Trip Report

No matter what trip Guy Santiago leads, he always makes you want to try it.&nbsp.. even when he mentions the scorpion under the burlap bag. At the June potluck, Guy, co-owner of Oregon River Sports, took us down a stretch of the John Day River with 11 kayakers. In the 69 miles from Clarno to Cottonwood, the river flows through a mixed terrain; sometimes shaded by towering basalt cliffs, sometimes meandering through green pastureland. Guy likes to make this trip in late June, when the lower water level keeps the crowds away. The river was cloudy, but Guy says water quality is much better than it was in the 70s, thanks to BLM efforts to keep cattle away from the river. (“A lot has changed since the 70s.&nbsp.. I used to have an Afro,” he quipped, rubbing his cleanshaven head.)

The trip starts with class 3-4 rapids, but eases after that. The group made the trip in six days in inflatable kayaks, paddling for 45 minutes, resting for 15, to conserve energy on the long days. Guy’s kayak was piled so high with gear (including folding chairs!) it looked precarious, but he swears he never swamped. He admitted a few “lose face” occasions when people had to walk their kayaks through shallow water.

The group was obviously having fun. We saw Jocelyn catching her first fish and using a paddle as a snake stick during a hike. “Brother Bob,” a minister, seemed to mellow as the days passed and his stubble grew, ‘til he stunned the others by letting out an expletive (deleted by Guy) on the last, exhausting day. Sixty-year-old Carleen squeezed the trip in just before having open heart surgery, so it must have been as unstressful as Guy claims.

As on Obsidian trips, they all shared expenses, planned the trip together and carpooled, keeping costs very low. Guy acts as leader, not paid guide, and as cook, which he obviously loves doing. Originally from Hawaii, he uses his mixed heritage (Filipino, Chinese, Hawaiian and more) to season his dishes. Guy shared some practical tips about gear: he prefers a barrel pump for the kayaks (fast and quiet), an Ecosave toilet system (easy to use) and he cooks on a camp stove, making no fires at any time in order to leave no trace. Water quality on the river is too poor to allow filtering, but they had no trouble carrying enough water for the whole week.

For more info about this and other Venture Trips organized by Guy, see: <a href="http://www.oregonriversports.com/venture.html">www.oregonriversports.com/venture.html</a>.