Tumalo Creek Blog

Panama is the perfect destination for active adults looking to explore a country without the development of Costa Rica, but all the beauty and amenities. Join the staff at Tumalo Creek for Panama Adventure Week and enjoy a fully supported sea kayaking adventure around Isla Coiba, a tropical paradise complete with white sand beaches teeming with abundant wildlife including howler monkeys, sea turtles and many bird species.

You will be served goumet meals and have ample opportunity to take advantage of snorkeling, jungle hiking, surfing, and star gazing after a long day of outdoor adventure.

Tumalo Creek’s Panama Adventure Week is scheduled for March 6 – 13 and includes five full days of adventure in Santa Catalina with accomodations and meals at Oasis Surf Camp. Guests will have the choice to partake in a three-day sea kayaking adventure for no extra charge, or stay behind at the resort to hone their surfing skills.

Cost is $1895 per person, not including airfare. The Tumalo Creek staff will pick guests up in Panama City the afternoon of March 6th and drop off on March 13.

In order to run this trip, we will need to book four or more guests. This trip will also run in March of 2014 for those who wish to plan a year ahead.

Please don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have specific questions about this adventure or if you have any special needs or requests you’d like to discuss: 541.317.9407 or email hank@tumalocreek.com.

Big Water Little Boats

PRESENTED BY TOM MARTIN

September 4, 2012 at 7 p.m.

At Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe

Please join Tom Martin for a presentation based on his new book, Big Water, Little Boats; Moulty Fulmer and the First Grand Canyon Dory on the last of the Wild Colorado River.

This 45-minute program features original photographs from various 1940’s through 1960’s Grand Canyon River trips, including Boulder Narrows at 126,000 cubic feet per second in 1957. The presentation tells how Fulmer happened upon the McKenzie River hull design of today’s Pacific Northwest boats, and how he used that design to build his boat the Gem, Grand Canyon’s first decked dory. Martin will also touch on the building of a full-sized replica of the Gem and taking the replica through the Grand Canyon. He will show photo re-matching of original pictures from the 1940’s and 1950’s river trips. The program will be followed by a book signing.

TumaloCreek-donationform

Riverhouse Run Photo Shoot

(Note from Laurel: From time to time we have guest bloggers contribute. Here is a tale of a photographer’s recent adventure getting photos of whitewater kayakers on the Riverhouse Run.)

I woke up early first thing in the morning made some coffee and grabbed my equipment which had been charging the night before. I proceeded to check my Google maps and contemplated some unique camera angles I wanted to put together and took off. I showed up and I started hiking around to make sure I was on my game. I said hello to a few of the competitors and then I met Geoff and started a conversation that soon made me realize I had scouted out the wrong stretch of shore the night before. As he threw out roads, trails, and neighborhood names, I tried to look like I had any clue what was going on.

Then I heard those final words “you got a bike?” JACKPOT!!! Knowing that there was no possible way for this to NOT be an epic adventure I replied “YEAH”!!! Then suddenly I heard a few more words “Deschutes River Trail” and knew I would need my Google powers would fill in the gaps.

Geoff and the other kayakers left for the Riverhouse Run and I had very little time to catch them. So I jumped in my trusty Mazda and bolted to the other end of town to pick up the bike. Arriving to my house, I invited my roommate, Anthony, along for the random trek, and as always he was down! I woofed down some cold enchiladas for the extra energy, Googled the trail, and packed up my gear.

On our way back to the other end of town we stopped at a gas station and couldn’t help but notice that the Burger King down the road had a large amount of smoke coming out of the building. We both starred until we got close enough to see what was going on. Then it was clear, it had not been Burger King that was smoking but a car….a car which was engulfed in flames!

As always, I had my trusty Canon 60D by my side and started taking some editorial photos. Traffic was stopped and in came the fire truck. It had seemed that nobody was hurt and all was well, except now I had even less time to catch the kayakers.

Then we arrived at our destination, the Deschutes River Trail. Not knowing for sure if we were at the right spot, we took off anyway. My sense of time was completely lost and I had no clue when or where we would see them, but I knew one thing…..I could at least see the river and that was enough! After a bit of riding and still no kayaks we had noticed that the trail had veered off. Was this supposed to happen? Then around the bend I saw it. It was the stretch of river that Geoff described. I realized it was time to pack the bikes down the canyon. We were unprepared and out of shape but had one thing: determination. That, and nothing else to do. We had no bike locks and so we carried the bikes with us just in case.

All in all it was worth it. We got the shots, and it was an Epic Adventure!

Rush came to Tumalo Creek last year to show his latest film and put on a show at Silver Moon. We’ll miss him this year, but this gives a taste of what he is working on. Kind of a cool biographical perspective with shots of him as a kid growing up at Otter Bar Kayak School.

John runs Tappan III, one of his favorite spots on the trip.

Most of Tumalo Creek’s customers know a love John as a knowledgeable and avid boater who knows every product in the store. He’ll always will go out of his way to make you happy and share everything he knows to help you make the right decision. He’s great at what he does, and we’re lucky to have him!

John is also an amazing whitewater canoer and just finished his first run down the Middle Fork in Idaho. At 2.85 ft., John said the water levels on the river were very friendly for canoeing, while still offering plenty of challenging rapids. His favorite spots were Hell’s Half-mile and The Chutes because they offered continuous Class III.

John also loved the effect that the granite rocks had on the water, creating big fluffy rapids that were easily punchable, as opposed to the unpredictable water produced by lava rock here in Central Oregon.

Permits to run the Middle Fork of the Salmon in the summer are issued by the Middle Fork Ranger District via lottery. Apply before January 31st.

Recreation: The Jackson Ibis

(Compare to the Wilderness Systems Pungo 120)

Named after the waddling water bird, this is the great boat for the explorer who is more interested in checking out wildlife and scenery than covering serious mileage. It is designed to keep paddlers dry with or without a spray skirt, and also features a recessed storage bay on the back deck accessible from the cockpit. It has enough storage space to accommodate the occasional overnight journey, but remains a stable and easily maneuverable boat for day trips.

Why the Jackson Ibis is a great value:

Great option for anglers who need plenty of room and stability, but also might use their boat for other things.

The seat in the cockpit detaches and doubles as a campfire seat.

Comes with a Jackson Dry Bag that fits into the recessed on deck storage compartment.

We have five Jackson Ibis Kayaks in stock at Tumalo Creek for $799 (minus 15% through August.)

Solid Orange

Blue/White Swirl

Solid Yellow

2 Orange/Yellow Swirls

Another one of the most interesting and useful presentations I attended at Outdoor Retailer last week was a seminar about America’s waterways and the many health, social and economic benefits they bring to urban areas. The panel was put together and presented by David Weinstein, who directs government affairs for the Outdoor Industry Association. David made a very eloquent introduction to the seminar describing the ways in which rivers are at the heart of most major cities and communities across the country. Recreation groups like American Whitewater and American Rivers have worked to increase access to rivers and enhance conservation, while local governments and the outdoor industry have worked together to transform polluted urban waterways into vibrant water-front parks.

The panel was a great overview of successful urban renewal projects centered around waterways, and also provided some great information about President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors report and the Recreational Blueway Trails initiative. Check out the video on Blueways below made by American Rivers and presented by Jamie Mierau:

Confluence Park in Denver - a prime example of how restoring urban waterways leads to economic development and improved quality of life.

I also learned quite a bit from Gordon Robertson’s (Director, Park Planning) presentation on Confluence Park in Denver. The park was created in an industrial wasteland where Cherry Creek and the South Platte River join together in Denver’s lower downtown. The area has been transformed from a place no one wanted to live to an up-scale neighborhood of townhouses, apartments and loft developments. The park has a kayak run and a skate park as well as many bike trails.

The other panelist was Guy Jones from River Runner Outdoor Center, Columbia, SC who spoke about how his efforts to protect a stretch of river in his hometown eventually lead to a career as a kayak and canoe shop owner and tour and rental operator.

As I heard all these speakers from diverse backgrounds tell us about their projects, I was again reminded how lucky we are here in Bend, OR to have so many miles of river parks and river access. Practically all of downtown and most of the Old Mill is one long riverfront park and trail system. But these presentations also reminded me of how far we have to go and how important it is to “dream big” and to continue to support the vision of the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance, that along with Bend Parks and Rec and the Old Mill District, is working to transform the Colorado Dam into a whitewater recreation park. Hopefully one day the Colorado Dam improvement project will stand along side these other urban parks as a successful example of the way restored waterways contribute to healthy communities and economies.

Revenue, Reach and Responsibility:

A Presentation at Outdoor Retailer by Kate Williams,
Executive Director of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail

One of the most fascinating and relevant presentations I attended at Outdoor Retailer was Kate William’s talk on the partnerships between retailers and paddle trails. Kate represents the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740 mile stretch that links the waterways of New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire and Maine. NFCT has created maps, books and online resources to enrich the paddling experience with history of early Native Americans and European settlers in this area. Kate showed many examples of the ways in which the paddle trail helped to revitalize communities and businesses through partnerships.

Here in Bend, the relationship between Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe and the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance is extremely solid and supportive and, as Kate went through her list of recommendations on how to strengthen this connection, I was psyched to note all the things we are already doing right! She also offered up many ideas of things that we could think about implimenting in the future.

 

Pickin' & Paddlin' is a monthly event that takes place at Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe. This event combines boat demos and live music and raises money for the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance.

Things were are already doing:

Creating stories around the paddle trail that tie into history and healthy lifestyles.
The Deschutes River section that flows through Bend is itself a metaphor for the city’s transformation from a milltown to a recreational mecca.

Being the experts on your paddle trail.
We use the Deschutes Paddle Trail Guide that was created by the BPTA every day at the shop to explain sections of the river to our customers.

Creating events that bring the Paddle Trail and retailer together.
Pickin’ & Paddlin’ has been a huge success this summer bringing hundreds of people down to the river to try out boats, learn about the BPTA and enjoy live music. Both the June and July events raised nearly $3,000 each for the BPTA and had over 300 attendees.

Kate Williams, executive director, NFCT

Kate’s ideas for the future:

Create a “trail vacation” package.
Partner with Cog Wild and an area hotel (Pine Ridge Inn or Oxford Hotel) that offers a day on the river and another mountain biking and is promoted by all four entities (Tumalo Creek, BPTA, hotel, Cog Wild or other tour company.)

Spread the story nationally.
Network with paddling sites like Paddling.net etc.

Voluntourism.
Start a voluntourism program where people travel to Bend to clean up sections of the river.

Next Generation.
Create a flatwater youth paddling program where kids not only learn how to paddle, but learn about the geography of the Deschutes Paddle Trail.

Kate closed the presentation by directing us to a Trails and Economic Development Report that has just been published that quantifies the ways in which the NFCT has strengthened and revitalized trail side communities. One of the most interesting facts to come out of the study was that trails are the #1 amenity sited by homebuyers 55 and older as a reason to invest in real estate. It is pretty likely we’d come to some very similar conclusions here in Bend.