Short Description: Every year Bend’s most dedicated paddling enthusiasts dress up their canoes and kayaks in bright lights and holiday garb and paddle around the Deschutes River in the Old Mill District. This is also a spectator friendly event! See Tumalocreek.com for more details!
Long Description: Every year Bend’s most dedicated paddling enthusiasts dress up their canoes and kayaks in bright lights and holiday garb and paddle around the Deschutes River for a few hours for Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe’s Holiday Lights Winter Paddle Parade in the Old Mill District. This is one of those events that gets the whole town in the spirit and feels very authentic to Bend.
Paddlers should meet us at Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe on Friday, December 13, 2019 from 2-3:30 p.m. to decorate. After the crowd assembles, we’ll depart from the dock around 4:00pm behind the shop and paddle upstream up to the Flag Bridge. On our way back down, we’ll assemble in formation; this will give family and friends the opportunity to take photographs of our decorated boats.
PLEASE NOTE: Spectators should plan on seeing our decorated boats from about 4:15 – 6 p.m.
In past years, the paddlers of Bend have gone all out decorating their boats with lights, trees, wreaths and garlands. Bring some holiday cheer to your paddling experience!
You can find battery powered lights for your boats at Lowe’s, Ace Hardware (recommended!), Fred Meyers or Amazon online, but the local stores often sell out, so get them soon.
After the paddle, we’ll gather back at the shop for some warm beverages and good company. This is also the kick off for Tumalo Creek’s Holiday Sale.
Short description: To get ahead of the Pole Pedal Paddle pack during the on-water leg of Bend’s favorite multi-sport race, sign-up for Tumalo Creek’s affordable two-hour strategy clinic!
Long description: To get you ahead of the Pole Pedal Paddle pack during the on-water leg of Bend’s favorite multi-sport race, sign-up for Tumalo Creek’s two-hour clinic. Our skilled instructors will give you an overview of the urban Deschutes River Pole Pedal Paddle course as well as specific strategies to utilize the current and eddies in this portion of the river. Tumalo Creek will provide boats for the clinic at no extra charge, but we recommend bringing your race day boat. Note: This is a paddleboard friendly class!
Short Description:
We know you’ve been wanting to learn to kayak for a long time! Tumalo Creek’s annual paddle festival weekend is the best time to learn. Ease into paddling with the most affordable lessons all year!
Long Description: Because paddle sports are the perfect summer compliment to a four season outdoor enthusiast in Central Oregon, we know you’ve been wanting to learn to kayak. Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe’s 20th annual Spring Paddlefest Weekend is the perfect opportunity to give it a try! Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe will be offering two-hour intro to kayak and standup paddleboard courses for only $35 on April 27th, May 3rd & 5th, free demos on May 4th at Riverbend Park and retail paddle gear will be on sale in store throughout the weekend!
After this clinic, participants will be able to effectively navigate boats or boards by using a variety of basic strokes and paddle techniques. You’ll develop the technique and confidence to enjoy Central Oregon’s waterways on your own!
Saturday’s Paddlefest Celebration at Riverbend Park will be the perfect time to try your new paddle skills while demoing the latest boat and board models from premier brands and manufacturers.
See Tumalocreek.com for further details.
Dates and times: April 27 (1-3pm), May 3 (10-12pm), May 5 (10-12pm, 1-3pm)
Ready to learn the life long sport of paddling? Then don’t miss Paddle Festival!
Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe will hold the Spring Paddle Festival on Saturday, May 4, 2018. Join us from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. at Riverbend Park and demo dozens of kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and more. Tumalo Creek staff will be on hand to help you get on the water safely. Spring Paddlefest is the perfect opportunity for those who are interested in buying their first boat or board, as well as those who are looking to upgrade. The event brings the widest variety of paddle sports gear to Central Oregon each year. Come down and try out 2018 boats and boards and see the latest and greatest technology in paddling.
We’ll be joined by industry representatives from Hobie Cat Company, Eddyline Kayaks, Wenonah Canoe, Wilderness Systems Kayaks, Current Design, Jackson Kayak, KIALOA, Werner Paddles, Hurricane Kayaks, Johnson Kayaks, Surftech USA, Emotion Kayaks, Native Canoes, Boardworks Surf, and Confluence Kayaks.
Paddle Festival Clinics
If you’ve never kayaked, paddleboarded or canoed before, sign up for one of our Spring Paddlefest Clinics on Friday, May 3 or Sunday, May 5. Friday clinics are a great option for those who would like to learn the basics of kayaking or paddleboarding and get comfortable on the water before coming to our demo day on Saturday.
Spring is upon us and Bend Oregon’s Annual Riverhouse Rendezvous Deschutes River Whitewater Slalom Kayak Race returns, March 30th & 31st.
Originally a slalom race in the 70’s, the Rendezvous was resuscitated nine years ago by Geoff Frank (Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe founding partner and owner) and Bert Hinkley (Pacific Northwest representative for the National Whitewater Slalom Committee).
Whitewater slalom kayaking has been a sport since the 1940s, when Swiss alpine skiers embraced the runoff from the mountains to race the rivers in their off-season. Today, this sport is known world-wide to test not only the physical skill of paddlers, but their knowledge of the river and their ability to use currents and river features to their advantage.
The course is run on a popular section of the Deschutes River behind the Riverhouse Hotel, at 3065 N Hwy 97, Bend, OR 97701. As the season’s opener for the Northwest Cup Slalom Paddle Series and a Junior Olympic qualifier, the Rendezvous is also an opportunity for local whitewater enthusiasts to celebrate navigable flow levels before canal diversions are made in April.
Registration day of. See Tumalocreek.com for details.
With irrigation-moderated flows, scores of rapids and a variety of runs, rivers in the Bend area make for great year-round kayaking. Whether you’re front surfing at the whitewater park or running rapids on the Deschutes River, share the water and paddle safely with these practical tips while enjoying the best regional places to point your kayak downstream.
Photo by Jeffrey Conklin
Colorado Bridge
Drive over the Colorado Avenue bridge on any given day and expect to see a kayaker in the water, showing off a spin or stunt to a crowd of onlookers on the pedestrian bridge.
Bend’s whitewater park is the culmination of almost a decade of planning that transitioned from dream to reality in 2012 when voters approved a bond measure to modify an aging and hazardous dam at the bridge. The park divides the river into three channels—one for people floating the river (currently closed), one for kayakers, surfers, and standup paddleboarders, and one for wildlife. The project took more than a year to build and cost $9.7 million, $1 million of which was raised by the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance, the local organization behind the waterpark.
For whitewater kayakers and surfers, the playground starts in the middle channel, where pneumatic bladders control the flow of water, creating four standing waves. These waves are numbered from downstream to up, corresponding to difficulty. Novice kayakers can refine their skills on Jason’s Wave (number one), while intermediate surfers and kayakers practice riding on Kricket’s Wave (number two) and the Green Wave (number three). Nearest the bridge is Eddy’s Wave (number four), the largest wave in the series that is designed for more experienced users.
While whitewater kayaking is an individual sport, it takes practice. The whitewater park’s dynamic wave play area provides a place for Bend’s growing kayak community to train right in town, and is one of the first of its kind on the West Coast.
KNOW: BE COURTEOUS
“The whitewater park is a big draw for kayakers due to the accessibility and consistent nature of the features, as well as a variety of waves. Advice for sharing the whitewater park really boils down to: be respectful of all users. Usually parks like this are ‘managed’ by a core group of local users that set the tone for tourists or locals new to the sport. For example, avoid droppinginto a feature when someone else is already in it. This is extremely important from a safety perspective. It’s also just good river etiquette. As the park enters its rookie season, kayakers can front surf waves, test out spins or try aerial tricks in the more hydraulic-type features.” – Justin Rae | President, Bend Paddle Trail Alliance
UPDATE: CHANGING THE CHANNEL
The Colorado spillway project suffered a setback in June when the Bend parks department closed the pass-through channel nearest McKay Park over safety concerns. Following a spate of injuries, the park district moved quickly to close the newly minted safe passage and is requiring that all river users exit at the dam and portage around the whitewater park.
Meanwhile, the whitewater channel will remain open for kayakers, surfers and other expert users. “It’s important for people to know the whitewater channel is still open and will continue to be up and running throughout the summer,” said Julie Brown, Bend Parks’ community relations manager at Bend Park and Recreation District.
Photo by Trevor Lyden
Upper Deschutes
Like hitting cool waters on a hot day? The upper Deschutes is characterized by slow, flatwater sections flowing into waterfalls and drops that make for a thrilling ride. Boaters call this a “pool-drop” style river, but be aware as technical sections can sneak up quickly and rapid classes vary in difficulty, ranging from class I (beginner) to V (very dangerous, experts only). Some of these rapids are extremely hazardous and should not be attempted by anyone but expert paddlers who understand the risks. If you are unfamiliar with the river, visit one of the local paddling outfitters, such as Tumalo Creek and Kayak in Bend. Consult maps and scout all sections prior to running to ensure that you are aware of hazards as conditions can change on a daily basis.
“Our consensus here in the shop is everything above [town] is experts only, excluding Aspen to Big Eddy. There are just tons of consequences on the Deschutes. It’s just kind of a wild river. It’s not the easiest to navigate and learn on,” said Keoni Chung, a store and programs manager at Tumalo Creek and Kayak.
For those with experience, there are popular places to put in upstream of Bend,including Meadow Camp (Class IV) a popular run with advanced kayakers that starts near Widgi Creek golf course and finishes just above the Old Mill at Bill Healy bridge. Another popular run is the Big Eddy section (Class III), a short float that is heavily used by Bend’s commercial rafting outfitters. With so many different drops and chutes in constant flux, it’s important to learn how to read water and scout rapids from shore to find the safest route before dropping in.
KNOW: BE SAFE
“One thing all paddlers need to understand is how powerful a river is and that it’s different every time. Whitewater is not the log flume at Disney and not all rivers are safe to play in. Know self-rescue skills and learn swiftwater swimming and the fundamentals of shore, boat and in-water rescues for others. You want everyone in your group to be trained, because they will be the ones rescuing you.” – Travis Reid | Instructor, Oregon Rescue LLC
Photo by Trevor Lyden
Lower Crooked River
A run less-paddled, the Crooked River Canyon plunges boaters through some of the most dramatic river views in Central Oregon—as long as there’s enough water to float your boat. Depending on the year, snowpack release and dam regulation from the Ochoco and Prineville reservoirs often make this unscheduled run a hit-or-miss adventure.
When the river does run, it’s an experts only paddle that is best done with an experienced guide.
If you’re still game, put in at Lone Pine Bridge and paddle eighteen miles of great whitewater through the desert canyon to Crooked River Ranch. While drops and difficult sections on the Deschutes are sporadic, the Crooked River provides continuous class III and IV rapids. The exception is a few miles of flatwater through Smith Rock State Park.
After Smith, the action picks back up and a series of drops carry boaters through rapids simply named #1, #2 and Wap de Doodle. Ride the currents under the railroad bridge, enjoying spectacular views of the gorge before you come to No Name, one of the most technically challenging rapids on the run. This rapid is responsible for lots of flips and lost gear—so hold on to your paddle.
KNOW: BE CLASSY
Taking a class is a great way to become comfortable and proficient in rivers, and address safety concerns. Learning about rivers and what to watch for is essential. It will also make you an asset to boating partners—not a liability. Professional instructors with proven teaching techniques are by far the most reliable resource from which to learnthese skills. As a rule of the river, kayakers don’t kayak on their own. It takes time on the water to learn to ‘read’ it. Because of that time needed, there is a community grooming process to get new boaters out and involved in organized meetups and ongoing group classes for newcomers. – Danielle Carvahlo, Bend Kayak School
A Guide To Ditching The Screens, Building Family Traditions and Developing A Lifelong Love Of The Outdoors In One Of The World’s Premier Natural Playgrounds.
Written by Eric Flowers
With mountains and rivers in its backyard, Central Oregon breeds the best kind of wild child. In a town where “going to the park” can easily mean going to a state park to scale a cliff, local kids grow up with a healthy appreciation for the nature (and dirt) right outside their front door. Kids by nature want to run, play and climb—and the opportunities to play here abound—from casting flies and running rapids to rock climbing and camping. While raising kids to be rugged may present some challenges, outdoorsy children learn from an early age to push through, be fearless and most importantly to havefun. When kids tire of casting, start skipping rocks. When they get bored of rafting, find a rope swing. We unpack regional spring activities that kids (and their big-kid parents) can do as a family to discover the joy of being outside. How do you raise a mountain kid? Play outside together.
On the Fly
A love of the outdoors brought Scott Cook’s family to Central Oregon when he was 15 years old. In fact, it has been a guiding principle in his life ever since. It led him to open the Fly and Field Outfitters in Bend more than a decade ago, and it has grown and thrived through the ups and downs of Bend’s tourism economy. Today it’s the bedrock of a lifestyle that allows him to share his love of the outdoors with his children, Ellie, 11, and Henry, 4. Whether it’s launching a boat on a windless morning at Crane Prairie Reservoir or standing knee-deep in the Crooked River with a fly rod in hand, there’s more to being on the water than just catching fish.
“Fishing with your family and kids is a unique part of what Central Oregon has to offer. Most of these locations are within an hour of city limits and some are just right in town. The key is just getting away from the phones, tablets and video games and spending time together,” Cook said.
Other places in the world offer the chance to catch more, bigger fish, but Central Oregon is nearly unparalleled with so many choices within easy reach. In Bend, fishing holes await on the Deschutes River above the Bill Healy Bridge. The same river trail affords access to Sawyer Park on the Middle Deschutes where the river slips into a canyon defined by obsidian bedrock channels and pools, an urban gem by any measure.
Beyond Bend’s borders, world-class fishing is seemingly limitless. The high lakes near Mt. Bachelor, Crane Prairie and Lava Lake are wellsprings of the mighty Deschutes, offering great scenery and highly productive fishing. A boat is helpful, but a canoe, kayak, inner tube, or even paddleboard lend access to these spots and countless more.
“We have a saying in the fly shop: ‘Trout don’t live in ugly places.’ To me this means if you are on the water looking for trout, it is going to be a memorable experience,” Cook said.
Family Friendly Guide Services
If you don’t have the gear or expertise, but want to get the full experience while maximizing the chance of getting kids hooked on the sport, grab a guide.
“It’s a really good outing when we have kids involved,” said John Garrison, owner of Garrison’s Fishing Guide Service. He has been guiding on Central Oregon lakes for three decades and specializes in group and family outings. He recommends half-day trips for families with kids. They head to consistently productive spots on destinations such as Lava Lake where kids are virtually guaranteed opportunities to catch rainbow trout and lots of them.
On the Rocks
Jules and Sean Reinhart arrived in Central Oregon as self-described “dirt bag” climbers, living for six months in what was little more than a shed in the long shadow of Smith Rock near Terrebonne. It was back in 1998 when the real estate and relocation boom was a dot on the horizon too far to see.
Eighteen years later they are still climbing. But these days it’s more of a family affair. Their 11-year-old son Hamish is quickly becoming an accomplished climber.
This kind of dynamic is becoming more and more common as Generations X and Y move grudgingly into middle age, not ready to give up on their passions, but needing to find a way to integrate pursuits like mountain biking and rock climbing into their family dynamic. For Jules and Sean it was a matter of making their passion for the outdoors a part of their family, rather than an escape from it.
The Reinharts, who work for the school district, brought Hamish on his first expedition at three months when they traveled to Bishop, California to climb. Pretty much every extended break from work is spent on the road in pursuit of new lines, be it on rock walls, powder bowls or ocean breaks.
But it was the climbing in Central Oregon that drew them here and keeps them grounded.
“Smith Rock is an absolute anchor, but so are the other recreational opportunities,” said Sean Reinhart. “Most important is that Bend has the best schools in the state, and this is a great place to raise a family.”
Climbing Monkey Face isn’t for the inexperienced climber, but there are plenty of ways for families to gain entrée to the sport, including the Bend Rock Gym, which offers ever-changing routes, from sport bouldering to dizzying technical routes. It’s also a great off-season option that offers monthly individual and family memberships as well as instruction. The gym also offers programs and summer camps for kids who can’t get enough carabiner time.
The gym is a great place to build basic skills, but also a base to make connections within the climbing community, including with other families that share an interest in doing outings. It’s helped to make rock climbing truly a family friendly four-season sport in Central Oregon.
Postcards from Wall: Three Climbing Spots
Widgi Creek: An easily accessible area near the namesake golf course off Century Drive in Bend offers a range of climbing opportunities from bouldering to belay routes.
Badlands: The subject of a successful wilderness designation campaign, this roadless area just east of Bend is a geological looking glass that offers a glimpse into Central Oregon’s cataclysmic beginnings. Explore several climbing areas among the volcanic formations, including the South Wall and the “Walk In” area.
Smith Rock: This is the granddaddy of them all. The birthplace of sport climbing in the Northwest, Smith Rock features more than 1,000 distinct routes. A globally renowned destination, it offers picturesque basalt walls that soar high above the Crooked River and a range of difficulties that challenge the best climbers in the world.
On the Water
When Joyce and Mike Stahly decided to leave Salt Lake City a decade ago in search of a smaller town to raise their then young son, proximity to paddling was at the top of their list. Bend quickly surfaced as a relocation destination.
“The fact that we have two runs in town, a winter and a summer run for kayaking, helped,” said Joyce Stahly. “We were looking for a place that was close enough to the ocean where we could go for a long weekend, and boating nearby. Bend hit the mark.”
Their son Kai, now 13, has been raised on or near the water most of his life. That includes annual trips to the Rogue River in southern Oregon and the legendary Salmon River in Central Idaho during the summer.
Bend may not rival Maupin as a Central Oregon rafting destination, but it’s basecamp for many families such as the Stahlys which make rivers an integral part of their summer. The new Bend Whitewater Park is another sign that river culture is thriving here.
Thankfully, you don’t need to know how to barrel roll a kayak to enjoy what Bend has to offer on the water for families. Saunter down to Farewell Bend Park on any summer afternoon and pick up a rental inner tube and launch it just a few feet away on the lazy currents of the Deschutes as it meanders through the Old Mill District toward downtown and Mirror Pond. There, for a few bucks, you can grab a shuttle courtesy of the Bend Parks District that will ferry you back to Farewell Bend Park.
For a little more adventure, you need not look far. Several rafting outfitters offer guided trips on an upstream stretch of the Deschutes that plunges through an ancient lava bed. Here the river drops through a series of class-3 and class-4 rapids created by the deposits from the last eruption of Newberry Volcano. The whole trip can be done in less than a few hours and will surely become part of your family lore.
Try Me A River: Water Three Ways
While most rafting tours in the region accommodate children accompanied by a parent, some companies, such as Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe offer youth programs to get kids comfortable with currents:
Paddlesports Camp Stand up paddleboarding, kayaking, rafting and sailing. June – August $395 for 4 days
Whitewater Kayaking Camp Kids practice in a pool, alpine lakes and run class II rapids by the end of the week. July – August, $395 for 4 days
Afterschool Paddling Let kids study kayaking or standup paddleboarding with five of their friends. Months vary. $75 for 3 days
Happy Campers
For kids in many places, “camp” is a four-letter word. But in Central Oregon, it’s cut from a different cloth–such as Gore Tex. These programs take their cue from the region’s outdoor recreational community, particularly the lifestyles of parents who moved to Bend to raise their families with the outdoors at their backdoor.
Whether it’s sharpening mountain biking skills or learning to build a wildland shelter, there is a program for every personality and ability. But program offerings go beyond trail adventures. There are also arts-based activities designed to introduce kids to creative and performing arts, such as the Tower Theatre’s Youth Summer Film Camp.
Parents looking for more long-term engagements focused on athlete development also have options, most notably the Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation and the Bend Endurance Academy, two programs designed to take athletes from the earliest stages to the highest level of competition. With graduates that include recent X-Games silver-medalist Ben Ferguson and U.S. Ski Team World Cup racers Tommy Ford and Laurenne Ross, the results are evident.
Bend Endurance Academy Founder and Executive Director Ben Husaby said his nonprofit focusing on three disciplines, skiing, biking and climbing, has gone from a few dozen participants in its inaugural 2009 season to more than 600 today. It thrives because of its ability to help kids become better athletes, but more importantly because it instills a lasting love of the outdoors and activities that get kids and parents off the couch and outside. It also replaces solitary screen time with shared time in the outdoors, an experience that transcends competition and translates into quality family time.
“I think what we’re really about is to teach kids the joy of being outside.”
Summer Camp: Spring Sign-Up
A tip for Central Oregon families: don’t wait for summer to book popular camps.
Bend Rock Gym An easily accessible area near indoor and outdoor camps, including girls-only camps, for climbers as young as age 4. bendrockgym.com
High Desert Museum Week-long camps for kids. Rotating cultural and natural history themes, many of which include interacting with the museum’s collection of live raptors, reptiles and other animals. highdesertmuseum.org
RAD Camps The “no child left inside” motto includes adventures in the Deschutes National Forest and more than fifty stellar outdoor destinations. Think of it as therapy for Gen Wireless. radcamps.com.
Bend Endurance Academy Cross-Country Mountain Biking Ride one to three days per week for ten weeks. Skill progression is the goal, with options for more training or race preparation. bendenduranceacademy.org
Camp Tamarack One of the few true overnight camps, kids ages 8 to 13 do five-day stays at the rustic camp on Dark Lake near Sisters. Days are filled with outdoor activities as well as creative projects designed to help develop skills and bonds that last beyond the final day. In partnership with the Bend Park and Recreation District. camptamarack.com
With mountains and rivers in its backyard, Central Oregon breeds the best kind of wild child. In a town where “going to the park” can easily mean going to a state park to scale a cliff, local kids grow up with a healthy appreciation for the nature (and dirt) right outside their front door. Kids by nature want to run, play and climb—and the opportunities to play here abound—from casting flies and running rapids to rock climbing and camping. While raising kids to be rugged may present some challenges, outdoorsy children learn from an early age to push through, be fearless and most importantly to have
