Z (11) and I had a WONDERFUL adventure hiking and rafting in the Rogue River Wilderness. Our friends C and C were able to join us which made the trip even more spectacular. The journey was a 5 night, 4 day fun filled advenzure with plenty of laughs, lots of fresh air and exercise, and wonderful conversation with new and old friends!
We used Morrison's Rogue River Adventures for our outfitter. In my usual fashion, I got wind of this being a grand adventure from a fellow mama doc's recommendation. I did just enough research to see this was a reputable outfitter and took the rest on faith. In fact, I'm just now (!!) looking up where Merlin, OR, our starting point for the trip is located- turns out it's the SW corner of OR, about 30 miles from the coast as the crow flies.
Our travel day was uneventful and we arrived at Morrison's Wilderness Lodge outside of Merlin in the mid afternoon with plenty of time to take advantage of the tennis courts, the frisbee golf, the lawn games, the lawn chairs, the roaming deer, the river views, the AMAZING fresh air and our wonderful porch where we played games and enjoyed happy hour. Dinner is a timed event, was delicious, but was a bit late for us Midwesterners so we were wiped out and went right to bed, frankly barely making it through the meal!
Note here on food: Zooey has celiac so we are gluten free and this was no problem at all. They advised we bring supplemental food which I did but it wasn't really necessary except for the fact that we were starving b/t the hours of hike end and dinner so we were grateful for our stock pile of our GF junk ;)
The mileage details are already fuzzy in my mind so don't rely on them too much. But roughly, here's how it went!
Day 1 we took a bus to the raft put in/hike starting point. Our two guides were rafting down the Rogue River, one with a gear boat and one with the paddle boat that us hikers would have multiple opportunities a day to hop on if we so chose. The Rogue River Wilderness trail goes along...surprise, surprise...the Rogue River with frequent but not constant views of the canyon and the water. The guides knew the area incredibly well. The more senior guide- whom Z and C bequeathed the trail name of "Sparkles the Unicorn" has been down this river over 700 times! It's absolutely incredible how they can read the water and make it such a smooth or adventurous ride depending on the preferences of their passengers! Because of this raft support, we needed only carry our day packs. Because I was toting around a full electric breast pump and supplies, plus the not so much needed in the end GF snacks, I was carrying a reasonable amount of weight but it was totally fine and certainly lighter than actually backpacking.
Each day there was a snack break and a lunch break- both opportunities to hop on the raft. I knew Zooey was in large part in it for the rafting and we agreed we would raft 3 of the 4 afternoons. Our group consisted of us 4, the two guides (on the water), an adult couple, and a mother/adult daughter pair. Apparently Z and C were the first kids to go on this particular trip- kids generally go on the raft only trip- and the guides admitted they were a bit skeptical of how it would go. But they immediately, day 1, saw the girls had no trouble keeping up, in fact were often the front of the pack- and brought so much fun and energy to the gathering. The grown ups all seemed to truly enjoy their presence and what they added to the group vibe. Admittedly Z and C are pretty special kids- creative, independent, helpful- and as a mom it's such a joy to see them shine and see their incredible characteristics through the eyes of other adults:)
Day 1 we hiked 5.5 miles and I took the girls on the paddle boat in the afternoon. They had an absolute blast. I loved watching their joy and enjoying the sights from a different angle. There is something absolutely magical about being in the wilderness. Not a sign of civilization except for our rafts and our people. The perfect balance of adventure but relative safety and frankly ease! The first night we stayed at Black Bar Lodge which was rustic but had beds, heat and hot showers so perfect for us! I'm a bit of a fair weather camper- I truly hate being cold and get cold so easily. So given the lows went down to 40, having an inside place was just perfect- doesn't matter how rustic it is- the rooms are just for sleeping. I actually loved that this place only had electricity for a few hours in the evening off a generator. So it really was glamping, not hoteling. This lodge is only accessible by foot and river- a true wilderness lodge- and it was magnificent. Our guides cooked dinner and breakfast for us at this lodge and they did a great job.
Day 2 was the longer hiking day- something like 15 miles for those who hiked all day. We hiked until lunch which ended up being 8.7 miles and then enjoyed the raft - keeping tabs on the hikers, warning them about a bear we saw. All in all so fun, relaxing, beautiful and enjoyable. The river water was quite cold- maybe 50 degrees? But that didn't stop the girls from jumping in and then squealing to be pulled back into the boat.
Our lodge this night was called Marial. There was a nice common room, a lovely deck on the water and totally fine rooms. This lodge is accessible by an infrequently used dirt road but is surrounded by national forest land and still felt quite remote. The lodge staff made our meals here but the communal tables kept our group feel and we did plenty of chatting with our guides and the other guests which was so fun.
Day 3 would be a very short hiking day except for the addition of an optional round trip hike to the Marial ranch which is a National Historic site. The ranch was okay. I'm not super into history, but the museum was interesting enough. The hike itself was fine but not the most spectacular by any means. But it was fun to be with our group chatting etc, and I always like miles on my feet! The caretakers of the ranch had some poorly behaving dogs/ineffectual owners which really detracted from the experience for me and I've been meaning to give that feedback to the Morrison's folks and more appropriately the National Parks Service.
Once we left the crazy dog historic site however this ended up being my favorite day of the trip. The views were SPECTACULAR. Just stunning. And quite different than what we had seen on the previous days. Considering we were walking along the same river 4 days in a row, I was stunned by how varied the scenery was- from dry river bank, to lush forest, to open fields, to rugged cliffs, to volcanic rock this hike had it all!
This day ended up feeling extra special - the scenery, the camaraderie with the other hikers. We had the very fun opportunity to watch multiple kayakers and rafters navigate down one of the most complex rapids on the river. Our guides told us a good picnic lunch spot (we packed lunches that day) where we could then watch them navigate our gear boat and paddle boat down. Well, it was even more fun because a couple private groups showed up first so we got to watch less experienced rafters scout their route and then less elegantly make their way down. The kayakers really seemed to know what they were doing and were very fun to watch. One of the kayakers looked exactly like one of the men who worked for the Oregon outfitter we used when I did a grown ups only white water kayaking trip last May- it's a small white water world esp in the 60+ age range- it probably was him! In comparison to the private groups when OUR guides made their way down this long rapid, it was smooth as silk. So confident, so competent; we all truly enjoyed watching people who are experts at this seemingly esoteric skill- esoteric to us, but obviously not for them, esp Sparkles the Unicorn who loves this river so much he's built his life around it.
Our lodging this night was SO COOL!!! Only accessible by foot, river or small plane, Paradise Lodge somehow still had it all. Rooms with all needs met, a wonderful bar, great food, incredible views from the communal hang out decks, v-ball, disc golf and a beautiful setting in a valley. Just stunning. Stunning. Our girls are that magical age where they can entertain themselves but still don't mind being with us. So after a talent show conceived of and organized by the girls but participated in by all (this was a rad group of grown ups), an impromptu plank contest, and a magnificent feast the girls went up to bed while C and I spent quality time late into the night chatting with the guides and one of the other guests. Such a great great night!
Day 4, our last day, was a bit bittersweet as we had to focus hard on not thinking about our return to real life. I love my life. I love my job. But I have such a hard time structuring my daily life in a way that allows enough nature- let alone wilderness - time and exercise. These breaks going into the woods mean everything to me and I feel incredibly lucky that I had this chance with Z and our great friends. And really this fall has been an abundance of riches because I just returned from a 7 day trail running trip in Switzerland with friends a couple weeks before this trip. So grateful.
I definitely recommend this trip and it's amazing with kids! It's a perfect mix of hiking and rafting. As long as you can hike 5 miles there are adequate opportunities to raft the rest of the miles if need be. October was a great month to go- perfect weather - I could see this being unpleasantly hot too close to summer.
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