River Hugger swim team takes to the water

No gym membership required for this Willamette workout

7:15 a.m. at Fire Station 21 Dock on a recent Monday.

The River Huggers are already in the water, taking their first dip of the day into the Willamette River, a relaxed swim from east bank to the west side and back again, a distance of 1/2 mile.

Bright-orange floaties bob in the water, and it’s quiet except for the sound lapping water. A kayaker and upright paddle boarder (volunteer safety paddlers) keep their eyes peeled and create a buffer lane for the swimmers. Later, dragon boats glide beneath the Hawthorne Bridge and pass by.

River Huggers are ready for action rain or shine.

At 7:45, a different crew of swimmers jump in for the second swim of the day. Some do both morning swims. And at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, a another pod heads north along the bank of the river. I spotted them while walking across the Morrison Bridge after work.

Some people are training for a triathlon, others are just regular swimmers, said Sage Bachman, community outreach for River Huggers. New swimmers are angels, who wear pink swim caps until they prove they can handle the swim and graduate to a bright green cap. A pre-swim qualification form is required. The rule of thumb is that one be strong enough to swim about 45 minutes in a pool without stopping. One regular swimmer, Bachman said, is over 80.

“River Huggers bring visibility to the river and highlight access points,” Sage said.

The swim is operated Human Access Research Project, which created Audrey McCall Park and Poet’s Beach. A low-key family swimming event is planned for Poet’s Beach on July 9.

Next year, the Human Access Research Project wants to bring back the Big Float, in which people hanging out on colorful inflatables (unicorns, donuts, etc.) drift within a roped-off area on the Willamette’s west bank.

How are the river conditions?

“The water is a little warmer than normal for this time of year,” Sage said, adding that Oregon State University Professor Desirée Tullos is working on a project that would prevent migrating algae blooms from the Ross Island Lagoon from entering the area. Right now, the water’s fine.

Swimmers are classified by the color of their caps.