LIFESTYLES
WEEKEND, JUNE 3-4, 2017
Photo courtesy Zan Aslett
It can be hard to stay focused on loading the rafts each morning when surrounded by the stunning John Day Valley.
Photo courtesy Richie Gardner
Scanning the far hills at dusk gives you a good chance to spot a herd of California
Bighorn sheep.
Floating the John Day River
can be the best way to see
the often-scorching scenery
T
Photo courtesy Zan Aslett
Rock and sage-covered hills line much of the John Day River.
RAFTING
DESERT
he John Day River’s rafting season
is short. The scorching temperatures
of the desert valley quickly decimate
snowpack and siphoning for agricultural
production often leaves the river unrunnable
by midsummer for all but the lightest of
vessels.
So in the few weeks when it is warm
enough to sleep outside and the river is still
relatively full of water, the John Day gets
packed with an array of colorful floaters in
search of smallmouth bass and a suntan, a few
fun rapids, great stargazing and the oppor-
tunity to float lazily down the third-longest
undammed river in America.
canyon walls. But one of the joys of floating is
This Memorial Day Weekend, our
six-boat crew (three large rafts, two hard-shell the ability to tumble off the side of the raft into
the cool water whenever the thought pleases.
kayaks and one inflatable kayak) navigated
Along the way, we were serenaded by
the 70-mile Wild & Scenic stretch of river
western meadowlarks and canyon wrens,
between Clarno Bridge and Cottonwood
and watched curiously by colorful Bullock’s
Canyon. It took five days and four nights,
orioles and the spying eyes of chukars looking
although you could add or subtract a day or
down from their rocky perches. The small-
two depending on the urgency of your return.
mouth bass fishing is excellent — it’s not
But urgency isn’t something that comes
unreasonable to catch 30 in a day, and because
naturally along the float, which is marked
they are plentiful and an
by cataclysmic geology,
introduced species, anglers
astounding wildlife and
More
online
are welcome to keep and
a roadless and motorless
For video of the
eat them. There is no daily
section that leaves
rafting journey
limit and can make for
thoughts and worries of
down the river visit excellent eating.
the workaday world far
eastoregonian.com
On successive evenings
behind.
around a riverside
This year has been
campfire, equipped with binoculars, we were
an exceptionally good one for the river,
able to watch two different herds of bighorn
with flows topping out at 10-year highs and
sheep pick their way across the high ridge,
pushing through more than 20,000 cubic
silhouetted against a twilight sky. On another
feet of water per second. But by Memorial
night we watched three peregrine falcons
Day those high flows were already dropping
return to their rocky perch to fly bombing runs
dramatically, down to 4,000 cfs.
So in order to capitalize on the water while through the hoodoos and vertical columns like
fighter pilots, either looking for a last meal of
it’s in the river, the crowds were substantial.
the day or just showing off for one another.
We were joined by dozens upon dozens of
others, camping at picturesque spots along the A rattlesnake slithered through the middle
of camp the same eveening, eliciting a few
way and marveling at the valley’s remarkable
gasps, and massive elk tracks were found in
geology and sparse beauty.
the riverside sand the next morning.
Temperatures were in the 90s throughout
There are two sets of rapids along the route
most of the days, and shade on the river
that require attention. The first is Upper and
is limited to a few scarce juniper trees.
Lower Clarno, located just five miles from the
Sunscreen had to be applied liberally and
put-in, and the second is Basalt Rapids, about
hourly, but even so it prove no match for
12 miles farther downstream. Neither are
that much direct sun and the oven-like bare
THE
By TIM TRAINOR ♦
East Oregonian
Photo courtesy Zan Aslett
The leisurely float makes for excellent sightseeing and wildlife watching.
terribly difficult, but both contain holes that
could easily flip a watercraft that ventures too
close. Scout both before running. We rescued
one fisherman caught on rocks and ejected
from his catamaran, so even in safe sections
you’ll want to keep your wits about you. An
upstream wind often kicks up in the afternoon,
so if you’re trying to cover miles you’ll want
to get an early start.
Being a desert river surrounded by a
tinderbox of cheatgrass and dry sage, fire
pans are required year round and no fires of
any kind are allowed from June 1 to October
1. You are required to have a toilet system to
carry out your waste.
Floating permits are required on the Clarno
to Cottonwood section during the primary
boating season from late May to early July.
Currently those permits are unlimited, which
means the river and put-ins and take-outs can
get very busy.
It’s worth it.
■
Tim Trainor is outdoor page editor of the
East Oregonian. Send your outdoor stories and
photos his way at ttrainor@eastoregonian.com.
Staff photo by Tim Trainor
Photo courtesy Zan Aslett
The John Day River oxbows often in the 70-mile stretch between Clarno and
Cottonwood Canyon.
Rafting and kayaking allows you to get up close and personal with the remarkable
geology along the river.