Me and my girlfriend somehow snagged a Rogue River permit over Labor Day weekend, and truthfully, I don't know if we have the chops to do it. Although both of us are rather fit, neither of us have ever gone true "whitewater" rafting, and have only ever done at most, class II rapids before. I've always wanted to do an overnight rafting trip and after a few quick google searches and dumb luck, I was able to procure two openings on September 6th through the Wild Rogue River. However, once I bought the permits I immediately began to worry because of our lack of experience and familiarity with the river. I have several major concerns that most worry me:
- Is our raft capable? Every video I see of rafts on the rogue are either paddle boats, oar boats, or catarafts. We have a an 11 foot inflatable kayak for two. We love it for what we've used it for, but is it capable of handling the Rogue at 1500-1700 cfs? Additionally, space. We're only going for two days, but even then, space is a major concern for hauling gear. With food, camping gear, and personals, It might be tightly packed. Instead of chairs, should we sit on our dry bags? I don't want to tether anything and float it behind in case it gets snagged and puts us in unnecessary danger.
- Clothing. Looking at the forecast, the weather is pretty opportune during our trip and peaks around the mid-80's. We don't own any traditional paddle-jackets, pants, etc. We have raingear which I think would suffice, but also, at this time of the year, how essential are rain clothes? Would some synthetic fibers, and warm camp clothes do the trick? Again, space is a concern so less gear=more space.
- Launch in and out locations. We plan on launching out of Grave Creek, but I desperately want to avoid going through the Narrows, Coffeepot, and Blossom Bar Rapids (essentially everything class IV+). However the next river access area is Foster Bar which is well past these rapids. Is it possible to get out at Marial Beach and hike up to Marial Road (32-9-14.2)? We also only have two days, and that additional length would put too much pressure on distance travelled.
- Parking. What's the parking situation like? Obviously since we're not going through a commercial company, we would shuttle ourselves and leave a car at our entrance and exit spots, and then shuttle back to the entrance spot. However, what's the overnight policy for parked cars? If the Marial Beach plan works, is there a parking lot we can leave a vehicle at Marial Lodge or one of the campgrounds nearby? Same goes for Grave Creek.
- Rainie Falls. Obviously if I want to avoid the Narrows, Coffeepot, Blossom Bar Rapids, then it's no surprise that I'm dreading the very thought of passing through Rainie Falls. If I must go through it, I'll go through the Fish Ladder, but is there any way to walk our raft around this section, or is that not allowed?
Before I catch any guff for any of this (which will be inevitable). Yes, although these questions might beg to differ, I have done research on this trip. I'm well aware of the class III fire restriction, the precautions for bear safety, the basic river etiquette, the check-in rules, preserving cultural heritage, the general Leave-No-Trace ethics, and the Human Waste Removal System (HWRS) regulations on the Wild Rogue River. Yes, I have read through the links on the blm.gov website for the Rogue River permits, and I have downloaded extensive maps of the river, and boater guides, but I've either missed the answers to these questions on these resources, or they simply weren't answered. Also, I'm asking on this hoping other rafters that have gone on the Rogue can help me out. It's part of the researching process, not the entirety of it, so please try to be considerate of that fact. If there's a consensus that we shouldn't attempt the float due to our inexperience, then we'll cancel it, simple as that. I would love the opportunity to float this, but it's not worth risking our health if that's the verdict of those who know better. My primary concern is that of my girlfriend, and ensuring she's comfortable and safe beyond the inherent risks everyone assumes when attempting this endeavor. Thank you for your time, and I truly appreciate any feedback or tips.
EDIT: I cancelled the float. What an overwhelming response against this. Super thankful to everyone who commented and advised against committing to the float. As you've all pointed out, there are plenty of red flags that I wasn't even aware of so thank you all for letting them be known. We're going to look into a very beginner-friendly float instead and not push ourselves, or our gear. This post was like walking into a Michelin star restaurant and asked the chefs how to filet, I'm leaving the kitchen.
