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Day 4 was our last day on the river, and I finally

Day 4 was our last day on the river, and I finally tried the inflatable kayak (ducky)!! 'll have one more post, but here's a little taste of our last day.👇️💦⁠⁠🦆 TIME TO DUCKY⁠After coffee on the dock of Half Moon Bar Lodge, and a delicious breakfast, I volunteered to be first in the inflatable kayak. We geared up and were ready to paddle. Tommy, the trip leader, stayed in front of us and told us how to approach each rapid. It felt like a lot of instructions at once, but it was SO HELPFUL. The inflatable kayak was an up-close-and-personal experience with the river — I felt the power and movement of the water!!⁠⁠I went through two bending rapids, including Half Moon Riffle – a Class II Rapid – I’m very proud. Then I paddled through Huggins Canyon, which was a nice change of pace. At the end of Huggins Canyon, I was toasted. My arms were tired, and I was ready to return to the paddle boat. The inflatable kayak was super fun, and it also made me appreciate the guides for reading the river and safely navigating it. ⁠⁠🥂 TOAST TO THE RIVER⁠After lunch, we gathered in the river for a final toast. We each talked about what we appreciated most about the river trip and sipped celebratory champagne. It was sweet to hear what everyone had to say and a heartfelt way to say goodbye to the Rogue.⁠⁠During the last few miles of the river, I tried to take in the scenery of the beautiful river canyon. We got to Foster Bar, and it was scorching. It had to be in the high 90s or low 100s when we got to the take-out, and it was chaos. I’m stoked we made the goodbye toast after lunch with everything going on. The drive back to Morrison’s Lodge was a full 2-hours through mountain terrain. We returned to our cars safely, and everyone went in their separate directions. My drive took me back across the yellow bridge, and I rolled down my windows to wave goodbye to the majestic Rogue River.⁠⁠A lot happened on Day 4 of my Rogue River trip, but it never felt rushed. For this reason, I'm stoked I did 4 days instead of a 3-day trip! Which do you think you would prefer? ✨

Lodge fashion is a little different from river fas

Lodge fashion is a little different from river fashion. Once we were at the lodges, it was all about dry, comfy clothes to relax in. To continue my discussion about packing, here are 6 essential things to bring in your "overnight bag" to be comfy a the lodges: 👇️🧳⁠⁠LODGE-SPECIFIC ITEMS⁠ 🧳 ⁠Each day, when I got to the lodges, I would immediately shed my damp river clothes, hang them to dry, and change into something comfortable to lounge around. Here are some things to consider bringing to relax at the lodges.⁠⁠1️⃣ INSECT REPELLANT:⁠I never had a problem with the mozzies while on the river, but I sure attracted them when I sat peacefully at the lodges. Especially because I was up early and out late to get extra photos. ⁠⁠2️⃣ TRAVEL SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER:⁠The lodges provide little travel-sized soap, but you’ll need to bring shampoo and conditioner. I also brought soap because I’m picky, but that’s up to you!⁠⁠3️⃣ COMFORTABLE LONG-SLEEVE AND LONG PANTS:⁠I almost didn’t recognize people once they changed out of river clothes and into comfortable lounging clothes.⁠ Haha, but it was so nice to be dry and covered up at the lodges (even though it was warm out)!⁠⁠4️⃣ LODGE SANDALS/SHOES:⁠You’ll want some sort of shoe that isn’t your river sandal when you arrive at the lodge. I brought some lightweight slides that I could also fit cozy socks in.⁠⁠5️⃣ HEADLAMP WITH EXTRA BATTERIES:⁠While I didn’t use these much, my headlamp was handy at Black Bar Lodge before the generators kicked on in the morning. ⁠⁠6️⃣ COZY SOCKS:⁠It’s always great to have some cozy socks to wear around your room or with sandals around the lodge. ⁠⁠In my packing blog post, I also detail the essential items for a cold day on the river (which I brought but didn't need to use!), reading materials, mindset preparation, and what I would do next time. If you haven't checked it out, use the link and click this image! ✨

Primarily rafting, we also did a little hiking on

Primarily rafting, we also did a little hiking on this lodge-to-lodge Rogue River trip. 🤭🥾 Keep reading about our hikes 👇️⁠⁠🥾 HIKING DURING OUR RAFTING TRIP⁠Throughout the trip, we would stop and do side hikes to historical locations (like Zane Grey's cabins and the Rogue River Ranch), explore a stream, or to a specific viewpoint, which broke up the trip and the days. However, you can hike this entire section if you wanted! On one side of the river, there is the 40-mile-long Rogue River National Recreation Trail. You can backpack the trail or do it lodge-to-lodge, like this rafting trip - very cool!⁠⁠🥾 INSPIRATION POINT⁠On day 3, we prepared for a proper hike with a delicious breakfast at Marial Lodge. I was excited because hiking is well within my comfort zone, and we also got to taste the Rogue River National Recreation Trail. ⁠⁠At the single-track location, views opened up, and we were on a ledge above the river. We snacked on the trail-side blackberry bushes and looked down to Coffee Pot Rapid. Then, after one particular bend in the trail, we looked across the river to see a multi-tiered waterfall: Stair Creek Falls. We had made it to Inspiration Point! ⁠⁠And I was inspired by the view. (But not by the name, since I’ve already been to an Inspiration Point in Yosemite and on the Channel Islands! LOL)⁠⁠What do you think, would you prefer a lodge-to-lodge rafting trip with some hiking ORRR a lodge-to-lodge hiking trip with some rafting?? Let me know in the comments!✨

A Rogue waterfall! 💦 My posts got a little jumb

A Rogue waterfall! 💦 My posts got a little jumbled, so tomorrow’s post will clear things up! 🤭 Day 3 was extra exciting with big/tricky rapids. 👇️💦 NARROWS & COFFEE POT RAPIDUpon leaving Marial Lodge, we encountered a narrow channel of dark rocks with bubbling rapids and eddies. Aptly named “Narrows” and “Coffee Pot” rapids, it was so narrow that our guide had to pull in the oars! Instead, she relied on our paddle team and used a smaller paddle to steer. Our guide called out instructions, and we went through the Narrows and Coffee Pot with aplomb. Seriously, our river guide made it look easy.We made a hard left around a corner, and guess what was right in front of us — Stair Creek Falls! I didn’t expect to see it from above and then below. FUN!!💦 BLOSSOM BARBlossom Bar was and still is a boulder garden. Many boulders remain, making this one of the trickiest rapids with “must-do” moves. We pulled over to scout Blossom Bar. Our guides introduced us to WORMS (water-obstacles-route-markers-safety), an acronym for reading the river and choosing a route through the rapid. Using Blossom Bar to talk through WORMS, I understood our desired route much better.My paddle boat went first and stopped halfway through the rapid in an eddy to serve as the safety/photo boat. We had a well-coordinated group, but it was still a little nerve-wracking as we entered the rapid. We zigged one way, paddling furiously. Then zagged the other way, furiously paddling again. With that, we made it, and so did the other boats.💦 SWIMMING A RAPIDImmediately after the excitement oar, our guide asked, “Who wants to swim through a rapid?” Most of my boat opted in, and it was hilarious to see our bobbing heads in the water. The water moved me quickly into the first wave, and I felt the water lift me to the wave’s crest, like in the ocean. At the bottom of the wave, I was splashed in the face.Up again, I squealed in joy and rode the subsequent waves. The waves mellowed out, and everyone laughed at the experience. Swimming a safe rapid was the exact kind of experience I looked for: little skill required and a whole lot of fun!Would you be nervous or excited by big rapids??✨

My Rogue River fashion: layers of sunscreen, wide-

My Rogue River fashion: layers of sunscreen, wide-brim hat and sunnies, quick-dry clothes, and braids! Yep, I wore all the things simultaneously because sun protection and temperature regulation are KEY to having a good time on the river. Keep reading for 10 essentials 👇️💦1. WATER SANDALS: I’m now, and for the foreseeable future, a @chacofootwear girly. For any river trip, make sure to have secure water sandals because you’ll be in them ALL day.2. SUNSCREEN SPF 50+: A lot of it!! Ideally, waterproof sunscreen. Reapply to tops of thighs and feet, as well as arms throughout the day.3. SUN SHIRT/QUICK DRY CLOTHING: With 4-days on the river, I essentially rotated between two similar outfits made of entirely quick-dry or lightweight materials. 4. RIVER HAT AND SUNGLASSES: Keep your face out of the sun with a hat. I brought a baseball cap (courtesy of ROW), a wide-brim hat, and my prescription sunglasses.5. LARGE WATER BOTTLE + CARABINER: Stay hydrated on the river! Bring a one-liter water bottle with a carabiner to hook onto the boat and have easy access throughout the trip.6. CAMERA SETUP: Consider what camera you will use on the trip and ensure you can protect it. Most newer iPhones are water-resistant, but how will you hold onto them? Also, take a look at your storage capacities before you go!7. LIP BALM: Keep your lips hydrated with lip balm or chapstick. Ideally, it would have SPF for lip protection!8. CHUMS OR CROAKIES: Unless you’d like to lose your sunglasses to the river, I’d recommend chums or croakies. 9. QUICK-DRY UNDIES/BRA:I would wear my swimsuit some days under my clothes, and other days I would wear my quick-dry undies or bra underneath. Most people simply swam in their clothes.10. BANDANA AND/OR SARONG:I wore my classic bandana daily to protect the back of my neck and keep me cool. And although I brought a sarong from my previous trip, I didn’t really remember to use it. If I was smarter, I would have busted it out each lunchtime to have something dry to sit on.Head to my Rogue-specific packing blog post for exact links to products I brought, what I recommend for a cold day on the river, and lodge-specific items. 🤗✨

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