The Little Klickitat River flows out of the desert about 30 miles east of White Salmon in the Columbia River Gorge. It is one of those special runs that only comes in maybe one day a year during extreme high water, and when it’s in, it’s on! Zach Collier and I, from Team Sundance, met…
Team Sundance: Jim’s First Kayaking Experience!
My first, and so far only, experience with kayaking took place in June 2011 with Sundance Kayak School on the Rogue River. In the past, I have taken many canoe camping trips with my son, and other members of my family. As a result I expected that although kayaking would be challenging I would pick…
Destination: Fern Ridge Wave, Oregon
Water Levels: 1050-1400 cfs on the Long Tom River Near Alvadore Description: While feature is known as the Fern Ridge Wave, it is more of a hole. It is created as water pours over slab of slanted concrete, which at the right levels, creates a gentle, but retentive hole. It’s deepest on the river left…
North Fork of the Washougal
Yesterday J.R. and I were excited to see a new section of river so we headed out to Washington’s Washougal River. Flows were a little low, but we really wanted to do some creeking and decided to check out the North Fork of the Washougal. We were immediately impressed with this beautiful canyon and the…
Chetco River – Trip Report
I’ve always considered the Illinois to be the big brother of the Rogue. Last month, I discovered their little sister – The Chetco. This gem of a river is definitely feminine – it’s deeply beautiful and graceful. Crystal clear, emerald green water slips slowly downstream and through a gorgeous environment filled with a plethora of…
Illinois Trip Report
May has been a great month for whitewater. Last week a few of us from Sundance teamed up with our friends at Indigo Creek Outfitters for a trip down one our favorites, the Illinois River in Southern Oregon. With fantastic scenery, incredible water clarity, and amazing whitewater, the wild and scenic Illinois is a classic…
Green Point Creek Trip Report
This last weekend we kayaked the seldom run Green Point Creek, a small tributary of the West Fork of the Hood River. We’ve been paddling the West Fork a couple times a week and each time we pass by Green Point Creek we look up at the final rapid and consider paddling it. This Memorial…
Kayaking the West Fork of the Hood River
I typically work from 9 to 5 here at the Sundance office. Preparing for the season takes a lot of work. Luckily our office is minutes away from some great rivers to kayak. Close enough I can grab a few hours on the water after a day at the office. Lately, my favorite place to…
The allure of South Carolina’s Chattooga River
It’s almost summer and I can’t wait. As I wrap up my spring in South Carolina, I’m excited to get back on the road and down to the Rogue River, but I’m still a little sad to be leaving. As the temperatures here start to hover near ninety degrees, I start to get nostalgic for…
Upper Josephine Creek Trip Report
Spring time in the Kalmiopsis of Southern Oregon is a magical thing. These dynamic coastal mountains are teeming with unique flora and fauna and the pristine watersheds found within them have long been the focus of local boaters such as myself. With a warm spring rain starting to fall, I abandoned plans to run the…