Dad sure was right about one thing...
I always hate to admit these things, but my dad was right - I was a little bitch. Now I'm sure he's been right about more than just this in my lifetime, but this particular one is just the most recent. If you recall from the last entry, I was complaining about going on this rafting trip with my dad last week. I'm not sure what it was that had me in such a complaining mood about the whole thing. I wasn't scared, I don't get homesick, and for the most part, my dad and I get along fairly well. I guess I just had the complete wrong impression about the whole thing. I don't know exactly what it was that I was expecting, but it was certainly not anything close to what I got.
Now first things first - an apology incase this entry gets to be a little long and full of detail. I was only gone 5 days, but it was a busy and exciting 5 days. So this is not an "I want everybody to read about how my week was" entry - it's more of a "look back and reminisce and don't forget the little things" entry. If you're curious about how the trip was after I complained about it for so long, or if you're just really bored, then by all means, continue. If not - sorry - you can stop now if you like.
SO...My dad and I left bright and early Friday morning and arrived in Halfway around 3:00 or so. We found the hotel (not like it was hard to find - it was the only one around for miles) and then met the group for dinner at the home of the people who put on these trips (George and Lynette). These are probably two of the greatest people that I have ever met. I was still in my I'm-not-so-sure-about-this-whole-thing mood when we arrived and within just a couple minutes of being there and talking to the people that were going to accompany us, I was so excited to get on the river the next day. The trip was absolutely amazing. Not only was the trip itself fun, it was incredibly beautiful over there, the people were nice and the food was amazing (and the guides were really hot!).
THE TRIP: We started out early Saturday morning, all met up for breakfast and then headed out to the Hells Canyon Dam. We we on the river by 10 and hit a couple good sized rapids before lunch. I got to be in Cory's boat the first day...but more on this subject later :) The rest of that day was just floating down the river and fishing. Some of those people were hard core fisherman. We camped in Idaho that night and the guides running the supply boat had arrived ahead of us and totally set up camp. They had all the tents set up, the chairs in a semi-circle with drinks ready upon our arrival, dinner all set up and ready to be started - it was incredible. After dinner people started heading to bed since it gets dark early in the canyon and it was going to be another early morning. Sunday was the day of the big rapids and the day that I rode with Jacob (more ;) ). We hit two level 4+/5's (6 is the highest and either they have never been tested or people have died going down them). I was a little nervous about these ones when my dad first mentioned the trip, but once I saw them, it wasn't that bad at all. My dad went all day in the kayak and each rapid that we approached, I expected him to tip and fall out (i don't think he's ever kayaked before in his life) But to my surprise (and that of all the others) he made it through every single rapid. We made it about 5 river miles that day (and about 4 the day before) and eventually made it to the second nights camp on the Oregon side at Saddle Creek. This was probably the prettiest of the campsites and once again, everything was set up for us when we got there. Monday was the big day. We went 17 river miles and hit quite a few level 3 rapids. I was in Cory's boat again :) and for a while it was only me, Cory and one other lady, Chris. I would have to say that Monday was the best day of the week. It was mostly rafting (not stopping to fish every 10 yards) and we all started getting to know each other better so camp that night was really fun too. While all the adults got drunk, I was hanging out with the hot guides (some of which were also getting drunk), but it was fun. Tuesday was our last day. After breakfast we went a couple miles down river where most of the people caught a jet boat back to halfway. About 5 of us and all the guides went a few more miles down the river to the landing dock where our cars were waiting for us. We left around 2:30 and didn't get home until midnight. We got out of the river on the Idaho side, so we couldn't go back straight across Oregon like we came. Instead, we had to go up Idaho, halfway across Washington and then down to Oregon around Hermiston and over to Portland then down to Salem. Very long drive.
THE INCREDIBLE BEAUTY: Not much to say about this, because words can't even describe what it was like over there. You could see the sun rise on one side of the canyon and set on the other. Around 8 or 9, the stars would come out and fill the sky. I swear I have never seen more stars in my entire life - and the view was even limited by the canyon walls. We saw a bazillion shooting stars (and no...they were not airplanes!) The moon didn't appear until 2 or 3 every morning, but you could definitely tell when it was up because it would shine so bright. It woke me up just about every night and I could see it through the tent. The canyon and river were also really pretty and even pictures can't show how high the canyon walls were and how blue the river was. It's just something you have to be there to get the full effect. It's a very pretty part of the country over there.
THE PEOPLE: This is the part that can really make or break the trip. You could have good weather, pretty scenery and delicious food, but if you have annoying, complaining, snobby people with you, it could ruin the whole trip. Or you could have lousy weather and awful food with fun and outgoing people and have the best time of your life. Luckily we got the best of both worlds. I already mentioned George and Lynette. George has been guiding these rafting trips since 1980 (and Lynette since 86 when they got married) and could answer any question about anything along that river. Not to mention he had loads of great stories to tell. And Lynette - she is a doll. She was born and raised in Australia and has a great accent - I loved it. She was so funny too. She kept telling me how lucky I was to be on this trip because the guides were such "babes" On the last morning while they were packing all the stuff onto the boats she comes up to me "So Kristen...be honest with me here." I'm expecting a question about how the trip went. "Which guy do you think is the biggest hunk? And don't tell me it hasn't crossed your mind!" I just started laughing. (but of course the answer was Cory) So that was George and Lynette, the owners of Canyon Outfitters. There was also a couple from Alaska, Greg and Chris. They were both pilots and Greg always had lots of stories to tell - especially when he was drunk. Then there was a couple from Richmond, Oregon (a little hick town about 10 miles from halfway) Pat and Kathy were really nice too. Didn't necessarily seem like the type of people that would enjoy these kind of adventures, but they, like everyone else, had a great time. There was Dave - his wife Sharon babysat me since I was three months old and so they are like another set of grandparents to me and my sisters. Dave was one of the hardcore fisherman along with Ed. Or Eddy Freddy as we all called him (his real name was Edward Fredrick) Eddy Freddy was never seen without atleast one of three things in his hands. A fishing pole, a cigar or a can of beer. Most likely he would be seen with a combination of two or all three of these things. The last group of people was an older couple (I would say in their late 70's), Al and Carol, along with their grandson, Jake. Carol was the life of the party, let me tell you. She was constantly nagging at Al (but in a funny way) and she was never seen without her Franzia (that boxed wine). Al just went with the flow. The two of them had been on this trip 4 or 5 times before and had lots of stories for us. They took their grandson Jake who lives in Yamhill (that takes the count of Yamhill friends to 2 this summer). I think he was going to be a sophomore next year - he was kinda shy, but he was pretty nice. So that was the 11 people on the trip - all of which were really nice and fun to get to know.
THE AMAZING FOOD: I had to mention this because, well, it was amazing. The guides did all the cooking (four guys in aprons cooking all our meals - a funny site!) but I was amazed at how good it was. I'm sure they all got some cooking lessons from Lynette before going on the trips! At lunch all the sandwhich stuff was set out in cute little rows along with the chips and fruit. And the chips were Pringles so they too could be set in the little rows with all the sandwhich stuff. There was always a wonderful dessert that Lynette had packed along as well. Dinner consisted of full meals with more food than you could possibly eat. Not just like BBQed hamburgers and hotdogs. We're talking fried chicken, pork and steak! And breakfast was the same way. Not just bagels and fruit, but pancakes, french toast and omelets. I think we all gained like 10 pounds in those 5 days! And now, last but certainly not least...
THE HOT GUIDES: This was another bonus feature of the trip. The two river guides and the two guys riding the supply boat. We'll start with the unavailable ones. Bill, was actually way too old. He was married and had two kids (the oldest one was 12) But we had some good talks - gave him some advice on raising teenage daughters and we talked about France for awhile too (he's taking his family there for a few months next year). The other guy on the supply boat was Brett. He was about 23 or 24 and was just married last month. He was pretty cute though and also really fun to talk to and get to know. Then there was Jacob. He was George's nephew and also somehow related to Dave. He's 24, really cute, really funny, really single and really too old for me. (6 years when your older isn't that much, right?) Of all the guides, I probably got to know him the best. He just graduated from OSU (and tried to convert me to a Beaver before it was too late) and is now going up to Portland to med school (hmmmm...a doctor?) And finally...there is Cory. He was "such a babe" in Lynette's words. If only I were a year or two older, living in La Grande and going to Eastern Oregon University...I would be in heaven. He was 23 i think and after he finishes school at EOU, one of his possible plans of action is to move to the Eugene area with his sister. Lynette kept telling me that I needed to exchange addresses with these boys and keep in touch and as cute and nice as they all were, they were just a little too old for me. I'm not saying I don't like older guys, but 5 or 6 years at this age is kinda pushing it. ...but maybe I'll look them up in a few years... haha
So that concludes my five day trip with dad. It was a great "bonding" experience. And there was only one college talk that came on the way home when I was dead tired and all I contributed to the conversation was "um hmm, uh huh, okay" And the talk basically went like this: don't get into debt - you'll never get out. Don't drink and drive (not don't drink...don't drink and drive haha). Don't drink so much that you pass out and don't do drugs - not even marijuana. Thanks dad - for the great advice, and for the trip.
Now first things first - an apology incase this entry gets to be a little long and full of detail. I was only gone 5 days, but it was a busy and exciting 5 days. So this is not an "I want everybody to read about how my week was" entry - it's more of a "look back and reminisce and don't forget the little things" entry. If you're curious about how the trip was after I complained about it for so long, or if you're just really bored, then by all means, continue. If not - sorry - you can stop now if you like.
SO...My dad and I left bright and early Friday morning and arrived in Halfway around 3:00 or so. We found the hotel (not like it was hard to find - it was the only one around for miles) and then met the group for dinner at the home of the people who put on these trips (George and Lynette). These are probably two of the greatest people that I have ever met. I was still in my I'm-not-so-sure-about-this-whole-thing mood when we arrived and within just a couple minutes of being there and talking to the people that were going to accompany us, I was so excited to get on the river the next day. The trip was absolutely amazing. Not only was the trip itself fun, it was incredibly beautiful over there, the people were nice and the food was amazing (and the guides were really hot!).
THE TRIP: We started out early Saturday morning, all met up for breakfast and then headed out to the Hells Canyon Dam. We we on the river by 10 and hit a couple good sized rapids before lunch. I got to be in Cory's boat the first day...but more on this subject later :) The rest of that day was just floating down the river and fishing. Some of those people were hard core fisherman. We camped in Idaho that night and the guides running the supply boat had arrived ahead of us and totally set up camp. They had all the tents set up, the chairs in a semi-circle with drinks ready upon our arrival, dinner all set up and ready to be started - it was incredible. After dinner people started heading to bed since it gets dark early in the canyon and it was going to be another early morning. Sunday was the day of the big rapids and the day that I rode with Jacob (more ;) ). We hit two level 4+/5's (6 is the highest and either they have never been tested or people have died going down them). I was a little nervous about these ones when my dad first mentioned the trip, but once I saw them, it wasn't that bad at all. My dad went all day in the kayak and each rapid that we approached, I expected him to tip and fall out (i don't think he's ever kayaked before in his life) But to my surprise (and that of all the others) he made it through every single rapid. We made it about 5 river miles that day (and about 4 the day before) and eventually made it to the second nights camp on the Oregon side at Saddle Creek. This was probably the prettiest of the campsites and once again, everything was set up for us when we got there. Monday was the big day. We went 17 river miles and hit quite a few level 3 rapids. I was in Cory's boat again :) and for a while it was only me, Cory and one other lady, Chris. I would have to say that Monday was the best day of the week. It was mostly rafting (not stopping to fish every 10 yards) and we all started getting to know each other better so camp that night was really fun too. While all the adults got drunk, I was hanging out with the hot guides (some of which were also getting drunk), but it was fun. Tuesday was our last day. After breakfast we went a couple miles down river where most of the people caught a jet boat back to halfway. About 5 of us and all the guides went a few more miles down the river to the landing dock where our cars were waiting for us. We left around 2:30 and didn't get home until midnight. We got out of the river on the Idaho side, so we couldn't go back straight across Oregon like we came. Instead, we had to go up Idaho, halfway across Washington and then down to Oregon around Hermiston and over to Portland then down to Salem. Very long drive.
THE INCREDIBLE BEAUTY: Not much to say about this, because words can't even describe what it was like over there. You could see the sun rise on one side of the canyon and set on the other. Around 8 or 9, the stars would come out and fill the sky. I swear I have never seen more stars in my entire life - and the view was even limited by the canyon walls. We saw a bazillion shooting stars (and no...they were not airplanes!) The moon didn't appear until 2 or 3 every morning, but you could definitely tell when it was up because it would shine so bright. It woke me up just about every night and I could see it through the tent. The canyon and river were also really pretty and even pictures can't show how high the canyon walls were and how blue the river was. It's just something you have to be there to get the full effect. It's a very pretty part of the country over there.
THE PEOPLE: This is the part that can really make or break the trip. You could have good weather, pretty scenery and delicious food, but if you have annoying, complaining, snobby people with you, it could ruin the whole trip. Or you could have lousy weather and awful food with fun and outgoing people and have the best time of your life. Luckily we got the best of both worlds. I already mentioned George and Lynette. George has been guiding these rafting trips since 1980 (and Lynette since 86 when they got married) and could answer any question about anything along that river. Not to mention he had loads of great stories to tell. And Lynette - she is a doll. She was born and raised in Australia and has a great accent - I loved it. She was so funny too. She kept telling me how lucky I was to be on this trip because the guides were such "babes" On the last morning while they were packing all the stuff onto the boats she comes up to me "So Kristen...be honest with me here." I'm expecting a question about how the trip went. "Which guy do you think is the biggest hunk? And don't tell me it hasn't crossed your mind!" I just started laughing. (but of course the answer was Cory) So that was George and Lynette, the owners of Canyon Outfitters. There was also a couple from Alaska, Greg and Chris. They were both pilots and Greg always had lots of stories to tell - especially when he was drunk. Then there was a couple from Richmond, Oregon (a little hick town about 10 miles from halfway) Pat and Kathy were really nice too. Didn't necessarily seem like the type of people that would enjoy these kind of adventures, but they, like everyone else, had a great time. There was Dave - his wife Sharon babysat me since I was three months old and so they are like another set of grandparents to me and my sisters. Dave was one of the hardcore fisherman along with Ed. Or Eddy Freddy as we all called him (his real name was Edward Fredrick) Eddy Freddy was never seen without atleast one of three things in his hands. A fishing pole, a cigar or a can of beer. Most likely he would be seen with a combination of two or all three of these things. The last group of people was an older couple (I would say in their late 70's), Al and Carol, along with their grandson, Jake. Carol was the life of the party, let me tell you. She was constantly nagging at Al (but in a funny way) and she was never seen without her Franzia (that boxed wine). Al just went with the flow. The two of them had been on this trip 4 or 5 times before and had lots of stories for us. They took their grandson Jake who lives in Yamhill (that takes the count of Yamhill friends to 2 this summer). I think he was going to be a sophomore next year - he was kinda shy, but he was pretty nice. So that was the 11 people on the trip - all of which were really nice and fun to get to know.
THE AMAZING FOOD: I had to mention this because, well, it was amazing. The guides did all the cooking (four guys in aprons cooking all our meals - a funny site!) but I was amazed at how good it was. I'm sure they all got some cooking lessons from Lynette before going on the trips! At lunch all the sandwhich stuff was set out in cute little rows along with the chips and fruit. And the chips were Pringles so they too could be set in the little rows with all the sandwhich stuff. There was always a wonderful dessert that Lynette had packed along as well. Dinner consisted of full meals with more food than you could possibly eat. Not just like BBQed hamburgers and hotdogs. We're talking fried chicken, pork and steak! And breakfast was the same way. Not just bagels and fruit, but pancakes, french toast and omelets. I think we all gained like 10 pounds in those 5 days! And now, last but certainly not least...
THE HOT GUIDES: This was another bonus feature of the trip. The two river guides and the two guys riding the supply boat. We'll start with the unavailable ones. Bill, was actually way too old. He was married and had two kids (the oldest one was 12) But we had some good talks - gave him some advice on raising teenage daughters and we talked about France for awhile too (he's taking his family there for a few months next year). The other guy on the supply boat was Brett. He was about 23 or 24 and was just married last month. He was pretty cute though and also really fun to talk to and get to know. Then there was Jacob. He was George's nephew and also somehow related to Dave. He's 24, really cute, really funny, really single and really too old for me. (6 years when your older isn't that much, right?) Of all the guides, I probably got to know him the best. He just graduated from OSU (and tried to convert me to a Beaver before it was too late) and is now going up to Portland to med school (hmmmm...a doctor?) And finally...there is Cory. He was "such a babe" in Lynette's words. If only I were a year or two older, living in La Grande and going to Eastern Oregon University...I would be in heaven. He was 23 i think and after he finishes school at EOU, one of his possible plans of action is to move to the Eugene area with his sister. Lynette kept telling me that I needed to exchange addresses with these boys and keep in touch and as cute and nice as they all were, they were just a little too old for me. I'm not saying I don't like older guys, but 5 or 6 years at this age is kinda pushing it. ...but maybe I'll look them up in a few years... haha
So that concludes my five day trip with dad. It was a great "bonding" experience. And there was only one college talk that came on the way home when I was dead tired and all I contributed to the conversation was "um hmm, uh huh, okay" And the talk basically went like this: don't get into debt - you'll never get out. Don't drink and drive (not don't drink...don't drink and drive haha). Don't drink so much that you pass out and don't do drugs - not even marijuana. Thanks dad - for the great advice, and for the trip.