Contemplative Hiking Society

(LOCATION DIRECTIONS AT BOTTOM)

Sauvie Island has a long, sleepy beach tucked away in a spot most people have never heard about. Hidden from the mainland by a thicket of golden cottonwoods and Big Leaf maple, Willow Bar Beach stretches 3 miles along the Columbia River like pale grey velvet. Its alternating forest and open space is frequented by beaver, otter, and deer--I saw all three of their tracks in the sand on one hike!

The view is expansive, on a clear day you can see four volcanoes. There is waterfowl in the river, woodpeckers and eagles in the trees, and massive cargo ships of all kinds lumbering by every few minutes when the tide is right. The size of these vessels is jaw-dropping, they heave a series of perfect waves onto the shore that sound like the ocean.

We'll meet at the Willow Bar Trailhead and hike very slowly 0.4 mi. along a forest road next to the beach, then another 0.8 mi. along the sand, returning the same way. The sand is hard packed but at a slight angle and we'll be traversing a couple small steep spots, so hiking poles recommended. We will pause at a couple nice sittin' logs to rest and reflect on the view but note that they are usually wet, so bring a plastic bag or something to sit on. Restroom at trailhead. Parking fee, see below.

There used to be a trail up to the top of the bar at the end so you could look down into the marina but blackberries have encroached a little bit. Totally optional, but if you have a hand pruner and leather gardening gloves, please bring them and join me for 15 minutes of trail-finding. If we do this enough times over the course of a year, there will be a trail again.

Afterwards, those who would like to do some more birding (the snow geese are back!) and watch the sunset from the Eastside Wildlife Viewing Platform just 0.2 mi. further up Reeder Road may join me there for about an hour. It will get chilly, bring the fuzzy hat. Restroom on site.

Bring $10 cash, your parking permit if you're driving, water/snacks, binoculars/spotting scope, camera, plastic bag/something to sit on, hand pruners and leather garden gloves, trekking poles, and WEATHER appropriate clothing (bring the warm stuff if you're going to linger for the sunset). Adults only, please, and no pets, thanks.

DIRECTIONS: From the Wapato Bridge that crosses on Sauvie Island, stay left to curve around under the bridge onto NW Gillihan Road. Follow it all the way around the right (east) side of the island for about 6.2 mi. and turn right on NW Reeder Road. Go 2.5 mi. and turn right onto a gravel access road. Go 0.3 mi. and park in the large gravel lot. Look for my deep blue Honda CRV. Seasonal restroom on site. Parking fee, see below. Get there early because we will start hiking at 1 PM.

PARKING FEE: You'll need an ODFW Wildlife Area Parking Permit ($10). Lots of stores carry them, too.

***This event is free of charge to those who attended last year, see bottom***

Christmas Ships is a Portland tradition since 1954. If you've never seen them...Wait, what do you mean you've never seen them?

Over 6 dozen local boaters (and the Coast Guard!) decorate their vessels, large and small, with festive lights and music and slowly parade down various routes along the Columbia and Willamette Rivers while crazed fans gather in crowds to hoot and holler at them from the shore. There's quite a bit of drunken shenanigans among the rows of floating houses.

Happily, I've found a more intimate location far from the hordes where each glowing ship slips across the glassy black surface of the Multnomah Channel in perfect peace. Leaves rustle, owls hoot, and the water laps gently on the muddy banks of Sauvie Island while an electric rainbow glides silently by. Ahhhh.

We'll gather in the Wapato Access Greenway State Park parking lot by 4:45 PM (get there early!) and carpool and caravan to a secret location about 15 minutes away. The viewing area is small, so we'll arrive early to stake out a spot. We'll have half an hour or so for birding in the dark down the country road (hopefully, owls!) before the ships appear around the bend. If the weather is dry, there is plenty of room for camping chairs. If it's raining, we'll open umbrellas. The colors are even prettier in the rain.

An added bonus to this location is that, since the road parallels the river, you can watch the ships all over again, even from atop the Sauvie Island Bridge, because you'll pass them again on the way back.

Bring $10 cash, water/hot beverage/snacks, camp chair, blankets, headlamp/light source, binoculars, umbrella, WEATHER appropriate clothing, and your photography/video gear. Wear LOTS of layers of warm clothing, way more than you think you'll need, because we'll be standing a while. I'm talking long underwear, woolen socks, fuzzy hat, the works. There's no restroom on site but, you know, darkness and shrubbery. (There is a large, handicapped accessible portapotty at the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area Offices at 18330 NW Sauvie Island Rd, Portland, OR 97231 on the way to the carpool meeting spot.) You'll be settin' up the tripod on uneven gravel or squishy dirt. Adults only, please, and no pets, thanks.

***Due to last year's disappointing scheduling glitch with the Christmas Ships organization, I'm extending a free repeat to everyone who attended that event as well as their +1s who came along. You better believe THIS year, I'll be hounding Christmas Ships right up until the start time to make sure they're actually sailing. ***

The full Wolf Moon will rise at 5:00 PM on what will hopefully be a clear Saturday afternoon in January. From Killin's parking lot, you can get a pretty tasty view with a scope or telephoto.

First, we'll walk very slowly about 1 mi. total out and back down paved NW Cedar Canyon Road to the west slough to photograph waterfowl, nutria, and maybe an elk or otter. Swans, geese, and winter species have settled in so it should be good birding. (You can come an hour early and explore the little 0.7 mi. trail loop through the park, itself, before we start.) Then we'll return to the parking lot, set up our tripods, snuggle into our chairs and blankets, and watch for the moon to make his grand entrance around 5:20 PM at 53° azimuth.

Bring $5 cash, water, headlamp/light source, binoculars/scope, camping chair with lots of blankets, WEATHER appropriate clothing, and all your photography gear. Restroom on site. Adults only, please, and no pets, please.