Tuesday, August 23, 2005
"Arrrgggg, me Hearties, so you've decided to brave the high seas, have ye?"
"Well, your first Piratical challenge will be testing your fortitude, and determination,
not to mention yer web footed skills with our Island Treasure!
Sure and we've been hidin' the Most Adventuresome Letterbox to date in Lane County!"
"Ye dare ask how we can claim that? I'll be boxing yer ears for ye after I'm done with tellin' ye...
...It be the FIRST in our County placed on an Actual Island, where ye must PUT OUT in a BOAT to be discovering our hidin' spot! So only the brave and hearty need apply for this crew. None of your flibberty gibbits should even set out, for truly, there be water ahead!
Ye'll be settin' yer sights on "Gold Fish Island" where be the yaller stamp yer maties left on that memorable birthday adventure... Ah, the floatin' down river in modern cockleshell boats("Them rubbery floaties make a sea pirate nervous, lads") our picturesque landing ("All ashore together now, step lively crew") and fine feasting ("These here, bagel sandwiches are mighty tasty!") bring salty tears of happiness to a pirate's eye. It's be a fine thing to have a crew what will take on an adventure and bring up singing hearty choruses("Yo, Ho... A pirate's life for ME!) and swigging down Pirate Grog in plastic bottles("Be it Dad's or A&W, Root Beer is the Finest Grog on these here shores!") Sure and I hope yer crew has as much fun, though it be hard to match!"
-The Adventure is before you!-
From Island park in Springfield set sail at the most logical point, according to the river flow speed, to reach the rocky spit of Gold Fish Island between the Upstream and Downstream sections of the Island. We have permission from the Department of State Lands to land on Gold Fish Island!
Once you have landed on Pebble Beach walk over to the unique Rivulet that runs upstream. Stand by the logs that cross this mid-island divide and face South(upriver). Now walk 40 paces to the first tree rising above the tall bushes. Near this point is the path to the octopus tree.
This is not a park people... something we forgot to account for... there are no cement, gravel, or even barkamulch paths. So we, who forgot gloves, machetes or any type of trail making tools, ended up foraging into the brush with a stick. This adventure actually takes some wilderness skills, but you should be able to achieve your goal with minimal berry vine encounters. And we don't want to make the trail too obvious!
Once a few feet inside the overgrowth, you will find the Octopus tree and in it's upper branches the Orange Bucket that contains this letterbox! Now leaving the island is a snap if you can really paddle back up to Island park, but if you are floating down the river it is not only a bit trickier, but potentially dangerous as well.
On the East or Springfield side of Gold Fish Island as you sail down stream you are floating in relatively shallow water. At some times this may be un-floatable, but there was clearance for our rubber rafts. Do consider portaging(a short stop on land to cross to the next available water rather than running you boat over the shallowest of rocks(we did have one puncture in shallow water).
! ! WARNING WARNING WARNING ! ! It has been reported to us that the swift water downstream of the Island and toward the western edge of the Willamette has become dangerous! Snags have created deadly hazards! Please DO NOT float Downstream from the island unless you hug the north/east bank. We want this to stay a fun family event!
We floated down from the island to the West D Street Greenway Boat Landing(large square canal inlet marks it) using the shallow side between Gold Fish Island and Island Park and it was fine. We did have to portage across one very shallow area, but there was negligible danger on that side of the river(August 23,2005).
ARE YOU A PIRATE HANKERING FOR A BIT MORE ADVENTURE?!?!?!
Try sailing through the wavy water. It's not white water rapids by any means, but a bit of wave similar to the ocean. This was tried by the Pirate crew of the Scarlet Terror(on her Birthday Adventure) and by all hailed as the best river adventure yet! Most of the way down was smooth sailing, and the landing on the island was priceless! We landed on Pebble Beach, the spit of land that divides Gold Fish Island into two sections and protects Pirate's Lagoon. Pebble Beach is halfway down the island, and we landed on the western side, away from Island Park, although either side is accessible There were no problems upstream or beside the island. We then crossed the Island to float further down stream on the Park side.
Of course if you are jumping into a real river like the Willamette you are taking certain risks, but you've read the disclaimer and are smart enough to wear a suitable lifejacket and have sufficiently sturdy boats(even if they are made of rubber!).
For this added adventure... come down the river from JUST BELOW Dorris Ranch, at 1468 Harbor Dr. When you arrive at the address look for a box with this number(it's Not a House) Beside the box is a steep trail leading to the beachhead once down the short drop turn to your right. It is an excellent place to put in. The water becomes DEEP... But there were no obstacles until the bridges when we sighted one snag... very avoidable... but you MUST KEEP WATCH! This is an ADVENTURE and as such requires good planning, caution, and Hearty PIRATES who want to have a bit of sailing FUN!!!!!!!
"YO, HO!"
"Well, your first Piratical challenge will be testing your fortitude, and determination,
not to mention yer web footed skills with our Island Treasure!
Sure and we've been hidin' the Most Adventuresome Letterbox to date in Lane County!"
"Ye dare ask how we can claim that? I'll be boxing yer ears for ye after I'm done with tellin' ye...
...It be the FIRST in our County placed on an Actual Island, where ye must PUT OUT in a BOAT to be discovering our hidin' spot! So only the brave and hearty need apply for this crew. None of your flibberty gibbits should even set out, for truly, there be water ahead!
Ye'll be settin' yer sights on "Gold Fish Island" where be the yaller stamp yer maties left on that memorable birthday adventure... Ah, the floatin' down river in modern cockleshell boats("Them rubbery floaties make a sea pirate nervous, lads") our picturesque landing ("All ashore together now, step lively crew") and fine feasting ("These here, bagel sandwiches are mighty tasty!") bring salty tears of happiness to a pirate's eye. It's be a fine thing to have a crew what will take on an adventure and bring up singing hearty choruses("Yo, Ho... A pirate's life for ME!) and swigging down Pirate Grog in plastic bottles("Be it Dad's or A&W, Root Beer is the Finest Grog on these here shores!") Sure and I hope yer crew has as much fun, though it be hard to match!"
-The Adventure is before you!-
From Island park in Springfield set sail at the most logical point, according to the river flow speed, to reach the rocky spit of Gold Fish Island between the Upstream and Downstream sections of the Island. We have permission from the Department of State Lands to land on Gold Fish Island!
Once you have landed on Pebble Beach walk over to the unique Rivulet that runs upstream. Stand by the logs that cross this mid-island divide and face South(upriver). Now walk 40 paces to the first tree rising above the tall bushes. Near this point is the path to the octopus tree.
This is not a park people... something we forgot to account for... there are no cement, gravel, or even barkamulch paths. So we, who forgot gloves, machetes or any type of trail making tools, ended up foraging into the brush with a stick. This adventure actually takes some wilderness skills, but you should be able to achieve your goal with minimal berry vine encounters. And we don't want to make the trail too obvious!
Once a few feet inside the overgrowth, you will find the Octopus tree and in it's upper branches the Orange Bucket that contains this letterbox! Now leaving the island is a snap if you can really paddle back up to Island park, but if you are floating down the river it is not only a bit trickier, but potentially dangerous as well.
On the East or Springfield side of Gold Fish Island as you sail down stream you are floating in relatively shallow water. At some times this may be un-floatable, but there was clearance for our rubber rafts. Do consider portaging(a short stop on land to cross to the next available water rather than running you boat over the shallowest of rocks(we did have one puncture in shallow water).
! ! WARNING WARNING WARNING ! ! It has been reported to us that the swift water downstream of the Island and toward the western edge of the Willamette has become dangerous! Snags have created deadly hazards! Please DO NOT float Downstream from the island unless you hug the north/east bank. We want this to stay a fun family event!
We floated down from the island to the West D Street Greenway Boat Landing(large square canal inlet marks it) using the shallow side between Gold Fish Island and Island Park and it was fine. We did have to portage across one very shallow area, but there was negligible danger on that side of the river(August 23,2005).
ARE YOU A PIRATE HANKERING FOR A BIT MORE ADVENTURE?!?!?!
Try sailing through the wavy water. It's not white water rapids by any means, but a bit of wave similar to the ocean. This was tried by the Pirate crew of the Scarlet Terror(on her Birthday Adventure) and by all hailed as the best river adventure yet! Most of the way down was smooth sailing, and the landing on the island was priceless! We landed on Pebble Beach, the spit of land that divides Gold Fish Island into two sections and protects Pirate's Lagoon. Pebble Beach is halfway down the island, and we landed on the western side, away from Island Park, although either side is accessible There were no problems upstream or beside the island. We then crossed the Island to float further down stream on the Park side.
Of course if you are jumping into a real river like the Willamette you are taking certain risks, but you've read the disclaimer and are smart enough to wear a suitable lifejacket and have sufficiently sturdy boats(even if they are made of rubber!).
For this added adventure... come down the river from JUST BELOW Dorris Ranch, at 1468 Harbor Dr. When you arrive at the address look for a box with this number(it's Not a House) Beside the box is a steep trail leading to the beachhead once down the short drop turn to your right. It is an excellent place to put in. The water becomes DEEP... But there were no obstacles until the bridges when we sighted one snag... very avoidable... but you MUST KEEP WATCH! This is an ADVENTURE and as such requires good planning, caution, and Hearty PIRATES who want to have a bit of sailing FUN!!!!!!!
"YO, HO!"
# posted by The Three Sisters @ 3:49 PM 
