Illinois River
 Poll our guides and they will tell you that this is their favorite river. . . .
The Illinois combines the lush beauty of the Rogue with the challenging whitewater of the Tuolumne and the solitude of the Selway.
Every trip is a test; a test of skill, (numerous Class IV and V rapids in a narrow, rocky canyon), a test of patience (highly unpredictable flows and wildly fluctuating levels), and a test of rain gear,(Southern Oregon in the spring!)
But, when everything falls into place, this is river trip nirvana! The water is cold and often has a glacial, aquamarine tint to it; the canyon is green and is always blanketed with a dazzling mixture of trees, shrubs, and flowers; the creeks are ubiquitous, blasting into the main river and tumbling from the surrounding cliffs; and the rapids are big, bold and knee-knocking.
This is an incredible whitewater rafting trip for intrepid adventurers only; if you get cold, scared or bruised easily, stay at home.
"ARTA has always been very good to me"
Paul Weems
ARTA GUIDE
JON RUNYEON
We relate when he talks about his first river trip, ("I knew within the first three miles that I wanted to be a guide"). We laugh when he tells about his stint as a salesman in a children's store, ("Ask me anything about diaper receptacles, pacifiers, or rattles"). And we applaud when he speaks about his plans for the future, ("I want to combine my biology and engineering degrees to restore lands and waterways that have been abused"). But we only scratch our heads when he describes his graduate work at the University of Oregon's Neuroscience Department, ("It's just basic computer modeling of synaptic transmission involving calcium diffusion through a three dimensional volume...").
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