Sunday, July 19th 2009

We got a late start from home on Sunday waiting for Tom Watson to play the last two holes at the British Open. We stopped at Rogue Wilderness Adventures office in Merlin before going to the hotel. They gave us our dry and day bags. We stayed at "The Lodge at the Riverside" in Grants Pass. We met Clo and Roy at the front desk. Jim and Mona were there also on their way to the Tap Rock resturaunt. All but Fred and Mary met for dinner. They were with friends in Roseburg.

Monday, July 20th 2009

Arrived at the office about 7:45AM. Fred and Mary were there. Everyone else soon followed. Everyone busily filled their dry bags and were fitted for life jackets. We boarded the shuttle bus and rode the 11 miles to the "put in" point. The owners two black labs rode along with us. Our first of many Osprey was circling over the river. We entered the river with two large supply bearing rafts piloted by Brent and Scott. One paddled raft piloted by Aaron and three inflatable kayaks "IK's". We had three guides and Lisa the wine, Sommelier. She rode the entire trip in Scotts raft. She had a cast on her dominent right arm. We saw the Osprey dive unsuccessfully for a fish. They enter the water with great force and when they exit the river they shake off water like a dog. Very cool. Cyd and I rode in the supply raft with Brent all day. We learned Aaron and Scott guided Laura Bush down the river the week before.

[Click on images to enlarge]

Monday continued...

We had lunch at Whiskey Creek. While the guides were preparing we all hiked up the creek to the miner's cabin. It is remotely accessable by four wheel drive vehicles now and was used by miners searching for gold. Several claims are being worked farther up the creek. The rafting day ended at Black Bar Lodge. We tasted our first wine. Lisa brought enough for each of us to have 1.25 bottles a day. All of the wine was produced by Spangler Vineyards, a local company. The guides prepared barbequed flank steak and salmon. By far our favorite meal of the trip. The cabins were quaint and rustic, but the beds were comfortable. The generator was off at ten. It was probably the darkest we have ever experienced. We were woken several times by what sounded like bats scratching to get hold of their perches.

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Randy's 23rd birthday. The generator came back on at 7:00. Breakfast was at 8:00. French toast, sausage, eggs and fruit for breakfast. Laura Bush stayed in cabin #6. We assembled near the lodge and were on the water around 9:15. We stopped three times today before reaching the lodge. First at Zane Gray's Cabin. Second for lunch and third at the Rogue River Ranch. Cyd and I spent the entire day in the paddle raft. We got much wetter today.

Tuesday continued...

We floated the most beautiful portion of the river today. All of the kayaks were deflated and stored before we entered "Blossom Canyon". The canyon was narrow and the rock walls shear. Unfortunatley we stored our cameras. We put out at Paradise Lodge for the night. Eight stayed out in the new building which was about 600 feet from the lodge. Cyd and I stayed in "Casey Cabin" an old second floor room attached to the lodge. Lisa set out another wine and hors d'oeuvre spread. We had chiken and ribs for dinner. Cyd and I saw a bear on the far end of the property. Cyd's first wild bear sighting. We stayed out late mesmerized by the stars and Milky Way when the Space Shuttle quickly floated directly over us and then disappeared into the earth's shadow. It was intensely bright, maybe 10 times as bright as Venus. Generator off again at 10:00PM.

Wednesday July 22nd, 2009

Total Solar Eclipse day in Asia. Today was going to be a short day on the water. Breakfast at the lodge at 8:00. I sat with a couple from Arizona on a three day trip. He had flown his plane from Arizona to Oregon. After dinner we walked about a mile up the river to Devil's Stairs Rapids in hopes of seeing a few groups manuver the rapids. We passed the hikers camp and met a young buck along the way. Returning to the lodge we were on the water at 10:30. We stopped for lunch shortly after visiting the four generals cabin site. Four generals, including Curtis LaMay, built a getaway cabin over looking the river. Fishing during the day, whiskey in the evening.