After the reboot of a quick laundry session and movie in Bend, I headed back out to the Deschutes for some solo time and wade fishing to see if I couldn't get mine before the boys arrived on Friday. As luck would have it, I was able to grab two nice chromers on the swing with the spey – both respectable sizes at 27" & 28" – no photos, though, as tailing these monsters is tough enough, grabbing a solo pic, quite impossible. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware that these would be the last steelhead I would see for the trip.
After the family time with the dads and lady, the tone shift of the arrival of the Maher brothers (Michael & Sam) and their lifelong friend, Slinger, was hefty. The boys week was in full effect punctuated by some good 'ol fashion Maher brotherly love – great times, indeed.
The three met me with some rain at put-in late Friday evening. The rain was a leading edge of a pretty meaty system that closed out the wettest September on record for many parts of the state. Downriver winds in the 20's and 30's pounded us every day, and heavy rain each night. Over the long weekend we were on the river, the towns on the rim above received more than 6" of rain, and the Deschutes river swelled from the standard 4,500 cfs to a pretty wicked 8,000 cfs -- the full rise occurring between the time we put on and took off the river. Our float plan was three days from Trout Creek to Maupin, covering roughly 40 miles of river, choked with hard fighting native red band trout, and the hopes of an occasional steelhead. Between the uncastable wind conditions and the severe rise in water levels it is an understatement to say the fishing was tough. On our final evening we were lashed with 60mph + winds.
Following the nights on the river, we settled into the cabins at The Oasis in Maupin for a few day-floats around town before Slinger & Sam headed home and Mike & I started our slow road trip back to SF.
Though the fishing was challenged and the camping was brutal, we managed to have a pretty great time, and with the exception of a few meltdowns induced by unfolding d-loops and size 6 hooks stuck in our necks, spirits remained high.
With sunny skies, Maher and I left Central Oregon and headed South for a day of fishing on the upper Rogue river in search of at least one more steelhead for the second part of my trip. The blue skies turned rather quickly as we approached the Crater Lake area, and rain turned to snow as we peaked out over the summit. If the weather wasn't enough to deter us from a crater visit, the government shutdown would be the nail in the coffin with the closure of all national parks. Very unfortunate since our route South literally brought us past the North entrance to the park – 10 miles from the majestic lake. The following day on the Rogue was very nice, but not that productive. Tons of salmon were up and spawning in the river which was pretty cool to see, and Maher hooked into a really nice steelhead. The fight was strong but short and the fish spit the hook on it's second run.
From there we made some miles West and South to the California coast where we enjoyed some scenic ocean views as we made our way to Boggs Demonstration Forest to meet up with Steve for a few days of mountain biking. Camping and riding in the Boggs area were nothing short of spectacular. Tons of trail options right out of our spacious and peaceful campsite made the two days of riding and hanging a great way to end the road trip.
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| On the road to put in |
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| On the river under some ominous skies |
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| Master chef Maher making lunch happen |
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| Boats in at Whiskey Dick campsite on night one |
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| As the storm's a-brewing |
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| Nice lunch stop for day two |
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| With the rain looming and the wind up, there's not much to do except drink & smoke – thanks Kristin for the hand delivered hand roll |
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| Train tracks cross the Deschutes river |
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| Maher making the last push to camp two |
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| Back at it – Maher in the kitchen with with the company of gale winds |
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| Sam & Slinger chowing & enjoying camp Manhattys under the rain shelter, yet in the rain |
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| Good feast, Maher |
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| Doms going down – the good guys win, obviously |
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| Not everyone is enjoying the storm |
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| Made it through the night – note the 30lb boat anchor and tree keeping the tent in place |
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| Day three starts off looking pretty nice |
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| A view from above of camp two at Buckskin Mary |
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| Buckskin Mary rapid tipping the tail up |
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| In between the breeze, got a few little guys on drys |
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| Slinger in the middle of Boxcar Rapid |
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| He makes it down just a little Left of where I would have liked him, but rides it out with no issues |
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| Me & Maher lined up in Boxcar to punch the wave |
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| Loading up after a good multi-day on the river |
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| Nestled in our cabins at The Oasis, Maher cranks a bit of work |
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| No fishing cabin is complete without a rod rack |
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| High water swing-time |
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| The boys have one last frosty one after a 'successful' trip |
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| Maher getting artsy as we start to lose our warm & dry weather |
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| Quickly the mist turns to rain and the rain to snow |
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| A definite unsuccessful visit to Crater Lake |
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| Gorgeous slot canyon in a narrow section of the upper, upper Rogue |
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| Three weeks on the road has been good for my look |
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| Doms with Maher at Beckys roadside cafe |
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| Not exactly what we are hunting for, Maher |
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| The kid about to run the two-wheel shuttle |
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| Even late-night border crossings need a quick pic |
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| On the Cali coast we woke to the clacking sounds of a few large elk locking racks |
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| Made it to the final destination of the trip – Boggs Demonstration Forest |
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| Mapman, Steve, the cartographer getting to work pre-ride |
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| Maher doing what he knows – bacon & coffee |
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| Our fearless leader Steve guiding us through the maze that is Boggs |
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| Post-ride camp-time complete with a slackline and shoes |
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| Maher getting creative with the rules |
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| All prepped for a nice relaxing evening |
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| CalFire heli-pad serves as our sunset spot for beers & hors d'oevres |
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| You can take the hipster our of SF, but you can't – well, you know where this is going... |
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| Proper fire to enjoy an adult beverage after a great day of riding and hanging |
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| Maher seems to enjoy laying it down |
Two nice rides thanks to Steve-O's research
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| Another great adventure in the books |
