Stories from the Road – Rogue River, Oregon
By Johnny Stanzione
Three weeks after I turned nine, my parents and I take a four-day river trip on the wild and scenic stretch of the Rogue River, in southwest Oregon. Wild and scenic rivers are free-flowing (have no dams) and protected for their remarkable scenic value. There was a wildfire in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, which had been burning for several weeks. We’ll have to paddle through the fire zone on the first day. A number of trips have already been canceled due to the wildfire, and we have to figure out if we are going or not.
The trip organizers and guests make the decision to go, but on the condition we have a very long first day, about eighteen miles to travel, so we can get through the whole burn area and camp in a safe bank of the river.
Everyone is quiet when we put in early the first morning. I think we’re all a little nervous. The river water smells fresh and piney, but the air is warm and smells like ash. We see smoldering logs and debris on the riverbanks. Luckily, it starts to rain midmorning; we can hear the crackling logs, hissing soil, and raindrops tapping on the water. It feels primal, like it could have been the 1800s.
We get to our camping spot on the bank by late afternoon. Phil and Mary, the guides, instruct us to have everything well organized and packed so that if there is a flare-up, we can depart downriver quickly. That evening, the sun looks hot pink through the thick smoke, and the air is still.
This is an odd start to the trip for sure, but I’ve learned you have to push through your fear sometimes, and once you are immersed in the adventure, it will be amazing. And it is. The next morning, I get my kayak roll working really well, smoothly flipping my capsized boat back up using a paddle sweep across the water and a strong hip snap.
The kayak roll is a necessary whitewater skill so you don’t have to “wet exit” and risk losing your boat or paddle, slowing the group down, or ending up in sketchy water. Phil tells me I’m ready to paddle in my own boat, and I paddle all the class III rapids on the Rogue River that day and the next. Pretty big water for me!
I help make crepes for dinner, get my toenails painted (a good river-rat practice), and hang out with the hilarious crew. I dunk in the cool water in the evenings and see sturgeons and other fish. I even see a juvenile black bear on the third day.
Paddling on a river during a wildfire is like being in a sanctuary. It’s beautiful, and I feel brave.
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