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Difficulty: Class III, IV
Length: 10
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Trip Details - Pro Guide Training Oregon
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Meeting Time and Place:
All trip members will meet at 8:00 pm the evening before the trip begins on the terrace between the Holiday Inn Express and the Best Western Inn Grants Pass in Grants Pass, Oregon. At the pre-trip meeting your lead instructor will distribute dunnage bags, go over final trip logistics and answer any last minute questions.
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ARTA provides the following:
- Pre-trip meeting in Grants Pass, Oregon
- Transportation from Galice Resort to the river and return to Galice Resort.
- All meals from lunch on the first day through lunch on the last day
- Rafts
- Lifejackets
- Waterproof bags for personal gear
- River touring equipment, guides, helpers and cooks
You are responsible for:
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Where to Stay:
Overnight accommodations for both before and after the trip are good at either the Holiday Inn Express 800-838-7666 or 541-471-6144 or the Best Western Inn Grants Pass 800-553-7666 or 541-476-1117. Reservations should be made well in advance. There are other less expensive motels nearby, including Motel 6, 541-474-1331, the La Quinta 800-531-5900 and the Redwood Motel 888-535-8824. There are also several campgrounds in the area, including Indian Mary, 20 miles north of Grants Pass off of Merlin-Galice Road.
How to Get There:
Grants Pass is located on Interstate 5 about 55 miles north of the Oregon-California border; 6-7 hours from San Francisco, and 12-14 hours from Los Angeles. To get to the motels, take the South Grants Pass exit, (# 55), and head west towards town on Grants Pass Parkway. Take the first right onto Agness Ave. and the motels will be on your right.
Flying: United, American and Horizon/Alaska Airlines serve Medford, Oregon, about 30 miles southeast of Grants Pass. For transportation from the Medford airport to Grants Pass, contact Galice Resort, 541-476-3818 or High Country Shuttles at 888-203-8502. Due to potential delays, we do not recommend flying out of Medford the evening that the trip ends.
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Additional Information:
About the School:
Our 10-day Professional Guide Training Course is a fast-paced, active class designed to train prospective commercial river guides. While all aspects of guiding will be covered, the emphasis of the school will be on rowing and paddling in high-gradient, technical rivers and on conducting multi-day, wilderness river trips. The course will include training in river rescue, equipment maintenance, risk management, leadership, and emergency procedures as well as on-shore training in cooking, sanitation, trip planning and logistics.
The course will be highly participatory and students will assume roles of increasing responsibility as the school progresses. Throughout the course, students will play a major role in the organization and execution of trip responsibilities including planning each day's meals, itinerary, and activities. There will also be managed scenarios where students’ judgment and reactions will be assessed and reviewed. Every day will be a challenge and an adventure and loads of fun. Come prepared to pitch in, jump in, and do your share of the work. We have found that the students who put the most into their workshop are the ones who get the most out of it and are usually the ones who end up working for us. Upon completion of the workshop, students should have the experience and skills needed to be Assistant Guides on ARTA's commercial trips.
Is this course for you?
This course is designed for active, enthusiastic and dynamic individuals who want a challenging, action-packed adventure. You don't need to be a world-class athlete but couch potatoes should definitely stay home. If you are the type of person who is first to get in line to wash dishes and last in line to get out of the surf, the course if for you. Some students come to the school with a lifetime of camping and rafting under their belts, others have never been in a boat before; all have succeeded (with no correlation). A positive attitude and solid work ethic are the most important things you can bring to the school.
Scholarships:
ARTA has a limited number of scholarships available for this course. Applications are available online or through the main office and should be returned well in advance.
Descriptions of Rivers:
The 10-day Professional Guide Training Course will take place on the Klamath, Cal-Salmon and Rogue Rivers. The Klamath is a wide, low-gradient river with numerous straightforward Class II and III rapids (and one notoriously difficult Class IV rapid); perfect for getting started and comfortable in the rafts. The Cal-Salmon is a technical, steep river with lots of challenging Class III and IV rapids. Because it is road accessible, we will be able to select appropriate stretches and use light rafts. The school will conclude with a trip down the Rogue, one of the premier wilderness rivers in the west with beautiful scenery, challenging rapids and lots of wildlife. We will have fully-loaded oar rafts which will give us a good sense of commercial loads and challenges. The stretches of river that we will run are designed to increase in difficulty as your skill level increases and may change due to flows or safety concerns.
Itinerary:
Day 1: We will meet at the Holiday Inn Express and be transported by van to the Klamath (2 hours) where we will rig the rafts and launch on the river. Fun Class III rapids will highlight the day and get us warmed up. Camping will be at an undeveloped site along the river.
Day 2: We will continue down the Klamath working on ferrying and eddy catching. Dragon's Tooth rapid will provide the day's excitement. Again, we will camp along the river.
Days 3 -4: We will run various stretches of the Cal-Salmon, choosing runs that are appropriate for our skill level and camping at a base camp. The rafts will be light and more maneuverable and there will be plenty of excitement in the Cal-Salmon's technical rapids.
Day 5 We will do some dry-land exercises in subjects from boat patching to interpretation before driving to Grants Pass for Rogue preparations. We will plan a 4 day trip menu for the group, buy and pack food, transfer gear, and camp at our facility in Grants Pass.
Days 6 - 9: We will float 40 miles of the Rogue River, camping at wilderness sites along the way. Practice in rowing heavy oar rafts will be supplemented by more instruction in rescue, camp and safety skills. Major rapids such as Tyee, Wildcat, Mule Creek Canyon, and Blossom Bar are spread throughout the trip.
Day 10: We will float the last few miles on the Rogue and arrive at our take-out point in mid-afternoon. After a complete take-out and clean-up we will have a celebration dinner and graduation ceremony at a local restaurant.
After the school: We are looking for interesting, hard-working people to work for us as guides and this course is a primary source. Unless you are a total disaster, (personality-wise), you will be given the opportunity to join ARTA as an Assistant Guide (unpaid position), to further your training and prepare you for a guiding career.
Meals:
ARTA meals are well-balanced and consist of quality foods with fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables. The guides double as camp chefs and the menu includes a wide variety of dishes. Lunches usually consist of hand-foods and are served picnic-style at riverside stops. Dinners and breakfasts are cooked over an open fire and often include tasty Dutch Oven baked treats. If you have special dietary requirements or are celebrating a special event during the trip, please let us know in advance.
Drinks:
ARTA provides fruit drinks at meals. If you would like soda, beer, wine, or liquor with your dinner, please bring your own in unbreakable containers, (beer and soda in cans, wine and liquor in plastic bottles). Due to weight and space restrictions, we ask that you limit the amount of canned drinks to a moderate amount.
Weather:
The weather in Southern Oregon in June is unpredictable. You will need to be well prepared for rainy and sunny days. Rainy days will be cool (in the 60's), and the sunny days will be warm, (in the 80's). A fleece sweater, paddling jacket, pile hat, and good rainshell for camp will take care of the rainy days; a hat with visor, sunglasses and shorts will take care of the sunny days. The water temperatures vary from the low 70's on the Klamath and Rogue to the 50's on the Cal-Salmon.
Travel Insurance:
We recommend that you purchase short-term travel insurance that provides trip cancellation and medical coverage for you and your family. Please request a Travel Insurance packet from ARTA if you have not already received one.
More Information
If there are any questions we haven't answered, please feel free to contact us. Our office staff enjoys telling folks about our trips, so don't hesitate to call 800-323-2782.
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