Pictures of the Week 2010-11
Hello All,
Departing Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument we continued south on I-5 into the state of Oregon. Once crossing the border we continued south bound on I-5 till we came to the small town of Sutherlin where Dave’s cousin Billie graciously provided her guest bedroom to us. Dave’s other cousin Marilyn and husband John also live in the area. It provided a great opportunity for domino games, family outings & dinners, and catching up on all our busy lives.
Without a doubt, our 36-mile day trip down the Rogue River into Hellgate Canyon in a jetboat was great fun and a most memorable outing on a beautiful blue sky day. We drove to Grants Pass in southern Oregon where we had reservations on a jetboat operated by HellGate Jetboat Excursions. Now these are not your everyday run of the mill jetboats. These boats are custom built in Grants Pass. They have three inboard engines that produce a combined 2100 HP to the hydro-jet drives and reach speeds of 40 MPH. Boats hold from 25 to 50 passengers depending on the boat size, and the water spray jet-drives allow them to cruise on just inches of water. We departed from the River Rock Café shown below.
Departing Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument we continued south on I-5 into the state of Oregon. Once crossing the border we continued south bound on I-5 till we came to the small town of Sutherlin where Dave’s cousin Billie graciously provided her guest bedroom to us. Dave’s other cousin Marilyn and husband John also live in the area. It provided a great opportunity for domino games, family outings & dinners, and catching up on all our busy lives.
Without a doubt, our 36-mile day trip down the Rogue River into Hellgate Canyon in a jetboat was great fun and a most memorable outing on a beautiful blue sky day. We drove to Grants Pass in southern Oregon where we had reservations on a jetboat operated by HellGate Jetboat Excursions. Now these are not your everyday run of the mill jetboats. These boats are custom built in Grants Pass. They have three inboard engines that produce a combined 2100 HP to the hydro-jet drives and reach speeds of 40 MPH. Boats hold from 25 to 50 passengers depending on the boat size, and the water spray jet-drives allow them to cruise on just inches of water. We departed from the River Rock Café shown below.
All the trips are fully-narrated. The
knowledgeable boat pilots slow down or stop the boats to point out
indigenous wildlife and talk about
the history of the area. Probably the best way to describe the trip is that it
is part scenic and part amusement. By that we mean occasional 360 degree spins
and/or bow dunks are thrown in just to keep you alert, slightly damp, and
exhilarated--great family entertainment.
Hellgate Canyon is a half-mile
trench gouged out by the Rogue River with 100-foot cliffs. Many movies and
television western scenes have been filmed in the canyon. To name a few: “Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford; “Rooster
Cogburn” starring John Wayne and Katherine Hepburn; “Gunsmoke” starring Matt
Dillon. All these movies have scenes where the stars plunged off the cliffs of
the legendary canyon into the majestic river below.
After going through the canyon
we turned around and started our return trip back to Grants Pass. Had we
continued on, we would have come to the little hamlet of Merlin/Galice known as
the “Gateway to the Wild & Scenic Rogue River.” In 1968 Congress set aside an 84-mile segment
of the Rogue River under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
On the return trip we stopped at the OK Corral where we were treated to an all you can eat country-style meal on an open-air deck with a lovely view of the river. The OK Corral is reserved for jetboat guests only and the meal is included in the fare. The 12,000-square-foot facility is a short walk or wagon ride from the river up a grassy slope. As hungry boaters arrived at the deck they were seated at carved log tables and chairs that were reserved specifically for them. They can accommodate up to 350 people at a time. This is not a buffet. Platter load after platter load of food was distributed to each table and we dug in. After hors-d’oeuvres and salad, the main course featured BBQ chicken, ribs, potato salad, homemade cornbread and biscuits. They kept bringing food till everyone got their fill. They even provided dessert. To complement the meal, beer, wine, lemonade, coffee and iced tea flowed freely--again, all included in the fare. To say it was a feast would be an understatement.
After relaxing and reviving our bodies we returned to our boats for the final leg of the journey.
On the return trip we stopped at the OK Corral where we were treated to an all you can eat country-style meal on an open-air deck with a lovely view of the river. The OK Corral is reserved for jetboat guests only and the meal is included in the fare. The 12,000-square-foot facility is a short walk or wagon ride from the river up a grassy slope. As hungry boaters arrived at the deck they were seated at carved log tables and chairs that were reserved specifically for them. They can accommodate up to 350 people at a time. This is not a buffet. Platter load after platter load of food was distributed to each table and we dug in. After hors-d’oeuvres and salad, the main course featured BBQ chicken, ribs, potato salad, homemade cornbread and biscuits. They kept bringing food till everyone got their fill. They even provided dessert. To complement the meal, beer, wine, lemonade, coffee and iced tea flowed freely--again, all included in the fare. To say it was a feast would be an understatement.
After relaxing and reviving our bodies we returned to our boats for the final leg of the journey.
It was King Salmon fishing
season and there were many fishermen in boats or fishing from shore. Our boat
pilot slowed down when he came upon fishermen so as not to disturb the water
around them. We stopped and watched the guys in the following photo that had a
nice King hooked. It was quite obvious that the guy trying to net the fish
didn’t have a clue as to how to do it. He eventually caused the guy to lose the
fish. We felt bad for them as they had a jet boat load of people watching the
whole process.
We passed many other Hellgate Excursion Jetboats
coming and going on the river. There were two other boats full of passengers
that accompanied us down the river and back. Throughout the trip down river
there was a guy on one of the other boats that had one of the big three foot
long squirt guns. This thing would shoot a stream of water about 50 feet. And
anytime our boat got close to him he got great pleasure out of soaking us with
water. The rest of the folks on his boat also thought this was great sport! They laughed at us trying to duck and protect
our cameras. While we were at lunch at the OK Corral our boat pilot and the
pilots of the other two boats got together and conceived a “payback” plan. On
the trip back upriver the boat that had the guy with the squirt gun was in the
lead. The driver suddenly stopped in the middle of a wide part of the river.
Our boat and the other boat then sped up; and when we got beside the boat with
the squirt gun guy (one on each side) they spun the boats! You wouldn’t believe
the amount of water those jet drives shot into the boat. They were soaked!! Of
course we all cheered!!
At another point in the river
our pilot stopped the boat and pointed out an American Bald Eagle sitting in a
dead tree. He told us to continue to watch the eagle and then threw a dead fish
he had in a container into the river. The eagle took flight and then shot down
and snared the fish out of the water right beside the boat. It was obvious that
he had done this before but it was still awesome. The next time we will be
prepared to shoot a better photo.
There was a forest fire in the
distant mountains. Late in the day the
wind switched and started blowing the smoke over the river which made a reddish
glow in the sky.
Upon arrival back at our
departure point the boats all did a 360-degree spin for guests having dinner on
the decks of the River Rock Café. Appreciating the show, they all clapped and
cheered.
Then a flock of Canadian Geese took flight off
the river and did a formation pass overhead. It was a great conclusion to a
wonderful day--and did we ever make some memories!
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns