The first day of my vacation and first overnight paddle camping got off Friday the 13th. Mary, Lee and I (Lisa) convoyed over to Alfred Loeb State Park about 10 mi East of Brookings to meet and camp with Cecil and Marianne. They have been canoeing for 25+ years and run the rivers KNEELING the whole time! (makes my knees hurt just to think about it!) Really nice folks to have around and a wealth of river knowledge.
We got out on the Chetco about noon. It is supposed to be a class II river, but seemed mild other than one rapid just before take out. Beautiful, crystal clear water and river banks ranging from sandy beaches to fist sized rocks. At one point we met up with a guy loading rocks into a weird looking motorized river cart/truck/vehicle to make a "rock wall" to surround his Not Appearing Up To Code Standard home. He said it was "therapy" .......... hmm.....strains of "Dueling Banjos" started drifting thru my head. Other than the almost constant wind (hint, get out on the river early) and at one point Marianne saving my a** from going into a strainer, the paddle was uneventful, therapeutic and well appreciated.
The second day we took in the main fork of the Smith River getting an early start. I was to drive shuttle and we all stopped to check landmarks for the takeout. Leaving my car there, we then headed East. About 30 seconds after getting our boats into the water I was swiftly carried to a choice of: 1.) A sheer rock wall/canyon to my right or 2.) A boulder the size of a Volkswagen (or so it seemed) on my left, with a teeny strip (or so it seemed.. it was actually probably about 3' wide.... it just LOOKED tiny compared to the other two) of high flowing water in between. I determined that to be the route I was supposed to take. It was raining so my glasses were useless if not worse and were quickly stowed away. Besides, the waves were hitting me pretty regularly in the face. This river was a BLAST!!! Kind of a narrow, beautiful canyon with old growth Redwoods, wild lilac (Blue Blossom), Scotch Broom, Lupine, etc. A wave train of about 5 in a row stands out in my mind. I think the troughs had waves greeting me about eye level or above. Like I said, glasses were moot point. Lee asked if that one was a "Class 4". (-: My new kayak "Cosmo" is SWEET!
We were out on the river about 4 hrs with it raining most of the time. I think we were all ready to get out and get warm. I flunked as a shuttle driver, having left my keys in Lee's truck. $20 later the camp host was truly a host by driving Cecil and Lee to their vehicles.
The weekend was great with beautiful water, serene river views from our campsite, good food and best of all, excellent company.
BTW.....do NOT talk on your cell phone while driving in Brookings as I learned. Now I think I'll pop "Deliverance " into the DVD........
Happy and Safe Paddlin' Chix Lisa
The technical info:
5/13/11 - Chetco River (Class I & II rapids) flow rate: 1430 cfs. (Recommended flow rate by Paddling Oregon: 400 to 800 cfs) Put-in: Low-water Bridge approx. 10 miles northeast of Alfred Loeb State Park. Take-out: Alfred Loeb State Park. For more info, consult Paddling Oregon, page 48 and/or the following link:
http://www.kayaklunartics.com/Chetco.htm
5/14/11 - Smith River (Class I & II rapids) flow rate: approx. 2600 cfs. Put-in: Follow directions to Stout Grove off Hwy 199; not too far after you leave Hwy 199 turn right into a well developed parking area. You can drive down to the river to unload. This access is above the confluence with the South Fork. Take-out: Ruby Van Deventer County Park on Hwy 197. Important info can be found at the following link:
http://www.kayaklunartics.com/Smith.htm
A harbor seal joined our flotilla at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and followed us for awhile - what a treat, as were the majestic redwoods, colorful rhododendrons, beautiful teal water, great companions! - Mary
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