ConstantLearner

My friend Pete and I drove up to Spencer’s Hole Yesterday (our second time at this spot). The drive, from Eugene, OR, takes about an hour and forty minutes. This is a little longer than either of us would prefer to drive, but Spencer’s is a great playspot during the Summer months (when the water levels are to shallow everywhere else).

One of the best parts about Spencer’s Hole is that it is an incredibly scenic place and you can’t see or hear the road from the river. The North Santiam narrows at this point and there are nice rock ledges on either side and trees lining the banks of the river. The runout reminds me of Brown’s Hole on the Lower McKenzie; the water is deep and very aerated. When the sun shines down on the playspot the water has gorgeous blues and greens and, of course, the frothy white of the foam pile.

The play itself at Spencer’s Hole is pretty good for a Summer spot. It takes a lot of effort to make the attainment up to the top eddy, but it’s a lot of fun to try and do this in the most efficient way. Eddying out from the top eddy you have a small wave that transforms into the hole itself. In between the wave and the hole there’s a narrow spot where you can do left spins pretty easily. Every once in awhile you’ll catch an end and do a half cartwheel. I’d really like to see a good paddler in this spot so that I could learn how to do cartwheels myself. The last thing worth mentioning is that there is a large rock below the hole on surfer’s right (river left) where the water piles up into a pillow. Pete and I call this the “escalator”. When you flush off of the playspot you can seemingly surf up river by catching the pillow and ferrying back into the top eddy. This sensation is a lot of fun, in and of itself, and can save you the effort of having to do the attainment again.

Spencer’s can be a little intimidating at first glance, but from our experience, it seems to be safe, and it’s definitely worth the trip. Your abdominals will surely be feeling it by the end of the session!