SCRATCHPAD
Th e last river ferry
By LISSA BREWER
COAST WEEKEND EDITOR
The Washington state ferry Cathlamet
once ran consistently on the route to Whid-
bey Island. I grew up taking the ferry, but
only recently learned that Cathlamet is
also the name of a town, an outpost nestled
along Washington’s Ocean Beach Highway.
Named for a tribe that once occupied vil-
lages along the Columbia River, the town of
Cathlamet sits just above the river’s rocky
north shore. It’s accessible from the south
by taking the Julia Butler Hansen Bridge
across the Cathlamet channel from Puget
Island. I was handed a book by an Astoria
local who for eight years lived on the island,
ON THE
COVER
Lissa Brewer
Sheep graze in a grassy meadow on Puget
Island.
STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS
COAST WEEKEND EDITOR
THURSDAY
APRIL 7
2022
The Rosebriar
Mansion in Astoria,
one of the historic
properties featured
on this year’s Home
and Chef tour.
and decided to take a drive.
The island itself can be reached from
the south at Westport via the Wahkia-
kum County ferry. It was here that I found
myself on a blue and misty morning to com-
plete a loop, venturing out to the island,
across the channel and west back to the
Astoria B ridge.
The Oscar B., named for ferry skipper
Oscar Bergseng, is the last remaining ferry
on the lower Columbia. Service on the route
began in 1925 and continues to run every
day of the year, leaving on the hour from
Puget Island and fi fteen minutes later from
Westport.
Winding along from Westport slough,
the ferry turns east near Coff ee Pot Island to
land at a small dock along the south shore
of Puget Island. From here, a loop road con-
tinues along the river bank, passing green
farmlands, weathered ships and quaint
beach homes. Swans, bald eagles and her-
ons take fl ight near the water’s edge and
bluebirds scatter through the tree branches.
Dormant blackberry bushes fi ll the mead-
ows next to fi elds of sheep.
Take side roads through the island to fi nd
a network of sloughs before heading on to
the streets of Cathlamet. Visit the downtown
shops and marina, then head west to the
Julia Butler Hansen Refuge, a 5,600 acre
preserve for the Columbian White-Tailed
Deer, also a destination for birdwatching.
Stop for a rest in Skamokawa before wind-
ing back along the highway toward Astoria.
WOMEN IN
BREWING
‘ICONIC
ASTORIA’
PAGE 8
WASHINGTON
COAST CLEANUP
SET FOR APRIL
HOME AND CHEF TOUR RETURNS
PAGE 6
LISSA BREWER
CALENDAR COORDINATOR
SARAH SMITH
PAGE 11
PENINSULA
ARTISTS OPEN
STUDIOS
PAGE 13
CONTRIBUTORS
DAVID CAMPICHE
M.J. CODY
WILLIAM DEAN
PETER KORCHNAK
BARBARA LLOYD McMICHAEL
PATRICK WEBB
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THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 // 3