The Rafting Blog for the Rogue, Salmon, Klamath, and North Umpqua Rivers with OTT.
Keep up with Orange Torpedo Trips as well as info and updates about white water rafting on the Rogue, Klamath, Umpqua, and Salmon Rivers.
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Middle Fork - A political novel
In 2004 I had the pleasure of running an all lodge Main Salmon raft trip with Rick Glaze who later went on to write a fun book titled, "The Middle Fork" which is loosely based off of his trip down the Salmon with us. I had a chance to sit down and read through the page turner and found it to be a fun summer page turner. Find yourself a copy at www.themiddlefork.us and then sign up for a trip, it's very possible Rick will be on it.
Here is what Rick has to say about the Book
I wrote “The Middle Fork” to share my profound love of the wilderness and the great excitement of steering my own kayak down a wild river with a group of both friends and strangers. I admit I got carried away with flash floods, snake attacks and exciting romance, but what the heck, it’s fiction. When people travel to disparate environments, they almost always bring everything they are caught up with at home with them. So it is on “The Middle Fork”. The characters debate hot-button political issues until they are faced with life and death decisions. Yes, the debate is interrupted by vicious rapids and pesky snakes, but it all weaves together to entertain and provide food for thought. Finally, this is an American story. No “old country” shtick or quaint references—just people like us in real-time thinking, talking and running the river.
My first trip with Orange Torpedo was on the Main Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho in 2004. This five day lodge trip was followed the next summer by a three day lodge trip on Oregon’s Rogue River. My first novel needed a dynamic plot. White water plumes and big holes along with the fabulous outdoor setting on the river were just the ticket. If you are attracted to the wilds of nature, first sign up for a trip and second read “The Middle Fork.”
Rafting Guide of the Month for April 2010 - Mike Slagle
Mike is going into his 39th year as an Orange Torpedo Trips guide. To say that he has seen it all only begins to describe the river experience behind whom we affectionately call the old guy, the great one, captain skirt, and many other things. During his Orange Torpedo Trips carrier Mike has guided the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, the Deschutes, the Main Salmon, the Lower Salmon, the Middle Fork of the Salmon the Klamath River, the North Umpqua River, and then finally his home river, the Rogue. Mike arguably has more days floating the Wild and Scenic Rogue River than anyone alive and he has the stories, jokes, and friends to prove it.
How many years have you guided?38 years
What is your favorite river? What do you love about it?
Rogue for the history and beauty. Main Salmon for the wilderness and great whitewater--the best OTT has to offer.
A favorite river trip memory?
Watching Tim Satre and Robbie Henderson do the glo-stick dance at the lodge would have to be a highlight of anyone's life.
Why you keep coming back?
The relationships with the guides and many of our long time guests. I enjoy sharing the river and all it has to offer with all our guests.
What you are looking forward to or are excited about this season?
I hope to be on the June 23rd Main Salmon Lodge trip--the best trip OTT has. Also looking forward to seeing many old friends. (Side note: Mike purposefully brings this June 23rd lodge trip up because he has been trying to convince me he should go instead of myself, as it is the favorite trip of us both.)
What do you do in the off-season?
Retired teacher--still do a little work around school for the athletic department
Other sports or activities you love?
Fishing, hiking, traveling.
Mike with a group at Nugget Falls on the Rogue River
Here is a really great photo sent to us by a long time customer. The photo was taken between Riggins Idaho and French Creek on Feb. 8th, 2010. The circle was turning clockwise in the eddy. Unique and beautiful shot of the winter time Salmon River. Amazing that in summer the water is warm enough to happily swim in.
This month's highlighted river guide is Ben Silva aka t-roll.
I have had the pleasure of running 10 or so Salmon River trips with Ben and can assure you that there is not a more fun guy to go down the river with. For a few years Ben was our Head Guide on the Canyons of the Lower Salmon where he was known for his great cooking and ability to write some wonderful songs with fellow guides. Now that "t-roll" is a licensed teacher and married he will be seen more often on the Rogue River dancing in the glow stick skits and sharing Rogue River history the way only a history teacher can. Hopefully you will be lucky to have Ben as a guide this summer on the Rogue River.
1. Years guiding with OTT?This will be my 7th 2. What is your favorite River and why?Lower Salmon for the hot weather, white sandy beaches, and big waves. 3. Favorite river trip memory? Probably first year guiding on the Lower Salmon when Chewy broke half of his front tooth at the put-in the morning of a trip, or the first time I met Missouri. 4. Why do you keep coming back to OTT?The friends I have made, and all the new memories. 5. What are you most looking forward to about this season?Just getting back on the river, it has been a long offseason and I am tired of this cold weather. 6. What do you do in the off season?Just finished my masters degree, and am currently looking for a job as a high school teacher. 7. What other sports or activities do you love.Coaching basketball, fishing, and spending time outdoors.
White Water Rafting on a Cold Day: How to stay warm
Even when the water is 60+ degrees on the Lower Salmon or the Rogue River, those chilly spring mornings or late afternoon rain storms do occasionally make it a little brisk to be relaxing in a torpedo wearing only a swimsuit and PFD. There are some tricks to staying warm, and when you can stay warm, some of the most fun paddling can be in the middle of a rain storm.
Tricks to staying warm.
1. Dress Correctly: This is absolutely essential to staying warm. How to dress is dependent on what type of cold you're dealing with. On a chilly morning a splash jacket may be all you need; however in the middle or a rainstorm some more serious gear may be required. One main factor for staying warm is AVOID ALL COTTON. Never wear cotton on the river. When it gets wet in makes you cold. OTT Provided Stuff: to be combined with your non-cotton swimwear.
1. Paddle Jackets: This simple Nylon Paddle Jacket retains a little heat and deflects the splashes from your skin. This can go a long way towards keeping you warm. This simple jacket worn under your PFD can be the difference between warm and happy and chilly. Not effective at keeping you warm when swimming in the water.
2. Wet Suites: On trips where being chilly is a possibility we supply "Farmer John" style wetsuits. This open shoulder style makes the suits much more comfortable to paddle all day while keeping the core of your body insulated and warm. This combined with a paddle jacket is enough to withstand 90% of spring and summer cold weather.
What you can add and supplement:
Often times a wetsuit is just too much but a paddle jacket alone is too little. There are also times when even a paddle jacket is overkill, but just a swimsuit and PFD is a little brisk. Below are a few of our favorite pieces of clothing to wear on the river. If you click the image it will take you to the item at NRS or REI where you can purchase them. Hydroskin tops : These are great on an early morning. More breathable than a paddle jacket and they continue to warm even if you are swimming in it. I love mine both on a brisk morning for that little extra warmth until the sun comes up or for wearing under a paddle jacket on a cold day. The paddle jacket breaks the wind and keeps the splashes off while these insulate and help keep you warm even in a swim. Combine this with a wetsuit AND paddle jacket for the coldest summer weather and stay warm and toasty.
Fleece: A basic fleece under a paddle jacket is also a great insulator. When fleece gets wet is retains its ability to keep you warm. It's not as comfortable to wear when wet as the hydroskin, but it dries fast and is much more comfortable around camp making it a little more versatile. If you are on a raft where swimming is unlikely, a good SIMPLE fleece jacket under a paddle jacket is great for the coldest weather. Click the image to see a nice simple jacket.
Lower Body:
Generally not as important in the summer time. Especially since we will supply you with a wetsuit. However often times a wetsuit is just too much so a shorter version comes in handy. Rodeo Shorts: Many of the guides find these wetsuit shorts, generally worn under a pair of swim trunks, to be an on the water savior. These are great when paddling a torpedo on a brisk morning.
Splash pants: If you are exclusively going to be riding the raft splash pants can be a great way to keep the wind and water off. They are not at all helpful if swimming or sitting in water so not much good in a Torpedo, but on raft these are a glorious comfort.
2. Consume Correctly: Make sure that on cold days you eat some extra food. Being active paddling on the river your already burning through more calories than you are probably used to, and if you are cold your body needs even more fuel to try and keep you warm. On a cold day ask your guides for some extra snacks like granola bars. If it is real chilly your guides may have a thermos of hot tea or hot chocolate. It is also crucial to stay hydrated. Often on chilly day people will drink less even though they are still burning through fluids paddling. 3. Know your body: Don't be afraid to acknoladge you're getting cold. It is much easier to stay warm than get warm. If you start to get chilly let your guide know and they can help avoid waves to keep, move you to the raft, get you additional food or maybe a warm drink. Often times guides will even have some additional cold weather gear hidden away they can outfit you with. All it takes is letting a guide know you're getting chilly before you get cold. After you are cold it's much more difficult to get you warm and happy than it would have been just to keep you there.
OF NOTE: This advice is for the rare cold SUMMER weather experienced when rafting the Rogue River, Salmon River, North Umpqua River, or Klamath River. Paddle trips in the winter can be extremely enjoyable but require an entirely different approach to staying warm. Have fun out there.
Orange Torpedo Trips is a for profit company and while all advice on this blog is based on it being good advice and products shown are shown strictly because they are good products, we reserve the right to profit from the sales of these items both online or in our retail store.
Places to stay before or after a Rogue River Rafting Trip.
Finding a great place to stay before and after a Rogue River rafting or hiking trip is crucial to ensuring that you have a great overall experience in Southern Oregon. With so many great hotels, inn's, and B&B's in this area of the state the perfect lodging experience for everyone is out there, you simply need to find it. . I have highlighted a few of our favorites in each category to help you find exactly the experience you're looking for before or after a Rogue River adventure.
Grants Pass Area (including Merlin): This is the closest place, so if you're not an early riser or just want to leave minimal travel from us to your lodging you will want to check out one of these places.
Located on the Main Drag of Grants Pass this is where economy meets quality in the Grants Pass area. With room rates in the Summer from $70 to $395 they have something for everyone. Enjoy a swim in the pool, soak in the hot tub, and grab breakfast from the breakfast bar on your way to the river.
If want something to add a little more than "just a place to stay" the Weasku located on over 10 acres, amid towering pines and ponds, 5 miles outside Grants Pass might be your place. I warn you, if you make your reservation here, leaving will probably be your biggest challenge of the trip. The Weasku Inn sits right on the banks of the famous Rogue River. Built in 1924 as a fishing lodge the Weasku offers guests a peak at life in an earlier era of the Pacific Northwest. As a vacation retreat to such legendary personalities as Clark Gable, Carol Lombard, Bing Crosby and Walt Disney, the walls of the lodge seem to still whisper age-old fishing tales from visitors past. Rooms range from $199 for a luxurious lodge room to $329 for a jacuzzi suite.
Flery Manor is an award winning Bed and Breakfast just around the corner from Orange Torpedo Trips home base. This is a great place to head after your trip is over and rest from your days on the Rogue River in one of their 5 elegant and unique rooms. Stays here include opportunities to roam the garden, relax by the koi pond or enjoy a glass of wine in the library. Most importantly, a stay here ends with the famous three course gourmet breakfast served on fine china and heirloom linens.
Jacksonville:
Historic Jacksonville is 30 minutes from our shop in Merlin. Somewhat between us and the Medford Airport. A walk down main street of this historic little town is like stepping back in time to the early mining days in Oregon history. Roam for used books, see a show at Brit Festival outdoor amphitheater, or grab dinner at one of the many excellent restaurants.
These are our favorite folks from Jacksonville. A National Registered Historic 1857 Classic Revival Victorian home, the historic inn is situated on over 3½ acres of beatifully maintained grounds ready for you to roam and enjoy. What a great place to pamper yourself after a rafting trip on the Rogue River. Relax in one of the guest rooms decorated with antiques, fabric walls, fireplaces and Jacuzzi tubs. Head out to one of the three porches or two patios offering majestic mountain views, city lights, bird watching or glimpses of a red fox, wild turkey, deer or elk. All this before roaming to one of Jacksonville's famous restaurants for dinner. Stays here end with a three-course breakfast sure to change your understanding of what breakfast should be.
This is just a few of the great Southern Oregon lodging options with many more unique and luxurious spots to be found in Medford, Ashland, Jacksonville, and Grants Pass.
Orange Torpedo Trips Rafting Guide of the Month - Feb 2010, Kim Gonzales.
Kim has been with us for more than a few years and has proved her ability as one of our top Torpedo Guides and hardest workers. She is always working to perfect guiding techniques and jumps on the opportunity to learn anything new relating being a better river guide. When Kim started she had spent very little time in a Torpedo and through hard work and a love what she is doing she has become one of the best. She has proven herself as a great river guide and will be our first female head guide on the Main Salmon River this summer. If you are lucky enough to be on one of her Idaho trips it will be an experience you will fondly remember.
Stats
Years Guiding? This is my 5th year
Favorite River? The Main Salmon. I love how every trip is different and exciting! Not to mention the great company, food, and memories you share camping out on the river. But if I had to make a quick day trip I love doing the nugget/powerhouse stretch. Its a rush every time!
Favorite trip memory?Soooo many! But I was lucky to celebrate my 21st birthday during a trip on the Main Salmon. Lets just say some good memories were made.
Why do you keep coming back? I love working on the river and for this company. I've made great friends and created some awesome memories. The inflatable kayaks are fun and I love teaching and taking people of all skill levels down the river.
What are you looking forward to this next season? Idaho! Can't wait to hit up chittum and vinegar rapids on the Main Salmon again.
What do you do in the off season?In the off season I am in school.
What are your off river activities? When I'm not finishing up homework I like to play volleyball and hangout with friends.
Whitewater Rafting Guide of the Month - Orange Torpedo Trips
Our river guides are the heart of who we are and what we do. Without great guides we would never have great trips. We feel we have the best in the industry, especially for our unique type of guiding. Our great guides are the reason people come back for decades to run the Rogue, Salmon, Klamath, and North Umpqua Rivers. As part of our effort to share who we are we will start highlighting a guide every month here on the blog. It is going to be our effort to share with anyone reading this a little bit about their current favorite, or soon to be favorite, river guide from their trip on the Rogue, Salmon, Klamath, or North Umpqua Rivers.
January Rafting Guide of the Month: Tim Satre
Nickname: Satre
Stats: Years Guiding: "This will be my 20th season with OTT"
Off Season Occupation:"In the off season I am a teacher and a wrestling coach."
Favorite River: " My favorite river is actually a blend of the three rivers I run with OTT.
First is the fast waters of the North Umpqua! My favorite rapid of all time is
Lower Island. The Umpqua continuously challenges me even
after 20 years. The continuous fast paced water with the big holes and reversals
favorite of mine. Although the Klamath drops fast during the
season, if your lucky enough to get to run it at 12-14,000 CFS you wont forget it!
The Rogue is in my opinion our premere river trip for everyone. The
second half of day one has 13 big rapids from lunch to lodge! This would have
to be my favorite single day on any river. Once you couple the days whitewater
with the slow and layed back night at the lodge. Its a perfect mix of excitement
and relaxation. The only problem with this day on the Rogue is its not long enough."
What is one of your favorite memories? "Favorite memory? I have so many
great memories its hard to choose but I will say if you haven't seen Mike Slagle
dance the YMCA at dico night, you havent fully lived! LOL "
Why do you keep coming back? "I keep coming back back for several reasons. I believe in this. company! Everything at OTT is done to give the safest and most exciting river trip possible. The inflatable kayak is the most amazing river trip adventure anyone could choose and our company has been built around that! I love the challenge of the torpedo and the chase of the rescue! Being in the right place at the right time is what guiding in a torp is all about."
When you're not in a tahiti or raft? "I love to wakeboard, snowboard and fish for big stealhead on the rogue!"
What are you most looking forward to in the 2010 Season? "This season I am excited to run the Hot shot trip on the Klamath and I hope its big! =-O"
Thanks Tim for all the years of keeping people safe and making them laugh. It is impossible to think of the Rogue River Wild and Scenic without Tim Satre keeping people safe and showing them a good time.
Getting good pictures on the river has always been a challenge, especially from an inflatable kayak. In the past we had store our camera in a dry bag or pelican box, wait until a flat spot or go to shore, before opening our dry case and taking pictures. When we had the photos or video we wanted we then had to put the camera away and start rafting down river again.
Today this process is becoming a thing of the past. We now have access to great waterproof digital video and still photo cameras. Some sacrifice recording quality or features for the sake of durability, but even that is becoming history. Here is a list of some of the best of the waterproof camera world. Still Digitial Cameras
Olympus Stylus Tough 12.0 mega-pixel
This is a great little camera if you want something that can take a beating. We have used the older 10.0 version of this camera for the last 2 seasons and despite our efforts to destroy them they are still going strong. I personally shove mine in a life jacket pocket so I am always ready for a picture. I have thrown it in the sand, I swim and take underwater pictures and use it in the snow. IT DOES NOT FLOAT, TRUST ME! But it will handle most anything else. Downside, the picture quality, especially of action or low light is not great. It does well with the standard family picture, but trying to get a photo of someone getting a good Torpedo Ride comes out a little fuzzy. Other downside, to get all the features you are required to use their, more expensive, memory cards. Price $300-$379
Canon Powershot D10 The newest addition to the waterproof camera world. Cannon came into the game a little late but it seems it was because they wanted to perfect it first. 12.1 mega pixels, image stabilization, auto face detection, and waterproof to 33ft. The action shot quality has mixed reviews. Apparently to get a good action photo there is a bit of a setting process making it pretty complicated. Low light quality is typical of Canon, Great. Durability is a mix if reading reviews online. Amazon has some raving about it, but there are also a good number of people complaining that their camera leaked and died the first time in the water. Price $320-$279
Pentax Optio W80 12.0 Megapixel
Waterproof up to 16ft with 12.0 megapixels. I have not used this one myself yet but most of the reading I have done online seems to be pretty consistent. Easy to use point and click that is very durable but sacrifices photo quality. If you are just looking for something small, durable, and easy to use this could be a good fit. Lots of complaints of grainy pictures, which I would assume is in bad light situations. A problem the Olympus has been known to have. This does have "HIGH QUALITY" movie recording. Price $299-$180
Video Camera's The world of waterproof video has come a long way from having to buy an expensive water proof case for your camera which led to terrible functionality and quality. Today waterproof video cameras come in small sizes, long recording times, and HD. GO Pro HD HERO
These are a very cool new entry into the waterproof camera market. Go pro has been making waterproof cameras for a while and where the favorite for waterproof film cameras until they stopped making them to move over to digital. The camera shown in the helmet mounted version of the wide angle HD. These are not cheap coming in at $299 for the HD version with the mount. If you skip the HD it takes you down to a much more reasonable $189, but who does not want HD? Especially when it is recorded at full 1080p and can record up to 2 hours. The camera also takes 5mp stills and is waterproof to 180ft!!!! Expect to see a couple of these on your next Rogue or Salmon River trip this summer. Here is a video review I found.
Kodak Playsport HD Video Camera
The newest member of the waterproof video camera world is the Kodak Playsport HD. Available in April and coming in at a very reasonable $150. This takes up to 10 hours of HD video and stills at 5mp. Website is saying we can look forward to helmet and handlebar mounts so we can use it in our adventure sports. It does not appear that it is going to have zoom capabilities, but this is not really that type of camera. Think of this more as a waterproof, hd, camera phone camera. Its thin enough you can carry it with you anywhere and always be ready to capture that great bit of video. I am extremely excited to see this thing in action when it becomes available.
There are some other video options out there. Panasonic has an actual functional video camera out that is shock proof and waterproof but to me the beauty of waterproof and video is that it would be small enough to do the helmet cam with.
Should you choose to join us on an Orange Torpedo Trips Rogue River,Salmon River, North Umpqua River, or Klamath River trip this summer having a good camera will be important. Having some head cam footage of you riding the waves of the Rogue River or just some great stills of the family lined up in inflatable kayaks on the Lower Salmon will be a great thing to take home and show off to the friends.
Klamath River Dam removal: One group backs out to push another plan
As the debate over Dam removals on the Klamath River continues one group has dropped out saying the proposed plan is not good enough and they can no longer support it. The "North Coast Enviromental Center" has backed out of the the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) claiming that it does not go far enough in compelling dam owners PacifiCorp and the Federal Government to take immediate action. The group also does not support other parts of the agreement including allowing commercial agriculture on 22,000 Acres of National Wildlife Refuge.
Backing out of the current agreement the "North Coast Environmental Center" has joined with "Water Watch" and "Oregon Wild" to form the "Klamath Conservation Partners" in hopes of promoting more immediate dam removal and better fish protection.
The Klamath River currently has 6 dams on it. The main focus on Dam Removal currently is on JC Boyle Dam, which is the dam that controls water flows on the popular upper Klamath River rafting section. We operate our two and three day Klamath River Rafting trips on the Lower Klamath River which would not be directly impacted by the removal on JC Boyle. The Lower Klamath River near Happy Camp California is a beautiful section of river with different areas perfect for both the beginner family over-night or the big water class IV adventure trip. For whatever rafting experience you are looking for the Klamath River probably has it.
