White Water Warehouse Guest Testimonials

Who knows better how to spin a good river tale, than a guide? The best guides grow up with the ability to look and listen…and Whitewater Warehouse has the best listeners and observers! Read on for our guides' and guests' perspectives on the Rogue River's beauty and power and the effect the river has on our fabulous guests.

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Travis Langness is a 20-something who traveled with his family and friends on an early July WWW lodge trip. He emailed us about his love of the Rogue:

Rafting down the Rogue was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The peace, beauty and purity of nature was enough to make me want to come back year after year. I stayed in a kayak during the entire trip and it gave me a sense of accomplishment, and uplifting connection with wilderness. I recommend this trip to anyone, young or old, because there is no substitute for a vacation like this."

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Diane, her husband, Gary, and daughter, Grace, traveled from New York to raft with us in August. Diane emailed us about their adventure with us...

Hey Joy,
Thanks so much for the photo/link. It's a great picture. And thanks
again for helping to make our trip amazing. It was the highlight of our
2 weeks in Oregon.
The guides, our fellow rafters, the scenery, lodges, meals, wildlife and
thrills of the river wowed us all. We will be rhapsodizing about our
little adventure for years to come.
Hope you are well and enjoying the prelude to fall.
With warm regards,
Diane

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Gary & Garrett Surgeon joined us on a September camp trip. Perfect for some quality father-son time before Garrett leaves for his freshman year at the University of Oregon later in September.

To Renee who I first spoke to in setting up the trip, to Bob, our faithful guide on the trip, to Sam the Beaver who helped in every facet of the adventure and to that B______ Laird guy who dispensed the fatherly advise to my son, “Forget about school, come join us on the river”, I thank you all for putting together a great adventure. Garrett and I both had a great time and look forward to seeing you all again. Beautiful scenery, great food and perfect directions on how to get down the river in a safe and fun way.
Once again, many thanks to all of you.
Best regards,
Garrett and Gary Surgeon

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Brenda Christopher and her daughter, Grace, and son, James, traveled the Rogue with WWW on one of our August lodge trips. Brenda's thoughts about her family's trip with us
are as follows:

Good afternoon JOY....thank you for one of the most amazing vacations I have ever been on.  My children will be talking about it for many months to come. I am sending you a series of great pictures from the trip....Enjoy!

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The Robertson family traveled with us on a late August lodge trip. This incredibly cute photo of Pamela (mom), Kevin (dad) and sisters Madeline and Peyton was taken on the deck at the second lodge, Marial. Pamela wrote us the following email about the family's trip with WWW:

I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for a wonderful trip. We had a great time. Madeline and Peyton can't wait to do it again.
Please thank John, Dave, Brian and especially Johnny (I know he got his fill of kids). They did a great job and we enjoyed them.

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Irene and Elliott Norse rafted with us on our August 25 - 27 lodge trip. Irene entitled her email to us with the following line..."A big smile"...you might be interested in reading the rest of her email to us!

Dear Joy,

Elliott and I had such a wonderful time on the rafting trip and we are
still smiling. The scenery, the fun and the way you accommodate guests
was just perfect. We will definitely sign up again. I know Elliott is
going to sign up for a trip for his organization next summer. He will
be in touch.
I would love to get copies of any pictures that are floating around and,
of course, those wonderful recipes.
We enjoyed meeting you. More to come.

 

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Dana B. rafted with us multiple times on the Rogue. Here are a few glowing comments from her:

This was my 4th trip down the Rogue with White Water Warehouse. You
have the most personable guides and I always feel that we're in good
hands. My friend Shawn was nervous about the trip, but said she felt
so safe and well cared for. And what a fascinating group of people
from all walks of life. We started as small groups of strangers on the
shore Sunday morning and by Sunday night we were all laughing and
enjoying the trip together.
Thanks, and we're looking forward to another fun experience with you
next year.

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Muffie and her husband, Jan, and her twin daughters, Stephanie and Arlene, rafted, kayaked, and tubed the Rogue River with us on August 4 - 6. Muffie's enthusiasm about their trip with us makes us smile....

Joy & Renee:
We had a great time. We loved our guides. We loved the lodges. We saw wildlife like black bears, blue heron, bald eagles and diving osprey. My daughters loved Jonny. Everyone took turns in the kayaks and tubes. But most of all, you did a fantastic job of putting together people who just hit it off right away. We have told everyone how much fun we had and how much we want to come back.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Muffie Alejandro

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Ken traveled from the east coast and met up with his friend, Frank from Ashland, Oregon. They traveled with us on our August 5 - 7 lodge trip. Ken emailed us with his comments about the trip....

Hello Joy - I wanted to tell you that our trip on the Rogue River with Whitewater Warehouse was great. The trip was well organized and the weather was perfect. I particularly wanted to complement your guides Jeff and Dave on the outstanding job that they performed. In my mind, they were largely responsible for ensuring the success of our trip. Both Jeff and Dave were well versed in the local history as well as the flora and fauna of the Rouge Valley. Their knowledge of the river was most helpful as I kayaked during much of the trip. Their professionalism and experience was the key to a pleasurable trip. Additionally, the food provided by WWW for the shore lunches was outstanding. To sum it up, the trip was most enjoyable and exceeded all my expectations. My complements to you and your staff on a job well done.
Best regards, Ken Aldridge

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The David family traveled from the east coast to visit Oregon this year. They included a white water rafting trip with White Water Warehouse among their adventures. Here's what they had to say:

The David family had a fantastic time on the Rogue with Bob and the guides. The rapids were great, as was the weather and the group on the trip. Anyway, thanks for your help in getting us set up for the trip. We have lifetime memories!

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Hello Bob, Joy and Renee,
Thanks for a really great time on the river. I expected to have fun, but it was even better than that!! My family feels the same way. In fact, Thomas admitted it was a lot better than the Red Sox game he missed and that is saying a lot. The guides were great and there was never a second we did not feel safe and like guests. Again, thanks for a wonderful time. - Roger, Anna, Evan and Thomas

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CJ was on a trip with us in July and wanted to share a few thoughts about his trip...

Wanted to let you know how much fun I had "tubing" the Rogue in July. It was my first time to the Pacific Northwest and my first time doing anything whitewater related. You were a pleasure to work with from start to finish. The scenery, weather and lodging were spectacular. The guides were extra helpful and friendly and prepared fantastic lunches. I made lifelong friends with complete strangers in just five days on the river. Doing the Rogue in an inner tube was an amazing experience and I am going back and doing it all over again next summer. Thanks for the best time I've had in a long time.
C.J.
Orlando, Fla.

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Hi Joy!
Just want you and the other staff at WWW to know how much fun the recent raft trip on the Rogue was. My friend Sophie and I did the July 22nd trip, with Guy and Jeff as our guides. Guy was fantastic -- incredibly patient with us even as we occasionally made his job harder I'm sure. He was a font of information and we were in awe at the way he handled the boat. I had some great conversations with Jeff over dinner, and just wanted you guys to know much the guides helped make the trip as fantastic as it was (of course, the incredible scenery also didn't hurt!! grin)
Both Sophie and I fell in love with the white bean dip, and Jeff seemed to think that perhaps you would part with your recipe. Any chance of that happening?? I'll forward the recipe to Sophie in Utah, and I'm sure its going to become both of our favorite recipe to entertain with. Thanks Joy! And, again, I can't tell you how joyful and relaxed I felt coming off this trip, and I know Sophie felt the same way. You definately have our repeat business, and I know we'll be in touch again next spring.
Sincerely,
Theresa Spaulding

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The Crocker family booked a charter rafting/kayaking lodge trip with us in June of this year. Cindy Crocker emailed her comments about our trip to the travel agency that planned the trip for her and her family members....

Good Morning Matt,
First, thanks for the great job planning the rafting trip. It was a perfect family trip! Our guides, Bob and Jeff were just the right combination for our group. There was some adventure for everyone and every night the lodges were better. Thanks.

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Diana Lamothe and friends joined us on the beautiful Rogue River on our
July 21, 2007, lodge trip. Diana emailed us about her experiences with
our company:

Renee...my thanks to all of the people with White Water Warehouse that made this past weekend so special. The weather was perfect, food was great, met some great people and, of course, Mother Nature and the Rogue River were awesome. We are already talking about a repeat trip soon. Also, kudos to Brian (our guide) and his great skill at spotting wildlife before any of us could see them. Thanks for all the recipes and all the great memories.

Diana wrote us later to add the following thoughts....I'm still on a high from the trip--your company was so professional and took care of every detail with ease--thus making our trip a true vacation. It was wonderful to not have to make decisions about where to stay or what's for dinner!

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Val Banner and her husband, Craig, rafted with us in early July. Read Val's comments below after returning home from the trip with the WWW professionals.

Dear Bob and Joy, thanks. It was the greatest experience I have had in such a long time. Your group is not a guide trip down the Rogue. It's a family with compassion and love for the great outdoors. This trip has touched my soul and I am so glad I overcame my fear and decided to go. Thanks again. Valerie

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Hi Joy et al! Just back from the July8-10th trip with my 3 children and wanted to pass on that the trip far exceeded our expectations. For me, loved getting away from it all, the beauty and serenity were worth more than I could ever imagine. BUT I was so appreciative of Geoff and his thoughtfulness and patient manner. I have 3 VERY inquisitive children and I am sure he would tell you I was as well. He ended up manning the "kid" raft and we had a ball.  If patience is not his middle name, it is now. He could not have bee more polite when I am sure deep down he was nothing but agitated. And we were so fortunate that Robert and Adam and Jerry and Andrew were along as well as the 5 kids had a lot of fun and many laughs. Geoff definitely earned his money this trip!
Don't be surprised if you see us back and I would overwhelmingly recommend you to anyone!!
 
Thank you so much for taking the time and energy you all put into each trip!

Betsy Miller

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Our clients Jim and Terry Bousquet rafted on the Rogue with us this June.

Taking a trip down the beloved Rogue River with the White Water Warehouse Gang is an experience you won't forget. Bob and Joy and their crew have every little detail taken care of, and the whole experience is smoother than you could ever imagine. "Fun" is the name of the game with the folks at WWW, and that comes to you in so many ways. Whether it be "exhilarating, action-packed, and loud", or "serene, calm, and quiet", you got it! The entire trip will revitalize you in ways you've never thought possible. I could write pages on the marvelous food alone, but trust me, you wont go hungry, and the incredible fare is delicious and more than plentiful.

A trip down the Wild and Scenic Rogue River Canyon is an amazing journey in and of itself. Doing it with the good folks at White Water Warehouse turns it into a trip of a lifetime. It is truly "music for the soul" and your entire being will thank you for it!

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Max Henkle went with us on a Rogue rafting trip in mid June. He is shown here inflatable kayaking, one of the fun things you can do on our rafting trips. Or, of course, you can ride the rafts the whole river...your choice! Max wrote in to say, "Thanks for the rad trip guys!"

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Liz Carle and her husband, Scott Heiser, traveled with us on our June 9 - 11, 2007 trip and this is what she had to say about the trip and the company.

If you are looking for three days of absolute bliss in one of the most beautiful places on earth, then look no further than White Water Warehouse.  From the front office crew to the guides, the people at White Water Warehouse (WWW) are the absolute best!  These folks are more than just consummate professionals ensuring a safe and fun adventure for those who are lucky enough to join them…they are truly exceptional people who obviously love what they do for a living.  With people like that running the show, it is not surprising to find that the types of people attracted as guests on these trips are also great fun!

WWW is one of the best run businesses we have ever dealt with — they have their operations running so finely tuned that it seems like they have to exert almost no effort to make it all happen. The food and the accommodation on our recent lodge trip were awesome!  Both lodges are set in their own unique environments and exude their own special charms.

If Bob and Joy make a commitment to you, it happens, right down to the morning cloud cover burning off at, “Oh about 11:30, or so…” or “You should see some turtles right in this area.”  Seriously, if Joy or Bob says it will happen, you can bet that it will.

One more thing: if you are a kayaker, the guides know every inch of the Rogue River like the back of their hands and they will point you to all of the best play spots.  If you stop and play at every spot, by the time you paddle up to the take out, you’ll be more than justified in downing a double helping at dinner!

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Bob & Joy, owners of White Water Warehouse, just returned from a fly fishing vacation in Los Roques. The weather was great (except for the wind!) and the fishing challenging. Seems there is no prettier place on earth than where the bone fish live...except, perhaps, the beautiful Rogue River. Joy is back in the office now and happy to talk to you about booking your once-in-a-lifetime vacation with the wonderful White Water Warehouse team of professionals. Call today-- Joy and Renee can help you discover if we are the right adventure vacation for you and your family.

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I just went through the photo album lists and find that since 1987 Mike and I have been down the Rogue 8 times, all with White Water Warehouse. In 1991, my dad came down the river with us. One of the WWW guides left the raft to go up to Black Bar Lodge and the raft drifted off shore. I have the most wonderful picture of my dad at the oars, loving every bit of it!

I think Bob snapped the attached very schmaltzy photo of Mike and I in 1992. We were on a little surf wave just below Black Bar Lodge. I've had that picture on my corporate desk through all those bad years to remind me why I worked so hard. There was a stretch between 1993 and 1998 when we ran other rivers and did other things. We were racing a lot then, so we spent our time running and tele skiing. In 1999, we got back on the river and ran it every year for 4 years. Now it looks like we will be back again this year! The river has given us so much. When I think of peace in my soul, of exhilaration, of joy and elation, they are all tied up on the Rogue River.

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Patti P. has rafted with us for many years on our all Women's trip

For almost 10 years rafting on the Rogue River has been a big part of my life. A time to reconnect with nature and recharge my batteries. Laughter, comradery and being disconnected from life's fast pace is so therapeutic. Then, there is the infamous food. It is so good that you can gain 5 pounds if you're not careful. At night, being away from the city lights you realize how many stars there really are and they shine so bright. The guides are the best on the Rogue which makes this trip such a complete package. Every year I look forward to time on the river.

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The guy that wrote “the book on rafting,” rafts with White Water Warehouse! (the following comments were written by Jim Johnson)

What does the busman know that the rest of us have missed? Why do we take vacations? Are we getting away? Depressurizing? Carving notches in the gunstocks of our egos so we might get a leg up on our associates upon return to our daily lives?

Why does he take a “busman’s holiday? He certainly isn’t ‘getting away from’ or ‘vacating’ his daily place of labor. Nor is he gaining any bragging rights among his peers upon informing them he just spent four blissful days riding route 64.

I think I know; and I’ll share the secret. For over twenty years I was a bus driver on the Wild and Scenic section of Oregon’s Rogue River. Funny looking bus, made of rubber and offered little protection from the flying water. But a bus nonetheless. Pick up the passengers at the same gravel bar. Drop them off four days later at the usual destination. Day after day. Through the summer and fall. For twenty years. Same river. Same rocks. Came to be on a first name basis with many of the furred and feathered residents.

And yet, every season for the past twenty four years, and still counting, I bundle up my family and travel to spend another four days traveling with the same folks I worked for. Same river. Same rocks. And the offspring and grand-off spring of the wild creatures I had first met.

This busman knows that it is not the getting away from but the getting to that adds years to my life. I co-founded White Water Warehouse along with Bob Meister in l983 at the tender age of forty four. My wife and I first met on that river. Our two daughters were brought to the river sometime around their fifth year and began paddling their own kayaks. Each year we pack up our own boats and join Bob and Joy on the river. Now at sixty seven the kids are grown, have done Europe, toured England in a rented motor home, hung out in Paris and Rome. Ran a good many other rivers. Those were vacations. The Rogue draws us back each year. Linda and I each row our own rafts. The kids do their kayaks. Bob, Joy and the guides take good care of us on shore; very good care.

Now the Rogue may not be for you. You will not know until you try it. If it wasn’t for you, you will still have gotten further away from what ever you wanted to get away from than you would have expected, will have vacated your place of work, and if you don’t depressurize on the Rogue your valve is jammed shut. But if it is for you, you will have learned the busman’s secret.

It is not what you are getting away from but where you are headed.

Whitewater Rafting Manual written by Jimmie Johnson, 1994.
Stackpile Publishing

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Arn and Deborah Schaeffer kayaked it up with WWW and the DeRiemers on our September 17 - 20 Rogue River kayak instructional trip. Arn and Deb are experienced "adventure travelers" and here is how they compare our trips with other trips they have taken in the past:

We just wanted to send a quick note and thank you guys once again for a great trip. Deborah and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip - so much so that we are hoping to do it again next year. I see you already have dates listed but no dates for the kayak trips - once you have those, please let us know if you have a chance. Our biggest surprise on the trip was just how good the food was. Yes, I know you said it was great but we've been on so many trips where people claim their food is great and then it turns out to be just okay. Your trip was one of the very few where the build-up and reality were in sync. I can still taste those biscuits, cornbread, chicken, flank steak, salmon, pork, etc. And thanks so much for being so incredibly accomodating for Deborah's allergy.

It was a fabulous trip and we can't wait to do it again!

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Giny Chandler kayaked the Rogue with White Water Warehouse on our September 12 - 15 camp/kayak instructional trip. Giny has travel with us before and her enthusiastic email back to us regarding this year's trip made us very happy, happy, happy!!!

Joy, Renee, and Bob,

I just wanted to thank you all for a wonderful trip. I am already scheming to be back next year, with the memories of great food, good companionship and abundant wildlife in my mental picture book. Thank you all so much for creating a great vacation.

Cheers,
Giny

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Kristie Silva, a WWW traveler and friend, is a river poet and darn good photographer too! Kristie shot this one-of-a-kind photo on her Rogue lodge trip with us this year on July 22. Doesn't that bear look envious of the graceful geese? Read on and discover her uniquely written poem. In it, she strives to highlight each and every person on the trip with her and her friends. Kristie, like so many of our WWW guests, is so special and sweet...

HAPPILY EVER RAFTER
July, 2006

It all began with a flight,
That gave us all quite a fright.
We rolled and we rocked,
Hearts all but stopped,
But at last the Rogue was in sight.

Down to the river at Rand,
We puttered in rocks and in sand,
Finally on our way,
We began a good day,
Made new friends, Georg, Stephanie and Ann.

We have some awards to bestow,
Before we all have to go,
From honors to errors,
Laughs, gaffs and terrors,
We were treated to quite a good show.

Read the rest of Kristie's poem...

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A family from the United Kingdom, the Skudders, joined us on our August 12 - 14 Rogue River lodge trip. The family's ages ranged from Grandma Margaret at 79 years old to Henry who was 5 years old. Chris, the father of the Skudder family, emailed us with his thoughts and a photo of their WWW vacation adventure:

You were right, there were no issues at all with the vast age range of our group. Margaret, who's 80 later this year, had the time of her life despite losing some belongings to a big wave down river (the guides made sure she got them back and it gave us all a laugh). I think she was a little apprehensive before we set off but she found the raft very comfortable and loved the whole experience, enjoying the scenery, the company, the food, and the lodges. The children, 5-year-old Henry and 7-year-old Genevieve loved it too, particularly being able to jump into the water with their lifejackets on during the quieter stretches of the river. 16-year-old Amy spent much of the time either in the single or double kayak with me and also had a ball--she tipped the single kayak over once but was ready for more! I have to confess I wouldn't have dared take young Henry with me in the double kayak through some of the livelier stretches but he wanted to and Brian was confident enough in me to let it happen--no dramas, lots of fun and I 'm so glad we could enjoy the experience together. Thanks again, and, as you say, some lifetime memories.

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Our guest, Jennie Eley, and friends rafted with us on the wild and scenic Rogue river in August.

"I just wanted to say thanks to our wonderful guides and everyone else who made our trip possible It was absolutely amazing. Great water, great camping, great food and amazing scenery."

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Cynthia Hix celebrated her 60th birthday along with 17 other "wild and crazy" women friends on the Rogue River this year. She chose the August 19 lodge trip to whoop it up with her buddies. Her thoughts on the WWW trip?

"On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best, this trip was a 50!!!!"

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Helen and Dean Campbell joined us on our 3-day lodge trip beginning August 13 of this year. Helen felt their raft trip with White Water Warehouse was an "amazing white water adventure!" And, she wrote even more about the trip in her descriptive email to us here in the office....

I wanted to thank you for you professionalism and willingness to do anything you could to accommodate any of the rafters with their special needs and requests. The men that you sent to guide us down the Rogue; Jeff, Jerry, John and Kale, were skilled, competent, caring, watchful, attentive, could set out a mean lunch and keep us laughing to boot. They all worked hard to insure our safety and enjoyment on a quality raft trip. They were successful! Not only did we all experience some amazing rafting we were afforded the opportunity to kayak. An added surprise!

I would not hesitate for one minute to refer anyone to your company and I hope to be able to take another trip with White Water Warehouse!

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John Sage and his sons, Jackson (age 11) and Nicholas (age 8) traveled from California to join us on our August 26 - 29 camp trip. John, sums up his family's Rogue River rafting and kayaking trip with us very simply:

"Thanks for a GREAT trip! We had a ball!"

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Sue Coulter, husband, and family traveled with White Water Warehouse on our 4-day camp beginning August 9. Sue found our company by researching on the internet and here is what she had to say about her trip and how her internet research "paid off" for her and her family:

Hi, Joy, I just wanted to thank all of you for our great trip on the Rogue. My kids will talk about it for a long, long time and I have to say that for me, personally, it was my best vacation ever! I hope we do it again, and that my kids take their kids on the Rogue 30 years from now. Please pass on my thanks to Bob, Geoff, Dave, Guy, Johnny, Phil and Mary. It was simply the best.

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Susie Vandruff, her mother, Joy Vandruff, and her husband, Jeff Murphy, and teenagers, Larkyn and Jasper, also booked on our 4-day camp trip beginning on August 9. That trip must have been something special because we also received this wonderful email from Susie and family:

Our family wants to thank you for a great river trip. My family and I came back with fond memories of the Rogue trip. Susie's comments: The guides were wonderful men (I miss seeing your faces each morning!), the food was great, the river was beautiful. The stories, history, laughs, kayaking, wild life and peacefulness were truly inspiring and healing. Much thanks. Jaspers' (14 year old) comments: Thank you for letting us go on the trip...kayaking was fun, and going down the canyon was scary, but cool! Larkyn's (17 year old) comments: Thank you for putting on a wonderful river trip. It was great food, thanks!!!! Jeff's (dad) comments: Thanks so much for the food and the family touch. It was a pleasure. The group was great and the Rogue is an incredible river. Thanks!

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Pattie Watson and her mother, Bea Anderson, along with Pattie's twin boys, have traveled with White Water Warehouse for many, many years. Our guides have watched those boys literally grow up on the Rogue River! Pattie and Bea went without the boys this year on our August 13 - 15 lodge trip (the boys are now adults and doing "adult" things). Pattie talks in her post-trip email to us about her love of the river and the trips:

Good morning, Joy! Returned last night from another fabulous lodge trip down the Rogue. We figured this was my 10th trip and my mom's 17th and I can't believe I didn't go last year! Anyway, we rode with Kale...he was the greatest...all the guides are. The trip was...well, what can I say that thousands of others haven't already said except my boys will be going next year and we're going to go as long as our ole bodies hold out. Great to see Lynn still at Black Bar Lodge and Pat at Marial Lodge as always so accommodating, full of good news and food. Thank you, Joy, for presevering this through times that make running a business hard and sometimes financially difficult...I, for one, am very grateful you are there.

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Hi! Just returned from our first river rafting trip (Aug. 6-8) with your organization and want to express our delight with the entire trip. The guides (especially John, our guide) were informative, funny, considerate and well organized. The lodging was clean, friendly and the food abundant. We were sad to see the trip end. Thank you for this most special adventure.
-- Ellie Pecora and Richard Bansbach

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The Ross and Armstrong families traveled all the way from Mississippi to raft with WWW on our July 2 - 4 lodge trip. They just sent some great photos to us and this is what Donna Ross emailed to us with those photos:

Our family, along with our family friends, the Armstrong's, and our South African house guest, Craig, had been looking forward to our vacation for months. We had been sightseeing in San Francisco and Northern California before beginning our White Water Warehouse rafting trip. The 3-day lodge trip was the highlight of our two weeks away from home. Each of us has a special story and lots of memories. We met new friends and were so impressed with our guides. Guy, Geoff, and Johnny are top notch in every way. Thank you for helping make our vacation so wonderful. We hope to make it back again soon.

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The French family rafted with us on our Aug 2-5, 2006 Rogue River trip. They shared some thoughts and smiles from their family adventure:

Dear Joy, Bob and all the guides,
We just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our recent raft/kayak trip with you on the Rogue River! We had so much fun and it was hard to come home back to traffic, lights and all the rest. You all were wonderful and did a superb job in making our vacation truly special. Thank you so much!

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Scotty Ernst and his 12-year-old daughter, Taylor, were on our July 19 - 22, 2006 camp trip. Scotty shares below their Rogue River rafting and kayaking adventures with WWW:

I just want to thank all the guides at the Whitewater Warehouse for making My daughter's and my trip a wonderful experience. Bob, Dave, Guy, Geoff, and Johnny did an outstanding job of making sure everything was just perfect. The Food was outstanding!!! You guys are truly 5 star chefs. The kayaking and rafting were top notch.

Again, thanks for all your hard work, and I am looking forward to bringing the rest of the family for a trip.

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The White family joined White Water Warehouse on our July 23-25, rafting lodge trip on the Rogue and were delighted to share some of their thoughts about their family trip.

I'm writing to let you folks know how much our family enjoyed our raft trip with WWW, Guy and Jeff last weekend! It was simply fabulous. As you know from all our calls beforehand, this trip was a first for us and I was quite anxious about it. I can't say enough about those two guides, how professional they are and at the same time, comfortable and fun to be with. I felt so secure with them and let go my anxiety right away. It turned out to be the best possible way for us to give our sons and one daughter-in-law a trip. They got to have the kayak thrills and we were right there on the raft to watch their eyes pop and their grins spread, without having to kayak ourselves. Knowing me, if I'd had to paddle, I'd be scheduling physical therapy appointments for my shoulders as I write this! The two lodges were quite comfortable and the food..., well I hope the three pound increase on my scale is from the heat, but the way I ate, I know better....it was great. Keep up the good work. I'm hoping we will develop an annual trip with you. Sincerely, Lina White

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Dave Hegarty rafted and kayaked with WWW on our July 19 - 22 camp trip. Here is what Dave had to say about his experience with our company:

Captain Bob: Wow! Thanks so much for the exciting and rewarding Rogue River Trip. I had a great time and enjoyed your river and your Staff very much. From the first moments at the PUT IN, I had feeling of security and excitement. Bob, you and your guides took such great care of us and watched over us that I felt fully relaxed to enjoy the River and the canyon sites as well as the rapids. As you know, from my first spill, as I looked up at Geoff, he continually talked me through the moves and back on to the action. I can’t say enough about the care and courtesy as well as knowledge and history your staff offered to us with the smallest of encouragement. I am very sure they were tired of my questions, but never showed the least bit of boredom. I would like to thank them all, Guy, Dave, Johnny and Geoff, as well as yourself for the constant encouragement and kind words. Especially to Guy, for the great conversations (and the food), Dave for the wonderful memories of our Midwest origination (and the food), Johnny for the great rides (and the beer), Geoff for looking after me on my spill episode, (and the food) and of course you, Captain Bob, for knowing how to put a great crew together and wonderful time. Thanking of course the ADMIRAL above for the views, river, rapids and canyon. Your staff works very well together and it enhances the whole experience. Our whole adventure was a fabulous success thanks to you and your guides. The personal touch that you showed with family prepared recipes gave us a real treat. I think all the kids on the trip learned valuable lessons without realizing it; I know I did. I can not believe the care and effort you and your guides took, and the concern they gave Mark on our adventure. You're above and beyond and I will make sure my friends and family know it. Thanks again for the wonderful memories. I am looking forward to doing it again soon, although I am sure you should keep that to yourself for fear of alarming your staff.

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Mike Tennant chartered a WWW lodge trip on July 15 - 17, 2006 with his family and friends. Here is what he had to say about his experience with our company:

I think the three most important words in the service industry are "I'll be back". It goes without saying that each individual on the trip, whether family member or friend can declare with conviction that we are already planning for next year!!! The friends we made, the memories created, and the fun we had will not soon be forgotten. The guides really contributed to the laid back, fun, and friendly atmosphere from day one...they were enthusiastic, informative, responsible, and were immediately welcomed into the family!!! In fact, it is still up for debate whether the guides or the teenage girls initiated the most water fights :)

Being out on the river with your company was an unforgettable, invigorating, and uniting experience for all of us...we are thankful to have had the opportunity to create such great memories together as a group, and also a big thank you to Dave, Johnny, Brian, and Kale for making the trip such an outstanding experience. WE WILL BE BACK!!!

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Cheryl & 5-year-old Dylan just finished our 4-day camp trip on July 1, 2006. Here's what Cheryl had to say about her experience with White Water Warehouse:

To: Cap'n Bob, Chief Geoff, Boss Dave & Johnny

Thank you for the most excellent rafting trip down the Rogue River. Dylan & I had a "once in a lifetime" experience. I was very impressed with your attention to detail; your concern for our safety, and the extra special treatment my son and I received.

I realized just how lucky we were to book our trip with your company after swapping stories during dinner at Galice Resort afterwards. It seemed we had all the bragging rights. Nothing I heard came close to the awesome vacation we had with all of you.

Also, kudos to Joy and Renee (in the WWW office) who made me feel so comfortable over the phone when I booked the trip. I was somewhat apprehensive about taking along my 5 year-old, but your reassurance was refreshing.

You guys are "The Bomb"!! You've got an outstanding crew of guides and you know what you're doing. The food was absolutely incredible. I can't thank you enough. Hope to see you again next summer.

Cheryl & Cap'n Dylan

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We always knew we had the best guides ever.
Read on for Julie's perspective on our guides.
Julie was on our 3-day lodge trip beginning June 24, 2006:

WOW - words cannot express what a spectacular event that we just participated in on the Rogue. I am going through my emails now that I am home and off the river (so sad!!) and I want you to know what a wonderful time my friend and I had. Dave was so kind to this old lady and I want you to know that we enjoyed him as our river guide - Debby and I were lucky enough to have him to ourselves most of the time. His stories and expert history stories helped us to take in all that was around us. When we needed to cool off - he managed that very well, when we (mostly me) needed help he was always there to lend a helping hand. Words cannot express how much we appreciated all that he did. Our hats off to all of the guides on our trip - they were so good with the children and other adults and always looking out for us - the service and the food and the friendships will remain in our minds as we may or may not see any of the crew again - but please know that we have great respect for what the guides must do to keep us safe and to show us a good time. The work, and play, and "queen treatment" we got will NEVER be matched.

Please be sure to thank all four guide members and a special thank you to Dave for taking care of us so well.

Sincerely,

Julie Bell

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(Photo by Rob Robinson)
Crater Lake. Photo taken in April 2006.

Story submitted by Joy Henkle

Crater Lake is a destination that many of our guests visit after their river trips with us. The lake is described as one of the world's most unique and beautiful landscapes. By the photo above, you can see why it is described this way. The photo, taken by our web master, Rob Robinson in April of this year (2006) shows the lake with a thick blanket of snow. As summer touches the lake, that snow begins to melt and the lake turns into a crystal-clear body of water. An average of 533 inches of snow fall in the park every year. Crater Lake is filled almost entirely by this melted snow. At 1,943 feet deep, it is the deepest lake in the United States, the seventh-deepest in the world. It is also one of the clearest.

No wonder that our guests choose to make this beautiful lake a part of their Oregon travels. We can supply you travel information if you desire to visit the lake either before or after your rafting trip with White Water Warehouse.

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Guy Billings, White Water Warehouse guide

I've been rowing rafts for White Water Warehouse since 1982. That's 24 years of on-the-water fun with a huge variety of guests. Because I row on most of the camp and lodge trips, I am often on the water seven days a week which suits me just fine.

I am a "local" boy raised in Couqille, Oregon, which is a small coastal town above Gold Beach, Oregon. Growing up, my life was centered around the water so becoming a rafting and fishing guide has come very naturally to me. I like the outdoors and I enjoy the technical side of rowing so it doesn't really get any better than this for me. I enjoy going to work every day and how many people can say that about their jobs?!?

When not guiding for White Water Warehouse in the summer, Guy is a fishing guide on the Deschutes River in the spring for trout and on the Rogue River in the fall for Salmon and small steelhead called "half-pounders."

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Joy Henkle, owner White Water Warehouse

Since I am a hardshell kayaker, I think I have the MOST fun of any guide on our trips. I have the wonderful opportunity to, at times, guide our guests down the Rogue River's rapids and ripples and turn around to see their beaming faces once they have followed me through a set of rapids. PROUD is a word that describes my reaction when a guest who starts at the beginning of the trip as somewhat fearful ends up a competent inflatable kayaker by the trip's end. Such fun.

I also love to cook. Designing menus for our trips that include healthy, organic foods that taste good and look even better is something I set a premium on. I feel we offer the best food and Oregon food products on our trips. In my mind, we set the bar for rafting food and that is vital to me and to Bob as owners of this company.

Joy graduated from the University of Oregon in Business Management. She went on to own an advertising agency for over a decade before joining her husband, Bob Meister, at White Water Warehouse. Joy loves to cook, fish, garden, and whitewater kayak. She even dabbles in interior design in the off-season.

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Bob Meister, White Water Warehouse
River Guide and Owner

One of the kicks I get out of this business is getting to know personally the people who come back year after year with us. Since I am lead guide on all our camp trips, I come into contact with some wild and zany guests. Guests like the Brink family from Oregon, Andy Krakoff and friends from California, all those crazy wild women from Washington state, and our hardshell kayaking buddies like Jim Mikeska and Suzanne Schmidt from California and New York. These are people that I have personal relationships with. Myself and the WWW staff know and care about them and their extended families. And, we look forward to updates each year from them. In fact, when we don't hear from them, we worry!

We have encountered every funny river situation with these folks that you can imagine. From the "queen for a day" crowns that the wild women wore while riding on our rafts, to the great river games and costumes that many of these folks bring on their river trips, to the "hidden kayak" trick performed by Phil DeRiemer.

The best river business, the best river guests, creating the best river stories...life doesn't get any better.

Bob Meister has owned White Water Warehouse for almost 25 years. He is also lead guide on all the company's camp trips. Bob graduated from Oregon State University in recreation. Yes, he is one of the few college graduates who actually has a job related to his college degree. In the "off season" Bob enjoys Bass fishing in Mexico and guiding on Oregon's rivers for salmon and steelhead.

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Dave Jobe, White Water Warehouse Guide

My favorite part of running trips with White Water Warehouse is meeting all the interesting folks that start as guests and end as friends with all of us. Seeing the Wild Women each year has got to be the highlight of my summer. They are fun, interesting, and successful women-just the best people to be around.

I also love to cook and these river trips give me a chance to feed folks and see the giant smiles that appear each time we place one of our incredible meals in front of them. I never get tired of seeing those smiles!

Dave attended Oregon State University studying Business Management. He has guided on the Rogue River for WWW since 1983. In the off-season, Dave grows and sells Oregon Christmas trees. He loves to fish and cook.

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This is an excerpt from an adventure that one of our guides, Geoff Laird, shared with us while he was in Chile in the off season…

Geoff Laird, White Water Warehouse guide

The kayaking continues to be great and I had the opportunity to experience two new rivers in the last few days. I have made friends with a Belgium ex-pat who guides for a company here and he invited me to accompany him on a rafting excursion on the upper Trancura.
Tomorrow concludes my first week of Spanish lessons and I can confidently say that my Spanish is no better but my English, in an unconscious degeneration has begun to sound like baby talk. I suppose it's because I spend so much time with Rodrigo and using our limited English and Spanish neither one of us has a vocabulary larger than an eight year old. It's quite funny really to live in a communicative grey area full of finger pointing, grunts, and other monosyllabic gestures but with time this will change. Practice, practice, practice.

Geoff Laird, Rogue River guide , is 28 years old and a 2002 graduate from OSU. He has a degree in Hydrology-Watershed management and loves to travel around the world. He is always seeking new white water kayaking adventures, including the Futaleufu River in Chile.

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Dave Prindel, White Water Warehouse river guide

Developing a feeling of team is a strong memory of each trip. I have rarely been in more situations where I have felt as comfortable around as many people as each and every one of the Rogue River trips.

We gain force and power as a team as we mirror the image of the creeks emptying into the wider, stronger river. Just as the Rogue River reminds me of nature's method of starting small and using momentum to produce an irresistible force;..the White Water Warehouse Rogue experience will change your views on nature and what it has to do with you.

Dave was born in Eugene, Oregon and has been a school teacher for over 27 years for the Springfield School District. Dave brings a multitude of people skills and boating skills to the Rogue River. He has boated the Rogue, Deschutes, McKenzie, Grand Rhonde, Willamette, White Salmon, Wind River, Lower Salmon, Snake and Henry's Fork. He is an avid fisherman and valued guide.