Illionois Road Trip 2007

The Illinois River, OR

The Illinois River is a tributary of the Rogue River and flows approximately 75 miles from south western Oregon and drains a mountainous area of the Coastal Range in the southwestern corner of the state.
It rises in southern Oregon in the Red Buttes Wilderness Area near Whiskey Peak on the California state line. It flows generally northwest in a winding course along the west side of the Klamath Mountains and through the Siskiyou National Forest.

Wednesday march 29th 7:00am I'm heading out the door to seattle to meet

up with our crew. After some Starbucks for the road Claire Hews, Jon Almquist

,Nick Newhall, Steve Exe, Jennie Goldburg and myself were about to embark

on an awsome paddling jouney with great friends and amazing rivers.

Sorting our gear at the put in. Packing a kayak is an a

Nick at the put in rapid excited and getting used to a loaded boat

Portage #1 The Falls

Portage #2 The Bridge

Jennie's all smiles in the upper canyon

Warm rocks invite us for lunch

Steve heading to the Pine Flats Bistro

Home sweet home, Pine Flats.

The team was dynamic in camp form

It was a beautiful night with moon shadows cast by the almost full moon

Jon giving us an MSR clinic with a cool new stove

The dew set in hard over night, it was a wet sleep

but today we have a lighter load

Day two floating in peace before the whitwater

The Illinois valley is full of majestic groto's like this

The big Scout at Green Wall

Jon demonstrating what the new hole does to a loaded creek boat

Almquist threading through upper Green Wall

Would the real Mr. FLUID please stand up

Steve greases through the left line, Nice

More Groto's

The Illinois once again brought me back together with close friends and

one of the most classic scenic rivers I've been on. allways time to surf. Jon

getting a nice ride in the lower canyon.

North Fork Smith , CA

There are 13 miles of the North Fork Smith River in Oregon designated as wild and scenic in 1988, the two "wild" sections extend from the headwaters to Horse Creek and from Baldface Creek to the Oregon/California state line. The portion between Horse Creek and Baldface Creek is designated "scenic."
The North Fork Smith River is a relatively low-gradient river, dropping approximately 1,800 feet from an elevation of 2,900 feet in its headwaters in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness to 1,100 feet at the Oregon/California border. The North Fork flows south from the flank of Chetco Peak in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness to its confluence with the Smith River in California, creating one of the best protected river systems in the National System.

Jedidia Smith Forest

After leaving the Illinois we stayed one night on the coast then headed right

over the border to the North Fork Smith. Are group was met by our friends

Morgan and Brian who work for Sundance kayak school. After a long shuttle

and some car problems we once again put everything behind us and paddled

together down this amazing canyon.

Morgan and Brian excited to see the North Fork

Claire paddles through one of the fun class III rapids in the upper gorge

Steve, Jennie, Morgan and Brian hang out in a huge Groto style cave

Opal Creek, OR

Not far from Salem Opal Creek Flows into the North Satium Through an acient Doug fir Forest.

Opal creek is a beautiful class III-IV creek with crystal clear water flowing through amazing

steep walled gorges with fun boofs and slides. The weather was great the team strong and Opal

creek was a perfect way to end our paddling vacation and go back home and dream of mossy

canyons and plan our next adventure. Well, until next years Illinois trip.

Puting in on Opal creek

Jon Boofing the first drop, Nice Boof !

Claire eddies out below the second drop

Jennie and Chille coming in hot

Claire on one of Opals many fun drops

Morgan threads the left line Fluffy

Text and Pictures Chris Totten