President's Corner
Clackfest is Back!
By Scott Harvey
Greetings fellow club members,
Looks like spring boating season is back in full swing here in the Northwest that includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Northern California. With a healthy residual mountain snowpack to carry us through the month of June on most of our smaller tributaries and
possibly July/August on our larger river drainages… It should be a good summer boating season for all you river-rats.
One of our favorite local events is back again after a three year hiatus due to a one-two punch from the Covid pandemic and the destructive Riverside Fires of 2020. That’s right, I’m referring to the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival that has been part of our
competitive fabric and river rendezvous gathering since its introduction to the Upper Clackamas River Canyon in the early 1980’s.
The UCWWF (Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival) will be taken place on both Saturday, May 20 th and Sunday, May 21 st at the Carter Bridge staging area. This whitewater event has been a gathering spot for both local boaters and some of the finest out of state boaters around. Individuals have been meeting, planning and telling tall tales for the past four plus decades. Well known prominent boaters have passed through those red, white and green gates at Carter Bridge Rapids.
Also, there’s been a lot of painstaking work and planning that have been in play by many individuals to bring this festival back as an annual 2-day event. The list is long to name all the prominent individuals who have put much time into getting the event rolling. Bob Mosier, Luke Spencer, Bee Tyree, Jason Hildner, Matt Saucy and Kyle Dorfi
to name a few folks who have given much of their time to see this whitewater festival re-launch itself. So come up for either one day or both. Compete in the events, sign up and volunteer some of your time, greet with the vendors and see what’s new out there in the whitewater boating world or just socialize with like minded individuals. The weather is expected to be sunny and the river flows are going to be flowing strong.
Come on out… You won’t be disappointed in showing up.