A gift of nearly $20,000 was given in honor of Kelley Kalafatich to the National Transplant Assistance Fund (NTAF) and Catastrophic Injury Program. The idea of additional whitewater rafting trips as fundraisers is under consideration and suggestions are welcome.
… at least not on some of our favorite California rivers. These rivers have dam-controlled water releases and will have fun flows into September: The Tuolumne River, the South Fork of the American, and the Middle Fork of the American River.
The Merced River near Yosemite National Park is dependent on Sierra snowmelt – and it will most likely run until near the end of June.
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Video taken at the Mule Creek Canyon section of Oregon’s Rogue River, known as the “land of the lost” boils. O.A.R.S. Marketing & Partnerships Director, Steve Markle, Operations Manager, Tyler Wendt and David Moryc, Director, American Rivers’ Go Wild! Initiative, as well as journalists, guides and assorted friends, recently had the honor of sharing time together on the Rogue. For a detailed report of their trip… see Down The Lazy River.
blog.oars.com/wp-content/uploads/Rogue 157(1).mov
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It’s not always about whitewater rafting and adventure travel here at O.A.R.S.
WHAT?
A two-night acoustic fundraiser for W.I.L.D. (Wilderness Institute for Leadership Development) featuring Patrice Pike (with guitarist Matthew Johnson), Jim Brunberg*, Megan Slankard, Garett Brennan, and D.W. Brandt*.
(*Note that Patrice, Garett, and Megan will play both nights [different sets], while D.W. Brandt will play only on Wednesday the 11th and Jim Brunberg will play only on Thursday the 12th.)
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O.A.R.S. Founder and President, George Wendt, has returned to the office from his recent Yampa River trip. It was his first whitewater rafting trip on the Yampa River since 1965 when he and his traveling companion narrowly escaped tragedy.
In May and June of 1965, heavy rains fell on the Warm Springs watershed 17 out of 21 days, and the ground became super saturated.
George and his friend, Bruce Julian, were on a private boat trip on the Yampa during this time. On the afternoon of June 10, they had ducked into a cabin – Gardner’s Cabin at Warm Springs Draw – to protect themselves from the onslaught of rain. Realizing the futility of trying to stay dry in such conditions, they determined it best to continue downriver.
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California whitewater rafting trips for singles? Single and looking for adventure? Check out the USA Today for details.
Big water and kindred spirits… a recent report from the field about the Yampa River rafting trip to raise funds for and celebrate Kelley Kalafatich…
The following was taken from the Kelley Kalafatich blog. The full report can be found here: http://checkonkk.blogspot.com/
The trip had it’s challenges, with the highest water seen since 1983 (the river peaked at around 25,000 cfs on the 3rd day) and unseasonably cold and wet weather. But frankly this just added to the overall experience in its own way. If you have never been, the Yampa River is an absolutely stunning river canyon, second only to the Grand Canyon in my estimation for visual beauty, and different than the Grand in terms of its beautiful 100-year floodplain terraces where the river camps are located.
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Thanks for the HOLLA Tom Stienstra! There’s a fun, informative article on California whitewater rafting found in the online version of the San Francisco Chronicle – the SFGate.com. As Stienstra mentions, for the highest flows – go now!
The Merced River near Yosemite National Park – a free flowing river – may have just another week or so left in the commercial boating season. (Folks in kayaks or inflatable kayaks could probably eek out another couple of weeks.) Don’t let the opportunity pass you by – it’s a super fun and accessible river with bouncy, splashy rapids.
The Tuolumne River (also very near to Yosemite National Park) will run all summer and into September.
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A couple of weeks ago, we had some folks from the O.A.R.S. HQ head up to Oregon for a Rogue River trip. Southern Oregon’s Rogue River was among the first to receive Wild and Scenic status. To honor the river’s historic importance and to kick off the 40th anniversary year, O.A.R.S. recently launched a special dory expedition, including David Moryc, Director, American Rivers’ Go Wild! Initiative, Steve Markle, O.A.R.S. Marketing and Partnerships Director, Tyler Wendt, O.A.R.S. Operations Manager, as well as a team of guides, guests and international members of the press.
O.A.R.S. has been collaborating with American Rivers for more than a year to promote the 40th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. American Rivers, founded in 1973, is the leading national organization standing up for healthy rivers so communities can thrive. They currently claim more than 65,000 members and supporters nationwide.
Tyler Wendt, our Operations Manager, had this to report: “What a great trip! The river was really running high, which washed out most of the rapids. It was a favorable flow for assisting our deft dory guide Nick Grimes keep the Great Thumb (a dory) off the rocks, though. Marketing Maharishi, Steve Markle, did well during some practice "behind the sticks", demonstrating the range of his diverse skill set. (He was, however, the only involuntary swimmer of the trip, getting tossed like a rag doll from his IK in a rapid of little note.)
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Just after dinner on June 10th, 1965, a flash flood carried tons of rock down Warm Springs draw blocking the channel on the Yampa River. Within twenty-four hours the Yampa took aim and breached the dam, leaving in its wake Warm Springs Rapid, rated among the 10 biggest drops in the country. This rapid claimed the life of the first person to run it.
George Wendt, O.A.R.S. Founder and President, was on the river that day with a friend, both of whom narrowly escaped.
He recounted, “I remember it as clear as yesterday. It was June 1965. I was 23. A friend and I were making our way along a small creek bed in northwest Colorado, not far from the confluence of the Yampa and Green rivers. An incredible, torrential rain fell. We were forced to scramble for shelter in an old cabin high on the creek’s bank. But after a few minutes my friend suggested that since we were already so soaked, we might as well continue back to camp. Good thing. Less than half an hour later, in the most phenomenal exhibit of nature I’ve ever witnessed, the cabin was washed away by a flash flood. In 40 years rafting rivers ‘round the world, I’ve never seen anything like it! That day was one of the closest calls I’d ever had.”
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