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Past General Meetings

OOPS General Meeting -  November 29, 2023 - Andree Hurley from Washington Water Trails

This was a hybrid meeting. Here is the recording. Note:  This was recorded in the meeting room.  The audio may be spotty in places. 

Executive Director Andree Hurley presented an overview of Washington Water Trails including the various trails they have developed such as the Cascadia Marine Trail, Northwest Discovery Trail, Willapa Bay Trail and Lakes to Locks Trail. 


OOPS General Meeting - October 25, 2023 - Annette Pearson from Willamette Riverkeepers

This was a hybrid meeting.  Here is the recording .  Note:  This was recorded in the meeting room.  The audio may be spotty in places. 

Annette Pearson joined us in October to talk about the Willamette River Water Trail.

Annette Pearson grew up on a lake in Michigan, which is where her love of being on the water began. She spent time as a whitewater rafting guide in North Carolina and Colorado and moved to Portland in 1997 seeking a place where rivers ran year around.  When she moved to Portland and got a job

 at Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe she got to work with and learn from some of the best paddling coaches and instructors on the West coast. Over the next decade, she spent her time leading trips and teaching courses and pursued training through the BCU and ACA.  Most recently she guided sea kayak expeditions in remote wilderness areas of SE Alaska. She also enjoys multi-day trips in canoes on any moving water river and believes one of the most overlooked gems is the Willamette River.  After being a long time volunteer of Willamette Riverkeeper, she recently became part of the staff and spends her time coordinating and assisting with on water events for the organization, coordinating volunteers and getting to know the Willamette Water Trail and all it has to offer.

OOPS General Meeting - September 27, 2023 - OOPS Presents Jim Todd - Prepare for the Solar Eclipse!

This was a hybrid meeting.  Here is the recording .  Note:  This was recorded in the meeting room.  The audio may be spotty in places.

Where will you be for the 2023 solar eclipse? On the water?  Jim Todd, Director of Space Science Education at the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI), RCA President, joined us to help us prepare for the 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse and 2024 Solar Eclipse!  This annular eclipse is the second of three notable solar eclipses viewable from the US.  It follows the US total eclipse of August 2017 and comes six months before the North American total eclipse of April 2024.

On October 14, 2023, annularity, where the Sun forms a ‘ring of fire’ around the Moon, is visible along a narrow path that crosses from Oregon to Texas.  It then passes over Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, plus parts of Central America, Colombia, and Brazil.  Portland will observe a strong partial eclipse of 86% at 9:19 AM.

Then on April 8, 2024, will be the Great North American Total Solar Eclipse.  This is the third time in seven years that a total or annular eclipse crosses the United States mainland, following the total eclipse of August 2017 and the annular eclipse of October 2023.  The narrow path of totality where the Moon covers the Sun completely, causing a total eclipse runs through central Mexico, the eastern United States, and eastern Canada. A partial eclipse will be visible across nearly all of North America.  Portland will observe a partial eclipse of 22% at 11:25 AM.

Solar viewing glasses will be required for both viewings! Where will YOU be in 2023 and 2024?

OOPS General Meeting - May 31, 2023 - OOPS Presents Robin Kort with Swallowtail Tours - Foraging from your Kayak

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording .  Note:  Robin was communicating with us from a remote island and the connection was a little spotty at times.

Chef/Sommelier/Forager/Owner Robin Kort discussed what you can safely and sustainably harvest from the beach or with a kayak.  She shared her techniques for harvesting and simple preparation of seafood like crab, seaweed, sea asparagus, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, clams, scallops, oysters, whelk, mussels, gooseneck barnacles in BC.

In a lifetime of living, harvesting and cooking between the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean near Vancouver, BC, Chef Robin has gathered an abundance of delicious local plants, wild mushrooms and fresh seafood into a culinary repertoire.  Her cooking has been influenced by her mother, grandmother and many chef mentors from around the world along the way.  Spain, Italy and Japan have long cooking traditions of using similar ingredients to her home, so regular pilgrimages to those places honed her cooking style.  Her passion is sharing her collected research with you, connecting the dots from wilderness to plate and revealing delicious secrets from the forest to sea.  Her advice is to gently follow the seasons and harvest what is offered freshest each month; shoots leaves in spring, summer seaweeds, flowers, fish and fruit, fall roots and mushrooms, winter seafood.  Take the utmost care to pick only what is abundant and leave the rest for other beasts.

OOPS General Meeting - April 26, 2023 - OOPS Presents Paddle to the Pacific With Laurie Wilhite

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording 

A kayak journey down the Columbia River from John Day Dam to Clatsop Spit near the Pacific Ocean was not on Laurie Case Wilhite’s retirement bucket list.  However, after a few fun kayak paddles on the Columbia River with friends and family, Wilhite set the goal of paddling all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Growing up in Goldendale, her goal became to get to know the Columbia River better after many years of rushing up and down the river to appointments, vacations, and other destinations. Encouraged by members of her Goldendale writer’s group to share the kayaking journey stories led her write Paddle to the Pacific:  A journey of reflection on the Columbia River which was published in February of 2022.

Join us in hearing from Laurie about her journey and her new book. 

OOPS General Meeting - March 29, 2023 - OOPS Presents Conserving Waterways by Mapping Imagery & Data with Brian Footen

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording 

Brian Footen joined us for a presentation on using three dimensional mapping for nearshore conservation.  The Conservation Society was created to address the immediate, and indeed, existential need for waterway conservation in the western United States.  The organization is presently advocating and facilitating the preservation, protection, and where necessary, rehabilitation of bays, lakes, rivers, and streams by digitally documenting and analyzing these critical and endangered components of our nation's ecosystems. 

OOPS General Meeting - January 25, 2023 - OOPS Presents Tom Myers and Birding from your Kayak

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording 

Tom Myers joined us to talk about birds we can see from our kayaks. Tom is an elementary school teacher, birder, and kayaker who lives in Columbia County. He started birding in 2017 when he bought a kayak and started to explore the local waterways. Tom spends his free time birding and kayaking on the Columbia River, exploring the sloughs and river islands and looking for wildlife. In his presentation for OOPS, he'll provide information on the river islands in Columbia County and what he's seen and learned while paddling around them.

OOPS General Meeting - November 30, 2022 - OOPS Presents "Want to Feel Better in your Kayak with Less Pain, Discomfort, and Stiffness?" with Anna Levesque

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording 

Want to feel better in your kayak with less pain, discomfort and stiffness?
Join Anna Levesque, author of Yoga for Paddling, for an interactive workshop that teaches you how to bring balance to your paddling body. With other 30 years of both paddling and yoga experience, Anna will give you strategies for strengthening the muscles most underused in kayaking and lengthening the muscles most overused. Stop doing ineffective stretches for your back (your back pain has very little to do with your back), and overstretching your shoulders (a common mistake paddlers make). You'll leave this hour-long workshop with practical tools you use every day.

Anna Levesque is the preeminent leader in the outdoor industry for white water kayaking and paddle instruction. What differentiates Anna is her approach to physical and mental agility,  and how this is tied to success on the water and in life. She leads, inspires and coaches her clients on the self leadership required to live a healthy, confident and adventurous life. Anna is a sought after speaker and facilitator for empowering leaders in the outdoor industry. She's also a certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor and yoga teacher. To learn more about Anna visit mindbodypaddle.com

OOPS General Meeting - October 26, 2022 - OOPS Presents "Sea Kayaking the World" with 

Justine Curgenven

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording 

“Sea Kayaking the World” contains highlights of kayaking expeditions on 6 continents over the last 15 years.  From Russia to Iceland & New Zealand to Patagonia, Justine tells hilarious stories of her early mistakes, near misses and wildlife encounters.  Her bubbly enthusiasm is contagious and her honest vulnerability makes you feel like that thing you’ve been secretly dreaming about could be a reality.  Justine is driven by a desire to explore as much as possible of this fascinating world and the people who share it.  She loves being the engine on her journeys and going to sleep with nothing but a few millimetres of canvas between her and all that nature has to offer. She hopes to share those passions with you.


Justine is an award winning adventure filmmaker & expedition sea kayaker.  Her entertaining “This is the Sea” series has inspired thousands of people to take to the water.  Justine has been on challenging expeditions around the globe, including circumnavigating the south island of New Zealand, Tasmania and the Queen Charlotte islands, a solo trip around Vancouver island, a crossing of the Bass Strait and a 101 day journey along the Aleutian island chain.  She represented England in the world surf kayak championships and loves surfing her sea kayak in her home on Vancouver island.  Her adventure documentaries have been shown on the BBC and National Geographic Channel and won her awards at Banff, Kendal & Graz Mountain Film Festivals.

OOPS General Meeting - August 31, 2022 - OOPS Presents "Navigating Through the Night" With Charles Loos

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording

Keen navigation was key to completing the Seventy48 human-powered boat race in Puget Sound. Charles Loos completed the 70 miles in 20 hours, including a full night on the oars in a 90-pound wooden boat. Charles will discuss his use of GPS, compass and VHF radio to navigate, and how you can apply these methods to your own long-distance trips.

Charles is a lifelong waterman with a background in fishing, boatbuilding, power boating, and extreme endurance rowing.   An engineer by training, he now teaches recreational captains how to judge forecasts, cross the bar and take their boats onto the ocean with skill and confidence.   Please visit https://www.theoceancoach.com/

OOPS General Meeting - June 29, 2022 - OOPS Presents Chanel Hason with the Elakha Alliance

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording


The Elakha Alliance is a non-profit trying to restore Oregon's sea otters back to their native waters. Sea otters were hunted to near extinction during the maritime fur trade, and have been absent on the Oregon coastline for over a century.

Join Chanel Hason, Director of Outreach & Community Relations as she highlights how reintroducing sea otters would be extremely beneficial ecologically, economically, and culturally. 


OOPS General Meeting - May 25, 2022 - OOPS Presents "Orcas Island – Crown of the San Juans" with Woody Moses

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording


Come learn from Woody Moses as he shares about Orcas Island.  Woody says, "As the largest island of the San Juan archipelago, Orcas Island is a sea kayaker’s dream. Orcas provides a paddler with miles of dynamic coastline, magical wildlife and a beguiling combination of both adventurous and protected waterways. I’ve been exploring Orcas Island for over twenty years, and I’m always excited to return. From the alluring Wasp Islands to protected waters of East Sound to the wild outer islands of Sucia, Matia and Patos, Orcas Island is the crown of the San Juans."  

About Woody Moses: Born in Oregon, raised in Rhode Island, Woody has always lived near the coast. Since 2003, he has lived in Seattle where he works as a Biology and Environmental Science instructor at Highline College. He spends his free time exploring the wonders of the Salish Sea and the majesty of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains.  He’s also been known to pick up a guitar or a hammer from time to time. Thankfully, the guitar isn’t broken and the hammer doesn’t sound too bad.

OOPS General Meeting - April 27, 2022 - OOPS Presents Jasper Greve and "So you want to plan a trip"

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording

Join us as Jasper presents "So you want to plan a trip...."

Jasper says, "The board thought it would be a good idea if I gave a presentation on trip planning, so here it is! In this presentation, I will go over some of the resources I use to plan a paddle on our local waterways with a focus on the Columbia. There will be a basic introduction to kayak navigation as it pertains to these waterways. There will be thought of safety, and there will be time for questions."

About Jasper: Raised in a coastal town in the Netherlands, Jasper's first love is the sea. A love he is passionate about sharing. This passion led his path on the sea. First in off-shore sailing, starting out as a deckhand on a classic wooden ship, working his way up -- after earning his captain's credentials --  to skipper, and working as a yacht delivery skipper up and down the European and West African coasts. After moving to the US, he discovered sea kayaking as a way to spend more time closer to the ocean. After learning a lot, he spent some time coaching and guiding at Alder Creek and now functions on the OOPS board as education director.

OOPS General Meeting - March 30, 2022 - OOPS Presents Paul Claeyssens with the History of Waldo Lake

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording

Paul Claeyssens is a Senior consultant in historic preservation, cultural resource management, tribal relations and TEK for government, tribes and the private sector. Also an experienced and qualified member of wildfire suppression incident overhead teams responsible for natural and cultural resource protection.

Paul is the author of Waldo Lake History: Prehistoric Period to Present.

Waldo Lake and vicinity remained essentially an uncharted wilderness until the second half of the Nineteenth Century. The area was largely devoid of its aboriginal inhabitants when Judge John Breckenridge Waldo and his companions spent their summers recreating in the Cascades between 1880 and 1907. These Cascade Mountain respites ultimately led Waldo to call for the area's preservation. But Waldo Lake succumbed to another force in the history of the West, the reclamation movement. In 1905, promoters filed for water rights on Waldo for use as a natural reservoir. The first phase that began in 1905 was a failed attempt to develop the lake as a reservoir for power generation, ending in the mid-1930s as markets declined for hydroelectric power and irrigation water. Federal reclamation projects soon took up the slack, beginning in 1939 with a proposal to divert Waldo Lake out of the Willamette drainage entirely to the Upper Deschutes Project via canals and tunnels through the crest of the Oregon Cascades. Next, the Columbia River project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed during the 1940s and 50s depicted Waldo Lake as a vital component of the Upper Willamette system of reclamation installations. By the mid-1950s the twin movements of recreation and wilderness preservation took root and renewed Judge Waldo's call for the protection of and recreation in such places as Waldo Lake. Initially, recreation development held sway, culminating in developed campground facilities in the 1960s. By 1984, the area surrounding Waldo Lake was officially designated as wilderness.

OOPS General Meeting - February 23, 2022 - OOPS Presents Neil Schulman, Wilderness Photographer:  "Better Kayaking Photography Made Simple (sort of)"

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording.

We’ve all seen a million boring kayaking photos: small boats in the distance, the bow taking up most of the frame, and water droplets on the lens that make everything blurry. This presentation will cover how to make your kayak photography better—technically stronger, more expressive, and better at capturing the sport we love….even when conditions are tough.

And no, you don’t need an expensive camera.

Neil Schulman has been paddling since he was about 6, and started paddling with OOPS while a guy named Bill Clinton was in the White House. He paddles (and photographs) sea kayaking, whitewater, kayak polo, and other outdoor adventures: you can see some of his work at neilschulman.com. His “day job” is in river conservation, and he writes regularly for Paddling Magazine and Adventures NW and teaches occasionally for Alder Creek Kayak, Canoe, Raft, and SUP.

    

OOPS General Meeting - January 26, 2022 - OOPS PRESENTS DEREK SHAW WITH WEST MARINE

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording.

Derek Shaw has a lifetime love of the water and boating and has been boater all his life. He has managed West Marine stores the past 7 years and has nearly two decades of experience in the Merchant Maritime and Marine Professional Services on the west coast.

Derek is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and the University of York, UK. He was previously employed as a professional archaeologist in the Pacific Northwest. But, more recently he re-discovered his love of the water lifestyle and returned to the marine services. Derek has a lifetime of sailing, paddlesports, boating and diving experience and enjoys sharing his passion for boating and aquatics in his role as the manager of the retail and wholesale boating outlet in Tigard, Oregon.

He taught sailing, kayaking and freediving and lead tours for a kayaking tour business in Monterey Bay. He has worked on commercially certified charter sailing and marine wildlife charter tour vessels. He is a licensed amateur radio operator and has a lifelong interest in marine electronics, navigation and communication technologies. He is a marine electronics specialist with West Marine and has been trained by Garmin, Navico, Raymarine, Icom, Standard Horizon and other leading marine electronics manufacturers. Derek is always happy to answer questions about equipment, its usage or marine safety protocols.

Join us as we learn from Derek about currently available marine electronics that might be useful equipment for recreational and professional paddlesport enthusiasts. He'll share an introduction to the basic categories and have plenty of time for questions!

  1. UHF, VHF and HF marine communications
  2. Satellite communications
  3. Marine electronic safety equipment
  4. Q&A

OOPS General Meeting - November 24, 2021 - OOPS Presents Calvin Croll with Future Water Paddlesports

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording and a little more (Q&A).

Calvin Croll is the head coach at Future Water Paddlesports, LLC. Since 2001, he has been engaged in different outdoor education pursuits. In the past 20 years he has worked for university outdoor programs, multiple Outward Bound wilderness schools across the country, and spent two years coaching paddlesports full-time for Body Boat Blade when it was located on Orcas Island.


In January of 2018 Calvin set out to try and become the first person to circumnavigate Vancouver Island by sea kayak in the winter. The journey ended successfully after snow, rain, record-breaking wave heights, and a January transit of the west coast of the island. Come by to hear about how Calvin prepared for and executed this expedition.

Learn more about Calvin and Future Water Paddlesports at https://futurewaterpaddlesports.com/

OOPS General Meeting - October 27, 2021 - OOPS Presents Susan Conrad - Kayaking the Salish Sea

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording.

August 2020 Susan dipped her paddle in the waters of the Nisqually Reach and spent the next 14 days meandering her way from Olympia to Lummi Island, Washington. Her journey, crafted in the ethos of the ultimate “staycation” gave her a better understanding of this “sea between the mountains” and a bigger appreciation for the Cascadia Marine Trail system. Susan will share her stories and images in a one-hour slideshow presentation and offer tips and tricks to planning and executing the journey yourself.  Here's a link to a resource document with all of the charts, apps, books, and various resources Susan will talk about.


About Susan:  Susan Conrad refers to herself as a "writer with a paddling problem." ( See her books here! ) She’s been plying various bodies of water in long, skinny boats for 33 years and has penned two books about her paddling escapades. The lion’s share of her seafaring miles comes from her all-time favorite place to kayak—the Inside Passage! She’s paddled quite a chunk of it and took it upon herself to finish connecting her “Inside Passage dots” — a little closer to home this time in Washington State.

OOPS General Meeting - September 29, 2021 - OOPS Members present a Green River Trip Report

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording.

The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. In May of 2021, several OOPS members paddled the Green River from Green River, Utah to the confluence with the Colorado River.

Join Stacy Ozer, Monte Johnson, Paula Brottman, Chris Mayou, and Mark and Janell Niemann-Ross for this virtual trip report. Topics will include satellite radios, getting there, the route, - and getting out, filtering water, hikes, canoes vs kayaks, and most importantly - how to manage your poop.

Want a preview? Here's a short video.

Here are some resources:

OOPS General Meeting - August 25, 2021 - Gena Dwyer - Tips, Tricks, and Trips for Kayak Camping in the Pacific Northwest

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording.

Camping has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was about 16, my family camped across the US from Washington to Maryland and back again. As an adult, I made a similar journey when I moved from Washington to Georgia. Imagine camping across country with a 7-year old, a dog, four cats and a parrot.

Canoeing was always a big part of my life as a child. In fact, I used to load up the canoe on our VW beetle and paddle around a lake instead of doing my Avon route. I cut a few class in college at UW in favor of paddling on Lake Washington, too.

Married life and the US Air Force curtailed my paddling activities for many years, but when I landed finally in Oregon, I bought a canoe. Canoes are also known as “divorce boats” for good reason. My husband, Jim, and I had some spectacularly vociferous arguments in the canoe. So, in order to spend more time on the water and still maintain my now 36 year marriage, I decided to give kayaking a try. That was about seven years ago and I’ve never looked back.

It didn’t take long to mesh kayaking, canoeing and camping together. My daughter has introduced me to all the nifty new gadgets that are available and convinced me to retire my beloved 30 year old tent. I’ll share some of my tips, tricks, and trips with you and I hope that you’ll share yours with me.

Here are the web links from her presentation and from the chat window, not necessarily in order:

OOPS General Meeting - June 30, 2021 - OOPS Presents Nehalem Bay History

This was a virtual meeting.  The presenter asked that we did not record the meeting.


OOPS is going to Nehalem Bay State Park on August 26-29. We've invited Tom Campbell with the Nehalem Valley Historical Society to share some of the history of the area.

Tom Campbell is the President of the Nehalem Valley Historical Society. He and his wife, Kris, along with their dogs, Spike and Zoe, are full time residents of Manzanita.

Tom is originally from the suburbs of Detroit. He came west to the Puget Sound area in 1979 to attend law school and never left. He was a trial attorney there for 30 years and retired to Manzanita in 2014.  In retirement, Tom has taken up surfing, found time to hit Manzanita Links and continues to enjoy running, biking and paddle boarding on the Nehalem. He reads presidential biographies and other historical non-fiction for pleasure.

Tom joined the Nehalem Valley Historical Society soon after becoming a full time resident. Together with other members, he led the historical society into a renovation of their exhibits and established regular hours to have the facility open. If you’re interested in local history NVHS is something you should not miss.

Tom’s program will take you through some local history, point out some special places to see when you visit and highlight some activities that you might find enjoyable.    Video Tour of the Historical Society collection:  Part 1 and Part 2.

OOPS General Meeting - April 28, 2021 - OOPS Presents the OOPS Library with Janell Niemann-Ross

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording

Did you know that OOPS has a library of kayak books? Over 150 titles! Including travel, skills, and cooking! Janell Niemann-Ross presented an overview the spicy titles in the library and gave a demonstration on checking out physical books in a virtual world.

OOPS General Meeting - March 31, 2021 - Dan Arbuckle with Headwaters Kayak Bridging the Gap

This was a virtual meeting. It was not recorded.

Inspiring new paddlers to go further in our sport through outreach, support, opportunity, and kindness.

There seems to be a growing discrepancy between experienced paddlers, and those new folks just grabbing their first kayaks off an end rack at Walmart. My goal with this talk is to help create a bridge and provide perspective for new paddlers and experienced paddlers alike.  I've decided to close my retail store to focus full time on our Youtube Channel and our on-water programs through the Headwaters Boathouse here in Lodi.

OOPS General Meeting - February 24, 2021 - The Elements of Kayak Design with Nick Schade of Guillemot Kayaks

This was a virtual meeting.  The presenter asked that we did not record the meeting.

Kayak vendors use shortcuts to describe how a particular kayak design performs. They will say that their kayak “has a hard chine” so you should expect it to have a certain stability, or they might say it “is 17 feet long” therefore it should have a certain speed. Are these performance characteristics real or marketing hype?

Nick will delve into the science of kayak design to decode the marketing terms so you can have a better understanding of what makes a kayak do what it does on the water. You will be learn to better understand how the waterline contributes to speed, how hull form effects wave handling and how flare influences stability.

Nick grew up paddling kayaks and canoes and has been designing small boats since 1986. With a background in engineering and countless hours spent out on the water, Nick combines an analytic approach to boat design with a deep appreciation of traditional watercraft in the service of designing small boats for DIY boat builders. Through his company Guillemot Kayaks he sells plans to people who want to build their own boat and makes custom wooden boats for those who would rather not.

Learn more about Guillemot Kayaks here.

OOPS General Meeting - January 27, 2021 - Moulton Avery from the National Center for Cold Water Safety

This was a virtual meeting.  Here is the recording.  Mr. Avery discussed:

  • What a wind shadow is and why it's a very common cause of paddling close calls and fatalities
  • The causes of most paddling accidents, which can be grouped into three general categories:
    • Cold Water
    • Weather
    • Hazardous Waters

Learning about the mistakes that other paddlers have made is one of the best ways for you to avoid repeating them.  In this presentation Mr. Avery looked at 5 accidents, outling the hazards that got the paddlers into trouble and the major factors that contributed to their close calls or fatalities.

Click for more information on the National Center for Cold Water Safety.

OOPS General Meeting - October 28, 2020 - Kelley Bayern from KOIN 6 Weather

This was a virtual meeting. Here is the recording. Ms. Bayern discussed:

  • Her background
  • How to read and understand weather models - she demoed this extensively
  • Pacific Northwest Weather Specifics
    • She spoke highly of Wind FInder and the "more conservative" NOAA hourly forecasts
    • Also look at GOES 17-West images - they let you see weather systems coming in.
  • Weather Folklore
  • Her 2020-2021 Weather outlook - how she goes about making forecasts, and her prediction

Kelley Bayern joined the KOIN 6 News team as the weekday Morning Meteorologist in July 2018.

Born and raised in Seattle, Kelley graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Atmospheric Science and a minor in Mathematics. Working mostly behind the scenes in weather data and analysis, her internship with Seattle’s KOMO 4 weather team sparked her interest to step in front of the camera and pursue a career in broadcast meteorology.

Kelley enjoys the active lifestyle as a climber and mountaineer. She has made the summit of the tallest peaks in Washington, like Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker, and plans to tackle the eight volcanic peaks that Oregon has to offer.

OOPS General Meeting - September 30, 2020 - Larry Warren with Oregon State Marine Board

This was a virtual meeting.   Here is the recording.  Mr. Warren discussed:

  • Overview of the Marine Board and why now is a great time for paddlers to engage with the agency
  • Facilities for the future- planning for growth, changes in use and the increased need to share our waterways
  • Boating Policies- Current trends, challenges and what the future may hold
  • The things every boating administrator wishes paddlers would do to help

Larry Warren is a lifelong Oregon boater. As a kid he drug an old canoe across Oregon, drift boated coastal rivers and chased salmon in the ocean. While serving in the Army in North Carolina, he learned about go fast bass boats and small water jon boats. Currently, he and his family can be found most weekends in Newport pursuing some sort of offshore adventure. When they are not in Newport, they enjoy flat water paddling and boating on central Oregon lakes.

Larry has served in leadership roles for over 20 years with the state in a variety of agencies. His career has taken him on a journey of learning, serving and utilizing his ability to improve workflows and policies. Currently, Larry also serves on a non-profit board that focuses on making marine anglers better stewards of the resource.

OOPS General Meeting - May 27, 2020 - Salmon and Steelhead Habitat with Matt Strickland, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

This was a virtual meeting. Here is the recording. Mr. Strickland discussed:

Much of the research on salmon and steelhead habitat is done in streams you can hike into. In contrast, large river habitats are distant and difficult to reach which results in a lack of data. However, large rivers in Oregon potentially offer the highest diversity and opportunity for salmon research. Matt will discuss the challenges of large river habitat research, the Oregon plan for Salmon and Watersheds and new research technology.

Matt Strickland is a lifelong Oregonian with a passion for the outdoors. He went to Oregon State University where his focus was on fisheries. For the past 13 years Matt has surveyed creeks and rivers throughout Oregon for ODFW’s Aquatic Inventories Project.

OOPS General Meeting - September 27, 2017 - Two Girls and a Tree Named Makeba Circumnavigate Lake Michigan

Best friends, Amy Lukas and Mary Catterlin, set out to sail the perimeter of Lake Michigan and document the experience aboard a handmade canoe. Lake Michigan has 1,638 miles of shoreline total. The trip traversed close to 1,200 of these miles. We planned to travel 10-25 miles everyday, be it sailing or paddling. And as it turns out, our daily miles ranged from 7-43 miles per day, when we were able to get on the water. It took us exactly 3 months/93 days to come full circle. Much of our progress depended on weather, waves, and delays on land. So with that in mind, we spent a quarter of a year camped on beaches, campgrounds, sleeping aboard boats, and in the homes of many new found friends. Our journey began in Beverly Shores, Indiana, the very south end of the lake. From there, we traveled westward towards the Illinois and Wisconsin border, from island to island off Door Peninsula, along Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and back down through Michigan’s coastal waters on the east side. We only packed the essential camping and boating supplies as well as some extra gear for documenting the trip to share our experience with you. Outfitted with GPS spot devices, phones, cameras, and journals, we documented the journey and posted progress updates here whenever possible. You can hear our complete story of traveling full circle on the lake we love most by reading our book or watching our documentary HERE.

OOPS GENERAL MEETING - SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 - ELITE PERFORMANCE COACH ROB YATES: A LIFETIME OF LEARNING

Originally from the UK, Rob is a high level British Canoe Union Coach/Leader Educator with 30 years of global paddling experience.  Having circumnavigated the UK in a sea kayak, lead multiple extended expeditions within the Arctic Circle in canoes, white water kayaked in every continent (well not Antarctica) and completed white water first descents in the Himalayas, his paddling resume is a long list of life lessons.

As an Elite Performance Coach, Rob owns the global performance development business called Tetrakey.com.  This sees him bringing together years of personal experience teaching high-performance paddlers, academic learning, and a deep understanding of what can motivate people.  he aims to allow those who want to perform at a higher level to truly reach excellence in their performance.  Outside of this global corporate work, he is currently coaching South African International Sprint Kayakers towards Brazil 2016 and Japan 2020 Olympics. 

Rob’s passion for his client’s development is contagious, using a fine balance of extensive knowledge, fun, and a unique inductive delivery coaching framework all leads to excellence in long term learning retention.

Rob is kindly supported by Kokotat, P&H and PyranhaOOPS GENERAL MEETING - AUGUST 26, 2015 - GINNI CALLAHAN - MEXICO TO NEW ZEALAND BY SAILBOAT AND KAYAK

Ginni Callahan founded Sea Kayak Baja Mexico and Columbia River Kayaking. She travels to coach in such exotic places as Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Chicago, Vancouver Island, Michigan, and Wales. Ginni is a 5-star Sea Leader and Level 4 coach. She is also the North American importer of Flat Earth Kayak Sails. In 2012, she played hooky from it all and sailed across the Pacific Ocean.

FantasticVoyage:  Mexico to New Zealand by Sailboat & Kayak

Miraculous it was that two sea kayaks fit on deck, with an inch on either side. But they did, and that’s how we set out to cross the world’s biggest ocean: two Romanys, “Mutiny” the dinghy, the Good Captain Henrick Lindström, a stuffed moose, a drunk koala, and me, all on the 36’ steel-hulled sailboat “Misty”. 

There were seabirds and sunsets, atolls and outriggers. There was me trying to tow 10 tons of steel through the doldrums by kayak. There were three sharks bumping the kayak in Fakarava Pass. There were the reef lobsters we never found, and the coconut crab we did.

There were single-handed crossings with Henrick on “Misty” and me in “Green Flash”. There were ancient non-instrument navigation methods to study. And stars! And through it all, supporting it all, was the unbelievable electric cobalt of the open sea.OOPS GENERAL MEETING - JUNE 24, 2015 - DANIEL FOX, THE WILD IMAGE PROJECT

Daniel Fox is a paddler, photographer, story teller, etc. who strives to be one with nature.  Learn from Daniel's narrative how nature can restore the human spirit. 

“Daniel Fox gives me goose bumps! The guy is driven yet not fanatic. He has stamina, which you need if you’re on a life time mission. What Daniel does and why he does is, really impresses and touches me deeply. For once, not a chest hitting alpha male adventurer who wants to compete with Mother Nature. ‘We are part of nature,’ he says. There’s nothing to prove, according to him, but lots to observe. If there’s anyone who can do just that and bring back amazing stories to engage us with Nature, it’s Daniel Fox.”

Arita Baaijens, desert explorer, Founder Sahara Society

Explorer and storyteller, Fox believes in the power of nature to restore the human spirit. He uses his narrative to inspire the public to STOP . BREATHE . RELAX . LISTEN and reconnect with the natural world. Sometimes philosophical, sometimes poetic, his stories, his photos and his “Minute of Nature” video series seek to capture nature’s essence and the insights it offers.

He is the founder of W.I.L.D., an initiative that raises funds to send under privileged youth to wilderness immersion camps.

See Daniel's work at The Wild Image ProjectOOPS GENERAL MEETING - WEDNESDAY APRIL 29, 2015 - JULIE CHICK, TILLAMOOK ESTUARY PARTNERSHIP WATER TRAIL COORDINATOR

Julie Chick Water Trail Coordinator

Julie Chick was born in Portland and graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Graphic Design. After several years of corporate tradeshow design and coordination she made her way to Hawaii and back to the Oregon coast as the owner of the Nehalem Bay Outdoor Company of eight years. Julie loves to be on the water and has found Tillamook County to accommodate that need. Julie is married, has two little boys and is teaching them to appreciate the environment through swimming, surfing, and kayaking.

Tillamook County Water Trails

Superior recreational opportunities exist in our five watersheds!  Approximately 200 miles of navigable water exists for every paddling skill-level from novice to advanced whitewater. A group of local citizens, the Tillamook County Water Trail Committee, has a shared vision since 2004 of developing a water trail system throughout Tillamook County. The Tillamook County Water Trail, a National Recreation Trail (as of 2012) is connected through signs, guidebooks/maps and access points providing a scenic and educational experience for recreational users.TEP facilitates the water trail project for this community-driven effort.OOPS GENERAL MEETING - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 - SPECIAL SCREENING OF THE FILM "RETURN OF THE RIVER"

A FILM ABOUT THE LARGEST DAM REMOVAL PROJECT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT TO RESTORE AN ECO-SYSTEM AND SET A RIVER FREE.

Reviewed by Liz Trojan and Mel Wishan and found to be of great interest and wonderful cinematography. First screened in 2014, locally  at the Portland Film Festival.

Film Details   Title:  RETURN OF THE RIVER

Length: 70 minutes 

Year of production: completed in Feb 2014, filmed over four years

Website: www.elwhafilm.comOOPS GENERAL MEETING - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015 - WITH TRAVIS WILLIAMS, WILLAMETTE RIVERKEEPERS

Travis Williams, Executive Director and Riverkeeper, Willamette Riverkeeper

Travis has worked in river conservation since the 1990's and since 2000 has led WR. He serves as a riverkeeper, actually making regular patrols of the river from Eugene to Portland.

He holds a B.A. in International studies from Portland State University and a Masters degree in Environmental Science from John Hopkins University.

He has several awards and commendations in toxin reduction and has authored a book: "THE WILLAMETTE RIVER FIELD GUIDE"  Travis will update us on current activities of  WR, including the several paddles they sponsor during the year. He is an excellent speaker with lots of good stuff to enlighten us about "our river".OOPS GENERAL MEETING - WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29, 2014 - 1000 KM IN THE CANADIAN NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Our guest presenters are Jonathan Walpole and wife Kirti ... "back from our 1000 km canoe trip  down the Hanbury River, from its headwaters in Campbell Lake in Northwest Territories, to the Thelon River, and then down the Thelon and across three huge lakes, to Baker Lake in Nunavut. It was a long, wild, extremely remote trip with a bit of everything you might want in a canoe adventure: streams, small and large rivers, rapids, waterfalls, portages, lining, lakes both small and enormous like the sea, sun, rain, storms, heat, cold, wind and calm, wildlife ... and a lot of bugs."

Images from their trip can be found here (be sure to start at June 28th): http://hanburythelon.blogspot.com/OOPS GENERAL MEETING - SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 - KAYAK SMARTER NOT HARDER: KEEPING YOUR BODY HAPPY

Jeff Houck, PT, PhD, Director of  Research, Program of Physical Therapy at George Fox University, will offer a presentation on "kayak smarter not harder: keeping your body happy".

This presentation will review some common injuries that kayakers experience and go through ways to avoid injury.   Training strategies and seating issues will be addressed.  Stretching techniques to include in your warm up can make you more aware of you capabilities when you paddle.  The goal is to stay safe and have fun on the water.OOPS GENERAL MEETING - WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26, 2014 - KAYAKING ALONG TURKEY’S MEDITERRANEAN COAST

Curious about sea kayaking along Turkey’s Mediterranean Coast, in ancient Lycia? This past June I spent a week in Olympos and Kas, along Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, a paradise for adventure sports, including sea kayaking. Come and see for yourself what a beautiful, historic and remote part of Turkey Lycia is, a place where people go for blue cruises, paragliding, trekking, mountain biking, scuba diving, snorkeling, just plain laying about getting a tan, and, most importantly, what a great place it is to paddle a sea kayak in its clear, turquoise blue water.

Jack Sanders - presenterOOPS GENERAL MEETING - MAY 28, 2014 - LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER WATER TRAIL BY SUP

Veteran kayaker Steve Scherrer recently paddled a solo, 8-day, self-contained journey down the last 145 miles of the Columbia River on a Stand Up Paddleboard. This is the last leg of the Lewis and Clark trail and he happens to live right at the end!  Come see some sights of his adventure on the “Mighty Columbia” and learn how multi-day trips are possible on a SUP.









OOPS GENERAL MEETING - MARCH 27, 2014 - NIGEL FOSTER

www.nigelkayaks.com

This slide presentation and talk by Nigel Foster is themed on his latest book, Encounters from a Kayak, which celebrates the magical experiences that surround sea kayaking. The stories in the book are about the animals, people, flotsam and jetsam and special places around the globe that grab his attention.

His irrepressible curiosity drives him to tease out unexpected stories from behind his subjects. These nuggets from around the world are bound together by water and the centuries-old form of sea travel: kayaking.

Nigel has chosen new stories on the same themes for the presentation rather than drawing from the book.OOPS GENERAL MEETING, NOVEMBER 20, 2013, BOAT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR WITH MICHAEL BOWERSOX

We depend on our boats to keep us safe and secure on the water.  Moreover, they represent significant investment(s).  What can you do to keep your boat in tip-top shape?  What repairs can you easily affect yourself and when should you think about taking it in to the shop?  What is a good safety kit to keep with you in your boat and how do you use all that stuff?

Kayaking professional Michael Bowersox will  explore all these issues and more.  Bring your own repair kit if you like to discuss and debate essential gear.

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OOPS GENERAL MEETING,

FEBRUARY 26, 2014, VOYAGE OF THE PILGRIMS

In the summer of 2011, Jonathan Walpole, Kirti Walpole and Jenny Johnson paddled a thousand miles down the west coast of Canada. Starting from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, they followed an exposed outer coast route down to Vancouver Island. From there they switched to the more protected, but still remote and spectacular, inside passage route. After six weeks of paddling 10 or more hours a day they finally ran out of water to paddle in Olympia, Washington. They skillfully timed their trip to coincide with one of the coldest and wettest early summers on record for the notoriously cold and wet British Columbia coast. In this talk and slide show, they will recount their epic struggle against perpetual wind, rain and tidal currents as they worked their way down the pristine, untouched wilderness coastline of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Pilgrims are Kirti's and Jenny's kayaks. They are "Pilgrim Expedition" sea kayaks from Sea Kayaking UK (SKUK), designed by Nigel Dennis specifically for smaller paddlers. This was their first major expedition.

Here is their blog of the adventure: http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~walpole/VoyageOfThePilgrims.html

Background information for Jonathan Walpole, Kirti Walpole and Jenny Johnson

Jonathan is an accomplished expedition paddler and coach. A few of his notable accomplishments include a solo journey down the Outside Passage, a circumnavigation of the Lofoten Islands in Arctic Norway, including a passage through the Maelstrom (the world's largest tidal race), and a crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar from Europe to Africa. He is a BCU 5 star sea leader and a level 4 sea coach and assessor. He has been an invited coach at several International sea kayaking symposiums in North America and Europe, and is one of an elite group of paddlers sponsored by NDK (now SKUK).

Besides sea kayaking Jonathan enjoys paddling canoes, rowing rafts, cross country skiing, and cycling. He has completed numerous long open canoe expeditions and is part way through a challenge to pole a canoe UP the entire John Day River - the third longest undammed river in the lower 48 states.  Last summer he spent 50 days rowing a raft on some of the premiere whitewater in the west, including a 320 mile continuous journey down the Middle Fork, Main and Lower Salmon Gorges, into Hells Canyon of the Snake. In his spare time he is a Professor of Computer Science at PSU.

Kirti did all that too! She is an accomplished sea kayaker in her own right. She holds the BCU 4 star award, and has successfully completed three BCU 5 star trainings.  She recently retired from a 30 year career in high tech so she can dedicate some serious time to her outdoor pursuits. On Sunday Jonathan and Kirti leave for their next adventure - a quick 450km ski across Finland, from Russia to Sweden, along the Arctic Circle (that's cross country skiing ... quite literally).

Jenny has an extensive background in whitewater. She is a regular winner of canoe slalom races and has paddled an open canoe down the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. With over a thousand days on rivers already under her belt she has completed most of the premier whitewater journeys in the west, multiple times. She started sea kayaking in 2008, and (with intensive coaching from Jonathan) rapidly developed into a skilled and accomplished sea kayaker. In her first major sea expedition she paddled 350 miles down the west coast of Vancouver Island. She is currently working toward her BCU 4 star leadership award.

Oh, and in case anyone is interested in the skiing in Finland, Jenny will be updating a blog which she has just started (and so is currently under construction) here. This blog also covers some of our rafting adventures last summer:  http://7dayadventurists.blogspot.com/OOPS GENERAL MEETING, OCT. 30TH, SUSTENANCE FISHING FOR SEA KAYAKERS: USING HANDLINES TO CATCH CRAB AND FISH WHILE SALTWATER TOURING

Jason Self

Jason Self, A Ling Cod's worst Nightmare.

Though we often forget it, or perhaps are not even aware of it, all kayak's we paddle are descended from boats used as platforms for hunting.  Rather it was stalking seals, polar bear or even walruses, a kayak's purpose was to bring in the nutrients and resources to sustain life of hunting people.

Though we no longer depend on Kayaks for food, we can reconnect with the source through using our kayaks for fishing and crabbing.

Come to the October general meeting to learn about the pleasant art of kayak fishing from one of the sport's leaders, Jason Self.

See Jason's Blog here: http://kayakangler.blogspot.com/

See Jason's Kayak Fishing Best Practices PDFOOPS GENERAL MEETING FEBRUARY, 2013 – FEATURING PAT WELLE

There and Back Again, A Paddlers Tale

We all have our favorite places to paddle.  We are fortunate with so many great trips so close to home.  What we sometimes forgot, however, is that just beyond our back yard on the coast is world class paddling.  In this presentation, we will explore a few of the classic paddling trips along the Washington and Oregon coasts; Hobuck Beach, Tatoosh Island and Neah Bay at Cape Flattery on the northwest corner of Washington; LaPush (a little further south), and several locations from Cascade Head to Port Orford and Gold Beach in Oregon.  These are coastal excursions with potentially rough water, but on many summer days, there are plenty of opportunities for calm water as well.  In addition to beautiful pictures (think whale sightings and sea caves), the talk will include logistics, launch sites, and just a bit about the skills you need to explore the Washington and Oregon coasts. 

Pat Welle is a kayaking fanatic.  She started paddling in 2000 and by 2004 started her own kayaking business on the upper Columbia River.   Craving better access to salt water, she moved to Portland in 2008, lives on a floating home on the Multnomah Channel, and now spends as much time as possible paddling the Washington and Oregon Coastlines.  Pat pays for her kayaking habit by working as a graduate student studying the Columbia River estuary.  She is a level 4 ACA kayak instructor and a level 3 ACA Instructor Trainer.  Her regular paddling partner (and frequent kayak photo subject), Tim Mattson, lives in Ilwaco and has paddled the coast since 1998.  This talk explores three of their longer kayaking trips.OOPS MEETING OCTOBER 2012 - FEATURING BOB WEINMAN

This month, we will have an evening of awe and wonder with Bob Weinman.  Bob, together with his wife Evelyn, are the founders of Beachwalk Project, a national, clean water awareness project which is traveling the major coastlines of the United States by foot and kayak. The team is working to raise awareness for the protection of everyone's right to clean water.

Travelling is a bit of an understatement has Bob has logged thousands of miles paddling the entire Eastern Seaboard and circumnavigating Guam, Evelyn's native land. They have also set plans to paddle the Gulf  Coast and recreate Bob's favorite book Paddle to the Sea by paddling the Great Lakes.

Along the way, Bob and groups of like-minded volunteers educate community and national groups on issues of clean water and community involvement.

Bob  is now mid-way through his newest journey, travelling by Ski and Kayak from the summit of Mount Hood to the California border.  A number of OOPSters have been volunteers with Bob on this journey.OOPS AUG 2012 FEATURING REG LAKE

Reginald "Reg" Lake

Please join your compatriots Wednesday, August 29th, 6:00 PM for an evening of fellowship and learning with Reginald "Reg" Lake.

Reg is one of the fathers of modern sea and white water kayaking as well as an award winning sea kayak designer.

Reg Lake

Reginald "Reg" Lake is one of the founding fathers of modern kayaking. Reg started kayaking in 1970 and progressed through both white water and sea kayaking. He, along with contemporaries Doug Tompkins, Yvon Chouinard and Royal Robins, had numerous first descents. He has kayaked many destinations around the world, including Ecuador, Costa Rica, Pakistan, and especially Chilean Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, and the like. He is still actively kayaking at the ripe age of 68 and has in fact just returned from another Patagonian expedition. Aside from his kayaking adventures, he is contributing to performance boat design working closely with the Sterling Donalson. The award winning Sterling Reflection is based on Reg's design concepts. Now, he is hard at work on a smaller performance sea-kayak model, the Progression, to be released by Sterling  Kayaks soon.

Reg Lake in Peel Inlet

Reg will be presenting his 42 Years in 42 Minutes and will be available for questions and conversation. It should be a great evening. We might even get one of his boats in as well.OOPS NOVEMBER 2012 MEETING FEATURING HARVEY GOLDEN

Our guest for the evening will be Harvey Golden, perhaps the world's foremost experts on traditional kayaks and baidarkas of the world's polar regions.

Harvey at the opening of his Lincoln Street Kayak & Canoe Museum

Harvey Golden has been building replicas of kayaks from the Arctic tradition since 1993. Having seen the remarkable variety of kayak forms in “The Bark Canoes and Skinboats of North America,” Harvey immediately set out to build and use replicas of every type. In this pursuit, he realized that many more kayaks were still in museums around the world, and that most had never been properly surveyed: In 1998 he set out to look at and document kayaks in Dutch, English, and Scottish museums, and this very quickly turned into the foundations for a large book Kayaks of Greenland (2006)

As of 2011, Harvey has surveyed over 200 kayaks—some 400 years old, and others being sub-types or historically significant kayaks never studied before. Books on Alaskan kayaks and Canadian kayaks are presently in the works. Golden lives and builds in S.E. Portland, and has just opened up the Lincoln Street Kayak & Canoe Museum featuring replica kayaks and canoes as well as models and original craft.

Come to this meeting to meet Harvey, find out about traditional kayaks and learn more about the roots of our sport.

Harvey Golden paddling a mid-nineteenth century Kayak replica off of Cape Falcon. Photo by Brian Schulz

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