anyone kite the sandy river delta/sundial beach?

Hatchetthrower · Since 20 Mar 2013 43 Posts

Looks like it might be an option for the early fall when rooster is blown out and the river is still low. If you could park at the fedex center and take the little trail in its only about a half a mile. pretty reasonable.

this site has a bunch more pics and a little write up about it. https://www.oregonhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17274

what do you guys think?

McLovin · Since 11 Sep 2017 288 Posts Corbett Obsessed

SBC!!!

Yup - I'm in - lets get it dialed in - been scouting spots west of Rooster for the 40-65+ days when it's pure Victory at Sea conditions.

I like this one - will do some more recon when I'm back in town...

Bring on the Easterlies...

Mc

Hatchetthrower · Since 20 Mar 2013 43 Posts

yeah I have checked out the little beach by the chinook boat ramp a few times when rooster is blowing crazy. The wind doesn't seem to hit it quite right there, comes over the land and gets kinda swirly and weak. The sandy river delta looks like it might be amazing with all the little lagoons and stuff. That is if the wind hits it right.

If you go down and check it out in person definitely post some pics and I'll for sure do the same. I love fall easterlies, let's hope this ends up being a good spot! I feel like rooster was blown out all the time last fall, if all those days were rideable at this location it would be amazing. Laughing

Sasquatch · Since 09 Mar 2005 2100 Posts PNW Bigfoot

Might work on the days when the east winds are strong enough and blow at the PDX airport.

I think a better location to try is just west of the Corbett exit. Park at the exit and hike down west of the rocky point. In the fall there should be plenty of sandy beach and shallow waters. The wind isn't obstructed here like you make it sound at the Sandy delta.

Another consideration to factor in when riding Rooster (far west Gorge) is the direction of the wind. . . is it blowing straight from the east (rare) or is it coming from the SE or NE. I'd say from my experience that NE is best as it fills in the Oregon side of the river where one launches from and keeps one away from the basalt cliffs (Cape Horn). When it is blowing from the SE, especially if the waters are a bit high, this makes it extremely hard to actually launch a kite as the shore is wind shadowed (Bridal Veil launch basically impossible, and very difficult at Roadhouse aka Dalton boat launch (yes, I called it Roadhouse from the cheesy 80's flick that stared Patrick Swayze as the badass Dalton).

If you have a powerboat or wave runner, that would be lots of fun to explore. Just ask Nak and Mark. Nak Nak flats. I believe it is the island one sees just north of the Corbett exit.

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-10539-0.html

Marcus O · Since 30 May 2018 98 Posts

I'd definitely be interested in checking this spot out - or the other spot suggested by Sasquatch. I love me some easterlies but when it’s blowing 50mph+ I start crying for my mommy. At that point I usually end up driving down to the coast to kite at the ponds. It would be nice to not have to drive so far when Rooster is nuked out. The beach by the airport is fun too but you have very little recovery time if the sh*t hits the fan.

Sasquatch · Since 09 Mar 2005 2100 Posts PNW Bigfoot

Mark · Thu Aug 06, 20 10:15 am

Ahh this brings up one of my favorite memories and posts....

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-10539-0-asc-0.html

So quick answer is Yes I have kited the area you are talking about. Funky east winds but occasionally blows nice. Think it would be quite a walk in, boat for quick and easy access. The above link talking about the Nak Nak flats are now gone. They were to the west of Rooster but the shifting sands have taken them away.

Nak · Thu Aug 06, 20 11:25 am

Great link Mark! Best nwKite thread ever.

The mouth of the Sandy can be great, and it can suck. The first rule of thumb is that it has to be at least 80 degrees in Portland. You need the heat there to get the wind to flow in the proper direction. Without a heat low over Portland, there's not enough north in the wind and it gets chopped up by the trees to the east of the beach. Think kite falling out of the sky one second and yarding you the next second. Constantly. The next thing you need is the wind needs to be easterly all the way to the PDX airport. Tail end easterlies at this spot are also bad. If those two conditions are met, you have a 50-50 chance of the wind being decent quality, assuming the easterlies are strong enough there to kite.

McLovin · Since 11 Sep 2017 288 Posts Corbett Obsessed

Great Topic!

So I happen to live in Corbett right on the bluff (can see the Rooster tripod from my kitchen with binocs) so I have been monitoring things "out front" - as much as I've really wanted to KITE in my front yard it's almost never happened...(yet)

Generally the winds tend to fan out and get holey between Corbett Hwy exit and Reed Island (the uninhabited bunch of grass & trees mid-river).

A few points of note from my scouting / observations:

The current is VERY strong and the barges come in close here - have kayaked across to Reed Island many times...

The Corbett Hwy exit is a piss poor launch / land spot with NO LEGAL PARKING - I have walked or biked down many times and NEVER actually kited from there. Mainly because there are broken and cracked old road chunks with spikey sharp trees & roots that are begging to snag your lines...there is NO good beach at the Corbett exit.

I have seen a group of kiters come down thru this area with a chase wave runner and land on Reed Island.

I won't OUT anyone, but let's just say 2 brave souls may have ended a downwinder in March during the height of the Covid- NO KITING BAN at the Corbett ramp. Super sketchy take out didn't look fun.

The more hopeful spot as NAK / Mark correctly point out is further west by the sandy retaining jetty thingys before the turn in the river at 1000 acre park. The wind gets good here but access SUCKS. I've ridden a bike and clamoured down the embankment because I'm just that desperate (remember the NO KITE covid times?) I thought I'd kite here but the two times the EAST wind blew it wasn't filled in enough to make it work - see NAK's comment on precise wind direction.

I am still holding out hope for a session on this section of river - but even when it was the only possible place for me to go -(when everything was closed in MAR) it didn't work and once other spots opened I haven't even thought about trying to kite here since the winds are shitty compared to real kite spots.

It's a narrow band to find good wind when Rooster goes nuclear and the water gets into WINTER MODE - I've scouted everything from 158th to PDX Airport and it's pretty much the PDX Foil Mafia Crew who make it work on those days.

There is another Foil Crew at work in the winter at Viento, which is much more sane in that the winds are uber smooth and reliable vs. the 50-60mph Rooster Blasts but again it's really takes a FOIL as the ticket to play IMHO...

Either way I can say a good drysuit is worth its weight in GOLD - as is some cautious site selection and general prudence. Winter sessions are awesome but they should be SHORT and CLOSE to the BEACH and more mellow as things GO BAD SO FAST in truly cold water. We get used to it riding all summer but you gotta know thyself and be humble about it - Winter is another level and needs to be given a healthy dose of caution to keep it safe. Just sayin'

Mc