12 Summer 2016 Applegater
“There are serious consequences
if you mess up.”
■ WANT A THRILL
Continued from page 1
equipment). “The sport for the terminally
stupid,” says paraglider Norm Young. But
if you can keep your good sense, he says
(and if you are not faint of heart), “the
sport is lovely, allowing you to experience
our world at its most beautiful.” Woodrat
Mountain, near Ruch, is so world-class a
site that “Ruch is to paragliding as Vail
is to skiing,” Norm says. He cautions
would-be pilots about two things:
“Don’t be bold. There are no old bold
pilots. And be careful of AIDS: Aviation
Induced Divorce Syndrome. The sport is
addictive!”
Spelunking. Shasta Lake
caverns, limestone caves in the Marble
Mountains, Pluto’s Cave on Mt. Shasta,
Lava Beds National Monument—
caving opportunities from the Applegate
abound. At Lava Beds National
Monument, a novice spelunker can
take easy trails through caves with high
ceilings and smooth floors, but those
who prefer tougher stuff can enter caves
that demand crawling and complete
safety gear.
White-water rafting. For the
faint of heart or not—it all depends
on the conditions, says Sue Orris, who
has rafted in Nepal as well as in the
Siskiyous. “You have to be so present
and in the moment,” she says. “There
are serious consequences if you mess
up”—which is exactly why she loves
rafting. Among the good white-water
rivers accessible from the Applegate are
the Illinois, the Klamath, the Scott in
northern California, and Ikes Run on
the Klamath River.
Hiking. Even the faint of heart can
hike a trail, if it isn’t too steep or doesn’t
have bears, but to hike off-trail ups the
ante. “You have to trust your bearings,”
says Louann Faist, a valiant hiker from
Williams. She lists several dangers:
missing a turn because the downhill
return is faster than the uphill trudge,
steepness, bushes that scratch sartorially
unprepared legs and put the hiker off-
bearings when he or she has to find a
Applegate R i ver
GOLF CLUB
The
The
place
place
where
where
families
families
play!
play!
Photo, top: Sue Orris rafting at Blossom Bar on
the Wild and Scenic Rogue River (photo: Mary
Korbulic). Photo, bottom: Ziplining on one of the
five lines at Rogue Valley
ZipLine Adventure near Gold Hill.
way around them. Louann recommends
Mungers Butte for the not-faint-of-heart.
Ziplining. A thrill, but maybe one
for the faint of heart. The Rogue Valley
ZipLine Adventure, near Gold Hill, has
entertained children as young as eight
and elders as old as 90. “It’s adventurous
and fun,” says owner Lindsey Rice. The
first of the five lines is “no fear, just fun.”
The fifth line, a quarter-mile long and
300 feet high, provides fantastic views
and a big thrill.
Bungee jumping. This not-for-
the-faint-of-heart sport, developed by
the Oxford University Dangerous Sports
Club in the late 1970s, isn’t available
in the Applegate. “The only place for
bungee jumping in the Applegate is
off bridges,” Darryl Rasmussen says,
“and it’s illegal to jump off bridges in
Oregon.” The one exception is the High
Bridge over the Crooked River at Peter
Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint
in central Oregon, where the free-fall is
250 feet into a beautiful 300-foot-deep
canyon. Oregon Parks and Recreation
first allowed bungee jumping there in
2015. The 2016 season opened in May
and runs through mid-October.
Perhaps one of the members of
that Dangerous Sports Club, renowned
mountaineer Geoffrey Tabin, best
expressed the attraction of these sports.
“It’s not thrill seeking,” he says, “but
a lifelong quest to maximize life’s
Darryl Rasmussen, manager of
Northwest Outdoor Store, rock-climbing
at Rabbit Ears by Union Creek.
experiences while maintaining deep
respect for the physical and human
landscapes encountered along the way.”
Diana Coogle
dicoog@gmail.com
Note: If you saw the Courier article in
April with a similar title, please know
that we’ve been working with our title for
months and are convinced it was leaked.
Where to find them
Bungee jumping. Central Oregon
Bungee Adventures: 541-668-5867 or
www.oregonbungee.com.
Hiking. Luke Ruediger’s book, The
Siskiyou Crest, has a number of off-trail
possibilities.
Paragliding. Contact the Rogue
Valley Hang Gliding and Paragliding
Association (www.rvhpa.org). Norm
Young is president.
Rafting. Many outfits available in
southern Oregon. Sue Orris’s is called
Ferron’s Fun Trips: www.roguefuntrips.
com, 800-404-2201.
Rock-climbing. The Northwest
Outdoor Store in Medford has a number
of books to help you get there. Visit
http://thenorthwestoutdoorstore.com
or call 541-245-4000.
Spelunking. Lava Beds National
Monument: www.nps.gov/labeds.
Ziplining. Rogue Valley Zipline
Adventure: info@rvzipline.com, 541-
821-9476 or https://rvzipline.com.
Single, Couple and Family
Memberships Available
Carol
Milazzo
Senior and Child Discounts
2 for $20 HAPPY HOUR GOLF
Debbie Tollefson
Don Tollefson
Principle Broker
Owner
Principle Broker
Owner
Broker
Everyday after 1pm All Summer Long!
541-973-9184
541-973-9185
541-415-1844
Not valid during league play or with any other offers.
Must call ahead to reserve tee time. Offer starts June 1, 2016.
“We Focus On Relationships, Not Commissions”
• Driving Range • Power Carts • Pro Shop • Café
• League Play • Tournaments • More!
Come visit us at our
7350 New Hope Road • Grants Pass, OR
541-955-0480 • applegategolf.com
Courtesy of the Grants Pass Daily Courier.
Best Bang for your Buck!
NEW LOCATION
Ruch’s Sunshine Plaza
(next to Ruch Country Store)
Applegate Valley Office
Jacksonville Office
7380 Highway 238 Ruch, OR
935 North Fifth Street / Jacksonville, OR
Next to the Ruch Country Store
By the Gas Station
541-261-0949
541-218-0947