We arrived at the KOA in Buffalo Wyoming and for the first time since leaving the Rogue River have the perfect combination of reliable Internet connection and early arrival time. Buffalo is in Absaroka County and as you know is the stomping ground of Sheriff Walt Longmire who upholds the law with a deep-seated sense of justice and the firm but reluctant hand required of the frontier lawman. The two day drive from Galice, Oregon to Buffalo, Wyoming provided ample opportunity to reflect on the experience of our river trip.
The Rogue River travels about 215 miles from its source near Crater Lake in the Cascade Mountains to its mouth at the Pacific Ocean, near Gold Beach Oregon. The Rouge drains over 5100 square miles of southwestern Oregon and northern California. The portion we floated was part of the western section that flows through the Klamath Range. In five nights and six days we covered about 45 miles with one layover day in the middle. The river flows through deep canyons and the rocks here are some of the oldest in North America, dating to the Jurassic Period.
Dar’s gold n dem dar hills!
Gold is what brought white guys here in number beginning in the late 1840’s. In fact one of the most productive gold mines in Oregon was located on a Rogue River tributary called Grave Creek. White guys had been here before 1840, of course and like in most of the rest of the continent found people already living here. These native people fought to keep their homes, their women and their hunting grounds and some early white guys took to calling them rouges due to their aggressive nature. Legend has it that this is how the river got its name.
Like in most of the west, it is believed that people have been living in this area for about 8500 years and by 1500 years ago had built permanent settlements and despite keeping their tribal identity, mingled freely with one another and most seemed to speak several languages. Near the coast the Tututni people thrived and upstream lived the Takelma, Shasta, Latgawa and Dakubetede peoples.
When the gold hunters came in force, the fighting intensified and we camped two nights at a place called Battle Bar. Here on the south side of the river whites were fighting Natives on the north side and when it was over one white was dead and as many as 12 Natives perished. By 1856 most of the remaining Native inhabitants had been relocated to reservations further to the north.
President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 signed the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act that had been sponsored by Senator Frank Church of Idaho. (Democrats stealing land and water from private owners again) The act originally protected eight rivers; Clearwater, Eleven Point, Rio Grande, St. Croix, Feather, Rogue, Salmon and Wolf.
Rivers receiving this designation are preserved because they possess scenic, recreational, geologic, historical or cultural value (at least according to liberals). They are to be preserved in their free flowing condition and are not to be dammed or impeded. Just to be even more anti-capitalist the Democrats made sure no oil, gas or mineral development could occur along their banks. Today over 200 rivers, totaling more than 12,000 miles have Wild and Scenic status.
Three remarkable young people guided our trip. Their passion for the Rogue is infectious and their skill with a 19 foot, fully loaded gear boat is impressive. There were 10 people in our party, most of whom are in their 60’s, so it is now appointed unto these young people to fight for the protection of these rivers, for these beautiful places will be attacked again, and I am confident they and others like them will be there standing with these rivers.
This was our second trip with the company ARTA (American River Trip Association). This non-profit was established to introduce Americans to the beauty and wonder of these scenic rivers in the belief that as more and more Americans experience the majesty of these scared places the threats to them will be lessened. I hope that is true and I feel confident that I can speak for the ten people on our trip that we will stand with and fight for the protection of these resources. We share the belief expressed 100 years ago by President Theodore Roosevelt:
“Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.”
I have a tremendous sense of gratitude for those Americans that had the foresight to recognize that there are places on this continent that are so different, so special, that they are worth fighting for and in most cases the fight was long and brutal.
If not for those that came before my group and me on this trip, I might not have ever seen views like this. Views like this might not exist for anyone to see. They are worth preserving.
To float along with the current of the river, with mountains rising high along both banks is to be in a sense at the bottom of the world while at the same time being cradled in the hands of God.
The beauty is in the journey.
Love to all.