Weather and streamflows made the trip exciting and unpredictable. We launched at low water, but enjoyed big water conditions by the time we entered Green Dragon Canyon. We had conditions from mid 20's and driving snow to 65 degrees, sunny, and calm. The Lower O never disappoints!
The USGS streamflows for the trip are posted to the right, as is an excerpt of Ruthy's writing. Please enjoy the slideshows and trip info.
- Day 1
- Put in at 11:40 pacific time
- windless conditions with many birds
- Camped at no name mile 9. Past hike-out camp on the left. Big gravel bar. Fast eddy.
- Day 2--great action!
- big tail wind
- Julie, Beau swimmers
- Huge winds up top blowing tumbleweeds over the canyon rim--they settled in great drifts on the volcanic talus below. Swirling in wind eddies on the way down, the weeds came to a splashy rest in the river or bombed our boats
- camped upriver from virgin bar, river left. On the high ledge with thick sage
- Day 3--battling the weather
- on the water at noon--heavy snows and cold temperatures combined with emergency boat patching to lengthen the morning
- weather broke--fun in rapids, then to camp at Ryegrass with hot springs and hikes to canyon rim. Sweeping vista; fence line visible to horizon as tumbleweeds piled high against it
- Day 4--Carnage in the Canyon
- We needed to make up for lost time. Early push off and 14 mile day.
- Water level up to 4000 cfs. Rushes and weeds in huge rafts on the river and in eddies
- Whistling Bird covered and pretty safe.
- Green Dragon Canyon--continuous rapids, choppy water, and pushy eddies. Ben swam in Squeeze--rescued just above Montgomery!
- Julie took a hard swim in Montgomery
- Beau swam in an unexpected hole below Montgomery--Carnage in the canyon!!
- Beautiful conditions to camp--little wind, nice big class II and III wave trains
- Camped at the old airstrip up from Jackson Creek
- Day 5--huge miles
- Hung prayer flags as we left camp
- big class II wave trains. Nuisance and Morcum covered--read and run at 3000!
- Nels as a C-1 boater!
- Amazing afternoon--reservior low, lots of current, warm sun, and no wind. 23 miles to Echo Rock hot springs. This was a huge disappointment until we found the real springs way up the hill! Thanks to the Keepers since ancient times...
- Reservior a waste of burdock and some other weed. But we saw a beaver.
- Day 6--mistake soak in the morning
- left at noon with only 4 miles to go. 50mph winds, driving sleet, low visibility. Cold. Arrived at Leslie with no energy left.
- Take-out, drove out of Leslie through 10 inch drifts of snow. Very muddy. Happy to arrive at the Old Basque Inn (map) for food and lodging.
