Rogue River Adventure

Our jet boat ride on the Rogue River was AWESOME! We did the 80 mile trip--6 hours, with some whitewater. Captain Tim did his best to make sure that everyone got real wet. We were actually in the very front row of seats, right behind the windshield, and didn't get wet at all--the water whooshed right up the windshield and landed on everyone behind us. The weather got hot, so we actually ended up standing up to catch some of the water and cool off. Captain Tim, whose second job is being a Lutheran minister, was an excellent guide. He was great at spotting wildlife, and would stop the boat and make sure everyone saw whatever it was before moving on. He was very knowledgeable about the history of the river and the plants and animals living there. He also was a jokester with a totally deadpan delivery, and also made up lots of totally outrageous "facts" about the flora and fauna. One example: the big plastic balls threaded in the power lines strung across the river (actual purpose is to alert aircraft to the presence of power lines) are filled with salt that falls out onto the water when the wind blows so the salmon that swim upriver to spawn can transition more easily from ocean to fresh water. Another example: Q: What causes foam in the river? A: Monkeys "tinkling" from the tops of madrona trees into the river. The one who "tinkles" farthest earns the right to mate with the lady monkeys. All this with a totally straight face. It was hilarious. Well, maybe you had to be there.

He also told us some interesting true (I think!) facts. The Rogue was one of the 8 original rivers to get the "Wild and Scenic" designation by Congress in the late 60's. Basically, that means that no dams could be built on it, although there were already two dams on it that were grandfathered it. Tim showed us a spot in the river called Copper Canyon where another dam was proposed and planned, blueprints completed. The dam bill and the Wild and Scenic Rivers bill were both proposed in that particular session of Congress; the river bill won and the dam plans had to be scrapped.

And oh, the wildlife! Great Blue Herons and a Great Egret, which is the largest of the egrets. Many osprey, some sitting on nests, some perched in trees and some flying over the river. Bald Eagles--a couple of mature ones, and one juvenile (looks like s small Golden Eagle--no white head till the second year)Several Columbia Blacktail Deer, which is the most common deer in Oregon. They are smaller than Whitetailed or Mule Deer, and there are more of them than the other two species put together. Their only predator is the cougar, and there are lots of cougar. Each cougar eats about a deer a week, but it doesn't seem to diminish the deer population much. A cow elk grazing next to the river. A raccoon, wading in the water, digging around with his front paws for snails or crayfish. He was funny to watch because, even though he was in water almost up to his belly, he held his tail up so it stayed high and dry. And best of all--a family of river otters; five or six of them. Tim cut the motors and we just drifted along, watching them swim, play in the rocks, and watch back at us. River otters are my favorite animal. No, more than that. If I were a Native American, on a vision quest, fasting and praying for my spirit animal to come and speak to me, it would be a river otter that would come.