Lewis River: Yale Bridge Put-in at Lake Merwin
Getting There: Map and Directions to Yale Bridge put-in / About an hour from Portland
Crowds: Weekends will find the parking lot full by midday, so if possible plan on arriving before noon or go during the week. Once on the river, you will find ample amounts of crowd-less water and tranquility.
Food/Supplies Nearby: Battleground, Amboy, Chelatchie
After a pleasant drive through a countryside interspersed with impressive views of Mt. Saint Helens, I arrived at the gravel parking lot to the right of Yale Bridge. It was a Saturday at around 3pm, so the lot was full, but I was able to park in the pull out area right before the bridge entrance.
The metal stairs leading down to the river offer a convenient access, though a bit imposing in their steepness and narrowness when one is carrying a SUP.
Once at the bottom there is a convenient concrete platform from which to launch, though there is not a lot of real estate if too many people are trying to put on at once.
The happy yelps of teens swinging from a rope under the bridge broke the stillness of the afternoon as they splashed down into the clear water. It looked inviting, but I decided to save my swimming for a more discreet opportunity.
I launched from the platform and headed upstream. The Lewis River is a tributary of the Columbia River, originating from the west flank of Mt. Adams and flowing through Gifford Pinchot forest passing to the south of Mt. Saint Helens. Interestingly it is not named for Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame, but for A. Lee Lewis, a colonizer and homesteader who lived near the mouth of the river. The Lewis River is dammed for flood control and used for hydroelectricity on it’s southwestern course, forming the Swift, Yale, and Merwin reservoirs, the latter of which I had entered the river from.
As I made my way upstream the few motor boats present thinned out and just the self propelled craft remained. I was grateful for the “no wake” bouy that quelled the rough water present on Lake Merwin.
It was a warm day, but not unbearable, and the mild headwind was welcomed as it cooled my face. I took a brief swim to test the water temp and was delighted that it was perfectly comfortable.
I was testing out a new board, my son’s inflatable, the iRocker Nautical. I had been skeptical about the performance of an ISUP, but was impressed immediately by the handling and stability of the new toy. It is quite affordable as far as ISUPs go, and though it is the least expensive board in the iRocker family it has the quality and performance capabilities of many of the top tier boards on the market.
As I meandered along, the canyon walls closed in and small waterfalls appeared on the craggy, fern covered rock faces, gently showering the surface of the river. Upwards massive fir trees pierced the sky, and I saw an eagle’s nest at the tip top of a hundred foot snag.
It was a supremely peaceful journey, and the voices of other paddlers faded away as I made my way up the river. Soon I came to a cabled off area with a sign prohibiting any further access because of the hydroelectric dam. I had done some research and new that there was a beautiful waterfall just a bit past the cable barrier on the left bank. Not a rule breaker by nature, I took the lead of fellow paddlers before me and skimmed over the top of the divider hoping that the risk was worth the reward! (Others can wrestle with their own conscience on this point, I am not advocating for rule breaking!) I heard the falls before I saw them, and I was not disappointed.
I paddled right up to the magnificent falls and felt the mist bathe my face, quite happy that I had thrown caution to the wind and ventured past the rope barrier. Truthfully, it is not that big of a deal, as the falls are only about 200 yards past it and the dam itself is quite a bit further upstream.
I made my way back over the barrier (Caution: be careful to find a spot to cross the cable with enough clearance for your fins, as that is a tumble waiting to happen. Play it safe and cross over on your knees just in case!) and continued paddling up Canyon Creek where it enters the main river. Here the canyon walls really began to close in, and the stillness was absolute.
There was quite a bit of drift wood to dodge, and as I proceeded on the water was clear enough to see the bottom. At some points I felt as though I could see twenty some feet down, perhaps further, and I hoped to glimpse a massive fish in the depths. Lake Merwin and this section of the Lewis River in particular is home to the Tiger Muskie, a tough predatory fish introduced to control the population of pike minnow.
The Muskie has extremely sharp and hooked teeth, and there have been stories of little purse dogs being snatched while swimming. Not to mention the tall tales (hopefully!) of people having their toes nipped. I must confess that thought was in the back of my mind while swimming, as I kept my booted feet near the surface.
Eventually I turned a corner and was delighted to find another waterfall. It was bittersweet because it was bursting forth over boulders in the middle of the river, and signified the end of my paddling adventure up Canyon Creek.
It had already become shallow and navigating around the boulders was getting challenging, so I knew going any further above the falls would be a short term affair and not worth the trouble.
I ate a snack and enjoyed the sight and sound of the rushing water tumbling over the rocks. Soon it was time to head back, and I reluctantly made my way downstream on Canyon Creek to where it enters the Lewis River as the early evening shadows began to creep into the gorge.
As the heat of a late afternoon August sun hit me full on as I rounded a bend in the river, I decided one more cooling swim was in order.
Of course, I made quite sure that my toes were curled and near the surface, away from any appendage nibblers that might be lurking below!
