I always restock my first aid kit on the first day of each season. Since Spring is just two weeks away I recently pulled out my personal first aid list. On our multi-day expeditions and international trips we carry large first aid kits full all kinds of goodies. Something that big isn’t realistic for every day use, so here’s the first aid kit I leave in my truck and bring on day trips where we’re not too far from a road. Great organization starts with a… Read More
River runners (river guides, kayakers, rafters, catarafters, SUP-ers, riverboarders, etc.) always seem to have their next gear purchase and river trip in mind. With this in mind, here’s a list of suggested gifts for your friends and family who enjoy whitewater rafting and kayaking. 1. Swiftwater Rescue Training Safety first! Everyone can use more safety training and this is a great way to gift a useful experience. Sierra Rescue or the Swiftwater Safety Institute both offer quality training. Additionally, we are offering an advanced swiftwater rescue… Read More
Before we head to Bhutan, we made a pit stop in the Balkans to scout out a new trip offering for 2014! We began in Sarajevo and visited the Tara River in Montenegro before heading to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina (the full name of the country we Americans refer to simply as “Bosnia”). The Stari Most (Old Bridge) located in Mostar is a Unesco World Heritage Site and perhaps the most iconic place in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was originally built over 400 years ago… Read More
As an Oregon river rafting outfitter, I would like to thank Senator Wyden for his ongoing support of public lands. In Oregon, direct consumer spending on outdoor recreation contributes $12.8 billion per year to our state’s economy and supports 141,200 jobs. Nationally, outdoor recreation contributes $646 billion to the U.S. economy. It’s important to us to safeguard Oregon’s outdoor playgrounds as our public lands and parks form the bedrock of our industry. They not only inspire us as well as visitors to Oregon, but they also… Read More
Here are a few good travel trips and reminders for our Rivers & Dzongs of Bhutan trip. 1. The Paro airport will immediately make you smile. Upon arrival you’ll quickly notice the crisp, clean mountain air and an airport that looks more like a temple. You’ll also notice happy people who are excited you’ve come to enjoy their country. 2. It’s easy to exchange money at the airport. I discourage exchanging all of it, but before leaving the airport, I usually change $100 into Ngultrum, Bhutan’s… Read More
Our Rogue River rafting season is over and we’d like to thank everyone who joined us and made this summer exceptional. Here are the guest comments from this season: “The way that you dealt with experience levels was awesome, making everyone feel safe and also challenged if you believed they could do it. We had so much fun in camp hanging out with the guides and talking, looking at the stars and especially eating flaming deserts. We want to go again next year!” “Heads and shoulders… Read More
We are proud to announce that for the second year in a row Northwest Rafting Company was voted Best of the Gorge. Each year visitors and residents of the Columbia Gorge vote on the best businesses which are published in the Gorge Guide “For over 30 years we’ve been showcasing the Gorge for visitors and our 4th annual Best of the Gorge contest was extremely insightful with a combination of new winners and past favorites taking the top prizes. We asked visitors to tell us about… Read More
We are proud to be home from the first commercial trip down the Chetco River in over a decade. Before the Biscuit Fire in 2002 Allen Wilson ran trips down the Chetco, and this spring NWRC was issued a permit to follow in his footsteps. Our trip started at the Babyfoot Lake Traihead on the eastern edge of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. We were all thankful that the Siskiyou Mountain Club had spent the past few years clearing this section of downed trees that had fallen after… Read More
“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.” – Edward Abbey The Wild & Scenic Chetco River flows through the heart of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. It’s one of the most rugged and yet fragile wild areas I’ve ever experienced. Its fragility lies in the fact that it’s in a state of natural recovery from the 2002 Biscuit Fire and that its refugia for rare plants, wild salmon and steelhead and some… Read More
I’m honored to announce that this summer’s trip to Russia’s Chuya and Bashkaus Rivers was chosen by National Geographic Traveler as one of it’s 50 Tours of a Lifetime. This award is given to the year’s “most authentic, most innovative, most immersive, best-guided, and most sustainable tours.” Our expeditions to Russia are led by my good friend Vladimir Gavrilov. We met on the Cal Salmon River in 1998 and have been guiding together ever since. In the 70’s and 80’s he led expeditions all over the… Read More