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.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
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.
Rafting trips on the Salmon River in Idaho are one of the premier vacation experiences in the United States. Relatively warm water, abundent wildlife and incredible white water are only part of what makes this such a unique family and adventure friendly experience. Here at Orange Torpedo Trips we view the Main Salmon rafting trip as the premier multiday white water family expedition experience. One reason we think this is such a great trip is the lodge we stay at the last night of our float.
Shepp Ranch has a rich history in the Salmon River canyon. Not only is the history long, but it is detailed. A daily journal from the ranch stems back over 75 years giving its history un-equaled accuracy and detail in the Salmon River Canyon.
The ranch at the mouth of Crooked Creek which float into on day 4 of our Main Salmon raft trip was founded by Charlie Shepp and Pete Klinkhammer in 1909. They purchased the ranch for $1000 with the plan of growing produce to sell to the miners in the local area. In 1910, their first year, they planted early and were something less than succesful but in following seasons they had a plentiful garden which included: potatoes, corn, beans, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, asparagas, rootabagas, watermelons, squash, tobacco, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, grapes, and hops. Gardening was mostly up to Charlie Shepp who maintained this bountiful garden in the summer seasons between floods.
Living deep in the backcountry of Idaho on the Salmon River was not, and is not, without its adventures. Simply getting in to town could be a life or death undertaking. The River of No Return by Johnny Carrey and Cort Conley tells a great tale of Pete Klinkenhammer and Jack Wilson trying to go from Grangeville back into the canyon when they became stuck in snow so deep it was up to the chest of their horses. The group hunkered down for the night and started a small fire simply hoping to survive. Eventually men from the local mining community who heard the men were on their way assumed they had become stuck in the storm and went out in the middle of the night looking for them. "Suddenly, through the darkness, came flashes of light and voices - 20 men on snowshoes, with swinging lanterns, from Humptown.... Each man had a bottle of whiskey, some had two. They brought food, everything, even hay for the horses. Shoveling out a clearing, they built a massive bonfire, set coffee pots to boil, then sat around the fire and talked and sang all night." That is a true Idaho rescue party! The stories continue and you can read more about the great Salmon River Canyon history book The River of No Return
Shepp Ranch still holds onto its historical roots with the original cabin at the heart of the facility. Mike and Lynne who have been managing Shepp since 1982 are two of our favorite people with an unmatched ability to make everyone feel at home. When you arrive at Shepp Ranch Mike and the staff help load your gear onto the tractor while Lynne guides you up to the ranch house for fresh lemonade and cookies before you spend the afternoon relaxing in the shade, playing sand volleyball, fishing the creek, or hiking.
On our Salmon River rafting trips, Shepp Ranch is always a highlight for both customers and guides. Everyone loves the home cooked meals with vegetables fresh from the garden. A highlight for me is always the bonfire on the beach giving us guides a night to relax and spend time with our guests. If we have not seen you on a rafting trip down the Salmon River before I hope we do this year.
A new highlight of our Rogue River Rafting 3 day lodge trip is the glow stick show. This is something that has evolved from what you see in the video below (one of the first) to what is now a fully choreographed bit of hysterical guide acting. For those who can stay awake late enough for it to get dark at the first nights lodge on the Rogue River raft trip this has become a trip highlight.
Last winter a collection of Orange Torpedo Trips guides and want to be "legends" headed back to the East Fork of the Lewis river in southern Washington to try running a 20+ ft waterfall in an Orange Torpedo Tahiti. 2 years ago Chewy tried and failed as shown in the second video below, but this time turned out a little different. Helmet, also shown in the video ran his first real waterfalls in a hardshell kayak which was great to see. Enjoy
The most recent attempts at the East Fork of the Lewis
Orange Torpedo Trips was the first company in the world to offer guided white water inflatable kayaking and when we started in 1969 on the Rogue River we were considered a little different. 40 years later we still like to think we're a little set apart from the rest and we credit a lot of that to the inspiration that comes from being Oregonians. Oregon is a land unto itself. Known for delicious Microbrew's, leading Pinot's, incredible rivers (like the Rogue River) beautiful wilderness, and a population of people who seem to see things a little different than everywhere else we have a lot to be proud of and boy are we. It seems that every bicycle, Prius, pickup truck, and Ducati has a state heart sticker hidden on it somewhere. This sense of state pride is what brings me to the video below; it has nothing to do with rafting, but everything to do with our beloved State. Only in the land of Micro-brews, free hybrid parking, and homes filled more bicycles than people is this going to be created. In Oregon we take pride in being a little different and so I want to support those of our beautiful green state who think a little different.
Imagine this situation, "No officer I haven't been drinking"
After more than 2 decades of work, litigation, contemplation, bickering, arguing, crying, screaming, laughing, and talking, on October 9th, 2009 Savage Rapids Dam was cleared and the Rogue River flowed unabrupted through this area for the first time since 1921, allowing a floatilla of rafts, kayaks, drift boats, and jet boats to freely navigate through its channel. Sadly, this profound event did not go down without incident. Friday afternoon a man was killed when his jetboat crashed just downstream of the dam and Saturday an experienced river boatman wrapped his driftboat on a snag just down from the Dam. Outside of these two incidents, plenty of rafts, drift boats, and kayaks succesfully floated down this new section of the Rogue River.Photo: Jamie Lusch Mail Tribune
We are very excited to see how this channel settles in. For at least this first season the channel is expected to be in transition as years of silt and the gravel from the coffer dam settles, moves, and gets washed away. There is some great potential for this to become a fun little rapid. For more information on the Savage Rapids Dam and the other Dam removal projects on the Rogue River check out the Mail Tribune. Here are some videos I found on youtube as well as some pictures from the Mail Tribune
Idaho Adventure in the Winter: McCall Winter Festival
If you want to experience some winter time Idaho adventure the McCall Winter festival is a uniquely Idaho experience at its best. Idaho is known for doing things its own way, filled with great people who know how to have a good time. The McCall Winter Festival is one of the very few places you can partake in or watch unique activities like "Snowshoe Golf", "snowbike racing," and "Horse Skijoring". The event will also have tubing hills, wine tasting, and free skiing.
If you have any free time between Jan 29, 2010 and Feb 7, 2010 I would strongly recommend you make your way to McCall Idaho and their amazing winter festival. This is a great event for everyone in the family from kids to adults. During the day if you get tired of all the fun festival events you can always drive 15 minutes to Brundage and make some turns before heading back to town for some adventurous Idaho nightlife. Learn more about the McCall Winter Festival at the official website www.mccallwinterfestival.comPhotos from mccallwintercarnival.com/
This should be a great event up in Portland. If you are in the area you should make an appearance to learn more about and support the causes of Wild and Scenic areas like our beloved Rogue and Salmon River. Sponsored by Patagonia, and hosted by Willamette Riverkeeper, this is the LARGEST environmental film festival in North America. Wild & Scenic will both inform you about the state of the world, and inspire you to create positive change.
With multiple movies and events, two highlights will be....
Red Gold: A multiple award winning film about a controversial mine proposed at the headwaters of the world's largest salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The film tells a story of a remote, but diverse community that all share the commonality of salmon fishing at the core of their existence.
Crossroads at the Columbia: Exploring the environmental and community-rights issues surrounding proposals by private companies to build Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals on Oregon's Columbia River.
when: Thursday, November 12th
where: McMenamins Bagdad Theater & Pub in Portland Oregon (37th & SE Hawthorne) doors open at 5:30pm, films begin at 7pm
cost: tickets $8 (and also serve as your raffle entry for a chance to win an Eddyline kayak and other prizes from Patagonia and Osprey!)
21 & over
You do not want to miss this!
www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org
Willamette Riverkeeper is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection & restoration of the Willamette River www.willametteriverkeeper.org
