Taking An Alternative Route On The Black River

We had to route our canoe through the forest on the Black River on Sunday, with a detour around a huge log jam.

This is the normal tranquility of the Black River. It is one of the premier paddle routes in Lewis County. We've done the river about six times, putting in at different places.

As we paddled along, the river got more shallow, and the aquatic plants were visible with their new green growth. It is really enchanting to glide down a river with these long plants swaying right under the canoe.

Winter storms have really changed the river. One huge tree had been blown down during a storm, blocking the river and creating a ten-foot high blockage.

We had to decide whether to abbreviate our paddle and head back, or try to pull the canoe through the thick shrubs and brush, skirting around the fallen tree. We were both game to try to pull it through and keep going. This was the first of about four difficult places on the river, requiring some heft to pull ourselves through. We enjoyed it though, like a couple of kids exploring, to see how far they could go. I thought of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, and of the fun my kids would have had if they had joined us. This is part of the fun of canoeing. Always, there is the comment, "Well, let's see if we can get through here", or "Lets try that!" Others had gone around the big tree too, and had bushwacked through the forest, making a trail for us.

However, after climbing over beaver dams, floating log-jams, and underneath little caverns of overhanging brush, I was glad to call it a day.We'd spent all day out on the water, and I was really tired. When we got home at 5:30, I had a strong cup of coffee and had to lay down for several hours. Just exhausted. But, when it is over and done, we laugh about what we have done, playing outside with the sunshine on our backs. Just like a couple of kids.

Up Sherwood Creek

This is Sherwood Creek near the little town of Allyn on Case Inlet. It is named after one of the first settlers in the area, Joe Sherwood, who used to do lumbering, deer hunting, and huckleberry picking in the area. Allyn, settled in 1853, is one of the gateways to Case Inlet, and is a rival with Belfair for tourists and recreationists who visit the Hood Canal. Case Inlet is about a 30 minute drive from our home, offering delightful paddle routes throughout, some of which offer a view of 14,000 foot Mt. Rainier. We paddled up-creek through the most lush shoreline vegetation, all the way through this overpass, until the flow of Sherwood Creek became too strong. When that happens, we gently turn the canoe around and let the current carry us down-creek. Languid currents replace the roiling water, and dark purple and green shadows dapple the water under the bridge. It is always enjoyable to glide under a bridge because oftentimes families of mud-swallows build their nests under them, and if you are fortunate, you can see the parents fly in and feed their chicks. The sound is delightful.

High Water - Lake Carne

We spent a glorious Sunday afternoon paddling around a tiny lake that was filled to brimming with the cleanest, clearest emerald green water. Perhaps it was the intense sunshine that brought out the colors, or the fresh new aquatic life on the bottom - but it was one of the cleanest lakes we've yet paddled. No motorized craft are allowed, so it was also very quiet. The little cabin in the photo above was all closed up, with a padlocked gate across the driveway. It was a tidy little place, exactly the type of cabin I would enjoy having - absolutely no pretense, a simple homey dwelling with just the barest of essentials. The yard was immaculate, with a rowboat pulled up to the front porch. A moss-covered tool-shed (or outhouse) hunkered down in the brush off to the side. As you can see, most of these shrub along the shoreline are immersed in the water. We weren't sure why this lake had reached such a high water level, as we didn't see any inflowing stream, and precipitation has been fairly normal for this time of year. Regardless, there were many old cabins that had become dangerously close to the waterline. This little cabin also was close to the shoreline, and looked like it was uninhabited. Newer cabins have been built, but the plots have not yet been subdivided as is often the case on these lakes near large communities. There was a fisherman here who told me that it will only be a matter of time and these little cabins will be torn down and the land subdivided to bring in greater profit. When that happens, the whole culture of a lake can change, with more people out on the water, more noise from homes being built, and more congestion (outbuildings, boats and mobile homes) and traffic. For now, little Lake Carne has not had that happen. However, there is this abundant fresh water that has no place to go...

Early Evening At North Bay Kayak Park

The water at North Bay was so clear, that we could see tiny shells on the bottom. Snails inhabited them, and they made trails along the sand, like little roads.

Some of the shells emptied and were washed up on the beach.

This is the traffic on the way up to Seattle last weekend. We had to navigate through a lot of traffic just to get to a pretty place.

Can you see why it is more fun to feature the canoeing in Puget Sound instead?

The Spiritual Education of Children

We had the pleasure of attending Megan's Ruhi class, book 3, on the weekend. This series highlights Baha'i Children's Classes, a very significant community activity. Debbie, on the right, is the facilitator of the class, with Megan, Mike and his wife Mehnaz, and Gary as class participants.

To add to the mix is Dolly, who is eight years old. She was responsible for the serious business of responding to the lessons from a child's point of view....and, she was the star of the show, the most delightful student a person could hope to teach.

Dolly has already studied the Ruhi Institute's Book 1, and knew this was an opportunity to provide feedback for a teacher and for the class. She was an exceptionally sweet student, confident and well-mannered.

Techniques such as music, story telling, memorizations, prayers, and games are used to illustrate virtues, such as truthfulness and honesty. Dolly learned to memorize a quotation starting with a short phrase, building word upon word through repetition and recall until the quotation was memorized. Megan also used visual aids, drawings of words on a chalkboard, to use as cues. By looking at every drawing, the child 'sees' an image of the word, and the pictures carry the concepts along.

Here, Megan is demon- strating that "truth- fulness is the foundation of all human virtues". She did this by using simple plastic containers from her kitchen, which were labeled with a variety of traits - consideration for others, self-sacrifice, forgiveness, obedience, and patience. If the foundational trait, truthfulness, is not there, the others will not consistently sustain spiritual development. When the tower of containers fell, Dolly giggled and helped Megan collect them into a pile.

Megan illustrated 'tale telling' with a game that spread secrets, and how these messages become distorted each time the message is told. It was so amusing to watch Dolly draw the message on George's back, he then drew it on the back of the person in front of him, until the message had arrived up to the person in front. Then, it was drawn on the illustration board. We all knew the message would be garbled. Dolly eagerly awaited to see what the message would be - me too! She respectfully listened as all the adults offered their commentary on the serious nature of backbiting and gossip.

Things lightened up with a skit by Gary, Mike and Mehnaz, about the habit of lying. They pulled out puppets and told this story: In a country far away, some time ago, there lived a young shepherd, who, while his father worked in the fields and his mother kept up the home, had the task of taking care of the family's sheep. One day, the boy felt very bored and decided to play a trick on his neighbors. Suddenly he started crying out "Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is eating the sheep!" All of his friends came running to help chase away the wolf, but when they got there they found the young shepherd laughing at them because they had received such a fright and really there was no wolf anywhere to be found. His friends went back to their work saying that the boy had behaved very badly. The following day, the boy repeated his foolery, crying out "Wolf, wolf! Help me, help me! The wolf is eating the sheep!"
Well, we all know how this story turns out. No one came to help the young shepherd when a wolf finally did appear. Playing pranks, not telling the truth, will turn our family and friends away.

Paddling On Union Bay - Seattle

Our friends Tim and Debbie joined us for an afternoon paddle on Union Bay. They'd just completed a five-mile walk up in Seattle as part of a fund-raiser for Multiple Sclerosis, and thought they'd try some canoeing to complete their afternoon. We met them at the University of Washington Water Activities Center, where they rented a canoe.
Tim's brother gave a few parting suggestions, and all of us were on our way. Ambitious canoers can explore Union Bay, the Montlake Cut, Lake Washington, and the waterways and inlets at the Arboretum from this location.
Tim and Debbie were all smiles as they steadied their craft and paddled out of the activity center, with George coaching them as they pulled out into deeper water. (For enlargement, click on photo.)

We've done this paddle several times, with other members of our family. It has areas of sheltered water, emergency rescue boats at the ready, and the comfort of other kayakers and boat enthusiasts. We decided to stay close to the shoreline until we could get a feel for the water.
The sky looks very foreboding here, with a dark grey cloud looming overhead. I sure was wondering if it was going to obscure the sunshine and bring on the chilly cool temperatures we'd had earlier in the day.
As long as the sun was shining, the air was warm, and the air quite invigorating. Tim and Debbie paddled along the wet-lands, then out into open water. It was enjoyable listening to them discuss their paddling techniques, and noticing things along the way. One thing George and I both noticed were the grins that stayed on their faces most of the trip. They were having a good time! Everything looked easy enough, and as long as there was no wind we were all in good shape.
At one point we crossed an open channel, then paddled around Marsh Island and Foster Island. These were islands that George and I hiked last March on Naw Ruz with Rahmat and Taraz. We took a delightful watercourse through the Arboretum, where we met a number of other kayakers and canoers, many of whom are students at the University of Washington.
These wetlands were a protected habitat for blue heron, turtles, and Canadian Geese. They are so accustomed to visitors that they allowed us to paddle within just a few feet of their nesting areas. And, yes, there were people fishing here!

Taking A Break From The Weather

Frisbee, barbeque on the grill, people chatting around the fire - these are what we anticipate as we wait for those last few weeks of winter to turn into full-fledged, glorious Spring.

As we here in the Northwest wait out squawls of rain, hail and wind, there are snowstorms in Colorado, and thunderstorms and possible tornadoes across the Southeast. Large hail and damaging winds are part of these huge storm fronts. Heavy rain will hit many of the large cities from Virginia to Maine over the weekend. The weather forecasts are pretty miserable for most of the United States.

We were fortunate here in the Pacific Northwest to have a perfect April day yesterday - shirt-sleeve weather until about 5:00, then when the sun crept down through the trees we had to put on vests and light-weight jackets. There is an immediate chill once that sun goes down.

We enjoyed a barbeque hosted by Tim and Kathy Hall, Annie's parents. Out came delicious food, and wood for a big fire. Just being outdoors creates a wonderful appetite!

Annie's cousin, Eva-Karin, was visiting from California. She is graduating from college this year, and is featured on this post by Annie on her blog, "Earthen Vessel". The girls headed up to Mt. Rainier for a hike, but the cold temps up there forced them to return to the more balmy temperature of Puget Sound. Annie writes, " What we didn't really think about was the fact that up near Mt. Ranier it would be a lot colder than it is down here by the Sound. We drove through quaint little Buckley and Enumclaw and ate lunch before we headed up to Federation Forest. When we arrived it was most definitely beautiful, but absolutely freezing. And on top of that it was windy which did not make it feel any warmer!" They took their hike through Point Defiance in Tacoma instead. There, they found Taraz and Rahmat riding their bikes on one of the trails!

The Halls made long roasting skewers, with the wire attached to long sticks. This kept our arms away from the fire. We also used them to roast our sausages.

Kathy took the last pictures here, sending them into my e-mail. Pictured here: Taraz, Rue, and Rahmat, grinning in spite of the smoke from the fire.

And little Gabe was ready to race Rue down the driveway. Isn't it a shame that Rue has to have a head start in order to make it to the finish line!

Gabe was the hit of the party, as most children are, giggling with his mom. Kathy took this picture of Hannah, who was nibbling Gabe's fingers instead of the barbeque. He laughed so hard it made all of us laugh! Annie's videos are available - that's her filming in the lower right hand corner.

"Nobody sees a flower --really--it is so small it takes time--we haven't time--and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time." ~ Georgia O'Keefe

Ridgefield Wildlife Sanctuary

When George and I returned home from canoeing on Saturday, we checked out the images of Gee Creek and the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge on Google Earth. It had been our hope to paddle across the Lewis River, sidle along the Columbia for a short ways, then paddle up Gee Creek to the Refuge. But, when we got to the mouth of the Gee, there was a huge log jam that prevented access up into the creek. You can imagine our disappointment when we realized there was no way to reach the Ridgefield wildlife area through water access.

Google Earth showed a rich grassland, woodland and wetland area for the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, and Gee Creek would have been a delightful meandering, circuitous route through the woodlands. But, the Google images showed numerous log jams and narrowing chanels that would have made canoeing impossible. I mentioned to George that we should Google Earth for future paddles, zooming down close to see what the obstacles could be. This would save us the wasted time exploring a route.

We found it just mesmerizing to scan the rivers, check out the marsh areas, and see the entire overview of the Refuge through satellite images. They were very crisp, obviously taken on a bright sunshiny day. We saw the route we took by canoe, and later the route we took driving to the Refuge. Then we pulled the focus back to see the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area. What an amazing tool!

The Refuge nestles along the lower reaches of the Columbia River. The 5,218 acres contain a lush mixture of seasonal, semi-permanent, and permanent wetlands, grasslands, riparian corridors, and forests of Douglas-fir and Oregon white oak. These habitats, combined with a mild, rainy winter climate, provide an ideal environment for migrating birds and wintering waterfowl. Thousands of ducks, geese, and swans winter-over here.

Although there are guided tours throughout the sanctuary, we took a four mile 'auto tour' that provided a grand sweep of the wetlands. Our van served as an observation blind on wheels. This allowed enjoyment with minimal disturbance. We also covered more territory. More than 180 species of ducks, geese, swans, and other migratory birds are here during the winter. The place is alive with the buzz of bird-calls.

There is a staff of volunteers who contribute to education programs and provide tours for visitors. This gentleman was introducing us to the Cathlapotle Plankhouse Project, which is a full-scale cedar plankhouse similar to those visited by Lewis and Clark over 200 years ago. The Clark Expedition saw 14 of these dwellings when they stopped at Cathlapotle to camp and trade with the Chinook Indians.

Radiocarbon dating has determined that human habitation here dates back at least 2300 years, making it one of the oldest sites in the active floodplain of the Columbia. I couldn't help but wonder how old some of these ancient oak trees are. They were simply huge, with weary limbs bent to the ground.

This impressive communal dwelling is made of western red cedar, and is a setting for the environ- mental education, resource interpretation and special cultural events of the Refuge. Once I was inside, it was very dark, with the slats in the roof letting in only a slant of air. Sleeping compartments were along the sides, with a place for each family. Long sitting platforms lined a wall and several communal firepits were in the center. It was fun, imagining what life must have been like for the Chinook Indians. There was such a marvelous integration of community, much like what we strive for today.

By George, We Made It!

This is a photo of George looking pretty proud of himself: He'd just paddled our canoe across the mouth of the Lewis River, then along a stretch of the east shore of the Columbia, then into the mouth of Gee Creek. Sounds simple enough, but, it was NOT my favorite paddle!

We'd traveled almost down to Oregon, where we thought we'd get out of the torrent of rain hitting northwest Washington. That drive was a little over two hours, most of it in the rain, with the windshield wipers beating to the rhythm of Bob Dylan's "Modern Times". We came to a private RV park that had river access, so we paid our $3.00 launching fee, parked our van, and unloaded the canoe. I wasn't too eager here, as crossing open water is my least favorite thing to do in cold weather.

The sky looked ominous, and the wind was fretting into a storm. That, for me is a real warning to stay out of the water.

George had always wanted to cross the Lewis, explore this side of the Columbia, and head into the Gee so he could paddle all the way into one of our favorite hiking areas - the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. He always threatens to do it with his brother Dick, since I'm such a namby-pamby about crossing open water.

I had plenty to be worried about - just 90 feet downriver a craft had capsized, and was being towed onto the shore with it's motor clawing the air. People were wading in the water trying to figure out how to empty it out and get it right-side-up. A few motorboats had sidled up to see if help was needed. And, from a distance it looked like everyone was having a good time figuring this emergency out! Like, what a GREAT DAY for an adventure!

I'll have to include a few photos of this RV camp where it seemed everyone was having a supremely good time just hanging out, grilling burgers and drinking beer, and sharing their fishing-boating stories.

While George was unloading our gear and getting the canoe in the water, I walked around the encamp- ment. I think I was the only woman there, and everyone stared at me as if I was like a flamingo nesting in the Arctic.

Just tough guys here, dressed in camoflage clothing, with big rigs, lots of gear, and plenty of laughter. I bet none of them thought I'd get in that canoe and paddle away!

Well, I sealed my camera in heavy plastic bags, put a scarf around my head, and packed my emergency backpack that has everything I'd need to survive: a heavy black garbage bag to use as shelter; a little food and water; medical kit; a knife; and florescent sticks for underwater rescue (yes, I've imagined using them if we are in murky water like the Lewis River). Then, George said he felt we could do it....."Just look at those clouds, Babe, this storm is headed North, it'll miss us here". I said "Let's try it!"

I figured he was right. South of us, the sky was clearing and the wind was blowing the storm north. We headed right into the wind, and I paddled mostly on the left, to avoid the wake from the other boats. It went surprisingly quick with both of us paddling. Then, just as we skirted the Columbia a HUGE blast from a ship bellowed across the water. It was coming down the Columbia. For us that meant GET OUT OF THE WATER, because the waves from one of these container ships can capsize a canoe. The great ship was actually warning the motorboats fishing in open water to 'step aside'. Then, we saw another huge container ship coming upriver from the opposite direction. As they pass each other, the accumulated wake from both would be like a double tsunami!

We paddled quickly onto a sandy beach on Squaw Island and watched the huge ships pass by. Then, the waves started to hit the shoreline. They roiled into the mouth of Gee Creek, causing pounding waves, temporarily flooding the little mud bay where the tide had receded. We got into the safety of the little creek just in the nick of time. Then, in just seconds, the water receded again and was completely still.

The mouth of Gee Creek was completely blocked with a log-jam, so we couldn't explore it. (Details like that are never on a satellite image.) So, we climbed a few embankments to view the little meadows in the woods, then put the canoe back in the water. The sky had cleared a little, the wind had settled, and our return trip was completely uneventful - which is what I most enjoy when we are out on the water!