The Lower Columbia Kayak Roundup is not just a gathering for kayakers of all stripes. “LoCo” is a unique cultural phenomenon. Held annually for the last 4 years on Puget Island in Wahkiakum County, WA, LoCo is preparing for its fifth and final event in September.
Participants need not know anything about kayaking, just have an interest. Classes range from beginner to leader and coach. Additional activities include morning yoga, kayak games, evening shows, campfires, rolling demo, and Two Island Farm Market.
Most participants camp at Slow Boat Farm on Puget Island in the Lower Columbia, where the event is based. Sharon’s Pizza and More of Cathlamet teams up with the Wahkiakum Food and Farm Network to provide fresh local farm food.
Wahkiakum County (pronounced we-kayak-um) boasts a great variety of waterways. Protected sloughs bend through Puget Island and behind nearby Hunting and Price Islands. A half-mile wide channel flanks 60’ cliffs and waterfalls near Cathlamet, and the main channel of the Columbia provides current and wind-waves for the intermediate paddler. About an hour away, the mouth of the Columbia and the Oregon coast satisfy experienced paddlers seeking challenge.
Paddling on the Lower Columbia is following in the wake of history. Natives canoed these waters as their main highway for perhaps 10,000 years. Just 200 years ago, Lewis and Clark journeyed through. More recently, the river carried giant bundles of logs, dairy products, and processed salmon to distant markets. It is still a major commercial thoroughfare as well as a recreational destination. Columbia River Kayaking, who organizes LoCo, has offered kayaking tours in the area for 14 years.
Two National Wildlife Refuges share the lower river, the 30,000-acre Lewis & Clark NWR, comprised of a chain of islands, and the smaller Julia Butler Hansen NWR near Cathlamet, WA. Bald eagles, osprey, and great blue heron all nest along the river. Beaver, nutria, and river otter can all be spotted from a kayak.
Slow Boat Farm offers private water access to a remote, wild section of the lower Columbia, and peaceful camping. It is open to camping by appointment and during the event. LoCo is an excellent place to enjoy a unique getaway as well as meet other kayakers, and improve kayaking skills with the top local and foreign coaches.
Classes include: Immersion, Essential Steering Strokes, Paddle Making, Rolling, Wind and Waves, Kayak Foundations, Sea Paddler Training, Gnarly Water Training, Surf, Coaching, Leadership, Kayak Sailing, and more. Pre-registration is required, deadline Sept 1.
September 16-18: full day and half day classes.
September 14-16: 3-day programs.
September 3-13: British Canoe Union courses.
More info on LoCo Roundup www.locoroundup.com
Contact Ginni Callahan info@locoroundup.com
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