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Washington

Kayaking the Lower Columbia River: Exploration and Discovery

Program No. 2288RJ
Paddle along the basalt cliffs, Sitka spruce swamps and tidal marshes of the Columbia River estuary with experts as you improve your kayak technique and learn about this grand region.
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  • Kayaking the Lower Columbia River: Exploration and Discovery
  • Kayaking the Lower Columbia River: Exploration and Discovery
  • Kayaking the Lower Columbia River: Exploration and Discovery
  • Kayaking the Lower Columbia River: Exploration and Discovery
Water SportsOutdoor AdventuresRegional StudiesSmall GroupNature & Environment
Length
6 days
Rating (4.89)
Activity Level
Starts at
1,799
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
14 meals ( 5B, 4L, 5D )
3 expert-led lectures
9 expert-led field trips
2 hands-on experiences
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Resort check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
Program Registration. Arrive as early as 3:00 p.m. at Skamokawa Resort. After you check in and have your room assignment, program staff will give you your welcome packet containing the up-to-date schedule that reflects any changes, other important information, and to confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Then, relax or explore nearby Skamokawa Vista Park or the J. B. Hansen Refuge. Any time between 4:00 and 5:30 p.m., drop by the kayak shop to meet the Group Leaders and get fitted to a kayak and gear. There will be social time in the Conference Room 5:30 p.m.
Dinner:
At the Duck Inn.
Evening:
Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Next, we will have a slide presentation by the Group Leader on the history of Skamokawa. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting in/out of vans; in/out of kayaks; paddling 6-8 miles throughout the day.
Breakfast:
8:00 a.m. at The Duck Inn. Each day, we will have pack lunches provided and take them with us on our field trips.
Morning:
At 8:45 a.m., we will take vans to Cathlamet, where we will put in at Elochoman Slough Marina. After an introduction to kayaking, we will paddle up Cathlamet Channel along 100-foot basalt cliffs with waterfalls.
Lunch:
We will have our pack lunch on a cobble beach composed of Missoula flood deposits, a reminder of the world' largest known freshwater floods that scoured the region during the last ice age.
Afternoon:
Depending on weather and tide, we may either return to Cathlamet via Cathlamet Channel or make a loop by crossing the channel to see the homes and farm of Birnie Slough on the return trip. After returning to Skamokawa, the guides will present a kayak roll and rescue demonstration, with an optional opportunity afterwards for participants to practice rescues.
Dinner:
At The Duck Inn, at 6:00 p.m..
Evening:
We will be joined by historian Irene Martin, who won the 2000 Governor’s Heritage Award for her work documenting the cultures of the Lower Columbia. The author of six books on the history of the region, she is also a gillnetter and an Episcopal priest. Her wide-ranging interests and intellect will make for a fascinating presentation.
Activity Note
Getting in/out of kayaks; paddling 6 miles throughout the day. NOTE: The schedules for Days 3 and 4 may be switched to take advantage of better tides or weather.
Breakfast:
At The Duck Inn.
Morning:
At 8:45 a.m., we will launch kayaks from our Skamokawa Resort dock. We will paddle from Skamokawa through historic Steamboat Slough, lined with up to 400-year-old Sitka Spruce. This forest has been preserved as part of the Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge for the Columbia White-tailed Deer.
Lunch:
On a small sand beach.
Afternoon:
We will paddle back across the channel to Skamokawa, often via historic Steamboat Slough. After returning to Skamokawa Resort, we will walk to the 1894 schoolhouse that has been lovingly restored as the River Life Interpretive Center. It serves as historical museum, bookstore, and community center.
Dinner:
At The Duck Inn at 6:00 p.m.
Evening:
Wahkiakum was historically known for its award-winning creameries. We will take the vans to Little Island Creamery, located on Puget Island, where we will tour their 54-acre farm. Little Island Creamery is known for its award-winning Brie at the American Cheese Society's Annual Conference. We will meet their staff, who will teach us about biological farming and what makes their farm unique. You will also test your cheese-making skills with a ricotta cheese-making lesson and sample a variety of cheeses.
Activity Note
Getting in/out of vans. Hiking 3 miles; trail starts with 150 feet of elevation gain, well-maintained, some up/down, uneven ground. NOTE: The schedules for Days 3 and 4 may be switched to take advantage of better tides or weather.
Breakfast:
At the Duck Inn.
Morning:
After breakfast, we will hike the trail in Skamokawa Vista Park through mature second-growth forest to a pebble beach on the Columbia North shore, the site of a former cannery town.
Lunch:
At Skamokawa Resort.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will paddle up the protected waters of Skamokawa Creek. It is a four-mile round trip to where the headwaters of Wilson and Skamokawa Creeks tumble into the pool at the head of tidewater.
Dinner:
At the Duck Inn.
Evening:
Presentation to be announced.
Activity Note
Getting in/out of kayaks; paddling 7 miles throughout the day.
Breakfast:
In the Conference Room by The Duck Inn.
Morning:
At 8:45 a.m., we will walk (less than 1/4 mile) to the dock and put in kayaks for our field trip. We will paddle across the main channel again, this time to FitzPatrick Island, a roosting area for white pelicans, double-crested cormorants, and Caspian Terns. We'll cross back to the rugged north shore of the Columbia with its basalt bluffs punctuated by cobble beaches and the remains of old cannery towns.
Lunch:
On a pebble beach at the site of a long-abandoned cannery town.
Afternoon:
The incoming tide will help us paddle back to Skamokawa along the basalt bluffs of the north shore.
Dinner:
Our final dinner at The Duck Inn features wild-caught salmon with other fresh, local foods.
Evening:
We will enjoy one last evening in the conference room, sharing our favorite highlights of the week over a scrumptious, seasonal dessert. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
10:00 a.m. resort check-out.
Breakfast:
At The Duck Inn at 8:00 a.m. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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