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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Tony Sontorsola took his father and son on a 3-day lodge trip in mid-June of this year. He writes us after the trip...

"I wanted to let you know that my dad, Nick and I had a great trip with your company. I think it was one of the great thrills of my dad's life." Tony

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Misha and Vitaly Pavlov, a father-son "team," joined us on our June 14 lodge-to-lodge Rogue River trip. Misha wrote us to say...

"Again, let me tell you that we were both really happy with our trip down the river with you folks. The lodges were in pretty places and the people were very friendly. The food was very good and my only complaint about anything was the vast amount of good food so I ate more than I needed to!"

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Hi Bob and Joy,

We made a little memoir of the women's trip we took in early September. We thought you might enjoy watching the picture DVD as well. We had so much fun! You guys definitely made it a trip to remember. I now know what Marcia means by 3 night, 4 days and 5 pounds!! Great food and great cooks!! Thank you so much! We look forward to the next time!!

Sincerely Tiana and Peggy

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Bob and Dave-

Thank you, thank you, and thank you for making our Rogue River Trip absolutely FANTASTIC! Just want you both to know that the pictures that were sent, I view on a regular basis to "relive" my wonderful BIG "50" celebration!!!!! Hope all is well with you and yours!

Best, Joan

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Paula Jean celebrated her 60th birthday by camping with gal-pals on the Rogue River. "PJ" is a unique individual and we were happy to provide a unique, 4-day birthday party down the river for her and her many girlfriends....

I've been writing you little "thank you" notes in my head since coming home from the trip and, like my friend Marcia, dreamed of sending a hand-written note of the loveliest kind but am still in the process of moving into my new home so am sending you this email instead.

That was the most sensational adventure. And, of course, the added feature of a "0" birthday spent on the river with the most wonderful girlfriends and being wined and dined with the best food (that was the gourmet food & wine trip...right?). Thank you for all the delicious cooking...pasta and chicken on my birthday...yes!!!

I fell in love with guides Kevin and Kelsey...outstanding characters...my birthday rock graces my front steps and I will carry it with me into the sunset with the fondest of memories.

Your crew provides a backdrop for the average person to engage in a rich and life-changing experience. You completely ROCK and I am blessed to be a part of this fabulous journey!

Many blessings to all of you,
Paula Jean Condino

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This next testimonial is kinda long but it comes from the heart and we couldn't cut it. Marcia Morse rafted and kayaked with 13 other women friends in September on one of our 4-day camp trips. This bunch was a blast to host--many of them had traveled with us before in years past. Thanks, Marcia, for your friendship over the years and your kind words. The song "ain't bad either!"

Hello Joy and Bob

What a vacation!! It was so nice to see Ray on the river, and he was kind enough to set up all our cots (thank you for those, they are The Way To Go) which made such a welcome sight as we pulled into our camps -- all our favorite camps, by the way. Gilmore called it a "Trifecta !"
Of course, we loved the food and ate and ate -- living up to my long-standing description of this trip as a 3-4-5  (3 nights, 4 days, 5 pounds).  You do such a great job, we had to eat more than we really needed, just so we wouldn't miss out on anything.
We partied, of course, but I think Bob would agree we have toned it down, over the years, though with just girls, we felt free to sing and giggle more than usual. My sister Nancy is the unstoppable songstress, and I am more than happy to join in. As a matter of fact, we "wrote" a song for Bob, who was our hero, as always. And here it is, to the tune -- more or less -- of "I Will Follow Him"

We will follow Bob
Follow Bob wherever he may Row
There won't be a riffle too flat,
No bump or a splish or a splash
To keep us away
We'll follow, we'll follow, we'll follow
We'll follow him through Blossom,
Through Blossom, through Blossom,
The Coffee Pot won't perk us, won't perk us
Won't perk us
We'll love the Rogue forever, forever, forever
We will follow Bob
Follow Bob wherever he may Row
There won't be a rapid too large
To feel safe in Big Bobby's barge
We're in our comfort zone
We'll paddle, we'll paddle, we'll paddle
We'll go left of the big rock, the big rock
The Big Rock,
We'll power through the suck hole, the suck hole
The suck hole
We'll follow him downriver, downriver, downriver
We will follow Bob
Follow Bob wherever he may Row
You know that we're one happy bunch
When Joy has packed us a lunch
Take Us Away
Row Us Today
Row Us Today

Our presentation at Lower Solitude camp was flawed but sincere and enthusiastic. We thank you both again and again for the best time you can cram into 4 days.

Love to you both
Marcia

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Sally Harris, her sons, and friends joined us on an early August trip. Sally just emailed us about her experience with our company--from start to finish....

Dear Joy and Renee:

We had a wonderful 3-day lodge trip on the Rogue River with your company from August 10-13, 2008. I initially chose your company because of the rapid, helpful, and personal responses to my email inquiry, which I had sent to several other outfitters offering a similar trip. However, your service was outstanding, even helping me with other recommendations of places to consider visiting after my trip, (specifically, the Out ‘n About Treesort, which was terrific.) We loved everything about the raft trip. The patient and experienced guides were wonderful in catering to everyone’s interests. Eric went beyond the call of duty, allowing his raft to contain a group of boys, including my 9 and 11 year old sons and tolerating, and even encouraging (I think), their endless water fights! It made it a very enjoyable experience for the parents to be a safe distance away, at times. I loved the fact that we could choose to relax on the raft, paddle an inflatable kayak, or float in inner tubes most of the way, which made it a much more interactive experience for everyone, regardless of level of paddling experience or desire to challenge themselves.

We are recommending the trip to many friends as a great family trip and know that we will be back to do it again! It would be hard to beat!

Sally Harris and family

 

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Charlie and Mary Hoisington traveled from Northern California to join us on a mid-August lodge-to-lodge Rogue River trip. They specifically requested our AIRE Lynx's kayaks for their whitewater experience.

We love Charlie's reference to "dumpster diving" to retrieve the remaining home-baked brownies and rum cake from the trip. Hee, hee....that's the best compliment on our food that we've had in a long, long time!

Hi Joy and Renee,

Thank you for the wonderful lodge trip on the Rogue this year. We signed up for the kayaking experience but were surprised by how much we enjoyed riding in the raft. Relaxing, taking pictures, watching the river scenery and listening to the guide’s stories are all better from your company’s one of a kind custom built rafts. Your care in selecting people likely to be compatible certainly added to the trip's enjoyment. The personal recipes and home grown foods were anticipated long before we stopped for each lunch.

After saying all of the above, there is one thing that might be improved upon. After lunch on the last day of our trip, we discovered that some of your untouched leftover chocolate chip cake and brownies had found their way into the black trash bag. This ended up being our first ever experience at dumpster diving. A clear plastic bag would make it easier for us to spot the goodies next year. Our kind guides quickly provided us with fresh zip lock bags for our find and we happily treated ourselves to cake and brownies for days afterward.

From the time we arrived and our guides Guy and John made sure our cars were safely parked up the hill off the main highway at Galice to the scenic ride back with Floyd’s good humor, we appreciated the extra care given.

Charlie

PS, Here is Mary's testimonial:

Hi Joy and Renee,

I think you can tell from the pictures that we had a great time and that you had two happy customers! It was a relaxing, challenging and much enjoyed adventure down a beautiful river and we were well taken care of by you, your guides and lodge personnel. The attention to detail and dietary considerations were very much appreciated. Thank you for providing the Aire Lynx IKs, too.

Mary

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Janet, her husband Eric, and their 10 year old son, Matthew, all rafted and kayaked with us in mid-August. This email just proves what a great family experience the Rogue River is--for kids and moms and dads alike!

Hi -
We had an absolutely wonderful time on our August 10 - 12 rafting trip this year. We very much appreciated everything you did to make the trip so special. We felt well-cared for from the planning phase - so friendly and helpful - to the trip itself with super guides and delicious, homemade lunches - to the lodges with which you clearly maintained strong relationships. Ours was a trip filled with energetic boys who were handled expertly, with humor and firmness, by "Uncle Eric" -- allowing us as parents to also relax and enjoy a true vacation. And of course, all this in the unparalleled beauty of the wild and scenic Rogue.

Our friends with whom we did the rafting trip made the initial reservation. When I asked them why they chose WWW as the outfitter (because it clearly was an outstanding choice!), they mentioned how responsive, friendly and helpful you were in her initial queries. The entire trip was consistent with that initial impression. Thank you so much!

We have been raving about the trip to our friends and are recommending you highly. And we hope ourselves to be rafting with you again soon.

Sincerely,
The Patzers -- Eric, Janet and Matthew

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Penny & Ed Swan began organizing their early August 2008 Rogue River Charter group in September of 2007. All their hard work paid off when they saw the smiles on their friends’ faces at the end of the trip….

Hi Joy, just wanted to give you a quick update, now that we are all back home. EVERYONE raved about the trip, and had a great time! Weather cooperated and we just all had a terrific time. We definitely won't wait another 15 years to do it again!

I had several requests too for some recipes, and Bob said he was sure you could send them off to me. So if you have them, could we have the recipes for the following: Brownies!! Rum/pound cake Veggie dip Artichoke dip

The food was amazing, just as I remembered, and the guides were all amazing too! Give Bob, and the crew our sincere Thanks!!

We're trying to put together a website with some of the photos, so if we ever get it together, we'll let you know, so you can check them out.

Thanks again, you were all great to work with!
Penny Swan

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Dave & Liz traveled with us on our August 3 - 5 lodge trip....along with 20 of their other friends! Bob (our owner and head guide on this trip) came back from this trip and said this group was a blast to host!

Dear Joy and Bob,

One week ago today, we began our whitewater adventure and we want you to know how special it was for us. You made it a trip to remember and we will spread the word with friends and family.

Joy, the food was outstanding. It's hard to believe such delicious offerings could be presented on the shore of the Rogue. You have obviously trained Bob, Dave, Guy and Ray well. Thank you so much.

And, Bob. We were on your raft and you gave us the confidence to know that even when we were outside of our comfort zone, all was well.....Even Blossom Bar. You're the best!!!

We wish you abundant seasons and happiness.

Dave and Liz Crossman

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We were delighted to open our email on Tuesday morning and find this message from Ray & Bev Brassfield. The Brassfields had just gotten off the river with us the night before, traveling on our August 2 - 4 lodge trip....

We just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our raft trip this past weekend.  It was spectacular:  the scenery, wildlife, food, accommodations (particularly the Marial Lodge).  The guide that we spent the most time with, Johnny, was super!!!  He was very comfortable to be with, fun, so knowledgeable about the river and it’s history.  We can’t speak highly enough of him.  We will definitely keep this in mind to do again in the future.  And, we appreciate Eric putting this group together.  He is a great guy and good friend.
Ray and Bev

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Cathy Rodgers was one of the prime organizers for the entire 35-person Rodgers reunion clan. Working with our office staff since December 2007, Cathy whipped this unique and wonderful family into "ship shape" by playing off a pirate theme throughout their Rogue River trip with our company. This family truly experienced the magic of the river....

Joy,

You've probably already heard we had an absolutely fabulous time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The homemade dips, fresh picked berries, fine Oregon wines were all a big hit with the entire family. Bob was wonderful.......very professional, very friendly, very knowledgeable and easy to spend 3 days with. We had a great time and many wonderful adventures on the Rogue!!!! We had over 20 jump off the BIG rock!!!!!!! Yes, they are all crazy. Bob has probably shared we had almost everyone in kayaks having a blast! Morrison's was wonderful as were both lodges as we moved down river!! We will definitely be back........though likely in smaller, more manageable groups :):):)

Looking forward to our next trip. Thanks again for helping making our reunion unbelievable and unforgettable!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cathy

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Carol and 34 other family members traveled with us in late July 2008 on a lodge-to-lodge trip. This was a mega-family reunion trip....and mega-fun for our office staff and guides too!

Hi Joy, Bob & Renee,
 
My family (from Sacramento) had a fantastic time on our trip and probably can speak for all of the Jolly Rodgers Clan that we all had a fabulous, exciting adventure. Can’t wait to see photos that Dan was taking.  All the guides were great, food delicious, water refreshing, sun shining…couldn’t ask for anything more.  I spoke with Renee several time before the trip and she was most helpful with advice, thank you for your kindness.

Thanks again for the wonderful trip.   Hope the rest of your summer is super!
Carol Downey

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Helen Campbell and her husband, Dean, joined us 2 years ago on the Rogue. She wrote us just a couple days ago about her memories of that trip and to tell us her brother, Charlie and his wife, will be traveling with us on a mid-August 2008 trip. We feel very lucky to have such wonderful, dedicated guests! Gives us the best feelings in the world to read such comments...

Hi Joy,
 
My husband and I took the lodge trip two years ago.  That trip STILL remains one we talk about the most and we do a lot of traveling.  Without a doubt, a faultlessly perfect river trip.
 
My brother, Charlie Hoisington, planned the entire trip for a big group of friends and then he couldn’t go!!
But Charlie and Mary are finally going to be able to make the trip and are scheduled for mid August.
 
I am perturbed with myself;  I can’t remember Jerry, our guide’s, last name.  I wanted to tell Charlie about Jerry should he be lucky enough to have Jerry for a guide.  Jeff, John and Kale were outstanding too, we just didn’t spend as much time with them.
 
Dean and I will be back sometime soon, and we’ll bring friends to experience what only White Water Warehouse can deliver!
 
Thanks Joy!
Helen

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Linda and Bobbi were guests on our July trip and wanted to share a picture and words of praise with us.

Bobbi and I had a great time on the river and we had a great staff and fellow travelers as well.  The food was top notch all the way and I understand you make some of the lunch items.  I tasted everything and I don't think we could have wanted for anything.

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Fiona Moore and her 18-year-old Godson, Josh, rafted and kayaked together on one of our late July lodge trips. We emailed her a copy of this cute photo of the two of them and she emailed us back her thoughts about the trip...

Thanks for the photo, Joy. Josh and I had a fabulous time. It was the perfect kind of trip for a Godmother and Godson to take....Josh had time in the kayak and there were others his age on this trip. I took full advantage of the raft with a bit of excitement in the kayak on day 2.

Thank you for your wonderful guides and organization.

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My son, John, and I participated in the July 19 lodge-to-lodge rafting trip on the Rogue River with your company. What a wonderful time we had! Your guides maintained a positive, professional, relaxing mood while helping participants sort out who could do what on the river. It didn't take long to see that I could trust their judgment.

The lodges and meals were perfect--what treasures. Yours is the rafting trip I've been looking for and I hope to bring other family members out for a ride in years to come.

Please express my thanks to all involved, Adair McPherson

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The Buck family traveled from Portland, Oregon to spend the 4th of July weekend with us rafting the Rogue. It was a special time for a very special family....

I just wanted to let you know what a fabulous time our family had on the
Rogue trip. I'm so grateful that the weekend of the 4th was available; and
although we would've enjoyed other people, it was a special time for our
family just to be together. Both Brian and Dave were professional and fun,
and although very different personalities, we were able to relate to each
of them very positively. The food - well.. you weren't kidding about the
amounts. The lunches were particularly delicious with the homemade
touches. And at the lodges - wine and appetizers! followed by down-home
food. We honestly were just amazed at how wonderfully prepared everything
was.

The river itself is so beautiful; in fact, southern Oregon is a jewel.
We'd only passed by quickly other times on our way to California. Now, we
will return. My son-in-law kept chanting that THIS is the real Oregon.

Enjoy the rest of the summer...

Janet Buck and the entire Buck family

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Tony took this beautiful photo of Black Bar Lodge...

Tony, from Los Angeles traveled with 2 other male friends and experienced the ultimate "mancation" on our July 6 - 8 gourmet wine & food trip. He wrote us shortly after his arrival home...

I just finished taking your gourmet trip and loved it.  My party, Stuart Paul and Avi Haberfeld, all felt it was a great trip.
I was wondering if I could get a few recipes, specifically the coleslaw and the three bean dip.
Thanks for everything.  Have a great summer.

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The Gerrish family got to raft, kayak, and even float (in the quiet waters) on their late June lodge Rogue River trip with us. After they returned home, mom Cindy emailed us their thoughts about their trip and a photo too!

We just got back from our family vacation, where we went on a 3 day rafting trip with your guides, Bob, Brian and Johnny and another very nice family. Our family had so much fun on the trip. The food was delicious! I would love a few of those recipes.

The scenery was so beautiful. I had never seen actual bald eagles out in the wilderness, it was amazing. Brian was our tour guide and he knew the river like the back of his hand, and handled the raft expertly. The kids got to enjoy some excitement as they kayaked through some rapids and were able to jump into the river and bob around in their life jackets in the calmer spots.

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Amy and family traveled with us on our June 21 - 23 lodge-to-lodge chartered trip with 17 of their friends. What Amy wrote to us about her trip with us is exactly why we are in this business....

Hi Joy,
Just letting you know that our trip was fantastic! Everyone in our group was thrilled from start to finish. It was our best family vacation ever and we loved every minute of it! Please give our love and thanks to Johnnie, John, Brian and Dave - they are the best!
Many thanks, The Colton family (and the Connors, Nijors, Lavaelles and Reimers)

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Glenna from northern California emailed us about her early June Rogue River hiking experience with WWW....

I was part of the June 8 Rogue River hiking trip and must tell you that I enjoyed myself thoroughly. The scenery was beautiful, the food and lodging wonderful, the group very enjoyable, and Bob and John were the perfect guides. After the hike, I spent another week exploring Oregon from the McKenzie River area, the Willamette Valley, the Silverton flower farms, as far north as Portland. Thanks so much for your part in making my Oregon visit a great experience.

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Sue traveled with WWW on an early June hiking trip. She emailed us about her Rogue River hiking experience and she also included in the email comments to her new good friends that she met on this hiking adventure....

Hi everyone. I had the most incredible time with all of you. It seems that all the stars aligned...good people, good weather, good food, and a great place to hike!! This will be an experience I will always remember.

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Jackie from California just arrived back home after experiencing our first-class Rogue River hiking/lodge trip starting on June 1 of this year. Here's what our new friend had to say about the Rogue River hiking adventure....

Hi Joy,
We just got back from Oregon this afternoon and I wanted to tell you what a great trip it was! Honestly, I don't think I've had a better time in ages! All the friends from down here loved it and Sue, her sister-in-law Nadine and I have decided that your husband Bob is the best guide ever!! He's got such a great gentle way of dealing with people and we thought he was wonderful.

Thanks so much for encouraging me to hang in there. Even with just getting over the illness it was very manageable. We questioned the term "moderate" at first and finally admitted to Bob we had just over exerted the first day and once we got adjusted it was a perfect combination of small challenges with lots of easy. Of course, for me, riding on the raft for six miles the second day helped!!

Thanks again and if this bunch down here gets organized . . . we'll have a meeting to discuss maybe doing it again next year. I'll be in touch if and when that happens.

Thanks again,
Jackie

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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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To view the 2007 Whitewater Warehouse Testimonials,
click here.