Riders of the Rogue

Last year I took my boat down the Wild & Scenic section of the Rogue and had the time of my life. The combination of challenging white water and great fishing on such a historic river has a hold on me that I cannot explain. In January, I entered the lottery for permits and was granted one for last weekend - which I just completed with some fellow River Rats. The river was low and challenging - the fishing was good to great - the scenery and wildlife was spectacular.
I have a little repair work to do - my boat took a beating. It wasn't the big hard water that did the damage, it was Howard Creek (Chute #3) and China Bar that delivered a pair of permanent reminders of this trip down the Rogue. Normally these Class +II's provide a moderate challenge - but in skinny water they both had hidden rocks that pounded the bottom of my boat hard enough to take on water but not so severe that they couldn't be controlled by a generous application of duct tape.
I'll post a forum in the coming weeks of the "fix" so stay tuned - it will be better than "new" with a little help and advise from my friends.
Here's the link to the Photo Album of Slim Pickens - one of my favorites on the Rogue. Pictures by Scott Vollstedt.
http://www.woodenboatpeople.com/photo/photo/slideshow?albumId=13122...
And here are some "Good, Bad, and Ugly" pics from the trip...
GH

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Permalink Reply by Dave Z on September 30, 2009 at 5:05pm
oh wow. I'm familiar with those cracks! banging around in low water.

I bet that one made your teeth chatter!!!!!!!

Still, I'm envious, I live on the wrong coast, we have few rivers with gnarly water like that.
Permalink Reply by Greg Hatten on September 30, 2009 at 5:27pm
That one hit so hard I think I lost a "filling"... and I think I heard my boat "groan" just before we made contact. Thank goodness for duct tape!! GH
Permalink Reply by Jesse Ronnow on September 30, 2009 at 7:23pm
Greg,

Hard hits are tough to stomach. I was fishing in my boat this spring on the Madison and was foolish enough to let "not so great" oarsman row and he hit a rock broad side so hard I almost fell out of the front of the boat. No major damage as he hit right on the chine but man will I forever think long and hard about who gets on the oars.

Sounds like a great trip none the less.
Permalink Reply by Mike Dearing on October 1, 2009 at 7:53am
Wow Greg sorry to hear about the damage. I know exactly what rock you are talking about in Howard's chute. I even had a guide tell me to watch out for it and go left there, I still went right and hit it like you did, luckily I was in the Wilie and a couple of smacks with a deadblow when I got home fixed my bottom dent.

You need to build a beater boat with a stout bottom for that trip man, your boat is way to nice to tear up on fall trips down there. The other option is to boat in the early spring when the water is higher its a lot more driftboat friendlily then.

Mike

PS, nice shot going through slim pickens, I always go that way too, even in my raft!
Permalink Reply by Greg Hatten on October 1, 2009 at 1:11pm
When I build that "beater boat" it's gonna have "high sides"... my "low sider" is a little too low for that water.
GH
Permalink Reply by mitchell on October 2, 2009 at 7:45am
Greg,

which are the photo's of Slim Pickens rapids? Man he was a great actor.
Permalink Reply by Greg Hatten on October 2, 2009 at 9:06am
That whole sequence of photo's is Slim Pickens... big rock called "Plowshare" that splits the river. It's narrow on the right and real real rocky on the left... gotta go right or you'll wreck the boat at that water level.
GHhttp://www.woodenboatpeople.com/photo/photo/slideshow?albumId=1312281:Album:12596
Permalink Reply by Charles Ray Heater on October 2, 2009 at 9:25am
About 3 decades ago I ran that very same spot. My oar got caught on the granite bank and the force broke the oarlock pin and the oarlock came out of the socket and I watched as the oarlock then wiggled down the oar to the narrow part by the blade and the oarlock disappeared in the water. I didn't have a spare then, but I always do now.

Ray Heater
Permalink Reply by Greg Hatten on October 2, 2009 at 9:42am
It's a helpless feeling to have a "disabled" boat like that in the middle of a rapid... I did that same thing in Wildcat last year when I caught an oar on the nose of the "Alligator" and popped the oarlock out. As a result, I crafted an oarlock "pin" that won't "pop" through...

I learn something new every time - some lessons are more "costly" than others.
GH
Permalink Reply by mitchell on October 2, 2009 at 10:32am
I wonder though if it wouldn't be better in that situation for the pin to go ahead and pop even if you lose (gotta carry a spare or two) the pin/lock? If not would the force of the situation just rip the side of your boat apart?

mitchell
Permalink Reply by Greg Hatten on October 6, 2009 at 6:18am
Good point. I had a quick test last weekend... the force of one hit was hard enough to pop the oar up and out of the oar lock... which, to your point, is much better than cracking up the side of the boat.
GH
Permalink Reply by Robb Grubb on October 5, 2009 at 10:51am
Greg,

Sorry to see the damage on your boat. On a brighter note, it is my experience that after about the 14th moderate to major repair of a wooden boat (I have had some doozys!) you begin to appreciate the fact that the boat allowed you to travel to some amazing and grand places in a classic contraption. The cracks, splits and concussions become more tolerable, trust me...

If a piece of wood could have character, use and abuse certainly builds it.

Cheers,

Robb Grubb

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