Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe Blog

Paddle with the People

Starting March 29th and Continuing all season!!

reservations@aldercreek.com

888-571-4545

Price:

$10 (with own gear)

$20 (with rental gear)*

*please notify us when signing up if you need to reserve equipment*

“Paddle with the People” trips are a great way to get out and practice your skills every week with our experienced crew close at hand to answer questions or offer encouragement.  Take advantage of this amazingly affordable opportunity to experience three great local paddling locations, all within 20 minutes drive from our Portland stores!  Meet new paddling friends and get to know the Alder Creek staff.

While this is not an official class, exposure to new concepts or activities may help you to become a more skilled paddler.  For more in depth skill building check out one of our Foundation or Refinement classes. Participants should have successfully completed our Basic Skills Class or have comparable experience.  Reservations are required.  Location of each trip is conditions dependent and is subject to change up to the last minute.

In the event of a cancellation due to weather, we will re-schedule the trip or offer a full refund if needed.  We will meet at either the Boathouse or Jantzen Beach depending on the location of that week’s trip.  You will receive a more detailed confirmation with meeting location and directions when you make your reservation.  Equipment is available upon request and must be specifically reserved for you prior to the trip.  These trips are scheduled on weekends during the spring and on week days during summer

By Shawn Altman – Alder Creek Staff

As the days start to get longer, just a tad nicer, I find myself waking up wishing I was inside a tent. Six months have passed and I already miss the salty air, beaches made of perfectly shaped skipping stones, and the chance sighting of an orca whale. The San Juan Islands hold a new place in my heart after moving here from Bar Harbor , Maine. Bar Harbor and the San Juan Islands are listed in the top ten places to kayak in the USA, but I would say they are so far my two favorite places.

Cypress Island

Shawn McClure – Tow Head Island near Pelican Beach at Sunset

What I enjoy the most about camping out on the beach is just being away from the city, cooking over an open fire, and exploring by water each day. Each time I go Sea Kayak Camping with Alder Creek kayak & Canoe the groups are fantastic, willing to make the most out of each day, but also looking to relax on the beach.

Pelican Beach Camp

San Juan Group Sept. 08′ – Hanging out a Camp

Since we camp out at Pelican Beach – on Cypress Island –there are hiking trails that lead to a cliff face looking over the east side of Orcas Island and Rosario Straits. What An amazing view at Sunset.

Cypress Island Sunset

San Juan Group Sept. 08′ – Sunset on Eagle Cliff

Paddling during the Day is wonderful but paddling at night is something not to miss. The days tend to be warm, the water is cool, and the views are spectacular. I would say that my favorite section to paddle is heading from pelican beach to Toe Head Island and then south to Strawberry Island. Wonderful section as we paddle under large cliff faces.

Paddling around rocks Cypress Island

San Juan Group Sept. 08′ – Heading to Strawberry Island

Even with the tidal current we can use the shore to have a relaxing paddle and search for porpoise, eagles, nesting falcons, and a mix of other water fowl.

The night time paddling is just amazing! The bio luminescence is something that you will never forget if you have never paddled in it. I was telling a few of our guest about the chance to paddle at night. They just looked at me like “yeah, sure… probably just really dark”. Well, the dark part was correct, but they didn’t plan on the water glowing with every stroke, splash, and ripple. We tossed water across our spray skirts and watched the ocean water sparkle like the Milky Way was in our hands. We could see glowing fish zipping under our boats, eddy lines sparkling, and the reflection of the stars in the water. This is truly hard to forget from the view of a kayak. With all this in my mind I am excited to get back to the ocean and re-visit the charm of the San Juan Islands.

Group resting on West side of Cypress

Where?

Mission Theatre 1624 NW Glisan

When?
March 17, 2009

7:00 pm til 10:00pm

$2.00 at the Door

With in a short amount of time we have another Bryan Smith movie coming to Portland, Oregon!

This film is a follow up to the Pacific Horizons Movie that was released about a year ago. Come Watch Bryan Smith’s Eastern Horizons! Many amazing destinations are paddled in this video. The bay of Fundy – known for the 50 ft tides- parts of Maine, plus the Georgia coast and more. You will see clips of Alder Creek’s Paul Kuthe surfing and playing in the big tides of the Northern East Coast.

If you are looking for an exciting sea kayaking film then come to our Eastern Horizons Premier in March!

Eastern Horizons Trailer from Bryan Smith on Vimeo.