Henry Hagg Lake
Morning…I should have gone in the morning. There is a constant variable on a lake…any lake…and that is that in the late afternoon/early evening the wind will invariably come up. Not just come up, but spring to life with a spiteful vengeance. It doesn’t care which side of the lake you wish to navigate to or how you need to get back to town at a certain time or how exhausted you are…it just is.
I hadn’t been out to Hagg Lake in at least 15 years. I had enjoyed mountain biking the 13 or so miles around it’s blackberry bush laden shores then, and usually followed my ride with a quick dip. Now, with my new passion firmly ahold of me, I decided to navigate it’s shores by SUP.
Driving from my home in SW Portland took about 45 minutes, and was a pleasant excursion in and of itself as I wound through Washington County’s lush farmland, windows open and the faintest scent of cow dung in my nose.
I arrived at the lake around 2pm, found my way to the parking permit drive through and purchased a pass for $6. I continued over the dam and around the southwest edge of the lake until I reached Sain Creek Recreation Area, a large and clean picnic and swimming spot that had ample parking. It was a Monday, so this wasn’t surprising, weekends are very congested seeing as it is the largest lake in Washington County and powerboats have the run of the place then.
I put in at a muddy bank and began paddling around the western shore. Soon I found myself at Scoggins Creek Recreation Area, where a gaggle of weekday frolickers were blasting music and enjoying the comfortable water temperatures. I decided it was time for a dip and dove off my board. One of the most appealing aspects of SUP’n is the utility features of the board itself. It is at once a water craft, a swim platform, and a lovely way to sky gaze and watch the clouds float lazily by as you do the same on your back.
I hopped to my feet and continued my tour of the lake. Once on the North side of the lake the crowds thinned out, with just a few isolated groups of picnickers in tiny coves. I went ashore near Tanner Creek and hiked up to the trail that circles the lakeshore. It’s approximately 13 miles of awesome single track that I must get back to at some point.
It was about 4pm by then, and noting the riffles quickening into some serious wind chop, I decided to make my way across the lake back to my vehicle. I should mention that half of the lake is a “no wake zone” (and thankfully the half that I was paddling), so as far as wobbling about amid large boat wake while paddling, well, it isn’t really a concern if you avoid that area. The wind, however, is another matter altogether. I watched a point on the shore staying even with my position as I worked like a madman to propel myself two feet for every three strokes…it was ridiculous. After a good hour of fighting the headwind I emerged around the bend of Sain Creek and my nemesis dissipated.
After another luxurious swim and float, I came ashore and racked my board. All in all I found Hagg Lake to be a fun and beautiful outing, with the added benefit of being a relatively short drive from home.
