Added one, created two and lost one on the Rogue River whitewater trip!

Johanna is as much a water dog as I - I could tell when she arrived with her own tahiti and a life vest! Ed and Shannon had a blast! Any time I looked back at Shannon all I could see was her beaming smile. I asked if it was a smile or grimmace - with a laugh she confirmed she was having a great time! Although this was Ed's first time on a river he made everything look effortless - no matter what the rapid looked like he never seemed the least anxious. In his quiet way he said he's in for any whitewater trips I plan.

Nancy is not a whitewater person. My tipping over and swimming the first real rapid out of Hellsgate Canyon (this year it is much more powerful than any other year I've done this section making it a "real" rapid rather than a riffle) had her looking for the way back to the car. She made it though the rapid herself just fine but watching me going under water a few times unnerved her. I told her I was just 'demonstrating' how to swim a rapit (an unplanned demonstration!) but she wasn't going for it. So we deflated her tahiti, packed it in one of the other IK's, and she rode with me in mine until we got to Galice Resort.

Rather than shooting the rapid's and going in at the boat ramp we beached the IK's upstream of the Galice Resort and I walked Nancy across the gravel bar. The rapids we'd run just previous had undone her last nerve and I was afraid to try to take her down what is normally a rather narrow shoot and around a bend. Walking through rattle snake alley was preferable...I didn't tell her the area's nickname until that evening. I just told her to really watch her footing - we didn't want a twisted ankle!

When I returned to the river bank Ed, Johanna, Shannon and I continued down the river. The shoot just prior to the Galice boat ramp is washed out due to the high water! I could have gotten Nancy around the bend without subjecting her to more whitewater!

There were surprises all day! Familiar rapids gone, new ones in unexpected places and the force stronger than usual in the normally dicy rapids below Chair Campground. The biggest shock was seeing the tourist jetboats from Grants Pass at Galice Store! The store clerk said that started last year! And this year with the high water they are going almost to Graves Creek boat ramp. These are the "little" jetboats - they only hold 36 people! Sure messes with the peace and tranquility of the trip when they come roaring up.

I didn't take a camera since I was going with 4 novices so there aren't any pictures. Maybe next time. We are considering a North Umpqua run later this week. The July 19 plan to go on the Klamath River was "smoked out". There are 16 fires burning in the Trinity-Shasta area and all the smoke seems to be coming our way.

Enough for now... hope everyone is enjoying what they are choosing to use this day of their life to do!