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Rouge River Bata

4K views 10 replies 10 participants last post by  boogercookie 
#1 ·
Hey Buzzards. I'm a Colorado based rafter living in Bellingham WA for awhile. Thinking of doing a Rogue River run this late spring / early summer. Anybodu have advice / beta / good stories they want to share. Right now I have a 17' cat and 4 people and wouldn't mind company if anybody wants to team up (obviously you would need your own boat). I'm planning a three day self supported trip. I have all the community gear needed . Rivers are risin - time to gear up
 
#2 ·
i'm assuming you know you need a permit...have fun, it's a special river...lot's of good camping, and side stuff...miner's cabins, etc...as far as rapids go, pay special attention to wildcat and blossom bar...blossom has a line of rocks (basically a sieve) near the top aptly named the "picket fence" and more than a few people have gotten into fatal trouble there...
 
#3 ·
In April i believe the Rand Station opens. They post openings at 3pm each day and you have to call in early AM. If you are only going four and you want someone to join, get all the permits you think you might need if avail. Easier to cancel then to try and scrap up more

If you go over a weekend in June i may join you
 
#5 ·
Rogue is my back yard river. It is runnable all summer long. The Permit system is user friendly. it's based on the number of people not by launches. This means if you have a party of 8 you must pick up 8 permits. Fortunately people often have more permits then they need so they put them back up. As permits become available you can pick them up by phone and accumulate the number you need. It is helpful to have every member of your party calling for permits, if you have extra you can turn them back.

No-shows happen when a party fails to pick up their permit on their launch date or a party shows up with fewer people in their party than listed on their permit. Day before cancellations occur before 3 p.m. on the day prior to launch, and are published on the website.
These float openings are given out in the following manner: first to those signed up on the wait list and in person at the Rand Visitor Center on the actual launch date at 7 a.m., and second to those persons who telephone us on the actual launch date at 8 a.m. Parties receiving no-show permits must launch their trips on that same day.

June has availability nearly every day it is usually easy to get permits, August is tougher you must be much more patient and flexible on your launch date; call in first thing in the am. In the past they post the permits dates that are available on the web; I assume they will do this year as well. If you understand the system and are patient you can usually get a permit, especially for a mid week launch.

If you have never done it before Blossom is a must scout rapid. Make sure you know where the fish ladder entry is at Rainie falls, one boat at a time it is crash and bash somehow you always make it through the narrow passage but your have to ship your oars and you may wind up backwards. Be prepared to help people get unstuck especially cats, we post someone about midway to help free boats and whistle when the passage is clear. At low water the middle chute is easier but you really need to know exactly where to enter or you will go over the falls. At low water someone can stand there helping you to line up, this is not the case at higher water. Lots of bears, but they have electrical fence exclosures at the campsites, use them.
 
#6 ·
Permits are pretty easy to get for any date, because there are many cancellations and no-shows. A bit tougher in July & August, but easy in the time-frame you're talking about. Just watch the website that is mentioned above every evening. When something shows up on a date you want, call at EXACTLY 7:00 the next morning, and keep re-dialing until you get through.

Even if you go to the river without a permit, you can check-in for no-shows. Each day's no-shows are given away at 7:00 the next morning to those who are there in person, and have signed-up the previous day.

On your first trip, you're probably going to spend some time scouting rapids, so allow AT LEAST four days to go from Almeda Bar to Foster Bar. Get the Quinn-Quinn "Handbook to the Rogue River" if you want a rock-by-rock description of the rapids.

It's important to know that there are no campsites between Russian Rapid and Big Windy Creek. Plan your trip so that you don't go past Wildcat Rapid late in the day. If you do, you'll have a long way to go before you get to Big Windy.

The take-out can be chaotic at Foster Bar. Consider taking an extra day and going to "Q-Creek" about 12 miles downstream; but if you go past Foster Bar, expect afternoon headwinds.

Respect Blossom Bar. Watching videos on YouTube might be helpful. If you aren't adept at making eddy turns, practice and become good before you get to Blossom. It isn't difficult, but it is pretty unforgiving.

This is, without question, one of the best short river trips anywhere.
 
#7 ·
I love the Rogue. Probably done it 40 plus times. I am usually the lead boat. I may be interested if you can tell me more of a specific date. I plan on getting a cancellation for about 5-8 people on July 2. Use Sharon from Affordable Shuttles for your shuttle. Tell her Mark Henry recommended her. She is the cheapest and does a great job. We usually get to Almeda Campground the afternoon before you launch and rig your boats. Then go to Galice Resort for dinner and breakfast the day of launch. I believe the owners name is Debbie. She is great. We used to do the river in 3 days all the time. Now we take 6 days and have 2 layover days. I think most privates do layover days on the Rogue. You may be as old as me. I am 63 years young and still a good class 4 boater. I may do the Middle Fork on May 15th. We'll see what happens. It is a good idea you have to get someone to go with you, especially if you have 4 people and all your gear on one boat. That ain't safe on any river with a class 4 on it. I have tons of gear also.
 
#9 ·
The Rogue is interesting in that it gets much harder at lower water, particularly below 2k, as the rocks emerge and you wind up rowing a lot.

I don't really like running it in three days, but only because you constantly feel a time pressure that defeats the purpose of being on vacation.

Blossom is a mega rock dodge with several moves to make. I'd love to say I've greased it, but that'd be a lie. I think I've hit at least one rock every time now. The entry is the key move. Start about 10' off the left cliff, then rotate your stern to point about 45 degrees from straight down river. Wait until you pass the first couple of mini waves (the rolls), then start pulling back for Jesus as soon as you won't clip your ass on the f-you rocks on the right. The key is the timing: too soon and you'll bounce off the center into the picket fence, too late and you're done. This should put you into the eddy in the middle, where you'll continue rotating into the middle channel. From here, it is all frogger.

The other section worth mentioning is Mule Creek Canyon. It's mostly just a ricochet section. Clip the inside of the first four corners to stay out of the holes lurking next to the walls. Once you are past there, just be reactionary as you go through the next half mile of very narrow walls, concluding in coffee pot. Don't go for a swim, and don't hit the walls too hard. Once you see the awesome waterfall on the left, you can relax for the next mile and a bit. This ends at Blossom Bar. Here is one of my runs there:
Mule Creek Canyon Rogue River 7-19-2010 - YouTube

I'm writing this backwards, but the first major rapid you come to is Rainie Falls. There is a sneak line on far right called the fish ladder, but I've struggled to get my 16' raft into the lane at 8k (I was getting rejected into the middle until I just beached it on a rock to stop the clock). Normally I just man up and run the meat. It isn't that hard and it generally works. There is a marker rock about 100' upstream of the main drop. Pass just to the right of that, then push towards the big boil (6-8' tall!) on the left below the drop. You'll ride up the boil, then slide off to the right into the exit current. Remember to hold on!
Rainie Falls 7-17-2010 Helmet Cam and Falling Out - YouTube
 
#10 ·
Hey Buzzards. I'm a Colorado based rafter living in Bellingham WA for awhile. Thinking of doing a Rogue River run this late spring / early summer. Anybodu have advice / beta / good stories they want to share. Right now I have a 17' cat and 4 people and wouldn't mind company if anybody wants to team up (obviously you would need your own boat). I'm planning a three day self supported trip. I have all the community gear needed . Rivers are risin - time to gear up
I'm headed down in a week.2 nights 3 days is plenty and of all rivers to one boat float this is it. My best advice is pull your coolers at night bears will/have shread boats, rainee is hard right and blossom is enter left take your first right and then hang a left staying in the mid. channel go left of the big rock at the bottom. Have fun!
 
#11 ·
You don't need a permit before may 15. You just have to stop in a Rand and let the BLM know you will be on the river. No time or party limit. Affordable Shuttles is a good service. BearCamp road is likely still snowed in , so you'll have to go through California 3.5 hr trip.
Bear fences may not be up yet, but I've never had a problem as long as we keep camp clean.
Have fun
 
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