Paddle day

8/31/2017

Well, our time on the Oregon coast is almost over.  Our main job here at Beaver Creek Welcome Center is to lead the Kayak tours on Beaver Creek.  The tours run from from July 4th weekend through Labor Day weekend, Thursday through Monday.  The days we don't paddle, we man the Welcome center from noon to 4 pm, we're off on Tuesday and Wednesday. There's two pairs of guides so we're paddling 2 to 3 times a week, alternating with the other couple.

 Here's what a typical  paddle day is like.

We're in the Visitors center about 7:30 am to greet the guests arriving around 8:00.

Joan in the Welcome Center checking in
paddlers for today's tour.

After all the release forms are signed and the guests are fitted with with PFD's (Personal Flotation Device), there's a short meet and greet on the deck. Next the paddlers drive to the boat ramp a little over a mile west of the welcome center.

Meet and Greet on the deck at the Welcome Center.

Everyone helps unload the boats then we have some paddling instruction before getting on the water and heading up stream.

Rick (with white bladed paddle) leading paddle stroke instruction.

About a half mile up steam, everyone "rafts up" near a beaver lodge and Joan gives the first interpretative talk on mammals found in Beaver Creek: Beavers (of course),  Muskrats, River Otters and Nutria.  Nutria (listed as an nuisance species in Oregon and as well as 16 other states) is what we're most likely to see. 

Joan using a Beaver skull to demonstrate
characteristics unique to the water mammals.

Pictures of Beaver and Nutria, which is which?

A sunny day on Beaver Creek.

Occasionally, when the weather is right and we have a good group of paddlers, we extend the tour past our starting point.  About a 1/4 mile down stream from the boat ramp we come to Ona Beach where Beaver Creek empties, slowly, into the sea.  This time of year, there is no tidal  influence because of a sand bar at the beach.

Notice the "Marine Layer" (fog) just off shore.

After the short paddle back to the boat ramp, we help everyone out of their boats, get the kayaks loaded on the trailer and Joan has one more presentation with the Oregon flag and a real beaver pelt.

Oregon is known as The Beaver State".
Where's the Beaver on the flag?

Oregon is the only state with a two sided flag!

Feeling a real Beaver pelt.

Finally, everyone gets a commemorative button to remember their morning on Beaver Creek.  Some families come every year and wear their buttons from previous years. Everyone is back at the boat ramp by noon and ready to go get lunch afterwards.