Trip Details
Oregon Pro Guide Training

ARTA provides the following:

You are responsible for:

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How to Get There:

Driving: Curly Jack is a US Forest Service campground located on the south side of the Klamath River just outside Happy Camp, CA. Happy Camp is located on Highway 96, approximately 65 miles west of Yreka and Interstate 5. From Happy Camp, cross the Klamath on Elk Creek Road, bear right onto Curly Jack Road and look for the campground on the right. Vehicles will be left at Curly Jack for the first part of the school. .

Flying: Horizon/Alaska, and Skywest/United serve Medford, Oregon, about 100 miles northwest of Happy Camp. If you fly in for the trip, you may either rent a car for the drive to Happy Camp, (2 hours) or contact the ARTA office for help in arranging a ride with another student. Due to potential delays, we do not recommend flying out of Medford the evening the trip ends.

Carpooling: In the middle of the school we will carpool from Happy Camp to Galice; if you do not have a car, you will be able to get a ride with a fellow student. Please call our office if you will not have a vehicle and need help with transportation; we will help you make arrangements.

Additional Information:

About the School:

Our 10-day Professional Guide Training Course is a fast-paced, active class designed to train prospective commercial river guides. While all aspects of guiding will be covered, the emphasis of the school will be on rowing and paddling in high-gradient, technical rivers and on conducting multi-day, wilderness river trips. The course will include training in river rescue, equipment maintenance, risk management, leadership, and emergency procedures as well as on-shore training in cooking, sanitation, trip planning and logistics. 

The course will be highly participatory and students will assume roles of increasing responsibility as the school progresses. Throughout the course, students will play a major role in the organization and execution of trip responsibilities including planning each day's meals, itinerary, and activities. There will also be managed scenarios where students’ judgment and reactions will be assessed and reviewed. Every day will be a challenge and an adventure and loads of fun. Come prepared to pitch in, jump in, and do your share of the work. We have found that the students who put the most into their workshop are the ones who get the most out of it and are usually the ones who end up working for us. Upon completion of the workshop, students should have the experience and skills needed to be Assistant Guides on ARTA's commercial trips.

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Is this course for you?

This course is designed for active, enthusiastic and dynamic individuals who want a challenging, action-packed adventure. You don't need to be a world-class athlete but couch potatoes should definitely stay home. If you are the type of person who is first to get in line to wash dishes and last in line to get out of the surf, the course if for you. Some students come to the school with a lifetime of camping and rafting under their belts, others have never been in a boat before; all have succeeded (with no correlation). A positive attitude and solid work ethic are the most important things you can bring to the school.

Scholarships:

ARTA has a limited number of scholarships available for this course. Applications are available online or through the main office and should be returned well in advance.

Descriptions of Rivers:

The 10-day Professional Guide Training Course will take place on the Klamath, Cal-Salmon and Rogue Rivers. The Klamath is a wide, low-gradient river with numerous straightforward Class II and III rapids (and one notoriously difficult Class IV rapid); perfect for getting started and comfortable in the rafts. The Cal-Salmon is a technical, steep river with lots of challenging Class III and IV rapids. Because it is road accessible, we will be able to select appropriate stretches and use light rafts. The school will conclude with a trip down the Rogue, one of the premier wilderness rivers in the west with beautiful scenery, challenging rapids and lots of wildlife. We will have fully-loaded oar rafts which will give us a good sense of commercial loads and challenges. The stretches of river that we will run are designed to increase in difficulty as your skill level increases and may change due to flows or safety concerns.

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Itinerary:

Day 1: We will be camping right at the launch site which will enable us to get an early start. Fun Class III rapids will highlight the day and get us warmed up. Camping will be at an undeveloped site along the river.

Day 2: We will continue downriver working on ferrying and eddy-catching. Dragon's Tooth rapid will provide the day's excitement. We will take-out in the early afternoon and head to a Forest Service campground for the night.

Days 3 - 4: We will run various stretches of the Cal-Salmon and Klamath choosing runs that are appropriate for our skills and camping at a base camp. The rafts will be light and there will be plenty of excitement in the Cal-Salmon's technical rapids and the high volume rapids of the Ikes section of the Klamath.

Day 5: We will raft a short section before driving back to Curly Jack and car-pooling to Grants Pass (2 hours) to prepare for our Rogue trip. We will buy and pack food, transfer gear, and camp at a developed campground at the Rogue launch site. Cars will be left at the nearby Galice Resort during the Rogue trip.

Days 6 - 9: We will float 40 miles of the Rogue River, camping at wilderness sites along the way. Instruction in rowing heavy oar rafts will be supplemented by more practice in rescue, camp and safety skills. Major rapids such as Tyee, Wildcat, Mule Creek Canyon, and Blossom Bar are spread throughout the trip.

Day 10: We will float the last few miles on the Rogue and then be shuttled back to our vehicles in Galice.

After the school: We are looking for interesting, hard-working people to work for us as guides and this course is a primary source. Most students will be given the opportunity to join ARTA as an Assistant Guide (unpaid position), to further their training and prepare for a guiding career.

Meals:

ARTA meals are well-balanced and consist of quality foods with fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables. The guides double as camp chefs and the menu includes a wide variety of dishes. Lunches usually consist of hand-foods and are served picnic-style at riverside stops. Dinners and breakfasts are cooked over an open fire and often include tasty Dutch Oven baked treats. If you have special dietary requirements or are celebrating a special event during the trip, please let us know in advance.

Drinks:

ARTA provides fruit drinks at meals. If you would like soda, beer, wine, or liquor with your dinner, please bring your own in unbreakable containers, (beer and soda in cans, wine and liquor in plastic bottles). Due to weight and space restrictions, we ask that you limit the amount of canned drinks to a moderate amount.

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Weather:

The weather in Northern California and Southern Oregon in June is unpredictable. You will need to be well prepared for rainy and sunny days. Rainy days will be cool (in the 60's), and the sunny days will be warm, (in the 80's). A fleece sweater, paddling jacket, pile hat, and good rainshell for camp will take care of the rainy days; a hat with visor, sunglasses and shorts will take care of the sunny days. The water temperatures vary from the low 70's on the Klamath and Rogue to the 50's on the Cal-Salmon.

Suggested Reading:

Zane Grey spent time fishing along and writing about the Rogue River and his stories make for fun reading during the trip; Rogue River Feud is set on the stretch that we will float and is a classic example of Grey's style. It is available through amazon.com. River guide Matt Leidecker also wrote a great mile-by-mile guide: The Rogue River - A Comprehensive Guide from Prospect to Gold Beach which is available through his website mattlphoto.com. The BLM has a decent river map, The Rogue River Float Guide, which is available at the Galice Resort prior to the trip.

Travel Insurance:

Because life is full of surprises, we suggest you consider purchasing supplemental travel insurance for your trip. Trip cancellation, evacuation, baggage loss and other coverages are available for between 4% and 11% of your trip cost. You can get more information at www.travelinsure.com; please enter ARTA's Participating Organization Number (215296) at the top of the enrollment form.

More Information

If there are any questions we haven't answered, please feel free to contact us. Our office staff enjoys telling folks about our trips, so don't hesitate to call 800-323-2782.

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