It won’t take longer than a five minute stroll through any monastery, street, or bridge in Bhutan to find artistic representations of the 8 auspicious symbols of Buddhism. But these symbols aren’t present just for aesthetics. They represent the offerings received by Buddha from the gods after his enlightenment. By searching for deeper meaning in these symbols, we can become better people, and perhaps just as importantly, better whitewater enthusiasts. The Endless or Eternal Knot represents interaction, or cause and effect. Much like the eternal knot,… Read More
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Bhutanese culture centers around Buddhism and there are many significant cultural figures you will see depicted throughout the country. The three most important figures in Bhutan are the Buddha, Guru Rinpoche (pronounced “Goo-roo Rin-po-ch-ay”), and Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (or just “Shabdrung” and pronounced “Shab-Drung”). These three are commonly portrayed together in statues and in paintings known as thangkas (pronounced “tonkas”). The Buddha is typically depicted in the center with Guru Rinpoche to his left and Shabdrung to his right. As we travel through Bhutan it will… Read More
They have names like Frank Church, Mokelumne, Mount Hood, Kalmiopsis, and Ansel Adams. They are legally designated Wilderness and part of our National Wilderness Preservation System. On September 3rd, 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a framework into law that would protect wild areas in the United States. Today is the Wilderness Act’s fiftieth birthday. We are lucky to have the Wilderness Act. National Parks in the United States and around the world have historically encouraged road building and structures that increase visitation and use. “The… Read More
One of the first places we visit on our tour of Bhutan is the famous iron bridge at Tachog Lhakang. This 600 year old bridge crosses the Paro Chhu (Paro River) and was traditionally restored in 2005 after being washed away during a 1969 flood. The bridge was originally built by the legendary Tibetan architect, physician, blacksmith and civil engineer Thangtong Gyalpo who is an important figure in Bhutanese and Tibetan history. Thangtong Gyalpo, the Iron Bridge Builder While Thangtong Gyalpo is lesser-known by tourists, he… Read More
We love seeing what our guests have to say when they come off the river. Not only do we hear great feedback as to how to make our trips even better for the coming years, we also hear about how our trips have helped make guests’ summers the best they could be. Here are some of our favorite and most heartwarming guest quotes of the season so far accompanied by some epic photos taken by one of our guests: Rogue River Rafting Reviews “They were fabulously… Read More
The sun begins its daily ritual of warming, of basking. I squint my eyes across the water watching its beams break on the river’s surface and fracture into bright and brilliant blues and greens. It’s an emerald kingdom unlike any other whose long-term residents include sturgeon, steelhead, salmon, osprey, eagles, bears and, for the next five days, us. I hear the gravel crunch under tires and turn my gaze away from the river to watch the rest of our people pile out of our NWRC 15… Read More
Sitting comfortably awash in Oregon’s sagebrush sea, Rome is the sort of place that takes some determination to get to. My own path to there started in Ashland, Oregon and lasted about eight hours. Arriving near sunset, there was just enough time to unload our boats and catch a glimpse of the Owyhee River as it meandered through the surrounding ranchlands. The rest of our crew arrived the following morning and we were all anxious for the opportunity to explore what is often referred to as… Read More
We’re proud to be collaborating with our friends at KS Wild and Base Camp Brewing Co. on releasing the newest BCBC beer, the Chetco River Saison. Come join us at the release party on Thursday, June 5th for this celebratory event of wilderness conservation and brewing genius. When: Thursday, June 5th, 2014 from 6 – 9 PM Where: Base Camp Brewing Co., 930 SE Oak St, Portland, Ore. What: Happy Hour at 6 PM and short presentation at 7 PM The NWRC guides first explored the… Read More
“Self support” is a term kayakers use for overnight trips without the support of rafts. You can only bring the bare necessities, but the simplicity and freedom of these trips are rare and special. After taking a paddleboard down the Rogue River with raft support, I’ve been wanting to do a self-support trip on a SUP. At 284 miles, the John Day River (including the North Fork of the John Day) in Central Oregon is the Northwest’s longest free flowing stretch of river. The 70 mile… Read More
We are a little spoiled in the Northwest, and sometimes it is easy to forget that whitewater and the paddling communities surrounding it exist outside of our corner of the country. For example, do you know very much about whitewater in the Midwest? Most people don’t, and maybe in an effort to change that, Minnesota has sent one of its friendliest ambassadors, Lori Turbes, into our midst to help spread news of the northern gnar. Lori’s own introduction to whitewater had her hooked faster than a… Read More