The Riverness | Oregon Rafting Blog

There's no water.

2011-12-18T06:35:00.000-08:00

The last month and a half have been brutally dry here in Oregon, but how dry?

I went back and looked at data for the Illinois River to compare to this year and here's what I found. I counted the number of days the Illinois' mean flow was over 700 CFS between November 1st and December 17th for the past 20 years. This year, during that same time frame, the Illinois has hit the mark 10 times. There are two other years (in the past 20) that this has occurred; in 2008 and in 1991. But the absolute worst year was 2000, in which the Illinois only hit 700 a miserable 5 times.
Here's the data:

Days when average flow reached or exceeded 700 CFS at Kerby on the Illinois River between November 1st and December 17th:

2011: 10
2010: 37
2009: 14
2008: 10
2007: 17
2006: 34
2005: 31
2004: 11
2003: 15
2002: 12
2001: 29
2000: 5
1999: 32
1998: 32 (record 20-year for time frame on 11/21 was 20,400 CFS)
1997: 35
1996: 30
1995: 20
1994: 31
1993: 11
1992: 15
1991: 10

Back when there was water, January of 2011:

Kadoma to debut in Ashland, Oregon June 23rd

2011-06-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

The much-anticipated film Kadoma will debut in Ashland on Thursday, June 23^rd starting at 8:00PM at Ashland Greenhouses. Local filmmakers, Chris Korbulic, 24, of Rogue River, Ore., and Ben Stookesberry, 32, of Mount Shasta, Calif., share their terrifying and true story of unmatched adventure that resulted in the tragic death of their kayak guide. The Ashland premier of Kadoma will benefit the local filmmaker’s good friend and fellow kayaker, Matt Thomas, who was paralyzed while mountain biking in Southern Oregon almost 2 years ago.

Korbulic and Stookesberry appeared at Jackson County Library Foundation’s Southern Oregon Arts and Lecture Series this past April to tell their story and share pictures. They left with the promise to return with a feature film documenting their adventures. Kodoma’s world premiere took place at the Mountainfilm: The Festival in Telluride, Colo. over Memorial Day weekend. “Nothing can replace personal experience and the stories that come from expeditions to remote, but still affected places,” says Korbulic.

Join us to support Matt in his journey to recovery and meet the filmmakers, Ben and Chris. We'll also have raffles and beer, plus one of the best views in Ashland!

What: Premiere of Kadoma to benefit the Matt Thomas Recovery Fund ($5 donation at door)
When: Thursday, June 23rd starting at 8:00pm (film will begin at sunset)
Where: Ashland Greenhouses - 650 East Ashland Lane - Ashland, OR 97520
Info: DesireeW@live.com or info@jclf.org

**If you're unable to attend and would like to make a monetary donation or donate a raffle item, please contact DesireeW@live.com for details.**

Redwood Creek | January 8-9, 2011

2011-01-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

Check out the full Redwood Creek trip report.

Although the gauge nearest our put-in suggested the flow to be 250 CFS, it seemed like a lot more than that. Perhaps there's a large tributary between the gauge and put-in, or maybe the gauge is broken. Either way, we were pleasantly surprised that we never had to drag the raft, which is what we thought we'd be doing the first few miles. In fact, the "creek" (this thing is a huge creek), chugged along at a fast pace. Despite the low gradient, the river always has current.

Since none of us had been on this river before, we relied heavily on information from http://www.cacreeks.com/redwood.htm. We were able to track down Kathy and her brother to help with our two vehicle shuttle, which is certainly worth the amount of time you save by not having to do your own shuttle. From Orick to where we put-in was about an hour and fifteen minutes. We were nervous about what the put-in would be like but ran into no problems. Coyote Creek comes in on river-right about seven miles downstream of the put-in. We stopped there for an early lunch break at 11:00.

Read the full trip report here... Redwood Creek Trip Report.

Winning on and off the river - Go Giants!

2010-11-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

In August when no one thought the Giants could pull it off, Tim, Brian, and Buster came up for a little R&R on the Rogue River. They were very tired from the long season and needed a break from the hustle and bustle of baseball to prepare for their postseason dreams.

Matt, Chuck, and Tim Lincecum at the bottom of Upper Black Bar.
Tim is giving the thumbs up - must have been a good run!

Even though he is so young, Buster Posey is very good on the oars:

Dan and Brian Wilson making the move at Blossom Bar. Brian is very intimidating to watch row a boat.

It was very nice watching our river friends win one of those World Series things. And, just like we taught them a few river tricks, I too took away a lesson from last nights game. From now on we will end every river trip with a shower of champagne!

Go Giants!

Trip Report: West Fork of the Illinois

2010-03-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

For the full trip report with photos, click here.

Ever since we moved to Selma I've been wanting to get on some of the upper stretches and tributaries to the Illinois River. In January I got to run Josephine Creek, which was a lot of fun but not a whole lot of whitewater. There's gotta be something somewhere up in the drainage where there's great whitewater. Was the West Fork of the Illinois the gem I was looking for? No, but it was still fun exploring a new run.

Dana and I left our house around noon. We grabbed the little 10' Avon (Rosie the red raft) and drove to the bridge over the West Fork on Waldo Road. There we left Dana's car and continued with my truck to the put-in. We didn't really know where the put-in would be, but we knew which road to take. When we entered Obrien we took a right on Lone Mountain Road and continued up the road a few miles. Eventurally we found a place where the road was right next to the river so that's where we put in. We did drive up a little further but it seemed that the road was straying from the river.

Due to the extremely low flows during the summer there is quite a bit of brush that grows in the river bed. This was a constant battle for us. We had to get out of the boat and "portage" three times. More times than not we could pick out a line over the smaller bushes and the boat would just knock them over. Nevertheless, the river canyon was beautiful and the rapids, although only class II, were still kind of fun. At least there was current!

We arrived at the bridge take-out around 2:45. On river-left just upstream of the bridge there is a little steep trail to the road. We used that to carry our stuff up to our vehicles.

Would I do the West Fork again? Probably not. But I'm sure glad I don't have to wonder about it anymore!

For the full trip report with photos, click here.

Series: Easy River Recipes, #1

2010-03-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

This is a new series called "Easy River Recipes". If you have one in mind please email it to info@OregonRafting.org so that we can post it on our blog. I'm not going to post quantities because, well, I have no idea how large your group is or how much you will eat. Here we go:

Taco Salad, Lunch

Taco Salad is one of the easiest lunches you can make. If you're tired of the same old deli sandwich spread, this may be the perfect mixer-upper for you.

Ingredients:

1) Tortilla Chips
2) Black Beans
3) Ice Burg Lettuce
4) Chicken
5) Avocado
6) Tomato
7) Green Onion
8) Cheddar Cheese
9) Salsa

Dishes and Utensils:

1) 1 Large Spoon
2) 1 Large Bowl
3) 1 Can Opener
4) Forks
5) Bowls
6) A few knives to cut stuff up

What do do:

Everything is going into the bowl. Pre-cook the chicken and cut it up into bite-sized chunks. Cut up tomatoes, avocados, lettuce, and green onion and throw it in the big bowl. Open and drain the canned black beans and put them in the bowl. Crunch up the tortilla chips and - you guess it - put them in the bowl. Throw the grated cheddar cheese in the bowl. Sprinkle some salsa in and, presto, you've got yourself a taco salad.

Hint:

Throw in some "taco seasoning" to make it feel extra special.

Trip Report: Illinois River, March 13-14, 2010

2010-03-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

For the full trip report with photos click here.

Will’s 24th birthday - He’s still a year younger than me, but who’s counting?

People started dropping like flies on Thursday afternoon, but several of us stuck it out. Will and I had been watching the snow fall all day on Thursday and the projected flows told us it would be well above 6000 cfs. Will knew it was wrong but we kept watching the copious amounts of moisture with a bit of skepticism. Friday evening we knew we were golden – the flows were around 3000 cfs and falling.

Ryan Guy, having just started his spring break, met us at the Selma house on Friday evening. In the morning we met up with our other gung-ho boating comrades, J.R. Weir and Jonathan Hyland. I have to admit the sunny drive in the morning was incredibly beautiful but a little nerve racking – there was a lot of snow on the road. I wasn’t too excited about a potential “high water” trip, but Will assured me the snow would stay put and the flows would be fine.

We put-in around 11:30 am as the sun gods shined proudly on the birthday boy. It was definitely Will's day on his favorite river. After an amazing day of floating the green water of the Illinois, we arrived at South Bend around 4:30 pm and decided to call it a day. The night was complete with a more than sufficient supply of spaghetti, beer, Patron and tomato juice, Jaeger and Franzia’s Sunset Blush bagged wine. It was a relaxing and enjoyable evening of some of the best story telling and hooting I’ve been around in a long time.

The next morning everyone woke up with the thought of the impending GREEN WALL. After a filling breakfast, we hit the water and made it to Prelude around 10:30 am. We decided to scout above the entry rapid. We walked down, scouted and Will and Ryan headed back to the boats. I set-up our video camera on a rock, slung our digital camera around my neck and waited for the guys to come downstream. Will entered far left due to the fact that the center was a massive river-wide hole. It was definitely not a place you’d want to be… But after some strong pulling and maneuvering he made it out clear and clean. It was a great run. The bottom hole (also known as Harvey) wasn’t too prominent, which made the run a bit easier. Ryan and Bigwater Betty, the creepy mannequin head, had a similar run and came out looking like professionals. Of course it was a piece of cake for both J.R. and Jon.

After Green Wall we navigated some of the lower rapids while we admired the many waterfalls, runoffs and creeks surrounding us. It was absolutely beautiful. Will made sure to stop at his favorite “Waterfall Camp” and was blessed by the river gods in discovering his bottle of stashed Jaeger was still in camp. We basked in the sun and told stories.

As we made our way further downriver, we decided it was time for lunch. Instead of eating at the waterfall camp or pulling over, we took customized sandwich orders, compiled glorious piles of meat, cheese, veggies and bread and ate while we floated. I think some of the most hilarious moments of the trip were watching J.R. and Jon eat while they kayaked. It’s a little easier for rafters to eat while floating, but kayakers…that’s a whole other story. However, it definitely wasn’t difficult for them to take swags off the good ol’ bag of Sunset Blush. Thank god for bagged wine…

We made it to Oak Flat around 4:00 pm, enjoyed some more Sunset Blush, packed up and headed back home. It was really one of my favorite trips down the Illinois. We had perfect flows, perfect weather and a spectacular group of people. Thanks to Barefoot Brad and Jamie for a great shuttle experience. And to Ryan, J.R. and Jon for making the trek to Southern Oregon to enjoy one of the most beautiful rivers in the Northwest with us.

For the full trip report with photos click here.

Trip Report: Green Truss of the White Salmon, March 7, 2010

2010-03-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Read the full trip report with photos here.

I was driving up to Portland when Dan Thurber called and said the Truss would be good to go. Zach Collier and I had originally been planning a mellow day exploring Killer Fang on the Clackamas so at first I wasn't too stoked on the idea. There was also a rumored trip on the Little White, but there was no way I was headed there. After talking to George White and Zach about the Truss it actually seemed like the makings of a great day so we agreed to meet the following morning in Hood River.

While George and I were driving to Hood River he called Hans Hoomans to rally the troops. Hans agreed to meet us at Husum with two of his paddling buddies and the next thing we knew we were at the truss lowering boats down to the river. The total group is Dan Thurber and Jeremy kayaking, George and I as an r2, Hans, Kira, and Tom as an R3, and Zach Collier rowing his cat. We had a bright sunny day and a great flow.

Everything was uneventful until Little Brother (we all portaged Big Bro) when George and I dropped off Little Brother a little too-far right as we were taking the river-right line. Our boat slammed into a rock at the bottom and I successfully body-checked George out of the boat - as well as myself. We self-rescued quickly though. Everyone else had gravy lines and we continued to Double Drop. Hans and his crew ran first followed by George and I. It felt like we had a sweet line but in the bottom drop the boat shot into the air and George went for his second swim. Zach portaged his cat on river-left and the kayakers both had good lines so soon we were headed downstream.

A little further downstream Zach decided to pull over and hike out. The wood situation at Lower Zig Zag was unknown and he didn't want to deal with it. We bid farewell to Zach - and that's when shit started hitting the fan.

We came around a corner and there was a log across the river. There was a fair amount of current, a small eddy just to the left where Hans had eddied out, and a little bit of water going over the top of the log on river-right. Feeling totally confident, I told George we could probably scrape over on the right. We paddled hard and both jumped into the front of the boat when we thought the bow had gone over the log. Whoops. The boat stopped and turned sideways. George jumped out onto the log and I tried the same but slipped and got caught on the upstream side. My arms and head were out of the water though and I was able to half way push myself on top of the log. But then the boat started to wrap around the log and, since I was lying on the log, it was wrapping on me. Hans ran across the log and helped George keep the boat from wrapping and drain the water. Once it was empty I was able to get out from underneath and the boat was slid onto the downstream side of the log. We continued downstream.

Upper Zig Zag was uneventful. We pulled into the eddy above Lower Zig Zag to see what was in store for us. It looked surprisingly clean. Hans and his crew pushed off and had a clean run. Next up was George and I and we slicked it. The two rafts were now eddied out downstream of the rapid on river-right. All we could see was the very tail end of Lower Zig Zag. Jeremy came down in his kayak and ended up upside down (after the vertical log). The new wood is about 25 yards downstream. He swam and immediately hit the new wood, but thankfully was far enough right to catch the end and bounce downstream. We took off after him, Thurber (who had a nice line through Lower Z) went after the kayak. Hans and his crew actually got to him first and pulled him in.

Now George and I were chasing after Thurber who had the kayak in his sights. We rounded the corner and Dan was trying desperately to bring the kayak to shore but it wasn't happening. The current from the next rapid pulled it downstream. Dan ran through and immediately behind him the boaterless kayak pinned. After a little bit it filled up with water and actually came off but then it went into a little eddy of doom. George and I are eddied out above the rapid. Hans and his crew are downstream out of sight with Dan. The kayak is swirling in the eddy. There was no way George and I were going there, but just as we were about to push off the kayak somehow (I have no idea how) popped out of the eddy and headed downstream. We chased after it but after rounding the corner saw that way downstream Hans had grabbed it.

George and I relaxed momentarily, but only long enough to enter what appeared to be a nothing riffle. Well, a nothing riffle with one feature: an enormous hole. As we dropped in we both said "that's a BIG hole" and proceeded to get throttled. George swam for his third time in about 3 miles. I was able to hold on and somehow the boat didn't turn over. But it damn well should have.

We finally regrouped with everyone else. Jeremy had dislocated his shoulder so he was done kayaking. We rigged his kayak on the back of our boat and he rode with Hans.

Drama is over for the day, right? Wrong. We get to BZ Falls. Hans says he's lining. I've never lined BZ and had always just ghost boated. Seemed like it would be faster. So George and I go downstream where you can jump in off the cliff to catch your boat. Hans pushes it off. It has a shitty line and at the base of the falls it flips over. The stern of the boat, where the kayak is rigged, is at the base of the falls getting hammered. The boat is never going to come out. Hans leaves to get beer at the BZ General Store. 45 minutes later he comes back and the boat has just come out. I feel like an idiot.

We run down to Husum. I'm tired of getting my ass kicked so we run the river-right channel. Hans runs the center drop and styles it. At take-out we've got some good stories and beer. It's always good boating with George, Hans, and Dan and it was excellent meeting Tom, Kira, and Jeremy. If there is one thing that's certain in this life: You can never have too many river friends.

Read the full trip report with photos here.

Trip Report: MF and SF of the Smith March 6, 2010

2010-03-11T06:44:00.000-08:00

Read the full trip report with photos.

Erik and David met me at the Rogue River Journeys house in Selma around at 7:00 A.M. By 9:00 we were staring at the Smith River and getting ready to run shuttle for the Oregon Hole Gorge stretch. This stretch of water is pretty short, two miles at the most, but the river runs through a fun narrow canyon. At this flow it was pretty mellow and stayed uneventful. It was still fast with a few large holes but for the most part everything was easy to avoid. Erik and David were R2ing a 12' NRS Otter while I was rowing my 14' Avon.

After reaching the take-out we decided to give the Lower South Fork Gorge a shot. I'd been down this once before but at about half the flow. Turns out at the flow on this day was way more mellow. A lot of the steep drops were washed out. There were some big stomping holes but, like Oregon Hole, they were fairly easy to avoid. The only bummer about the South Fork is the take-out. It's straight up a hill and is pretty tiresome, especially with an oar boat. But the three of us muscled the boats up and after catching our breath decided to give it another go.

On our second run through I wanted to stop to take some photos. The very first significant rapid seemed like a good choice as I could get a nice angle looking down into the rapid. There was a huge hole on the left and a very large lateral wave in the center. It looked like there was a tight line in between the two. Erik and David ran through, missed the big hole on the right but ended up going into the lateral and dumptrucking. Figures that I had the camera out to catch the only carnage of the day.

Overall a splendid day on the water. The Smiths really do have a beautiful color to them and when the sun is out they are hard to beat!

Read the full trip report with photos.

Trip Report: Illinois River February 20-21, 2010

2010-03-03T22:35:00.000-08:00

For the full report with photos and video: Illinois River Trip Report

On Friday evening we drove in to Miami Bar. Zach (Northwest Rafting Company), Pete (Momentum River Expeditions) and Dan didn't get in until 2 AM. The rest of us were already asleep at the new camping area near Miami. We had Mr. Moody's entourage from Idaho: Makael and Mike. From Washington we had Morgan, John, and Mike B. Then there was Dana and me, Kelly from Portland, and John B from Eureka.

We awoke to what seemed like the perfect day on the Illinois. The sun broke free as we rigged our boats and then we were on the water. After an uneventful morning we stopped at Pine Flat right for lunch. Our original plan was to get down to the waterfall camp for the night, but upon reaching South Bend we were happy to call it home. An upstream wind had picked up and it had been a long day in the sun. It felt like it was around 5:00 but after checking a watch it was only 3:00. Dana started showing the guys from Washington how to drink Fireball Whiskey. That didn't last too long though...

The next morning we got on the water, ran Prelude, and then some of us caught the scout eddy immediately above Green Wall while the rest hiked down from the top of the entry rapid. The hole at the bottom looked meaty. Pete, John M, and I ran through first. At the bottom of Green Wall we got to watch John M. dance around in the hole at the bottom before the cat flipped up and over. Next up was Dan and he had a great line. John B came down after him and ended up center at the bottom. His boat looked like it was going to flip, spit him out, and then proceeded to surf for 20 minutes. Pete and I hung out in the eddy as most everyone else tried to get a row to the boat. Eventually it popped out on its own, we got it to shore, and Mike B and Morgan came down in their cats. They had great lines and then it was the lowly kayakers. Nate explored the depths of the hole but before we knew it we were headed on downstream.

Things were smooth going. We stopped for lunch at waterfall camp. I traded Dan my boat for his little cat. My first time in whitewater on a cat! John M and I had a great time surfing... it was fun being in such a light boat.

Got to take out around 3:00. Overall just an incredible trip. Thanks everyone for coming! Hope to boat with you all again soon.

For the full report with photos and video: Illinois River Trip Report

Series: Things that are pointless on river trips, #6

2010-02-16T21:40:00.000-08:00

Being a vegetarian on a river trip is pretty much pointless. Rafting has changed the way people eat in the outdoors and it should be for the better. With our large coolers we can carry just about anything, which really just means copious amounts of bacon. Let's face it: when we float pigs die.

Many a vegetarian has changed his or her mind partway through a river trip. "Ok, I don't normally eat a 16 oz steak but just this once..." Or, my favorite, "I guess I should try some bacon."

Vegetarian Recipe of the Day:

1) Take a lot of bacon and cook it up. Remove from pan but leave the heat on and the bacon grease in the pan.
2) Place block of tofu in sizzling bacon grease.
3) Yum, this is good tofu.

Trip Report: Illinois River, February 6-7, 2010

2010-02-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

Click here to read the full trip report with photos and flow graph.

Everyone arrived in Selma the night before the trip. John introduced some of us to Fireball Whiskey and we didn't hit the hay until about 1 AM. With a more-than slight headache we awoke the next morning and tried to load as quickly as possible. The game plan was to get below Green Wall, which is roughly 18 miles downstream of Miami Bar. Tyler arrived at 8 AM with his big truck and trailer and soon we were on the road headed to Miami Bar. Pushed off from Miami Bar a little after 10 AM.

Water level was great. The rapid section after Panther Creek was awesome with some big waves. Scenery was good as usual and weather was surprising warm and just barely drizzly. We ate lunch at Pine Flat. Pine Flat to South Bend really flies by... Read the full Illinois River Trip Report.

Series: Things that are pointless on river trips, #5

2009-11-11T21:46:00.000-08:00

Your Expensive College Text Book

Do not ever bring your $250 college text book on the river. This would be pointless. First of all, you're probably not ever going to open it. As much as you would like to believe that you are a great student... you're not. Sure, you legitimized going on the trip by bringing your text book, but that doesn't mean you're going to open it.

Instead, you will pull it out just before you go to sleep (because it's on top of your tooth brush), you'll set it in the tent next to you, and then you will fall asleep. Little do you know that at 1:30 in the morning there will be a torrential downpour and, because you drank too much beer (instead of studying), you're tent is not adequately prepared. You will wake at 4:00 AM to find yourself in a three inch puddle of water. Your text book will be floating next to you, completely ruined. You will not be able to sell it back to the school and you are now thoroughly disappointed in yourself as well as broke since you had to purchase a second copy.

OK - been there, done that, moving on now...

Series: Things that are pointless on river trips, #4

2009-11-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

Cast Iron Pans and Cast Iron Dutch Ovens

Do not bring cast iron on a river trip. Ever. This would be pointless. It weighs a ton and really doesn't make a difference when it comes to cooking, even with dutch ovens. Use kitchen stuff that is aluminum and light... or just anything that is lighter than cast iron. If you are worried about getting Alzheimer's because of aluminum then stop drinking beer out of aluminum cans. If you do bring cast iron then clean it yourself by whatever magical method you have of cleaning cast iron. And then carry it down to the boat yourself. HINT: cast iron dutch ovens are great to tie your boat off to... but keep them out of the kitchen!

Series: Things that are pointless on river trips, #3

2009-11-07T23:02:00.000-08:00

Trying to be "green"

Don't try to be "green" on a river trip. This is pointless. Often times boaters drive hundreds of miles in gas-guzzling trucks to float a fraction of the miles we've driven. We use equipment that is made of plastics (paco pads, boats, paddles, etc.), which is often shipped a great distance to reach us. On the river it's better to have too much than too little so a fair amount of food normally ends up thrown out. On popular over-night trips, the same camps are used night after night causing considerable impact. If you want to be "green", what's the best advice? Stay home.

Series: Things that are pointless on river trips, #2

2009-11-06T22:29:00.000-08:00

Flip Lines on Heavy Oar Boats

Do not put flip lines on your heavily-rigged oar boat. This is pointless. If you turn a heavy oar boat over and try to flip it upright midstream with your flip lines... good luck. Chances are you will have to get the boat to shore and have some more folks join you in the re-flip. In which case, you might as well spare yourself some cash, get your boat to shore, run a throw bag through the d-rings, and flip it back over. Even though your flip lines make your boat look cool and synchronized, they are worthless. Enough said.

Series: Things that are pointless on river trips, #1

2009-11-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

This is a new series titled "Things that are pointless on river trips"... obvious enough. I'll refer back to the series title whenever I make a post about things that are, well, pointless to bring on a river trip. We'll start our first one off with...

Shish Kabob Skewers

Do not ever bring shish kabob skewers on the river with you. This is pointless. Cut the stuff up, season or marinate the meat, and cook it in a pan over the stove.

If you find yourself using shish kabob skewers you are most likely doing two other things:

1) Wasting a ton of time to put things on a stick that you will later take off the same stick.
2) Touching / massaging raw meat, which is stupid.

If you ever find yourself on a river trip with someone who has brought shish kabob skewers simply grab them all and use them as kindling. You can't eat the sticks so you might as well use them for something positive... like creating a warm camp.

New trip report on OregonRafting.org

2009-10-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

After a summer working on Southern California's Kern River for Kern River Outfitters, I was very excited to go to Idaho in early September to work one commercial trip for Idaho River Journeys followed by a September 11th private trip. The group we had was a mix of California, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana guides. Scooter and I have both spent many summers on the Middle Fork, but this was my very first private trip.

We arrived at Boundary Creek the evening of the 10th and rigged our boats. No one else showed up - we had the eddy to ourselves. Incredible. Hiked up to Dagger Falls and then it was time for some sleep. The next morning we loaded up and pushed off. It was a beautiful day on the river. Water level was around 1.7 feet at the Middle Fork Lodge. We did some rock dodging and sliding but not too much pushing..... Read the full Middle Fork of the Salmon trip report.

It's a wet day in Idaho!

2009-08-30T17:43:00.001-07:00

It's been dumping rain here in Salmon, Idaho, for most of the day. A great lightning show and thick clouds rolled into town around 3 PM and was preceded by a drizzly morning. All this rain has the Middle Fork of the Salmon on a slight rise up to 2.05 feet at the Middle Fork Lodge (at 6:42 PM) from about 2.8 feet yesterday.

The Beaverhead Mountain range this morning, covered in clouds:

Middle Fork of the Salmon - big storm coming?

2009-08-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

There's a storm hitting Idaho right now that has potential to blow the charts away. Check out this image of the North West River Forecasting Center's Middle Fork of the Salmon River gauge:

The Middle Fork of the Salmon, as far from what I can find, has never hit five-feet on the Middle Fork Lodge gauge in August. We'll just have to wait to see what happens... The NWRFC has been known to be off, but nevertheless things could get exciting.

Forks of the Kern Rafting

2009-05-31T11:48:00.000-07:00

Kern River Outfitters of Wofford Heights, CA, did a Forks training trip a few weeks ago. Got some great footage and pictures, which are viewable on their Facebook Fan Page. Here's the video:

Upper Wind River Rafting: March 29, 2009

2009-04-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Upper Wind River is a fabulous southern Washington run. It's a great read/run stream with many Class IV+ish rapids. Continuous and steep, the Wind makes for a fun day! Zach Collier of River Hardware was on the water with us and was kind enough to snap a few photos:

Middle Fork High Water Contest

2009-01-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

Check this out! There's a chance to win river stuff... That will always lift your ears, right? Ok, so the Middle Fork of the Salmon, for those who don't know, is the major tributary to Idaho's Main Salmon (longest free-flowing river in the lower 48...

If you can guess what day/time the river will peak, plus guess the peak flow closer than anyone else... YOU WIN. Here's the link, go wild:

http://www.middleforksalmon.org/contest.html

Join the River Guides Network

2008-12-07T22:23:00.001-08:00

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Rogue River Awareness

2008-11-18T09:32:00.001-08:00

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Rogue River Campsite Reservation System

2008-11-11T22:09:00.000-08:00

PLEASE, it will take two minutes to fill out this survey! The Rogue River needs a campsite reservation system. Now is the time to let your voice be heard.

Click here to go to the survey.

Dude, where's my water?

2008-10-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

Man, we should have checked the flows:

Dropping into the White Salmon below Lower Zig-Zag involves a somewhat brutal carry for a raft.

Please Join American Whitewater

2008-10-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

Please join American Whitewater today. This amazing organization continues to be the political force and voice for hundreds of whitewater enthusiasts everywhere...

Join today and join boaters, kayakers, and whitewater enthusiasts from all over the United States.

The Three Greatest River Beers

2008-10-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

One of the challenges of multi-day rafting trips is finding a good beer to float with. With space sometimes an issue, glass bottles can take up too much room. Cans are the obvious choice when it comes to beverages, however, your options of beer shrink considerably when you go that route.

Through careful experimentation, I have narrowed down the three best beers to take on the river with you - and they are all in cans! No more bad beer! No more King! From here forward, it is your own darn fault if you bring bad beer with you on the river.

First Place: Caldera IPA, brewed by Caldera Brewing

The IPA is not the only excellent micro brew these guys make. They have a killer Amber and last year made a special addition "Smoker Stout" in appreciation of Smoker Oars made my Sawyer in Talent, OR. Caldera Brewing is based in Ashland, OR. Dock sales every Tuesday. A lot of the bars in Ashland carry their Amber as well.

A Caldera IPA scouts Green Wall rapid on the Illinois River in Oregon:

Second Place: Dale's Pale Ale, brewed by Oskar Blues

This excellent Pale Ale comes from Lyons, Colorado. Quotes from their website:

"Why cans? We thought the idea of our bold, hoppy pale ale squeezed into a little can was hilarious."

"At Oskar Blues, we dig bodacious beer."

Third Place: Pabst Blue Ribbon

Duh. Who could argue with that? There's a reason it's called the Blue Ribbon... Oh, it says on the can: "Selected as America's best in 1893." And, besides, at least you'll be able to find this one.

Honorary Mention: Red Dog, brewed by Miller Brewing Company

At least you don't see it every day. In fact, its rarity creates an artificial "freshness" that fends off the bad taste. This one gets props because of three things: 1) It is in a can, 2) Cases are normally on sale (if they're not, start off a conversation with the cashier by going "Hey man, it's Red Dog for christ's sake..." and, 3) Dogs are cool and man's best friend, right?

That is way too much Red Dog. The inside of Dan Thurber's (Team Kettle Chips Member) car.
This was his packing for a 25-day Grand Canyon Trip. Notice the lack of... um, food?

Wake me up when September ends...

2008-09-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

For many, September marks the end of a great summer of boating. For others, the eyes turn to fish and snow. For a few folks who can't get enough rafting, the coastal river gauges start seeing a bunch more hits and traffic. Rain - and lots of it - is the catalyst for some of the best rafting in the West.

Rivers that are too low elevation-wise for snow or just have too small of a drainage for snow-runoff have a special aura to them. Predictability is pretty much non-existent for many rivers and creeks. The obvious is nearly always true: When it rains rivers will rise and when it is dry these same rivers will fall. The window of opportunity is wide for some and narrow for many more. The sense of calculation adds to the adventure and the feeling of success when all that you have planned comes true.

There are a lot of great websites that can help you find these special rivers and creeks.

Punching through on a big water trip (11,000 CFS at the mouth) at
Oregon Hole Rapid on the Smith's Oregon Hole Gorge (courtesy of OregonRafting.org):

PNWwhitewater.org is a website designed specifically for boaters in the Pacific Northwest. It features a forum page, photo gallery, and member profiles. Lots of great information can be obtained from this site via the forum (member input) and the river gauges displayed on the home page.

Yahoo has a section designed for groups of people with the same interest. The best Yahoo group for boating that I've found is RiverTraders. Lots of stuff comes up for sale and it's an easy place to find a buyer for your river jang as well. Other whitewater groups include PNW, Idaho Whitewater, and PDX Kayaker. These three groups are region-specific to help stay on topic, but rarely do. If you don't like getting a lot of mail, just sign up for the "daily digest."

Another excellent use of Yahoo Groups is organizing your own private trips. If you have people all over the place and need a central location to post messages / files, Yahoo Groups is a good way of doing it. Just start a new group, set it to "private," and then invite the trip participants. When the trip is over you can delete the group or use it for corresponding with each other.

When it comes to specific rivers, the best websites for each one are the following:
* Smith River (CA) - Kevsmom.com and OregonRafting.org
* Tuolumne and Cherry Creek (CA) - CaliRiver.com and C-W-R.com
* Rogue (OR) - OregonRafting.org
* Illinois (OR) - OregonRafting.org
* Wind (WA) - PNWwhitewater.org and CaliRiver.com
* Washougal (WA) - molallakayaker.blogspot.com
* Clackamas (OR) - molallakayaker.blogspot.com
* Scott (CA) - OregonRafting.org
* Box Canyon of the Sacramento - OregonRafting.org

The best site for flows in the Pacific Northwest is Pat Welch's.
Oh, DreamFlows.com kicks butt as well!

Happy Boating!

Here we go again?

2008-07-23T05:21:00.000-07:00

Middle Fork of the Salmon at the MF Lodge during the "Log Jam of 2006":
Middle Fork of the Salmon at the MF Lodge on July 22nd, 2008:

Clavey River Equipment: New Website

2008-07-11T23:50:00.000-07:00

Clavey River Equipment has a new look online. Their new website, which is up and running as a tester at www.clavey.us has the same great stuff as the old one, but has easier navigation and spectacular photos. Check out this photo of RiverGuides.ning.com user Jeff Kellogg (also owner of Clavey) at Prelude rapid on the Illinois river in Southern Oregon.

For those who want the best gear on the market but are short on cash, Clavey has a special section just for sale items. Aside from the sale page, perhaps the greatest new feature is the ability to create a personal Clavey account online. Just fill out one page of information and you are one click away from the Clavey newsletters, your purchase history, and lots more.

Camp Closures on the Middle Fork of the Salmon

2008-06-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

Article from the Idaho Mountain Express
"Fires Close Camps on the Middle Fork"

by Jody Zarkos

Fires that burned into the Middle Fork of the Salmon River corridor last year impacted several river camps, according to Kent Fuellenbach, public information officer with the Salmon-Challis National Forest.

Fuellenbach said fires damaged a total of 16 camps on the Middle Fork in 2007, leaving behind burned trees, holes, loosened rocks and soil that could pose a significant danger to campers, especially if the weather turns nasty.

"If we have a high intensity weather event, it could cause some problems in those areas," Fuellenbach said. "Forest Service crews will we going through the camps to mitigate the problems."

In an effort to keep the public safe within the limits of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, five camps not considered "reasonably safe" will not be assigned to floaters on the Middle Fork. The closures could make for a long first day on the river, as the majority of the impacted camps are located in the first 25 miles of launch sites at Boundary Creek and the Indian Creek Guard Station, according to Fuellenbach.

Four of the larger camps that will be closed are Lake Creek (mile 14.9), Johns Camp (mile 15.2), Greyhound (mile 15.9), Dome Hole (mile 15.9). Horsetail Camp at mile 52.7 is also closed for the 2008 season.

"People might have to go a long first day, or a short first and long second," Fuellenbach said. "We’re going to have to do some juggling this summer. Two small parties might have to share a big camp."

The Monument Fire burned the first four camps. In assessing the number of hazards that may have to be mitigated, Salmon-Challis National Forest Supervisor Bill Wood has decided to let those four camps in the upper section be shaped by natural forces and reassessed for next season.

Weyerhaeuser Access: Molalla Area

2008-05-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Ryan jumpdawg2@yahoo.com

Wed May 21, 2008 8:31 am (PDT)

I just got off the phone with QSI, the organization that is running the permit system for Weyerhaeuser. Some of you may not be familiar with the North Fork Molalla, but it's a great class IV creek. I have boated it several times this year and have been trying to secure access ever since.

Photo by Dan Thurber, North Fork of the Molalla:

As it stands right now, ALL access, including walk-in must have a permit ($270) and check in with the gate attendant prior to entering Weyerhaeuser property. This is in effect year round. (Not just May 24 to Nov. 30.) However, I have put in my comments to open access for the boating community outside the current drive-in access window. They will review this request along with at least one other off season request from a hunting group at a later date. Access will most likely not change until next season (If we're lucky, we might be able to get on the North Fork Molalla by next spring.) I'll post more information as I get it. Hopefully we can once again enjoy this river.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments.

Ryan Morgan

River People Heaven

2008-05-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

In River People Heaven you hang out next to rivers, drink Sierra Nevada, and have your burritos delivered courtesy of Freebirds Delivery. Here are some recent shots from River People Heaven:

Danielle, chillin' in River People Heaven and waiting for her burrito:

Ryan, doing the same:

Introducing LiquidMilitiaProductions.com

2008-05-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

To all those who live great adventures,

The time has come to introduce the world to a new style of women in adventure. Welcome to Liquid Militia Productions. Our mission: To continuously produce adventures that inspire others to get out and do.

Liquid Militia Productions began with a group of women who love sports, water, and great experiences. Inspired by water as an ever changing medium, we developed a passion for turning each activity into an adventure worth documenting and displaying. Enjoy it, follow it, and share it!

Regards,

www.LiquidMilitiaProductions.com

Jen Karcsinski, Holley Gardel, Sarah Dentoni, La Baker, Susan Mol, Andi Moore, Jaime Goode, Keitha Kostyk

We are the Lucky Ones!

2008-04-10T11:21:00.001-07:00

Season Kickoff Party

2008-04-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

FREE entry.

SEASON KICKOFF PARTY

The 2007 West Coast Champion, Oregon Rafting Team paddles again. Join us to kick the season off right with a party, raffle & LVM whitewater video premiere. Proceeds help with travel and race costs as we compete across the region preparing for the National Championships in June.

7:30 PM WEDNESDAY

APRIL 16^th 2008

Fire On The Mountain Buffalo Wings

NEW LOCATION @ 1708 E. BURNSIDE

Raffle Items Include:

River Trips

Whitewater Gear

Local Gift Certificates

and more…

Featuring a Whitewater Video Premiere of:

#25

Things Just Aint the Same for Gangsters

Showtime – 9pm

Canyon Creek and Wind Race footy before 9.

Product Review: Clavey Mesh Mini Skirt

2008-03-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

The Clavey Mesh Mini Skirt is the best piece of rafting gear that I have purchased in the last year. You know all the loose odds and ends that are around after you have rigged your raft? Loose cam straps, the empty put-in beer can, and extra jang that normally doesn't have a place... now does. Introducing the Clavey Mesh Mini Skirt! I run it in front of the cooler I sit on while rowing but it could be secured on any part of the frame.

Here's the text from the Clavey website about their Mesh Mini Skirt:

"Empty cans, sunscreen bottles, throwbags and Barbie dolls. Cam straps, water bottles, Pelican boxes and biners. With the Clavey Mini-Skirt hanging off the front of your Cooler (or any other crossbar on your frame), now you’ve got a place for everything that didn’t already have a place. The dual heavy duty YKK zippers make access both easy and secure while the plastic coated polyester mesh will stand up to years of abuse."

For more information about this product, visit the Clavey site by clicking here.

Wilderness First Responder Course

2008-03-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

May 10-18, 2008
Fort Jones, California
$550 (Lodging and Food available)

*Nationally recognized curriculum
*Convenient recertification process
*Accepted by Outward Bound, NOLS, American Camping Association, Boy Scouts of American and all state and federal guide licensing applications.

Application forms are available at www.wildmedcenter.com! For more information, contact Chris Ball at (530) 468-2305 or at drball@sisqtel.net.

MF Salmon Flow Contest

2008-03-16T23:43:00.001-07:00

The Middle Fork of the Salmon High Water contest is back... Check out the new site for the oh-so-popular high water flow contest. Pick the time, day, and high flow for the Middle Fork in 2008 at www.MiddleForkContest.com.

Wind River Race

2008-03-07T07:10:00.000-08:00

Upper Wind Downriver race, March 22nd-23rd.

March 22nd, Saturday 1st practice run @10am, 2nd practice run @1:30pm.

March 23rd, Sunday – Races start at 11am. Class (IV+ - V). ~3 miles, mass start by class at Stabler Bridge to approximately 2 miles below Climax. Take out will be river right above High Bridge. Classes include; kayak (all lengths), cataraft, and paddle raft (6 paddlers or less, boats 14 feet or less in length, 3 thwarts), and unlimited.

• To reach the put in, drive north past Carson about 8 miles. There will be a storeand a road on your left (This is Stabler). Take a left, cross over the bridge, after about 100 meters take a right, stay right, and follow that road down until it dead ends at the river. Unload quickly, park your vehicle off to the side of this short access road or park back up on the main road. This is a residential area, please be courteous and minimize traffic.
• To reach the take-out, drive north past Carson, take last left before crossing High Bridge, take first right, next right, follow all the way to river (turns into dirt road).
• Carson has gas, a small store, café, camping in the area, and cabins. Stevenson, Washington is about 6 miles away and has hotels, a supermarket, and many restaurants.
• High water cutoff is 9 feet, low water cutoff is 5.3 feet.

Schedule of activities:
1. Saturday 1st practice run, shove off time 10am. 2nd practice run shove off time 1:30pm (Timed sprint for cataraft seeding from the put in).
2. ~ 4pm Saturday; “debrief”, snacks and refreshments near the cabin at the put in area.
3. 8-9am Sunday; race registration at the cabin near the put in. $15 per competitor which includes ACA insurance and a bowl of chili after the race. Starting positions determined by who signs up first (except cat boaters).
4. 10am racers meeting at the put in area.
5. 10:15am, safety boaters and camera crews launch. Race coordinators begin boat and gear inspection.
6. 10:30am, begin staging racers. Kayaks first in line, paddle rafts next, followed by the cats and the unlimited crafts.
7. 11am SHARP. Mass start kayak race.
8. 11:05, paddle rafts.
9. 11:10, catarfats.
10. 11:15, unlimited.
11. 12:30pm, all racers gather in eddies and on shore at the finish for final head count. Proceed downstream once the paddlers at the finish match the number of
starters.
12. 2:30pm : Begin Chili Feed and Awards Ceremony at the cabin near the put in.
13. 4:30pm : Start headin home.

• Cataraft sprint time trials for race day starting positions will occur at 1:30pm Saturday from the put in. IF all cat racers agree, a mass start format will be implemented on race day vs. heats established by the seeding process.
• If the level is below 5.3 feet, an R2 format will be adopted for the paddle raft class.

The 1st Annual Upper Wind River Race is part of the Western Whitewater Championship Series (WWCS) which is coordinated by the Oregon Rafting Team (ORT). All participants are required to be safe, have fun, paddle hard, and support river communities in any way possible.

Questions contact USRA President Tim Brink at : nomadyellow@yahoo.com

Danielle Morgan enjoys a day on the Upper Wind in early February:

Conoeing at the Dentist's

2008-03-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

Early this morning, I wrote the article that follows below. I thought that you might enjoy reading it. Before reading it, however, perhaps some background information to put it in context would be useful to you. I have been a member of the Lower Columbia Canoe Club for the last twenty years. The article was written for the club. I paddled a canoe on whitewater with the club until last May when I switched to an IK, as my legs and knees would no longer tolerate the compression of kneeling in a canoe.

I am new to rafting. Last September, I joined OWA and bought my first raft. I have found rafting to be great fun. I now have a play cat on order.

Canoeing at the Dentist

by Gordon Taylor

Have you ever paddled your canoe while having a tooth drilled at the dentist? Even with Novocain, I hate having a tooth drilled, so I need some way of refocusing my mind from the drill grinding into my tooth. Only by imagining paddling my canoe have I been able at the dentist to refocus my mind. Nothing else has ever worked.

At the dentist, I always paddle on the Middle Fork of the Salmon in the cool early-morning sunshine. The other boats in my group are ahead of me or behind me, but they are always out of sight, so it is as if I am alone on the river. In my mind’s eye, I can feel the body mechanics of my forward stroke. I am in no hurry. I want to move my canoe only a bit faster than the current so as to be able to guide it. I want to move slowly to allow enjoying all that I am traveling through. I want to move quietly, so that I do not startle wildlife. In my mind’s eye, I can feel my torso rotating forward to plant the blade for the next stroke. I can feel the blade plant and then catch. I can feel my torso unwinding and my paddle coaxing my canoe gently forward. I lean my canoe gently left, and I can feel the hull carve left. I lean my canoe gently right, and I can feel the hull carve right. I can feel my canoe carving gently back and forth. There is no need to carve; I carve just for fun; I carve just to feel the canoe carve. And with each stroke, I also can feel the canoe glide. I take a stroke, and then I pause momentarily while I enjoy feeling my canoe glide forward. For me, the magic of canoeing has always been the feel of the unique body mechanics of canoe paddling, the feel of my canoe carving, and the feel of my canoe gliding. For me, the combination of whitewater rivers and canoeing has always been absolute magic!

I am writing this in the middle of the night. I woke up awhile ago wondering if I could still paddle my canoe at the dentist, as I have not been in a canoe for nearly a year. What I always felt paddling my canoe has been drifting away, and I need strong thoughts to distract me from the dentist’s drill. I now doubt that I can paddle my canoe at the dentist, as now I have in my mind’s eye the body mechanics of paddling my inflatable kayak (“IK”). I doubt that paddling my IK at the dentist will transport me to the Middle Fork, as the body mechanics of paddling an IK while enjoyable are not magical, and an IK will neither carve nor glide. I guess that I no longer will be able to go to the dentist.

A River Guide Social Network?

2008-03-05T14:34:00.000-08:00

Now, this sounds strange. River Guides now have a place to call home... Introducing RiverGuides.ning.com, the first social networking site designed specifically to connect outfitters, guides, and private boaters.

Here's what the site says: "River guides are a unique group of people. Spending time on the river is, of course, about the river, but also about the people you meet and become friends with. So, meet them here and grow your river network."

So, for all you river rats out there, sign up at RiverGuides.ning.com!

February 22, 2008 Illinois Trip

2008-02-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

Wind River Rafting in Washington

2008-02-11T00:47:00.000-08:00

Dan Thurber and Ryan Morgan cruising down the Wind:

From L to R, Ryan Morgan, Danielle Morgan, Dan Thurber, and Will Volpert... At the take-out after a great run:

Get a job with Idaho River Journeys

2008-02-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

Give them a call: 1-888-997-8399

These guys run a great outfit in Idaho and have a rare opening in their crew. If you have experience guiding trips and want to work on a great river now is your chance!

Need a summer job?

2008-02-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

Kern River Outfitters guide school (click the image to enlarge):

Sawyer Oars Press Release!

2008-02-06T14:16:00.001-08:00

For Immediate release:
Sawyer Paddles and Oars™ kick off their 40th Anniversary with Microbrew!!

Sawyer Paddles and Oars™ in conjunction with Caldera® Brewing Company of Ashland, Oregon celebrates Sawyer’s 40th anniversary with a special edition brew: the SMOKERS STOUT! Named after the largest, toughest oar in the Smokers™ brand line, this limited release 20 keg batch is a salute to all of our faithful Sawyer™ and Smokers™ oar customers out there rowing the rivers of the world. Smokers Stout kegs will be distributed to pubs & eating establishments throughout the Rogue Valley, ready for enjoyment after the first week of January 2008.

One of the things that many paddlers and rowers have in common is the enjoyment of good beer. Although the Smokers Stout will only be available for a limited time in the Rogue Valley, anyone can enjoy some of Caldera’s other fine microbrews…in a can! Tired of bringing the same old swill beer on your river trips? Caldera® offers a refreshing change. Caldera® offers their Pale Ale and IPA in cans, and will soon be releasing their Ashland Amber in cans also. You can even order their beer on the web at: http://www.calderabrewing.com/ . Caldera cans are great to take along on your next river trip. They’re lightweight, they won’t break or shatter like glass bottles, and they crush down and pack out easily.

What’s the connection between Sawyer™ and Caldera® you ask? Since Caldera started brewing in 1997, Sawyer Paddles and Oars has supplied Caldera with the Ash hardwood scraps that become the tap handles for Caldera brews throughout Oregon. The same Northern White Ash is used to make our Smokers brand oars. Smokers oars are found on rivers around the world, from the Futaleufu in Chile to Cherry Creek in California, and fishing waters all over the country.

At Sawyer we realize that one of the biggest influences to our oar sales is through word-of-mouth and from the experiences of the men and women rowing with Smoker and Sawyer oars. So to those rowers: We thank you, we appreciate you, and we raise a glass to you! …Salute!

2-Day Illinois Trip

2007-11-19T20:00:00.001-08:00

Check out this video from a 2-day Illinois trip November 17/18, 2007. Big flows during the trip (3000-4750) and great footage. Enjoy!

Cramer Creek Rapid... when it was big!

2007-09-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Houstan..... we have a problem:

an interesting approach:

A bad day...

2007-09-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

Well... I just don't know what to say...
(Main Salmon below Shoup and Pine Creek Rapid)

September 2, 2007 Middle Fork Trip

2007-09-13T10:47:00.003-07:00

We ran a Middle Fork trip September 2, 2007 to September 6. This was two days after the river reopened from Indian Creek down to the confluence. For some time prior, the MF had been open from the Flying B to the confluence but entirely closed the week before our trip was to launch.

Waiting for planes at Thomas Creek:

I had heard many rumors about what the fires had done to various camps throughout the river corridor so I was excited to take as many photos as possible. I think you will all be pleasantly surprised to hear that most of the fire activity that we could see from the river was mainly under brush, grass, low-intensity burn. There were some spots where trees had crowned but these spots were few and far between.

Fire up Little Soldier:

Immediately below Little Loon and Cameron Creek a low intensity burn follows the river right bank almost entirely down to Loon Creek. I believe that most of this burn was called the “Red Bluff Fire,” although I’m not positive. The cabin at Cougar Creek was fine. The fire was more intense at the actual “red bluff”, Culver Creek, and the section between White Creek and Shelf. Shelf itself did not appear burned and the large ponderosa on the upper end was unscathed (it was rumored to have come down). White Creek camp did see quite a bit of fire. The log pile that had previously existed 200 yards above the camp was pretty much “toast” and bushes at the downstream end were scorched. The trees in camp appeared fine but up the hill and upstream there were a lot of trees burned. Cow and Loon were fine. Whitey and Rock Island looked good but the emergency camp (sometimes referred to as “pebble beach”) on river left below Rock Island was absolutely toasted.

Looking up at Red Bluff:

Tree down below Rock Island:

Tree down across from White Creek camp:

White Creek Log Pile/Jam thing used to be here... no more:

Lower end of White Creek:

Tree down... somewhere:

Chimneys:

A log somewhere:

Lower Grouse:

Below Tappan Island, right bank:

Below Hospital Bar on river left we saw quite a bit of fire activity. Lots of trees down, some in the river. At Cub Creek a low water run is typically on river left but won’t be possible until higher water flushes some trees out that fell into that channel. Lower Grouse is burned but it looks like just the bushes are toast and not any of the trees. At Tappan 2 there was a log stretching across the exit channel on river right below “fish and game” rock. We had to remove this log to get our sweep and other boats through. The log was moved from the channel and we tried to perch it on the left bank to keep it out of Tappan 3 but higher water will certainly push it downstream as well as a countless number of other trees. Camas was just barely burned and the large tree was fine. From Camas down we saw very little smoke (barring the very last mile on the MF and the MS corridor).

Tree at Tappan 2:

The fishing was spectacular, the fires did not seem as bad as initially reported, and we had the river all to ourselves. It was a spectacular trip and just a great experience to float through the new fire areas and see what has changed.

Elk Bar:

-Will

River Funnies...

2007-08-31T16:54:00.000-07:00

(click to enlarge)

The river hammock...

2007-08-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

Our swamper for the last two years has been Skip, my youngest brother. He is 16 years old, can run a boat better than most guides twice his age, knows the Middle Fork like the back of his hand, yet has to wait until his 18th birthday before he can receive his guiding license. Having someone like Skip as a swamper is ideal, particularly if you’re the sweep boat driver, because you can hand the boat to him, take a nap, and have him wake you up as the boat rounds the bend before camp. Often times, if I’m running the sweep, Skip and I will switch on and off, taking turns running Muda (nickname for our sweep) and eating leftover food.

Below: Our sweep boat, aka "Muda"

A few weeks ago Skip brought a hammock to test out on the river. His hammock wasn’t one of those “rope” hammocks but was pretty much a sarong with a rope on the outside to keep its shape. It worked great at camp, swung between two trees like a hammock is supposed to, but Skip wanted to be a little more adventurous. He rigged it onto the outside of the sweep skirt (the green “shield” thing). This worked fairly well as he could rest directly above the water and have a thrilling ride. As the group rolled into camp that afternoon I noticed that Skip’s hammock was still attached to the sweep. It really did look like a great ride and I thought that perhaps I would take the sweep with him the next day and test it out.

Below: Professional swamper, Skip

The next morning Skip asked me if I’d take the sweep without him so that he could practice paddle guiding with another guide. That was fine with me, so I pushed off and went on my way to Otter Bar. Now, when you are by yourself on the sweep boat some things get more difficult. Landing can become more difficult, getting unstuck gets more difficult, but the number one thing is pissing. Pissing gets more difficult.

The sweep is not a boat that can simply meander through the rapids spinning in circles. Spinning the thing can be a pain in the ass so you avoid that as much as possible. Furthermore, letting go of the sweep arms can be a disaster because the current will grab them and throw the handles out of reach. If that happens then you really look like an idiot because the boat is most likely spinning and you are doing nothing besides thinking “oh shit” while standing in the middle of the boat. Now, we do have straps that you can attach the arms to so that they don’t run away, however I had done a convenient job of burying those straps under a half dozen gear bags.

So, halfway to Otter I realize that I’ve gotta piss. I let go of the arms briefly but quickly realize that doing so is not an option. I try holding on to them while getting as close to the side as possible but I’m not nearly close enough and, besides, it’s a non self-bailer. Finally I take the handles and stick them behind me, tucked in underneath my lifejacket. I’m a little nervous about this because if the current grabs a sweep it will pluck me up in the air and maybe throw me overboard but I’ve got to piss and it’s worth the risk. Even in this position, however, I can’t quite see where the stream is headed. All I know is that it’s going over the skirt and that’s good enough for me.

About halfway through I realize something peculiar. Normally when liquid collides with liquid, especially liquid falling from up on the sweep boat, it will make a noise. You know, either a dripping noise or rushing noise or, well, a pissing noise. My stream was not making any of those noises. At this point I dropped both sweeps and leaned way over the skirt. Hanging from the skirt, full of a lake of piss, was Skip’s hammock.

I got to camp a little later that afternoon due to wind and quickly set everything up. I never had a chance to really clean the hammock but it did get fairly drenched through Cliffside rapid. I told Skip about it and he didn’t seem to think that it was very funny but I sure did and most of the people on the trip did. We’re having a yard sale this Saturday, September 1. We’re selling a few rafts and kayaks and oars and, you know, stuff like that. We also have a nice hammock, only $15. Send me an email if you’re interested.

written by wcv

So much for "Indian Toilet Paper"...

2007-08-29T11:42:00.001-07:00

Writers note: This story is best enjoyed while listening to "Jump" by Van Halen.

No shit, there I was, on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, morning three. I knew it was cold because a small steam cloud was hovering above the lid, from my just dropped, ca-ca dump. It was huge. Halfway through I closed my eyes, made a sound like a small elephant and felt myself drop something like an Olympic weight. Comparable to giving birth to Mike Tyson and Don Vito. When I finished I exploded from the seat because I wasn't used to such a change of mass.

I looked to my left and then my right-horrors-no toilet paper! All that was left, was a tiny half square clinging to the card board tubing. Dammit. A big dump from my ass demanded attention afterwards and I couldn't accomplish that with a half square. Desperately, I looked around. I could only see trees, pine needles and aha! Good ass wiping leaves. They were green, healthy and about to get assified. I ripped a few from the ground, proceeded and finished. A job well done in a state of emergency, I must add.

Three hours later I felt it. An intense burning, itching mess. A small war declared by left butt cheek and right butt cheek, Hell had arrived. Whimpering like a lame dog, stiff legged I walked behind the cover of some trees and checked. Sweet mother fuck, look at that redness. I had wiped with poison ivy...The ultimate rookie guide, private boater, what-the-hell-were-you-thinking move. As I pulled up my shorts, while biting my lip to stop the tears, I noticed two deer drinking water from the river. A glorious sight, something that couldn't be duplicated, replicated or photographicated anywhere else. God damn I love the Middle Fork.

written by mcv

What this is about...

2007-08-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

River stories. From around the campfire. From the drive to the put-in. From the groover. From, well, anywhere. There is no story that can grow more quickly than a river story... except for a fish story?