Canadian Paddler Gets Helping Hand From A Columbia 'River Angel'
After Hannah Griffin got laid off in May she decided to embark on a source-to-sea canoe trip down the Columbia River, and she's getting some help along the way
Some folks get laid off and become unmoored. Hannah Griffin got laid off and decided to canoe the length of one of the largest rivers in North America.
In late May, she lost her job at a tech company in Canada. On July 31 she started her journey at Columbia Lake in British Columbia, near the headwaters of the Columbia River.
“I kind of had the idea in the back of my head for a while and I was working in tech and got laid off from my job,” she said. “And it was actually kind of good timing because it was enough time to plan a trip like this and still have it be summer.”
Griffin is a lifelong paddler and grew up canoeing on rivers in Ontario and attended canoe summer camps as a kid. When she got older she became a counselor at canoe camp. Since moving to B.C., she said she has developed a special connection to the Columbia. She can see it from her house in Revelstoke, and most mornings she goes down and swims in it with friends.
“The Columbia River is a very interesting river with an interesting history and issues,” she said. “When I looked at a map and realized I could paddle the river outside of our house all the way to the ocean I just thought that was really cool.”
Although she has years of experience as a paddler, this is the longest river journey she’s ever attempted. She said she did train and tried lifting weights to get into shape for the journey but said, “That first week I was pretty wrecked.”
In addition to the physical stamina required, there is a lot of planning involved. There’s only so much gear and food she can store in her canoe, so she has to be smart about packing and planning.
Griffin is also getting help from volunteers along the river. Some give her a place to stay for the night, a hot meal, and a place to wash laundry, but most importantly volunteers provide assistance portaging around the dams on the Columbia.
One of those volunteers is Scott Kreiter of East Wenatchee. He founded a group called “Columbia River Angels,” inspired by the Pacific Crest Trail Angels. Like the PCT angels, the Columbia River Angels provide assistance to long-distance paddlers on the Columbia.
“Our mission is to support source-to-sea paddlers with the logistics of navigating the Columbia River. Our primary objective is to assist paddlers with portaging at the 14 dams on the Columbia River. We can also assist with reprovisioning and other needs as they come up,” their website says.
Kreiter picked Griffin up at the Lincoln Rock State Park boat launch above Rocky Reach Dam on Sept. 3 and on Sept. 4 he dropped her off at a rustic launch near the Palisades, just downriver from Rock Island Dam. From there she will continue on her journey and replenish her supplies in Richland, where she has a cache of food waiting at another volunteer’s home.
Griffin said the plan is to reach the mouth of the Columbia at Astoria, Oregon by early October, and she has completed about 60 percent of the journey so far.
The biggest impediment to her progress is the wind, and the next leg of the journey through the Columbia River basin and gorge are notoriously windy portions of the trip. She said if it’s too windy that can force her to stop and wait, and that can eat up days.
There are days when progress is frustratingly slow. She said sometimes she wonders why she embarked on this journey at all. But it’s worth it to get to see a river like the Columbia in its entirety.
As far as what her plans are once she completes her journey, she has a couple of ideas.
“I think I’d like to write a book. My background is in journalism and writing and I really miss writing. My favorite books to read are outdoor and non-fiction,” she said. “So I would love to try to write a book. But I have to finish the river first.”
If you would like to read some of Griffin’s writing, she has a Substack in which she recommends a book and a bread recipe every two weeks. It’s called “Good Book/Good Bread” and you can read it here.
If you would like to learn more about the Columbia River Angels and volunteer to help out in your area, reach out to Scott Kreiter at scott.kreiter@gmail.com.
There’s also a “Paddlers of the Columbia River” Facebook group Kreiter recommends for anyone looking to get connected with other paddlers who have done long-distance journeys on the Columbia.
I’ll keep tabs on Griffin’s progress and update folks when she completes her journey, following in the footsteps of the Lewis & Clark expedition by reaching the point where the Pacific Ocean meets the Columbia River.
Great adventure!
Thank you Dominick, personally, I needed a couple of positive news items. 😊