Events - Event View

A 9-mile float down the Nisqually through some of the least-visited river corridor around Puget Sound. It winds past tribal land, JBLM forest and farmland toward the delta, and fall is prime season for eagles, salmon and the occasional sea lion. The water is calm but moving, with wood along the banks, so paddlers should be able to steer confidently around obstacles. It's a relaxed, curious kind of day with lots of scenery.

Meet: 9:30am at the WDFW 6th Ave fishing pier, to leave shuttle cars.
11642 6th Ave SE, Olympia:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=11642+6th+Ave+SE+Olympia+WA+98513

Put-in: we'll drive together to Nisqually Park at the Yelm Powerhouse.
14024 Yelm Hwy SE, Yelm:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=14024+Yelm+Hwy+SE+Yelm+WA+98597

We plan to launch by about 10:30. Expect 4–6 hours on the water.

**For Canoes: tandem or flatwater solo canoes. Flotation is recommended, especially for solo boats. Painters/bow-lines would also be a good plan.

**Kayaks/Inflatibles etc also welcome.

Dress for the water, not the air. Water temperatures are in the 50s, and the morning will be in the low 40s.

Required: PFD worn at all times; no cotton; a complete change of clothes in a dry bag.
Recommended: drysuit or wetsuit.

Also bring: lunch and water to eat in your boat, a Discover Pass if you're leaving a car at the take-out, and sun protection. The forecast is sunny with a high in the mid-60s.

Good to know: the banks along this stretch are tribal, military and private land, so we'll stay in our boats between the put-in and the take-out, apart from any safety stop. Use the restroom before launch. We'll go over canoe-over-canoe rescue at the put-in, so if you've never done one, this is a low-key chance to learn. It's salmon season, so expect anglers and give them plenty of room.

Trip coordinator: Damian Shaw, [801-913-6318 (cell); damian_tyson_shaw@yahoo.com]
RSVP by Saturday at noon.