“I have been on other rafting trips – these guides were much better than past trips. They enhanced the trip and were very friendly not just employees. What an asset” “I picked spending time with family as my favorite part of the trip, but the REASON it was so much fun was because of the guides. What can I say? Mere words are not adequate to describe how completely fantastic they were, and they made the trip. They were highly professional and safety conscious, and Jenny… Read More
One of our guides Trecia (a.k.a. “Trixie” or “Treesh”) wrote this song about Northwest Rafting Company on our last Rogue River trip. Enjoy! Don’t know why it requires degradation for the public to give the river a little appreciation. You don’t have to know about conservation because we’re here to change your life and take you on vacation Yeah a gear boat is much more than critical mass but we are industry leaders and totally bad ass Our really good looks may be deceivin’ but you… Read More
Last week, our guides had a break in their scheduled Rogue River trips, and we decided to grab some friends and explore the Smith River in Northern California. The Smith is the only undammed river system in California and is famous for its rocky geology and unbelievably clear water. We ran the famous Oregon Hole Gorge first. This narrow canyon can be seen easily from Highway 199, so many a boater has stopped to take a look at its awesome rapids. We put-in just above the… Read More
Washington’s Upper Wind River is a classic Class IV+ to V (flow dependent) river in the Columbia Gorge. It’s popular with rafters and kayakers for its nearly continuous whitewater, easy shuttle, and beautiful canyon. This is a good place to test your abilities and get some practice if you’re looking to get into Class V boating. Difficulty: Class IV+ to V Length: 6 Miles Gradient: 87 fpm Put-In: Stabler Take-Out: High Bridge Flow: 4.5 to 6.5 feet on the Wind River at Stabler gauge. Class V… Read More
Difficulty: Class III (one IV) Length: 35 miles Flows: 1,000 to 10,000 cfs at Agness Put-in: Grave Creek Take-out: Foster Bar Gradient: 15 ft/mi The Rogue River is one of the great river trips of North America. The U.S. Congress included the Rogue as one of the original eight “charter” rivers to receive protection under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968. A trip down the Rogue River is memorable for its fun Class II and III rapids, lush green scenery, warm water, and abundant… Read More
Deciding between the two most common oar retention systems, oar locks and pins and clips, is a common debate among boaters. It’s much like the “ale vs lager” debate for beer drinkers. Some people only drink one type of beer, say derogatory things about the alternative and couldn’t fathom switching sides; enlightened people realize that there are times and places for both. Most rowers feel strongly about one method of attaching their oars to their frames, but have little or no experience with the alternative methods.… Read More
The West Fork of the Hood River is the best Class IV run in the Columbia Gorge. It has consistently fun rapids, two beautiful basalt gorges, and is fun at a wide variety of flows. Most people take-out just above Punchbowl Falls, which is a great lower leg work out for kayakers and a rope challenge for rafters. Difficulty: Class IV Length: 5.5 miles Gradient: 82 fpm Put-In: Lake Branch Take-Out: Punchbowl Falls Flow: 4.5 to 7 feet Hood River at Tucker Bridge. Class V at… Read More
The Lake Branch is a major tributary of Oregon’s West Fork of the Hood River and one that I’ve wanted to paddle for a long while. It’s known for its steep, challenging rapids that tumble through a beautiful canyon. Difficulty: Class IV-V Length: 2.2 miles Gradient: 113 fpm Put-In: Diver’s Creek Take-Out: West Fork Confluence Flow: Around 6 feet on the Hood River at Tucker Bridge The Lake Branch starts with a couple miles of Class III rapids that are a perfect warm-up. As the canyon… Read More
On October 26, 2011 the Condit Dam on the White Salmon River was removed after years of negotiations between environmental groups, FERC, and state and local governments. It was built in 1913 to supply power to paper companies in Washington and was decommissioned to comply with modern environmental laws and increased maintenance costs. This is great news for rafters and kayakers and even better news for the Columbia’s salmon and steelhead. Removal of the Condit Dam restored approximately 33 miles for steelhead and 14 miles for… Read More
BOOM, went the dynamite at 12:10 PM on the White Salmon River. The water hurtled forth in a frothy, gray gusher as the crowds cheered this historic explosion. It was an amazing site to see this sad, dry riverbed come alive almost instantly with churning whitewater. Northwestern Lake (the dam’s reservoir) already looks like a river again, 30 minutes later. Over 10 years of effort by American Rivers and the Yakama Indian Nation have culminated in the blast that will drain the reservoir. Boaters and river… Read More