My friend and I are trying to plan out a trip to Oregon in early July. We are thinking a nice 2 night trip on a class 1-3 max river or stream where we can fish (for salmon?)and have a good chance of catching something and cooking it for dinner. we want to camp and rough it. I don’t particularly like improved camp grounds and we are hoping to find some place where we will be somewhat isolated from civilization. I have some experience in canoes and kayaks, my friend does not. we live in AZ so finding good rivers to travel down is challenging. Any suggestions? I looked at the Rogue river, and Chetco, they both look interesting but having never been to Oregon I am rather clueless. I really want to catch some salmon since I got skunked last year in Alaska.
First piece of advice
Do not take a friend who has no experience in canoes or kayaks anywhere near a class 3 river. Or class 2 as far as I am concerned - others here may disagree.
I suspect that “some experience” also means that you do not have the skills to perform a rescue in anything above flat non-moving water should your friend become pinned against a rock, or may be not even flat water. And he could certainly not get you out of trouble.
There has to be a safer way to find salmon, perhaps going in via a more challenging hike.
Agree. The lower Rogue is relatively
easy, and I recall seeing tandem canoe camping there.
The lower Chetco was always too low when I was nearby. And it is both too difficult high up and too short down farther to do camping.
You might be able to put a trip together on the Umpqua, but it isn’t wilderness, and I don’t know about the Salmon.
Zonies stay home.
Learn to paddle and learn something about the area you plan to paddle in before planning a trip.
Go paddle the Verde and Colorado with your friend before you start planning river trips.
wow
Zonies stay home? That Is about the least helpful thing I have ever heard. When I say some experience I mean I have already kayaked much of what Arizona has to offer, and it does not have what I am looking for. I am looking for easy places to go, I thought I made that clear. I also am planning on taking him out and practicing a lot on the salt river and Verde river and honing my skills between now and then. I don't want to hear don't go. That is not helpful. I appreciate your concern but let me worry about my own safety. We want some adventure in a place that is not the desert in July. I figured I could get some friendly advice from people who can appreciate that here. Perhaps class 3 is to much for him right now but I hope to change that in short order. You should also know that I am a trained lifeguard, CPR and First Aid certified and have been teaching boys scouts this stuff for years. I am not an EXPERT kayaker but do have SOME expirience. I have performed a couple recoverys in swift currents, and one rescue in the same, and several things like that in easy flat waters. I am an extremely strong swimmer, and used to play water polo. I can handle myself in the water.
Again, I need some advice and detailed info on some of the rivers up there. I will look more into the lower rogue river. I have been down the salt river when it was really just a trickle to as long as we can get down wherever you recommend it wouldn't bother me.
Oregon Rivers
Even the Rivers in Central Oregon can be a challenge, they are not to be entered into lightly. I suggest you contact a local (oregon) river rafting or kayak place and get as much info as you can about the rivers in Oregon. Even in October of last year rivers were running exceptionally fast. Please be careful
Yeah, I’ve net-scouted the Salt.
Person has to watch the USGS gauges and the snowpack sites very carefully. At the rate things are going, I’m going to be too old and feeble before I do the Salt or the Verde.
My rule is, if you can’t run the river you love, love the one you’re with. Which doesn’t help you much in Arizona, where the salmon run is slim to none.
You understand, I saw the lower Rogue in '71 from one of the jetboats that take tourists up and down. I’m sure that in off hours, the river is a pleasant camping experience with no motor noise.
My late brother-in-law and my nephew are/were crack salmon and steelhead fishermen. But the impression I got was that fishing was a sometime thing. That made it more fun in a way. Intermittent reinforcement. When I interned in Portland, two of my supervisors were salmon and steelhead specialists. They also emphasized that the days of walking over the backs of migrating salmon were over. So plan your trip for scenic and paddling quality, and throw in some fish if you’re lucky.
I’m not sure I mentioned the North Fork of the Santiam. It has campsites scattered along between Detroit Reservoir and the OR capital Salem. I did a section, saw a salmon spawning. Mostly it is manageable class 2, but avoid the Niagara section below Detroit Reservoir. Class 3+ and no joke.
I’m heading to OR this summer to paddle.
I found the book “Soggy Sneakers” to be a good overview of ww streams in the state. Another book more geared for overnight floats is “Oregon River Tours”. I picked both my copies up used on Amazon (shipped from Goodwill). I’m planning on paddling on the Deschutes River. Raft rentals are available in Maupin OR as well as shuttle services. This river has reliable summer flows but is in an arid/dry part of the state, can be crowded on the weekends and may have bigger ww than your looking for. The John Day River was mentioned as an overnight destination for canoes but I believe it is somewhat seasonal. I’m thinking there are less arid parts of the state you need to check out. I purchased BLM land maps for more detailed info once I had decided on my destination. My plan is to pick up my invasive species permit and possibly a raft (I have duckies and a kayak) once I get to Maupin OR. Good luck, from “the hills of wv”
I meet lots of “awesome” zonies
every summer.Unfortunately.
Make sure your opinion of your skills in a canoe or kayak is based on reality.
Take a look at the John Day River
and the water levels in July to see if it fits your schedule. Class of water sounds like it might work for your skill level and lack of familiarity of the area. You can “bush camp” along the river and fish for bass and other things. The rivers that drain to the coast can be tough and may not provide the camping and distance you are looking for. Salmon retention will not likely be open during July for the rivers, only in the ocean. Weather would likely be great in Eastern Oregon. You could also paddle on the Owyhee. I live in Oregon so shoot me an email if you need some other info.
Expectations
Your initial post said that you wanted to take someone with no experience thru up to class 3 moving water, and you did not indicate that you had any specific familiarity with that environment yourself. Some experience could be easily be a few runs down the green line in a creeker on a day when everyone got lucky. You didn't post a profile either.
You want to do this in a remote area where help is likely to be far away and/or hard to call.
Given your background above, you should understand why people responded with concern.
Idaho Is Closer And Better
Visit the Salmon River starting in Stanley, ID then scout for about 100 miles. There’s better scenery and ample camping.
Have you thought of paddling from Lee’s Ferry towards the dam? I saw a guy take off on a stand up. Leave in the morning and hang out in the water when hot.
not helpful
Again, this is not helpful. I have told you already some of where I have been and what I have done and dont consider myself an expert. HAVE I FAILED TO EXPLAIN THIS ADAQUATELY? I am not looking for class three the whole way down. All I am saying is that it would be ok if we hit some class three (no more than 3) stuff along the way. instead of nay saying why dont you point me in the direction of something you think we could handle in the area I am looking for? I think its unfortunate you have passed judgment on all of us Arizonans. How the hell do you expect us to get any better at it without trying and pushing the envelope? (which by the way I am not trying to push the envelope anyway, I want to stay within my (and my friends when he is more learned and practiced) known capabilities.) If all you are going to post is negative comments about Arizonans and our lack of skills, then please dont post here on my thread any more. I sincerely hope I dont run into you or people like you on my trip. it sounds like an unpleasant experience.
yes,
I did not post a profile as I dont feel its necessary at the moment.
thank you for the concern, but i am not looking for concerned citizens at the moment.
thanks
thanks for the tip, I will also look into Idaho. I am mostly wanting to get away from the desert though, so i dont really want to do anything on the Colorado this summer. I am wanting to go in a wooded pine/oak ect… type of area. Big trees, not cactus, tumble weeds and yucca.
I am not into hiking for this trip
dont want to hike, want to go on a river trip thanks.
You asked for advice…
…and then went on a rant when the advice you were given from obviously experienced paddlers was not what you wanted to hear.
Way to go!
…and so I’ll just keep my advice to myself.
Thanks for your posts
yours are very helpful, and I appreciate that.
I find it
Hard to believe that there are absolutely no rivers or creeks in Oregon that will work at all for what we want while maintaining a reasonable level of safety. I have wanted to go to OR for a long time. you’re right, I really dont want to hear “don’t go” I want to do some salmon fishing even if it has to be after the river trip and on a boat in the ocean. Cant do that in AZ. There are no Salmon here. The fishing generally is not very good here either even if you only want bass or trout. (I have had good days in the past, but generally I don’t get a lot of action on the lakes and rivers here.
thanks I will
be careful. Do you have any recommendations on a particular outfit to call? I really have no experience nor do i know anyone who does in Oregon.