I think you could kayak down Amazon Creek today.
If I were like TV news, it would be at this point that I would inform you that:
“Massive flooding has blocked the Fern Ridge Path today and CHAOS has ensued, forcing cyclists to be late for work, abandon routine dental appointments and decide that they would just go ahead and keep that too large sweater they got for Christmas and had intended to return to Target. Rock is in the newsroom with more. Rock? …”
And we’d have pictures, too. Like Chambers this morning, looking west:
It’s easy enough to bypass, of course, by taking the path up and crossing the street.
Here’s looking back to the east. Actually looks like it was a bit deeper at one point, judging by the line of leaves and sticks and things at the bottom of the frame:
At Garfield, of course, there is not quite as convenient a bypass:
The pedestrian decided to turn back. It wasn’t so bad, though. You can ride through — or at least you could about 11:30 this monring — if you don’t mind getting your feet wet and you aren’t the kind of person to obsess about getting water in your bottom bracket.
I stayed far over, close to the abutment though.
I actually forgot until the past couple of days that it’s really fun sometimes riding around in the rain. As long as you can come home and have another cup of tea.
So with that bit of exciting news — hell, I wasn’t going to ride all the way out there for nothing — we’ll let you get on with your day. Carry on.
Eugene Bicyclist 
When I worked at Burley, someone kayaked in from South Eugene to the factory on Bertelson during a similar deluge. He said at water level the abandoned shopping carts bore an eerie resemblance to the “have a heart” traps.
Wow. Somebody really did kayak it? Must be spooky going under the streets through downtown — Pearl, Willamette, etc.
I had to look up “have a heart” traps.
For anyone else who might not know what those are:
http://www.havahart.com/store/live-animal-traps/extra-large
Yeah, I think I can see the resemblance.
That’s gnarly! I knew it flooded around there but I’ve never seen it that bad.
Thanks for sharing the photos!
I had to ford 2 feet of water for about 50 feet this morning on City View, that was new and exciting. Even though my feet were submerged on down strokes, my booties kept enough water out that they only got heavily damp, not utterly soaked. Luckily I stayed on 12th coming into town- I had a sneaking suspicion that if the street drains are bad as they are, Amazon would be ruthless.
I’ve always wanted to make one of those Banff Mountain Film Festival short films with three crazy kayakers: the Australian, the German, and the American, each one gnarlier than the last. Except instead of hucking over 100-foot waterfalls in Tibet, this would be a mockumentary called “First Descent: Amazon”.
Opening scene: muddy, roiling water. Raging rapids. Three awed kayakers in full gear, wisecracking and ready to get wet. Second scene: The three kayakers ripping it up in the muddy river. Third scene: people standing on the 24th Ave bridge in Ugg boots, watching them go by. Cut to street sign: “Amazon Creek”. Cut to second street sign: “Welcome to Eugene, Oregon. Pop 157,153.”
The short would then devolve into silliness: kayakers getting stuck in shopping carts, paddling along next to cyclists, waving to raccoons, taking a smoke break with homeless people under the bridge, calling to kingfishers, avoiding vicious hungry ducks (and maybe the Duck itself).
Take it away, creative filmmakers with too much time on your hands and three crazy kayaker friends. I hereby give away this idea to the public domain. Watch the weather for a couple of inches of rain in a couple of days, and hit the Creek.
I’d watch this film. It would take some bold souls though, I think.
Tom Powers, are you listening?