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
August has been an intense month for the Rogue River community. As many of you know, the Big Windy Complex Wildfire caused the Bureau of Land Management to close the Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue River on July 30th. Boaters and tourists have had their summer vacation dreams dashed and outfitters and local businesses have lost a lot of income during the peak season. Air quality has, at times, been dangerously smoky and it has been a difficult fire to control because of such… 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
This time last week I was heading out to the Rogue River, ecstatic to be participating in the Class III Rowing School. And now, after five days of rowing a variety of different crafts down the illustrious Rogue, eating delicious food, camping under a brilliant starry sky, and meeting some incredible people, I am a happy camper. What a great experience to be able to try so many different boats – to get a feel for what kind of oars or oar rights you like, what size… Read More
I first encountered Baldface Creek ten years ago while paddling down the upper North Fork of the Smith River in Oregon. Near the end of a long rainy day of paddling we stopped across from its confluence and marveled in the sheer beauty of this creek. A couple years later, my friend Kevin and I made the trek to paddle Baldface, but we had to turn back due to the massive snow drifts on our way to put-in. Last year, J.R. and I tried and were… Read More
Last week, I explored the South and North Forks of Rough and Ready Creek with a couple of the trusty NWRC guides. We had hiked in and paddled the North Fork of Rough and Ready Creek a few years ago and fell in love with the unique and beautiful landscape. Shortly after that trip, we learned that this area is threatened by a large scale nickel mine, as it falls outside the border of the protected Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Rough and Ready Creek flows through a Forest… Read More
Quick Bhutanese translations: Chhu = river, La = pass, Dzong = monastery/fortress, and Stupa/Chorten = shrine I’m heading home after another memorable Rafting & Cultural Tour of Bhutan. Fifteen of us travelled across Western Bhutan visiting Buddhist monasteries and rafting many of it’s beautiful rivers. Paro and Thimphu Our first day was one of many special days of the trip. After arriving in Paro, we drove to the Paro Dzong for a tour. As luck would have it, the brand new 100-foot tall thangka (a type… Read More
This week the NWRC crew and friends explored the lower gorge of the Chetco River. On our last trip to the Chetco River we took out just above the lower gorge so we were excited to return and see the famous Candycane and Conehead rapids. We chose to run this section in September when the water is low (90 cfs) so we could easily portage these rapids, if necessary. We put-in at Tolman Ranch. After rigging our kayaks with overnight gear, we headed downriver. We spent… Read More
“One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast….a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the… 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
