The Rafting Blog for the Rogue, Salmon, Klamath, and North Umpqua Rivers with OTT.

The Middle Fork - A political novel

2010-04-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

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

Salmon River Ice Picture - Ice Circle

2010-03-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

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.

River rafting guide of the month - March 2010

2010-03-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

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.

2010-02-16T12:58:00.000-08:00

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.

Redwood Motel - 888-535-8824

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.

Weasku Inn 800.493.2758

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 (541) 476-3591

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.

Bybee Historic Inn (541) 899-0106

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.

River guide of the Month - Feb 2010

2010-02-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

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

keeps even the veteran kayakers on their toes.

The Ikes section on the Kamath River in big water would have to be another

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.

Whitewater rafting with waterproof camera's

2010-01-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-21T13:49:00.000-08:00

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.

Salmon River Rafting Lodge Heaven - Shepp Ranch

2009-12-17T14:22:00.000-08:00

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.

Rogue River Rafting Trip Glow Stick Show

2009-12-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

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.

Torpedo's and Waterfalls

2009-11-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

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

East Fork of the Lewis Tahiti Torpedo run from Erik on Vimeo.

When we tried a few years back

Only in Oregon

2009-10-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

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"

Rafting the Rogue River with one less Dam

2009-10-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

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.com Photos from mccallwintercarnival.com/

2009 Wild and Scenic Enviromental Film Fest

2009-10-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

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

A nice card just arrived

2009-06-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

It's always great to get feedback from our rafting trips. I just received a card from a half day trip on the Rogue River last week and here were some of the nice things said about our great river guides. "Thank you so much for an awesome rafting trip! I had soo much fun! I definitely want to go next year." "Thank you for providing our students with a day they will Never forget" "Thank you for a really good time on the river. It was a blast with the big, huge, water fight and hopping raft to raft....."
I love, when in the day to day of opening e-mails or physical mail, especially in the early season, when I get to hear about how great a trip was and how much people enjoyed the time on the river.

Vacation on a budget: Raft the Klamath River

2009-04-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Northern California's famous Klamath River is hidden away from the crowds nestled in beautiful gorges filled with sandy beaches, laden with breathtaking tributaries, and stalked with perfect rapids for the family of beginners but still exciting enough for the river expert. The Klamath River is a ideal vacation for anyone, but in an economic year like this when everyone is trying to be wise about how they spend their dollars the Klamath is THE bang for your buck vacation. For two all-inclusive days come experience sleeping under star filled skies for $349 or if two days is not enough, get three days of white water, sunsets, and dutch oven baked cinnamon rolls for $549. Don't choose to not vacation this year, choose to do it for the right price.
So sign up the family and come experiences the Klamath River's rich native American history. Get those pictures of the family swimming and laughing together, and look forward to relaxing in the sun on the beach in the afternoon. Learn more about the Klamath River or reserve your 2 or 3 day vacation.

Washington's Winery of the Year comes to the Rogue River.

2009-03-20T13:03:00.001-07:00

Maryhill Winery, winner of the 2009 "Washington Winery of the Year" from Winepress Northwest, and Orange Torpedo Trips have come together to create a rafting trip you will not soon forget. The owners and founders of Maryhill Winery are picking some of their favorite wines and bringing them to share when they come down the Rogue River for 3 days of rafting in August. You can sign up for this special rafting vacation and combine evenings of spectacular wine with days of wave riding. For more info click here.

40 years of Orange Torpedo - what has changed

2009-02-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

Changes in OTT

I’ve been thinking lately about the changes in Orange Torpedo Trips over the last almost 40 years that I have guided. Our basic philosophy and procedures are the same as ever, but I have seen huge changes in the equipment that we use.

In 1972, our boats were the same basic design, but there were some differences. The PVC material was not as durable, and we stopped several times a day to apply temporary patches that would hopefully last until we made it to the lodge or camp. After dinner each night, we would have “patch parties” down at the beach where we made the boats seaworthy for the next day. Of course, back then there were no self-bailing boats and we had lots of fun teaching the lost art of “buddy dumping”. Valves in the boats were pop-up type valves that we secured with rubber bands. Of course the valves would pop out at the most inopportune moments.

Our old PFD’s ( life jackets ) were all orange horse-collar type design. They didn’t have much buoyancy and smelled to high heaven ! Our new PFD’s have higher flotation, are much more comfortable and include pockets to hold sunscreen, etc. In addition, guides and guests now wear different color PFD’s for easier identification.

Personal gear has changed, too. Sunscreen was not invented until the mid ‘70s. In fact, OTT field tested Johnson and Johnson Sundown, one of the early sunscreens. Prior to that time, we used large beach towels to cover the exposed legs in the boats. An early trip “flip” usually led to a lost towel and a bad case of sunburn. No present day paddler would be caught without their sunscreen.

Guests were usually attired in cotton jeans shorts, cotton shorts, and shoes and socks. In the event of rain, they were encouraged to bring a nylon jacket. In the 1980’s we made a move to rubberized wrestling warm-up tops and later on to wetsuits and splash jackets designed to keep paddlers warm. Current day paddlers usually arrive outfitted in synthetic shirts and shorts ( both to keep warm and prevent sunburn), and some type of river sandal or water shoe.

With all the changes that have evolved over the years, some things have not changed. Our well-trained guides, attention to detail, and emphasis on safety will never change. Join us and enjoy all the changes that have made OTT what it is today !

By Mike Slagle (aka OG, Great One, or Captain Skirt)

North Umpqua River - Pinball log is gone

2009-02-24T11:43:00.000-08:00

The Forest Service just notified us that the log on the North Umpqua River which was entirely blocking Pinball rapid has been removed. The log was placed during the high water earlier in the year and remained until removed this last weekend. Until recently the rapid had still been navigable to by passing around the log on one of the sides but as the water dropped the path disappeared and an on shore portage became the only option.
Here are some pictures, Thanks to the Forest Service for the timely removal!

Pre-Removal after the water was too low to raft around

After Removal

Carvivor- Grants Pass radio contest

2009-02-24T07:17:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we (Orange Torpedo Trips) hosted one of the events for the KLDR radio "Carvivior" competition. They chose 4 people who are living in this little Toyota and the last person to get fed up with the whole thing wins the car. They have to go for at least 21 days, they can get out for 15 minutes every 2 hours and have 1 competition per day sponsored by a local company. Friday was our day and we had a great competition. Good luck everyone! If you want to watch the live webcams of the 4 living in the car or follow the blog click here.
Here is the video

Are you aware enough?

2009-02-18T13:04:00.000-08:00

On a rafting trip, like driving, its always important to be aware of whats going on. This is a great video we found on youtube to test and see how aware you are! Use the comments to let us know how you do.

4 Reasons to Choose a Rafting Vacation

2009-02-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

With so many vacation options available how do you even know what you're looking for. Here are 4 reasons why this summer a rafting vacation is the vacation you need.
1 . Adventure:
When was your last vacation that had true adventure. Adventure which required something of you, something you were excited to brag about. A white water rafting vacation, especially if you choose to paddle an inflatable kayak, is this kind of vacation. While we have a river craft selection allowing virtually everyone from the go getter to the sit back and relax raft rider to enjoy wild and scenic river wilderness, at the end or our rafting trips everyone leaves with a feeling of accomplishment. Leave feeling like your adventure was relaxing because it was challenging. Find your rafting vacation here

2. Family Time:
Does your normal vacation provide something unique for each family member? Was your trip to that theme park as enjoyable to you the parent as it was to your 8 year old? When you go on vacation is your teenager excited to spend time with you or do they go roam at the hotel pool? Multi-day rafting trips provide a unique solution to these common family vacation problems.
On your rafting trip you, the parent, can have the adventure of a life time paddling an inflatable kayak while your kids under 12 years old ride in an oared raft with our kid friendly guides. You're having a great, you're kids are having a great time, everyone has a unique adventure at their level, all while traveling together.
Teenagers on our trips usually paddle their own inflatable kayak giving them freedom in the day to navigate the rapids and paddle around the group. Teenagers are looking for freedom and this trip gives it to them. Over the years we have noticed that the freedom of paddling separate boats during the day brings the families together at night. Teenagers and kids look forward to playing cards or throwing the Frisbee with their parents when they hit the shore in the afternoon. We find siblings and parents sitting around laughing and enjoying time away from distractions like cell phones, text messages, Facebook and email.
Find your rafting vacation here

3. Nature, Not Tech:
In the era of text messages, blackberries, I-phones, 100 HD TV channels, and i-pods its said we consume more information in a day than people 200 years ago did in a life time. All of this technology can be a great thing, but sometimes it can also be a distraction. Teenagers constantly text messaging instead of talking to parents, parents hovering over their black berries instead of talking with their kids. Kids playing video games instead of exploring and playing outside.
In his book Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv coins the term "Nature Deficit Disorder" when he links the trend of increasing child obesity, attention deficit disorder, and depression with a lack of time spent in nature. A study done by Frances E. Kuo, PhD and Andrea Faber Taylor, PhD in 2003 linked lack of time spent playing in a "green environment" with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Their study showed how children who spent more time playing in a "green" outdoor environment consistently showed fewer symptoms of ADHD.
All of this to say, while technology is good, unplugging and spending distraction free time with your family and friends is also important. Pick a vacation that does more than get you away from work, school, and the house. Pick a vacation that gets you unplugged and distraction free allowing you and your kids to slow down and enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery in the U.S.
Find your rafting vacation here
4. Active:
Are you an active vacationer or a sit back and relax vacationer? Are you one type while your spouse is the other? For some sitting in the sun with a drink in their hand for hours on end is a dream vacation while for others (like me) that is a bit slow to really be enjoyable. On a great rafting vacation like the Rogue or Lower Salmon Rivers a traveler can have both. On the Lower Salmon paddle rapids all day giving your brain and your arms a good workout before relaxing in the sand and sun for a few hours with your beverage in hand at camp. Go home with a vacation you're proud of, one that wore you out but also rejuvenated and cleared your mind.
Find your rafting vacation here