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California and Oregon Rafting and Kayaking

Upper Klamath Race April 19 & 20

Friday, April 11, 2008

The upcoming Upper Klamath race is a can't miss trip since $20 entry fee includes shuttles from Ashland. For those of you that have done the Upper Klamath, the shuttle is a long one. Thank you to Next Adventure in Portland for providing the shuttle.

Safety is coordinated by 20 year UK vet Steve Walters who has recruited many other seasoned guides and to assist him. UK river runners with at least 10 years of experience on that run will coach paddlers through the lines on Saturday.

We are expecting a fun higher water Class IV level which will cover the rocks normally exposed in the summer. Saturday, April 19th is a practice day and April 20th is the actual race.

Details:

• 7 miles, Class (IV+ to V)
• Mass start by division at Frain Ranch, finish at State Line Falls.
• Divisions include; kayak, paddle raft (14 feet or less in length, 3 thwarts, 6 paddlers or less, cataraft, and unlimited.
• High water cutoff=4,500cfs, low water cutoff=1,000cfs.

• Saturday 7:30am SHARP: all competitors meet forshuttle. Meeting place = Ashland Albertsons parking lot. From I-5 south, take a right off the freeway, drive approximately 200 meters, the large Albertsons parking lot will be to your right.
  
• 8:15am - Depart for JC Boyle/Spring Island put in.
  
• 9:45am - Arrive at the put in. All competitors quickly rig boats and gear up.
  
• 10:15am - All participants safety meeting. Establish pod leaders and groups.
  
• 10:45am - 1st pod shoves off, all other pods staged and depart at 5 minute intervals.
  
• 11:45am - Stop above Caldera Rapid, river left, for a scout and snack.
  
• 12:15 - 1st pod drops into Caldera, remaining pods shove off at 5 minute intervals.
  
•  1:45 - 2:00pm - All competitors gather at take out river left below State Line for run debrief and discussion.
  
• 2:30 - Load shuttle vehicles for drive to Ashland.
  
• 3:00 - Depart take out (exact take out will be determined later but will be at or very close to State Line Access).
  
• 4:15 - Arrive Albertsons parking lot.
  
• 4:45 - Meet for food and refreshments at a venue to be determined.
  

North Fork American Race

Friday, April 04, 2008

This weekend (April 5th) is the first annual North Fork of the American Race. For more information, visit the North Fork American Race 2008 Blog.

Mistakes

Monday, March 31, 2008

Photo courtesy of Adam Farmer. He didn't take the photo, but we thank him for it.

Wind River Race

Monday, March 24, 2008

Last weekend the Oregon Rafting Team held the Wind River Race in Southern Washington. Teams from California, Oregon, and Washington showed up for the first race in the Western Whitewater Championship Series. Saturday consisted of two runs down the Wind so that the teams could learn the safe (and fast!) lines.

The official race was Sunday with mass starts for long kayaks, short kayaks, rafts, and catarafts. The winners were:

Long Boat Kayak: Joe Stumpfel
Short Kayak: Greg Mallory
Raft: Oregon Rafting Team
Cataraft: Dave Hagmeir

The race ended with a great after party with hot chili and beer. Big thanks to Tim Brink from the Oregon Rafting Team for planning and running such a great event. The next stop on their calendar is the North Fork American Race on April 5th.

The Oregon Rafting Team on Farmlands

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

We met up with the Oregon rafting team to boat the Farmlands section of the White Salmon on Saturday. We were quickly impressed with their truck label and Aire boats with a big "ORT" on them. After sliding our boats off snowy cliffs, helping kayakers get their truck out of the snow, and some Yoga poses we were on the river.

These guys definitely knew what they were doing and we were solid all day on the river. There was only one wrap on a nasty rapid called Doorbell. This was convenient for us since we were able to go over their boat (and the rock) which kept us from wrapping. After some pulling and pushing, the boat came off which gave Kevin the opportunity to tell them how he saved the Oregon Rafting Team 10 years ago in Gore Canyon. It turns out this is a different (and better) Oregon Rafting Team.

The coolest part was watching a couple of the team members run the 12 foot waterfall called Lava Falls (not to be confused with Lava Falls on the Grand Canyon). While we were portaging on the icy banks, they beautifully ran this big drop. The last few miles of the run were easy so we decided to race the Oregon team. I'm not sure if they knew it was a race, but it seems to be implied thats what we were doing. So we sprinted to the Green Truss and barely beat them to the finish. There were cheers all around!

At take out, the team had a cool system of pulleys and ropes to pull the rafts 70 or so feet up onto the Green Truss Bridge. Kevin showed them his rigging skillz and Dan heroicly threw Kevin his Snickers Bar 70 feet below.

The team was fun to boat with and we can't wait to get on the river with these guys again!

Kern River Outfitters Guide School

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Looking For a Great Summer Job?
Kern River Outfitters is accepting applications for River Guide jobs on the Kern River in the Sequoia National Forest. No experience is necessary. . . you can learn the needed skills at our professional whitewater school scheduled for two consecutive weekends April 18th - April 20th, and April 25th - 27th, 2008. At Kern River Outfitters, we offer competitive wages and great benefits including:

- An active, fun lifestyle spending the summer outdoors on the river.
- A supportive, team oriented work environment.
- The opportunity to meet and raft with hundreds of interesting people.
- Comprehensive training in swiftwater rescue skills, customer service, natural and human history.
- Discounted rafting trips for friends and family.
- Participation in company SIMPLE-IRA pension plan.
- Subsidized summer housing.
- Discounts on outdoor gear.
- The chance to work on other awesome rivers in Idaho and Oregon.
- Training and skill development in the recreation industry.

If you're interested in this exciting opportunity, please contact:
Keith Stephens
Kern River Outfitters
P.O. Box 1207
Wofford Heights, CA 93285
www.KernRafting.com
1-800-323-4234

Upper Wind Down River Race, March 22-23, 2008

Monday, January 28, 2008

March 22nd, Saturday 1st practice run @10am, 2nd practice run @1:30pm.
March 23rd, Sunday - Races start at 11am.

Class (IV+ - V). 3 miles, mass start by class at Stabler Bridge to approximately 2 miles below Climax. Take out will be river right above High Bridge. Classes include; kayak (all lengths), cataraft, and paddle raft (6 paddlers or less, boats 14 feet or less in length, 3 thwarts), and unlimited.

• To reach the put in, drive north past Carson about 8 miles. There will be a store and a road on your left (This is Stabler). Take a left, cross over the bridge, after about 100 meters take a right, stay right, and follow that road down until it dead ends at the river. Unload quickly, park your vehicle off to the side of this short access road or park back up on the main road. This is a residential area, please be courteous and minimize traffic.


• To reach the take-out, drive north past Carson, take last left before crossing High Bridge, take first right, next right, follow all the way to river (turns into dirt road). The turn off to get the take out is High Bridge Rd.


• Carson has gas, a small store, cafe, camping in the area, and cabins. Stevenson, Washington is about 6 miles away and has hotels, a supermarket, and many restaurants


• The levels to permit good racing will be 5.3-9 feet.


• If below 5.3 feet tyhe paddle raft division beomes an R2 race.

1. Saturday 1st practice run, shove off time 10am. 2nd practice run shove off time 1:30pm.


2. ~ 4pm Saturday; "debrief", snacks and refreshments near the cabin at the put in area.


3. 8-9am Sunday; race registration at the cabin near the put in. Around $10 per competitor which includes ACA insurance. Starting positions determined by who signs up first.


4. 10am racers meeting at the put in area.


5. 10:15am, safety boaters and camera crews launch. Race coordinators begin boat and gear inspection.


6. 10:30am, begin staging racers. Kayaks first in line, paddle rafts next, followed by the cats and the unlimited crafts.


7. 11am SHARP. Mass start kayak race.


8. 11:05, paddle rafts.


9. 11:10, catarfats.


10. 11:15, unlimited.


11. 12:30pm, all racers gather in eddies and on shore at the finish for final head count. Proceed downstream once the paddlers at the finish match the number of starters.


12. 2:30pm : Begin Chili Feed and Awards Ceremony at the cabin near the put in.


13. 4:30pm : Start headin home.

The 1st Annual Upper Wind River Race is part of the Western Whitewater Championship Series (WWCS) which is coordinated by the Oregon Rafting Team (ORT). All participants are required to be safe, have fun, paddle hard, and support river communities in any way possible. Questions contact USRA President Tim Brink at: nomadyellow@yahoo.com.