Waldo Lake dispersed campsites

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johnspeth
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Joined: July 30th, 2013, 8:33 am

Waldo Lake dispersed campsites

Post by johnspeth » September 8th, 2021, 10:01 am

My son and I are planning to take a kayak camping trip at Waldo Lake next week. We have just one kayak so one guy hikes in while the other guy boats in. That presents a problem for locating a camp site and then meeting up later. We have a handful of ideas on how to manage the task but no direct experience to figure out if the plans are feasible. And the plans will be wind dependent, I'm certain of that.

Does anybody have any advice for us gleaned from first-hand experience?

One plan that seems to make sense is the boat will track the hiker hugging the shore. An advantage is the boat can locate camp sites relatively easily (so I've read). A disadvantage is the hiker paces the search. There is a risk we get separated and must rendezvous at a preselected location because the water isn't always visible from the trail (so I've read).

I'd like to do this without walkie talkies.

Thanks - JJS

Aimless
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Re: Waldo Lake dispersed campsites

Post by Aimless » September 8th, 2021, 10:41 am

Regarding dispersed sites accessible both by kayak and via trail, there is one at the far south end of Waldo Lake that includes a shelter. The far north end of the lake has a few more sites, mainly west of the spur trail to Rigdon lakes. These would be easier to hike to than the western shoreline. These are ones I know about, but my knowledge of dispersed sites on Waldo is fairly limited.

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teachpdx
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Location: Hillsboro, OR

Re: Waldo Lake dispersed campsites

Post by teachpdx » September 8th, 2021, 3:52 pm

Maybe an air horn with some predetermined signal? The hiker finds a site and then meets the water and signals with an air horn. The sound should travel far enough across the lake to determine location.
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leiavoia
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Re: Waldo Lake dispersed campsites

Post by leiavoia » September 9th, 2021, 6:17 pm

Both walk.

Or: rent an inflatable kayak for the trip. See: REI

johnspeth
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Re: Waldo Lake dispersed campsites

Post by johnspeth » September 17th, 2021, 4:09 pm

I did my Waldo Lake kayak trip but I did it alone. My son hurt himself right before the trip so he stayed home. The plans I had for boater/hiker rendezvous would have been close to impossible, even with walkie talkies. If I had to do it again with a companion, I would reserve a paid camp site and stick together.

Dispersed camp sites are merely historical clearings which campers have worn down since before Waldo Lake development. There are no officially designated dispersed sites. And there probably aren't exactly 50 sites, which the USFS folks claim. I doubt anybody knows where all the sites are. Sites I checked out are visible from the water. The sites I explored are isolated from the trail. I suppose frequent visitors will have closely held knowledge of dispersed campsites. I never saw anybody using any dispersed sites that I could see.

This trip was risky for me. I'm a flat water kayaker so the waves and chop I saw daily (3 days) were always a problem. I was camped east of the Islet campground across the lake on a sheltered cove. It was so sheltered that huge east winds kept me grounded on the day I was to return to Islet and go home. I waited until dawn the next day hoping for safe water to cross the lake and got lucky with flat water. As I was packing up my car, the east winds returned and I would have been grounded for another day if I hadn't left so early.

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retired jerry
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Re: Waldo Lake dispersed campsites

Post by retired jerry » September 17th, 2021, 4:14 pm

type 2 fun?

I've done some canoe camping trips before. On lakes. Yeah, waves can be a problem. I bet a kayak would be better.

johnspeth
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Re: Waldo Lake dispersed campsites

Post by johnspeth » September 18th, 2021, 11:08 am

However my trip was not a failure. This was my home for two days:
20210914_143729.jpg
My waterfront property

jtschanz
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Re: Waldo Lake dispersed campsites

Post by jtschanz » September 20th, 2021, 11:53 am

Thanks for following up - I have been curious about Waldo Lake dispersed camping as well.
I was camped east of the Islet campground across the lake on a sheltered cove.
Do you mean west of the Islet campground?

johnspeth
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Re: Waldo Lake dispersed campsites

Post by johnspeth » September 20th, 2021, 5:57 pm

Yes, WEST OF ISLET. Sorry.

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