The Chetco River flows from the heart of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. It is most famously known for it’s clear as glass water clarity and scenic river canyon. It’s most commonly done in inflatable kayaks at low (less than 1,000 cfs) flows. It is quickly capturing the attention of whitewater kayakers and is a wilderness expedition…
Sundance Kayak School: Year In Review
2013 was an exciting year at Sundance! We had an amazing year filled with new adventures and class offerings, combined with an extended teaching season. We met many incredible people, saw some old friends and watched beginner kayakers “catch the whitewater bug”. Here are just a few of the highlights: ACA Instructor Certification Classes JR…
Recap: 2013 Wind River Festival
The Wind River Festival can be described as CHAOS. Chaos in the form of a mass start as paddlers leave the Starting Line together, and rally downstream all at once. Such was the case the last few years, and one could only continue the tradition in 2013. The Upper Wind River is considered Class IV/IV+,…
Taylor Creek – a magical tributary to the Rogue River
Taylor Creek is an exotic tributary of the Rogue River. It flows into the recreational section of the Rogue near Morrison’s Lodge. It also happens to be the place where Sundance’s beginner schools train throughout the summer. While on a boating safari this spring, Zach Collier and I visited the Smith River in Northern California….
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…
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…
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…
Life’s Good on the Hood
When I think of running the Hood River, I think of its cold waters, beautiful scenery and the challenging yet friendly collection of runs (ranging from easy class III to class IV/V playgrounds). The headwaters drain from the snowy and scenic north and east slopes of majestic Mount Hood. Because water levels depend on both…