaps.

From Florence, the group split between more ocean surfing and Sweet Creek, a short stretch of slides and waterfalls easily

lapped via a riverside trail. The whole scene was glowing in every shade of green, alongside the mountain walls, hanging from every limb and branch. Every breath felt like thousands of microscopic, pristine water droplets entering my lungs and filling my body with a crisp, clean air. Although I had been taking it easy on my shoulder, I was able to get in several runs on the creek, each time remembering how much joy is felt from a single boof. Unfortunately, I also realized that my shoulder would not get any better if I were to continue testing it before completely healed.

Eugene’s River House became our next home. This building houses the city’s recreation programs, led by multiple friends as well as one of our students who lives in the area. After finally visiting a doctor and getting told to take several weeks off the water, I let go of my hopes for paddling more in Oregon and began to embrace other avenues of adventure, such as longboarding.

While students paddled in the afternoon, I rode my new longboard through the streets of Eugene, exploring the city’s markets, drum circles, playgrounds, walkways, alleyways, bums on benches, rose gardens and more. Over an excellent Americano with honey I was entertained by the styles of Eugene’s drag queen population as they prepared for a show that evening. I still wonder how they manage to walk on those high heels with such grace. Weaving through the streets toward home, I met several friendly people who kindly directed me back toward the River House, some correctly, some slightly off, all appreciated.

Now, our current campsite resides on the property of All Adventures Rafting company on the White Salmon River, Washington State. This stop will be our longest for the quarter, approximately 10 days total. If you were here, you’d understand why.

Each day we drive into the chill town of Hood River for class, crossing the broad, wind-swept Columbia River into Oregon. Almost every morning kite boarders and wind surfers dot the flat surface of the river, taking advantage of the gorge’s famous winds to catch epic air and carve out turns at high speeds. Afternoons the group heads down any one of the multiple creeks in the area; Farmlands, Green Truss, Little White Salmon to name a few. With more water and gradient, these creeks provide a generous challenge to each student, no matter their skill level. A future post will include some great shots of these runs!