Pancake Paddle Special Edition -- Cowlitz Portage Exploratory Paddle

Pancake Paddle Special Edition -- The Cowlitz Portage Exploratory Paddle.

In the early days of the Oregon Territory the way you got from the end of the Oregon Trail (present day Portland) to Puget Sound country was by paddling down the Columbia River to the Cowlitz confluence then up the Cowlitz to the present location of the town of Toledo where the Hudson's Bay Company had a trading post. From there you hiked overland up to Olympia.

We will be paddling four downriver miles from the boat ramp in Toledo to the boat ramp just west of I-5. Along the way we will stop at the suspected location of the old Hudson's Bay post, which has been all but obliterated by the passing centuries.

First, we will meet at the boat ramp in the town of Toledo at 10AM. The boat ramp is located at 100 Front Street. Before we start the paddle we will park a shuttle vehicle at the boat ramp just west of I-5.

This is an exploratory paddle in anticipation of another paddle which will occur on the same weekend as the Cowlitz Portage presentation by HBC historian Steve Anderson. More info on Steve's presentation at this link:

https://www.meetup.com/seattle-history-field-trips/events/308900830/?eventOrigin=group_events_list

See you then!
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ABOUT THE LAKE UNION PANCAKE PADDLE

Eat Swedish pancakes. Then paddle. Beginners are most welcome. If you don't own a kayak, SUP or canoe, they can be rented by the hour at the dock we launch from. This group is open to all paddle craft (kayaks, SUPs, canoes, inflatables, dragon boats, etc.) and gathers regularly at 9AM on the first Sundays of every month in the lobby of the Swedish Club which is open to the public for their monthly Swedish pancake breakfasts. We enjoy the ten million dollar view and have a Swedish pancake breakfast together to the accompaniment of live Scandinavian folk music. Then we take the short walk down to the dock and leisurely paddle for an hour or so on the placid urban waters of Lake Union, the most unique lake in the world--home to Academy award winning movies, amazing houseboats, historic vessels & sunken battleships, storied Olympic champions, Native American history, stupendous infrastructure, a surprising amount of wildlife and the birthplace of the Boeing Airplane Co.

We also do "Special Edition" paddles on the lakes and rivers of Western & Central Washington and on Puget's Sound, the Pacific Coast and the San Juans. Special Edition paddles often have no onsite rental availability.