Kayaking cooperative settles into new home

Columbia River Kayaking in Skamokawa is moving this month to a new location, a few hundred yards away from the shop where they have been leading kayak trips and teaching kayaking and canoeing classes since 1998.

Columbia River Kayaking was founded in 2003 by Ginni Callahan and was reorganized into a member owned co-op in 2007, incorporating all the local kayak guides in Wahkiakum County into the new company.

Columbia River Kayaking is now owned and operated by six local kayak guides, with a combined 57 years of experience leading kayaking trips on the lower Columbia River, Oregon coast and elsewhere.

They lead beginner friendly trips on the lower Columbia River every weekend from April into October, teach kayaking skills from beginner level up to coastal paddling and surf play, run a Elderhostel/Road Scholar program, as well as doing custom trips and classes for schools and other groups. Custom groups have included Boy Scout troops, noxious weed surveys, Lewis and Clark College's Masters in Education program and the US Army.

They also host a Wilderness First Responder course in Skamokawa every spring, taught by Wilderness Medical Associates. This course trains guides, search and rescue personnel and anyone else who works or plays outdoors how to deal with medical emergencies when there is no 911 system able to respond. This year's course will be held at the new location in Skamokawa May 19-25.

Spokesperson Mark Whittaker said that after riding out several changes in ownership of their facility at the Skamokawa Resort since it was initially remodeled and opened as the Skamokawa Town Center in 1998, Columbia River Kayaking is moving this month to a new space in the Skamokawa Landing building on Steamboat Slough Road. The new address is 957 Steamboat Slough Road, Office No. 1 in Skamokawa.

To celebrate this new chapter in their ongoing story, Columbia River Kayaking will hold an open house on May 4, with refreshments and door prizes. The 2013 calendar and other information can be seen on the website at http://www.columbiariverkayaking.com.