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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (June 9, 2021)
2B | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2021 | APPEAL TRIBUNE Mill City Falls. MOLLY J. SMITH / STATESMAN JOURNAL Float Continued from Page 1B In their absence, raf- ters, kayakers and an- glers must find new places to launch boats upstream and down- stream of Mill City. Those access points are often hidden, scattershot or less-than-ideal. Linkhart, for example, started his trip at Mill City’s Kimmel Park, at a boat ramp that requires driving over a patch of grass to a fairly steep ac- cess point. And by start- ing there, his float re- quired running Mill City Falls — something that isn’t always ideal for an- glers in drift boats or those with limited experi- ence. “Not everyone is com- fortable shooting Mill City Falls,” said Mill City fishing guide Mike Ferris, who previously started his trips from Fisher- men’s Bend downstream. “There are also a few shallow, rocky stretches below Mill City that are not that conducive to floating a wooden drift boat like mine full of cli- ents.” Those who aren’t com- fortable launching their Shuttle driver Bob Lusk points to a public access point to the North Santiam River known as a "boat slide" that allows those with drift boats to get there crafts in the river by using rope to slowly slide it down the logs. It's one of the options needed given the wildfire closure of main boat ramps this summer. ZACH URNESS / STATESMAN JOURNAL own boat and running rapids can book a trip with several outfitters, in- cluding locally owned Fur Sure Outfitters or eNRG Kayaking. “We have been super busy already,” Fur Sure owner Donovan Strasser said. In some ways, just get- ting your boat on the right section of river might be the biggest challenge. Here’s a breakdown of the places where you can and can’t get on the river, and what to expect once you get there. Due to the holiday, our offi ce hours and obituary placement times may vary. Please contact us at 503-399-6789 or obituary@statesmanjournal.com for further details. Note: Anyone floating either section of the North Santiam should be aware of potential hazards such as fire-burned trees fall- ing into the river. It hasn’t been too bad so far, but the ability to run Class III- IV rapids and avoid obsta- cles is critical. Always wear a personal flotation device. Biggest rapids, biggest changes on the ‘Packsaddle section’ The biggest thrills on the North Santiam River are found on the river’s upper “Packsaddle section,” home to a trio of Class III rapids and locat- ed between Packsaddle County Park and Mill City on the upper river. This is where access will be trickiest, given the namesake of the float — Packsaddle Park — still is closed. 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ZACH URNESS / STATESMAN JOURNAL mid-summer, but recent updates suggest it’s un- clear. “We are still working through the cleanup proc- ess,” said Russ Dilly, Mar- ion County Parks coordi- nator. “At this point we do not have a timeline for when we would re-open the park.” You can get a large fine for going around the gate or entering the park. However, it’s still pos- sible to get on that section of the river, but it’s not particularly easy, espe- cially if you have a larger boat. What’s the Packsaddle alternative to get on the water? The alternative to Packsaddle Park is driv- ing just a few hundred yards upstream, along Highway 22, and parking at a gravel pullout, near a mailbox, just above the Minto Fish Facility. You’ll need to carry your boat around a gate and down a paved road to what’s known as the “por- tage path.” Then, you’ll need to carry the boat down some very steep steps to a rocky area where you can put on the river. I know some strong boaters who’ve done this with a small raft and it’s commonly used for kay- aks. But drift boats or any boat that needs a trailer is likely out of luck, with no public way to access this upper part of the Santiam via public access. There are a variety of places to take off the river, including Kimmel Park or Hammond Park in Mill City. More on each below. Still great whitewater from Mill City to Mehama If you have a larger boat that needs a trailer, you’ll have somewhat bet- ter luck getting on the lower half of the whitewa- ter section of the river, to hit the fun and scenic rap- ids between Mill City and Lyons/Mehama. The question is wheth- er you’re willing to run Mill City Falls, a straight- forward but punchy class III rapid. If you’re good with run- ning the falls — which you can scout from the bridge in Mill City — the best put-in by far is Kimmel Park. The boat ramp is not easy to find, but it’s locat- ed just beyond the soft- ball fields, over a patch of grass. It requires backing your boat trailer down a fairly steep gravel path with a twist at the end. It’s not a place groups will be able to move through quickly. “I thought it made for a great option,” Linkhart said. “The only issue I see is that, if it becomes pop- ular the way Fishermen’s Bend was, it could really become a bottleneck. It’s long and narrow and you can really only do one group at a time.” There’s also some nar- row, rocky rapids below Mill City that become even rockier later in the summer when the water drops. For those beginning at Kimmel, there are two possible take outs — North Santiam State Park’s gravel beach (which is OK for trailers and a shorter float) and Lyons-Mehama boat ramp (best for trailers and a longer float). Boat ramp alternatives below Mill City Falls If you’re not up for run- ning Mill City Falls, there are a few options below. Hammond Park / Mill City Falls / bridges park: Located right in the mid- dle of Mill City below the bridges, this park has plenty of parking space but requires boaters to carry their crafts down a short trail to the water’s edge. This is a common take-out point for kayak- ers or those with small rafts who start in the Packsaddle area. River Road Boat Slides: A little farther be- low Mill City Falls are a pair of boat slides that run down a steep bank along River Road SE. The slides can be found by traveling the road about 0.8 miles from Mill City. Park on the side of the road. Those with a boat sitting on a trailer can “line” — mean- ing hold onto a rope while it slides downhill — to the river. Larger rafts proba- bly work best on the dirt slide, while aluminum boats work best on the wooden slide built by lo- cal shuttle driver Bob Lusk about 20 years ago. Coordinates: 44.75395,- 122.4890333. North Santiam State Park: One of the few burned parks that has re- opened, North Santiam State Park offers a gravel boat launch that works OK for trailers. The prob- lem is that putting on at this location means a fair- ly short float to Lyons/ Mehama boat ramp, gen- erally known as the last spot on the “whitewater section.” Lyons/Mehama boat ramp: The large boat ramp below the bridge in Lyons-Mehama, this is the typical take-out for trips launching from any- where from Mill City on down. Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter, pho- tographer and videogra- pher in Oregon for 13 years. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Ur- ness can be reached at zurness@Statesman- Journal.com or (503) 399- 6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
