Rogue River Diary: May 30, 2013

it must’ve been 100° out, but I wasn’t hot even wearing a dry top shirt. I had kayaked the Rogue River numerous times, but each trip was very different. The Rogue begins At Crater Lake, Oregon   and flows to the ocean .The lower part is a designated wild and scenic River, which means that it cannot be commercialized. Typically kayaks with raft support take three days to paddle the 40 miles of wilderness Whitewater.

The rogue is not an exceptionally difficult River. There are one or two class IV rapids, and the rest of the river is class II and III. However it has to be one of the most beautiful rivers anywhere. It is set amongst unusual rock formations, beautiful meadows, and steep mountains covered with pine. Wild life is everywhere. On different trips I have seen bear, deer, osprey, large salmon, and turkey vultures.

The Rogue was special to me, since Vicki and I had attended a two week kayak school there in 1975. I had fallen in love with the river then and gone back every few years to paddle it again. High points included mastering rapids which threw me on early trips along with an ongoing appreciation of the beautiful wildness of the area.

The hardest rapid is Blossom Bar, a class IV drop. The river drops fast and sweeps into an outcropping of rock at the Bar. To run it correctly the kayaker must catch an eddy on the right behind a large boulder.  Then he has to ease out into the current and take a fast chute through a drop with unstable water. On one trip I flipped in the drop and was frustrated that I didn’t roll up despite several attempts. My failure resulted from lifting my head from beneath the water. Performing an Eskimo Roll correctly necessitates that the head comes out of the water last. On later trips I navigated Blossom Bar successfully.

 River travel is a great way to go. It is more of an athletic endeavor than backpacking, and with raft support, you don’t have to manage a lot of gear. Wilderness rivers typically run through beautiful areas with lots of wildlife and few people.