One thing we ABSOLUTELY LOVE about the summer is the opportunity to float from Barton to Carver on the Clackamas river, and we’re not the only ones! This river float route is the most accessible and popular route for Portlanders, which means lots of friends along the way (and plenty of litter to clean up!)
That’s why this year, we’re putting on TWO floats! Not only for the pure enjoyment of having a couple LONG tanning days on the water, but to participate in a clean-up competition for a FREE 90 minute massage per event!
Participants are welcome to operate solo or to rally a group effort toward winning the prize, so prepare your rally speeches and get ready to wrangle some river rubbish for a rehabilitative rubdown (aka professional therapeutic massage)!
Make sure you fill out the attendance waiver here:
https://form.jotform.com/240947979553172
What to expect:
- Activity - We will all set sail as a group from Barton Park at high noon. Along the way we will encounter all of the river’s beautiful features and fauna as well as the occasional litter than sullies its banks and eddies. We’ll be collecting whatever rubbish we can safely access, and going the extra mile to retrieve distant items is strongly encouraged! Arriving early ensures that we get everyone’s inflatables pumped up and ready to rock those (mild) rapids responsibly! Prepare to arrive by 11am to take this seriously.
- Competition - The winner of the river clean up competition will receive a free 60 minute massage! We will be comparing the VOLUME of waste collected to determine the winner (not by weight and not by quantity.)
What to bring:
Anything you like! This is one event where you can feel free to go all out and bring whatever you can safely manage and pack-out. Favorite floaties and gadgets, squirt blasters, coolers, drinks, snacks, party favors, etc...
Bare minimum recommendations:
- 1+ Liter of drinking water
- Sunblock and shade sash (sheer scarf, shemagh, etc..)
- Favorite swimwear
- River shoes (lifesaver!!)
- Float & pump
- Paddle or +5ft stick (to direct float trajectory, perform depth checks, and fend off rocks and obstacles safely)
- Dry bag for valuables
- Full stomach & energy restoring snacks
- Mesh bag for collecting river rubbish
What kind of mesh bag? We’d recommend the kind of mesh laundry bag that’s intended for lingerie and delicates. They’re usually easily found at dollar stores. Make sure you label your bag so we can easily keep track of who got what.
What NOT to bring:
- Anything that will get you in trouble legally
- Disposable glass items
- Anything that will be unretrievable if it falls in the water
- Anything you’re afraid to get wet with river water
- An empty stomach! This float is 5 miles long at an average rate of 1mph, so it’s a day, and we need everyone to have adequate energy.
How to coordinate:
Participating in the float means abandoning your vehicle at the start point (Barton Park.)
Coordinating the return voyage to retrieve your vehicle is a creative logistical process that we have extensive experience in, and is made exponentially easier by inviting a friend! DM us if you’re a single person needing to carpool back and we’ll figure it out!
We can also consider ordering a ride share carpool Uber SUV for multiple people to make it really affordable, averaging $5-10 per person.
Let’s assume you’ve got a small car and you’ve invited a friend with a big car:
Step 1: Drop off big car at Carver Park, and pack all float items into smaller car.
Step 2: Pile into smaller car and head to Barton Park.
Step 3: Pay parking/ gate fee, and proceed 0.8 miles down the winding road to the boat ramp area.
Step 4: Apply sunblock, inflate floats, pack valuables into dry bag, leave pumps and storage bags in vehicle.
Step 5: Get on the water, tie floats together however you see fit, and enjoy!
Stay closed dry bag contents:
keys to both beginning and end point vehicles
ID’s and moneys
Barton gate/ parking ticket
Total fees and costs: ~$20/ Person
The Float and River Cleanup event itself is free to attend! Entering Barton Park requires a small fee of less than $10 per vehicle, and a similar fee is required for those who station their vehicles at the endpoint (Carver Park.) Make sure to leave the larger vehicle at the endpoint with extra towels if you coordinate attending with a friend. Overall budget per person is estimated to be about $20.
The first 10 people who arrive at Barton Park for the event will have their parking ticket paid for! Just mention that you’re with the “Wake Party” and enjoy your early bird access!
When you receive your parking ticket, make sure and display the first half on your vehicle dash and bring the second half with you in your dry bag to regain access to the park to retrieve your car later that day! Barton Park closes their gates at 8pm sharp, so make sure you're out of there by that time, or else you're camping at their grounds for the night.
Safety Tips:
- Water Clarity - The Clackamas is a very clear river, making for easy visibility down to at least 5 feet in depth. This helps with river safety, and makes sure you don’t have to worry about those invisible river sharks and alligators while swimming the deeper parts.
- Rapids and Shallows - All along the river are shallows and rapids that can ground your float or bust your tailbone if you’re not careful! When we shout “Rapids! Bottoms up!” we’re not talking about shotgunning your drink in hand. Keep your limbs and seats elevated from the water as much as you can by squeezing on the outsides of your float until we reach a deeper area again.
- Lean Back - As you approach a large obstacle that water is rushing around, you’ll want to navigate to either side of it. If you end up colliding with the obstacle (at 1 or 2 whole miles per hour) you’ll want to make sure you’re leaning away from the obstacle so the float can easily work around it. If your float approaches the obstacle while leaning forward, the river can very well flip the craft up, pinning you between your float and the obstacle. Avoid this disastrous and very often fatal outcome by being aware.
- PSI - Make sure your float is VERY well inflated. We’ll be swimming around and boarding your float-craft to inflate it by our very own lungs as we go if you haven’t obsessed enough about your floaties air pressure, because it’s THAT important. Don’t make us hate you. We have strong lungs, but we may also have a HUGE party. Do your part. The cold river water will reduce the internal air volume of your float as we go, especially if you inflate using hot air in direct sun, so try to inflate your float-craft with air that is low to the groud & in the shade, and KEEP IT PLUMP. Having a float-craft with one-way valves is very helpful when on the water also!
- Sticks & Paddles - These are a must! Anything is better than nothing, and you’ll quickly realize how necessary they are as we begin floating. The river’s current will take us closely by rocky embankments and potentially into eddies that are hard to escape from without anything to push off or paddle toward. Sticks are also great for depth checks as well as for grabbing a hold of to synchronize floats & pass around drinks and snacks. Favorite stick recommendations are bamboo poles and sun dried sunflower stalks. these are both very lightweight and sturdy options. Try to keep these items 5 to 7 feet in length. Anything longer is an unwieldy length for inexperienced stick users.
- Basic river swimming & PFD’s - Understanding how to swim in a river is essential to preserving energy, and using a personal floatation device (life-jacket) is absolutely mandatory when entering the water away from your float-craft. Never attempt to swim directly across a river. If you intend to get to the other side, make sure you pick a point that is far enough downstream so you can allow the current to chauffeur you to the other side gradually and ALWAYS use your PFD.
- Divers - If you’re a free-diving person, please review these notes: Never dive alone, always notify someone to keep an eye out for you before going under, always make sure you have enough energy/ oxygen to surface and NOT black out, preset an agreed underwater time of no more than 1 minute that you coordinate with your surface watcher, always have your rope ends tied securely to your wrist and your float, pre-measure your float rope to be a max length of your comfortable diving depth, & never dive in an area of high current or while traveling.
- Banks & Holes - These river banks have a bunch of deep holes in the rocks. Some are huge that make for nice dipping spots for adults with children, and some are just big enough for your foot or arm to enter. Beware to keep your limbs and sticks out of these holes as we float because the river will steal them or snap them without hesitation.
- Clackamas body count - To keep things blunt, this river has become notorious for claiming lives and has the country’s highest fatality rate for “beachgoers.” This is due to unconditioned and unprepared people entering cold raging waters too early in the year (before June), and not using PFD’s when entering. Don’t be a number, respect the water, and stay on the surface where it’s safest. (Personal Story: My brother almost became a number a few years back when his leg cramped while we were swimming through a deep spot of the river without PFD’s. You don’t want that trauma.) Follow directions and you’ll be a happy and safe floater!
Connect with us on FB or IG and send us a Direct Message with all your questions, and we look forward to having a successful and safe river cleanup event!