PAGE2A14,2KEIZERTIMES,2OCTOBER227,22017
Songs of the Rogue
by2G.I.2Wilson
Three rugged, rubber rafts
shoot into the jaws of the Class
IV rapids. This is not your “av-
erage run of the river rapids,”
but the Rogue River’s noto-
rious Blossom Bar, known to
avid rafters ‘round the world.
On board are fi ve Sweet
Adeline ladies that have com-
peted for regional and national
titles. They cinch up their life
jackets and brace for the white
water thrill of their lives.
When they enter Blossom
Bar, there are three baritones
and two leads on board.
After weaving through and
dodging numerous boat-eating
boulders the size of Hum-Vees,
hitting curls of white water
several feet high, fi ve tenors
exit the other side, speechless,
soaked to the core, with pound-
ing hearts that seem to drown
out the sounds of the current.
By now the ladies are be-
ginning to feel like seasoned
rafters. They have experienced
the excitement of Mule Creek
Canyon; its deadly Coffee Pot
(that has claimed more than its
share of boats and rafts), Jaws
and The Narrows (a passage
where this powerful river fun-
nels through a gap so narrow
that raft oars can touch both
sides of the rock cliffs towering
above), Slim Pickens Rapids,
(named for the actor), and of
course, the original Zane Grey
cabin.
Planning this trip begins
with Jo Wilson of Keizer. She
had made the fl oat two times
with family and friends.
After getting the other four
ladies excited about the trip, she
contacts Jon Beilstein of Ore-
gon River Outfi tters in Shaw,
Oregon.
Beilstein has been fl oating
the Rogue for 30 years. He has
three permits a year, July, Au-
gust and September. Jo is lucky
enough to get the August trip.
The fl oat begins at Graves
Creek, near the small commu-
nity of Galice. Temperature is
hot and smoky due to a mon-
ster forest fi re some 60 miles
away.
Greys Creek empties into
the Rogue in a semiarid set-
ting, rolling hills, dotted with
black oak and fi r. As they fl oat
downriver, fl ora will slowly
transition. Oak and fi r will be
joined by the unique barkless
Madrone. As the river carves
its path through the heart of
the Coast Range, mountains
become steep and rugged. Old
growth Douglas fi r becomes
the predominant species.
Marty Moretty and Kathy
Jensen, of Canby, will be in the
raft with Jon B.
Jean Hillman, of Tualatin,
and Joyce Peters, of Canby,
will be in the raft with John
Hortsch.
Jo Wilson, of Keizer, will be
in the raft with Steve Beilstein,
Jon’s son. Steve has grown up
running the Rogue.
The Rogue Wilderness is
home to numerous wildlife
species. Rafters may see black-
tail deer, black bear, turkeys,
bald eagles, water fowl, the elu-
sive river otter, and for the little
guys, pond turtles and salaman-
ders. This is wilderness country.
These animals have never been
hunted by man.
Excitement is high. Four of
the ladies have never been on
a wilderness fl oat before. This
will be four days on the river,
and three nights with tents and
cots. Some of those nights will
be in bear country.
First camp is a learning ex-
perience for the ladies. Lawn
chairs are set up for the ladies
fi rst. After boats are unloaded,
Jon says, “Okay, girls, time for
me to a potty train you.” They
follow him a distance from
camp and he introduces them
to the “Honey Bucket” and
riverside etiquette.
Actual travel time on the
river is relatively short each
day. Breakfast has to be cooked,
dishes washed, tents taken
down and everything packed.
Jon likes to be off the river
by 3 p.m. at the latest. Although
the number of river permits is
limited, popular camp sites fi ll
up quickly.
River travel is ‘tough’ for the
ladies. The guys cook and serve
meals, wash dishes, take down
and pack tents and cots.
Riverside lunches are kept
simple. The guys set up a table
and the ladies actually have to
make their own sandwiches.
Evenings are even tougher.
Campsites selected, the guys set
up a table for hors d’oeuvres,
and ice for adult beverages.
While the guys set up camp,
tents and Honey Bucket, the
ladies relax with the substantial
cache of wines, beer and tequi-
la they have packed.
Jon is a meat and potato
kind of outfi tter. Eggs, pota-
toes, ham, bacon or sausage and
fruit cup for breakfast. (Usu-
ally serves the ladies blueberry
muffi ns with their coffee and
tea before breakfast.)
Dinners are tri-tip, chicken
and pork, with potatoes and
veggies, and fresh salad. Jensen
is a vegetarian. Jon has planned
an excellent menu for her.
After dinner dishes are
washed and put away and ev-
Submitted
Jo2Wilson,2Marty2Moretty,2Kathy2Jensen,2Jean2Hillman2and2Joyce2Peters2rafted2the2Rogue2Riv-
ers’s2Blossom2Bar.2
eryone can relax.
Jon brings out his “special”
treat; a shot of Firehouse Apple
Crisp (white lightening) com-
plemented each evening with a
different fl avor of Oreo cookie:
peanut butter, chocolate mint
and red velvet. Needless to say,
a fi rst for the singers.
Day two, the ladies wake
up to clear skies. No smoke.
They can fully appreciate the
river and wilderness. They see
their fi rst bald eagle and black-
tail deer. Clear, cloudless skies
mean evenings without city
lights and time to explore the
wonders of the sky we rarely
see.
After watching the moon
set, the group has fun identify-
ing the planet Venus, the Milky
Way, Big Dipper and Vega,
rudely interrupted frequently
by planes and satellites.
Day three, Jon warns the la-
dies that around midday their
peace and tranquility will be
interrupted by the roar of jet
boats and passengers, reaching
the turnaround point of their
104-mile round trip.
“It’s plenty hot to bring out
the water cannons,” Jon urges,
with a chuckle. “Challenge the
boats to a water fi ght.”
“River etiquette is, ask them
if they want to get wet,” Jon
explains. He conveniently fails
to add that the jet boats have a
surprise waiting.
Give them a water gun and
90-degree weather, and women
become little girls and the wa-
ter fi ght begins.
When the fi rst jet boat ap-
proaches they politely ask,
“Would you like to get wet?”
They decline. Next boat glee-
fully agrees, and promptly gets
squirted.
Skippers wait for this mo-
ment. He spins the stern toward
the rafts and hits full throttle.
The rafts disappear in a rooster
tail of water, drenching the la-
dies.
Camp three will be the eve-
ning the ladies sing for the guys.
It will also be in bear country.
A bear is spotted before
reaching camp. It is casually
wading along the river and
ignores the shutter snapping
frenzy. Another bear is spotted
across the river from camp.
It is somewhat reassuring
to the ladies that the bears are
across the river, but, next to
camp is a solar powered bear
fence to protect their food from
bears for the night.
An extra ration of drinks in
order? Maybe a double shot of
white lightening?
All of a sudden we have fi ve
tenors again.
Day four, is an easy fl oat
for guys on the oars. There is
enough current to push the
rafts along at a good pace. Wild-
life seems to be limited to the
occasional blue heron, stalking
small fi sh and frogs along shore.
Unfortunately, the smoke
has returned. Foster Bar, the
take-out, is reached before
noon. This means work for the
guys, defl ating rafts, packing
supplies and disposing of four
days of trash.
For the ladies; back to the
real world. No more being
waited on “hand and foot,” a
ten-mile drive to the motel and
most important, hot showers.
Nothing is quite as peaceful
and fulfi lling as fl oating down
one of the most pristine rivers
in the world. Mother Nature
dressed in her fi nest. The “stuff ”
wilderness dreams are made of.
Our singers have spent four
days fl oating through towering
cliffs, rugged mountains draped
in old growth timber, seen deer,
bald eagles and black bear in
their native habitat, unafraid
of man, and experienced the
thrills of countless Class III and
IV rapids.
These are the many songs of
the wild and scenic Rogue.
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