$1695
Overview
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Ages: 18+
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Difficulty: No prior experience needed. Just good health and a positive attitude.
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Includes: all meals and group camping gear during the multi-day section.
Includes trip overview, packing list and travel logistics
This 8-day paddle raft & rowing school is a stellar way to learn how to paddle guide and row whitewater with our professional guides. You’ll develop a foundation of rafting and river travel skills that will enable you to lead and organize a successful multi-day river trip and have a blast taking friends, family, and guests down your local runs.
Guide School is also a great way to spend time on many different rivers. The course structure is two weekends of paddle rafting, followed by a 4-day overnight trip. We utilize some of the most beautiful rivers in the Columbia Gorge, such as the White Salmon River and the Hood River, and get to experience the beautiful canyons of eastern Oregon on the multi-day. You’ll spend time both rowing and paddle rafting in a variety of boats (paddle rafts, paddle assisted stern mounts, center mount gear boats).
At Wet Planet, our guides, instructors, and staff have lived and worked in river communities all over the United States and internationally. From ½-day commercial day-trips to remote multi-week expeditions, we love being on the river, and love sharing our river experience with future guides and river travelers.
Who is the course for? This course is designed for anyone looking to develop a solid foundation in river travel – both those who wish to seek employment in the river industry as well as those who wish to learn the skills needed to captain/guide their own raft on private trips.
The Wet Planet Rowing and Paddle Raft School includes a 4-day Owyhee River multi-day raft trip as a part of the curriculum! Students will learn the logistics of overnight raft trips, while practicing their rowing and guiding skills traveling through the Owyhee River canyon.
Rivers Utilized for Training (depending upon water level):
- White Salmon River
- Klickitat River
- Hood River
- Wind River (optional additional day)
- Owyhee River
For more information on our Guide School or to make reservations: contact us! You can also download our Guide School Information for course details, the Guide School Owyhee Trip Info Packet, and a Guide School Multi-Day Packing List.
Itinerary
Wet Planet Whitewater Guide School
Itinerary:
The course structure is two weekends of paddle rafting, followed by a 4-day overnight trip. We utilize some of the most beautiful rivers in the Columbia Gorge, such as the White Salmon River and the Hood River, and get to experience the beautiful canyons of eastern Oregon on the multi-day. You’ll spend time both rowing and paddle rafting in a variety of boats (paddle rafts, paddle assisted stern mounts, center mount gear boats). Exact topics, camp locations and daily river mileage will vary with water levels and river conditions.
Objectives:
- To gain an introduction to raft guiding on class III whitewater, with focuses on both rowing and paddle raft guiding.
- To begin developing solid judgment and good decision making in the whitewater river environment.
- To develop the skills needed to plan and implement a multi-day rafting trip.
- To achieve a positive and rewarding introduction and immersion into the world of whitewater raft guiding and the community we live, work, and play in.
Course Curriculum:
- Fundamentals of hydrology, river terminology, and water reading
- Technical skills required to maneuver rafts on a whitewater river
- River safety and communication
- River etiquette
- Basic self-rescue training including rapid swimming, raft flipping, and throw ropes
- Guest service, logistics, and dynamics of a commercial (or private) river trip
- Equipment and gear care and maintenance
- Risk management
- Planning, organizing, and packing for a multi-day river trip
- Multi-day river trip group kitchen scene
- Lots of hands on practice rowing and guiding rafts!
Rivers Utilized for Training (depending upon water level):
- White Salmon River
- Klickitat River
- Hood River
- Wind River (optional additional day)
- Owyhee River
For more information on our Guide School or to make reservations: contact us! You can also download our Guide School Information for course details, the Guide School Owyhee Trip Info Packet, and a Guide School Multi-Day Packing List.
Dates & Pricing
2023 Course Dates
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2024 Course Dates
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The course is a total of 8 days: 2 weekends followed by a 4-day multi-day trip!
Pricing
Price: $1695, including: a 4-day multi-day raft trip on Oregon’s Owyhee River, all instruction and course materials, lunch each day (plus all meals on the multi-day trip), any river gear and equipment needed, and all group gear for the multi-day trip. Note: students will be responsible for personal camping gear on the multi-day trip, as well as travel to and from the river.
What’s Provided
- All meals on the river from breakfast the first day to lunch on the last day
- Rafts and Instructors – obviously!
- River equipment, if needed: personal floatation devices (PFDs), helmets, paddles
- All camping gear not listed in the personal packing list: group gear, kitchen equipment, camp chairs
- Dry Bags for your clothes (1 large bag and 1 small bag)
- Beverages including water, OJ, lemonade/Gatorade, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, hot cider (you can BYOB, too!)
What You Are Responsible For
- Lodging in White Salmon for the weekend portions of your course
- Transportation to Rome, OR before the multi-day trip and from Birch Creek, OR after your trip
- Personal clothing and miscellaneous gear (see Packing List for suggestions)
- Personal beverages (On the multi-day trip, feel free to bring canned versions of your favorite beverages, no bottles please. If you would like to bring wine, please make sure it is in a box or bag. Liquor can be transferred into plastic bottles for safe transport.)
Food Allergies
Beyond our standard menu, we can provide options for medically-necessary allergy-restricted diets for a supplemental menu fee of $100/person. However, we cannot always provide the same diversity or sophistication for restricted diets as we do for our regular menu. Similarly, certain allergen-free snack foods are difficult or impossible to source in rural locations, so feel free to bring your own favorite snacks to supplement our provisions. Due to the constraints of cooking for a large group in a wilderness setting, availability of ingredients or specialty items in remote locations, and limited packing space, we are unable to cater to dietary preferences (likes or dislikes). Please keep in mind that by selecting a restricted diet, you are committing to eat the specially-made meals for the duration of the trip. We only bring enough of our standard meals for those without restricted diets, so changing diets mid-trip will not be accommodated.
We cannot guarantee that cross-contamination from allergens will not occur during meal prep. If this is a consideration, please contact us to discuss the potential for a medical emergency caused by a severe food allergy.
Available To Rent
| Sleeping Bag | synthetic and comfortable! | $25 |
| Tent | $30 | |
| Paco Pad | Paco Pads are river-specific, waterproof sleeping pads | $25 |
| Dry Bags | Includes 1 large dry bag for personal gear, clothing, etc, and 1 small dry bag for items you want to have accessible during the day (i.e. sunscreen, extra layers). | No additional charge! |
| Rain Gear | rain jacket rain pants |
$25 |
| Wet Planet Comfort Kit | sleeping bag rain jacket rain pants small camp pillow ground sheet |
$40 |
Travel Insurance
Sometimes stuff happens. We highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance to guard against life’s surprises (unexpected late cancellations, travel delays, medical emergencies, etc.).
Past Wet Planet guests have reported good experiences using Travel Guard (www.travelguard.com) and Travel Insurance Services (select.travelinsure.com).
For more information on our Guide School or to make reservations: contact us! You can also download our Guide School Information for course details, the Guide School Owyhee Trip Info Packet, and a Guide School Multi-Day Packing List.
Logistics
White Salmon, Washington – Places to Stay and Camp
The first two weekends of your course are based at our Wet Planet Headquarters. Check out our lodging partners and suggested campgrounds for places to stay nearby.
The Owyhee River – Getting There and Back Home
Our Owyhee River trip will be meeting in the morning of our launch day at the Rome Launch Site/Put-In, which is roughly 32 miles west of Jordan Valley, OR.
The trip will be taking out (ending) at Birch Creek Ranch. All personal and rental vehicles will be at the take-out with all of your personal items so you can get on the road from the take-out instead of having to be shuttled back to Rome.
Vehicle Shuttle
While you are on the river, you will need to have your vehicle shuttled to the take-out point by our shuttle service. This convenient service allows you to arrive at the take-out with your vehicle and personal items waiting, saving you many hours of out-of-the-way travel to return to the launch site. The shuttle fee is approximately $140 per vehicle. You will pay the shuttle fee directly to the shuttle service at the start of the trip, but we will take care of facilitating and arranging the service.
It’s common to make friends during the first two weekends of guide school who you can carpool with to the Owyhee River!
*Please provide us with the make, model, color and license plate information on the second weekend of Guide School.
Getting There
The Rome Launch Site/Put-In, which is roughly 32 miles west of Jordan Valley, OR. The launch site is on the Owyhee River, where Hwy 95 crosses the river at Rome; there is not much else around, so it is not difficult to find.
Here is the Google map location for the put-in.
| From Portland
Take I-84 East. Take exit 16 and turn right on 238th. Continue on NE 242nd, left on Burnside, and then continue on US-26 E for 129 miles. Right on OR-126 W, then left onto Hwy 20 E for 102 miles. Take 78 E for 90 miles, then left on US-95 N for 12.5 miles . Rome launch site will be on the right hand side. Allow 6 hours and 45 minutes. From Boise Take I-84 West towards Ontario. Take exit 35 for Northside Blvd. Turn right onto Northside Blvd. Take a left at W. Karcher Rd, continue onto Sunnyslope Rd and then onto ID-55 S. Take a Left at US-95 S. Follow US-95 S for around 77 miles, the Rome launch site will be on the left hand side. Allow 2.5 hours for the drive. |
From Seattle
Take I-90 East towards Bellevue/Spokane for 108 miles. Take a slight right at US-97, follow signs for I-82 East. Stay on I-82 East for 142 miles. Take exit onto I-84 East towards Pendleton. Stay on I-84 East for 200 miles. Take exit 3 for US-95 South towards Payette/Parma. Follow signs to stay on US-95 for 110 miles. The Rome launch site will be on the left hand side. Allow 9 hours. From Tri-Cities Take I-82 E towards Pendleton/Umatilla for 30 miles. Take the exit into I-84 East towards Pendleton. Stay on 1-84 E for 200 miles. Take exit 3 for US-95S towards Payette/Parma. Follow signs to stay on US-95 S for 110 miles, the Rome launch site will be on the left hand side. Allow 5 hours and 40 minutes. |
Getting Back Home
Our Owyhee trip will be taking out at Birch Creek Ranch. All personal and rental vehicles will be at the take-out with all of your personal items so you can get on the road from the take-out instead of having to be shuttled back to Rome.
Here is the Google maps location for the Birch Creek take-out.
From Birch Creek to US-95 N Junction:
From US-95 N Junction to Portland:
From US-95 Junction to Boise:
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From US-95 Junction to Seattle:
From US-95 Junction to Tri-Cities:
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Packing Guide
While we provide all group camping equipment and meals, you will need to provide clothing and personal gear for off the river and at camp. Below is a suggested packing list to use for your river expedition.
Always be prepared for changing weather! Appropriate clothing on a multi-day river trip is important for both comfort and risk management. While on the river, we could experience warm sunny days, cold rainy days, or anything in between. We need to be prepared for all possibilities. When planning for your trip, try to use the “layering system”. By bringing clothing that can be worn under or on top of others, in layers, you will have the flexibility to adjust to a variety of weather conditions. Make sure that you have warm layers made of synthetic materials (not cotton), such as polypropylene, capilene, or wool. Cotton does not keep you warm when it is wet!
For river travel, use the same gear you have already been using on your course. Make sure you have enough to
stay warm! If you were using Wet Planet gear, we can make this available for the multi-day trip as well.
While we provide all group camping equipment, sleeping pads and meals, you will need to provide clothing and
gear for off the river and at camp in addition to your river gear. Below is a suggested packing list to use for your
river expedition. Feel free to contact us at any time with packing questions. Always be prepared for changing
weather!
| □ Tent (available for rent – $30) □ Warm sleeping bag (available for rent – $25) □ Paco pad (river-specific sleeping pad) (for rent – $25) □ Pillow □ Large dry bag (Wet Planet can provide) □ Small “day” dry bag (Wet Planet can provide) □ One pair of shorts for camp and hiking □ One or two t-shirts □ Rain jacket & pants (available for rent – $25) □ One set long-sleeved light clothes (for sun and/or camp) □ Pants for camp (can be same as above) □ Synthetic thermal underwear layers (top & bottom) □ Down or synthetic jacket (puffy and warm, but compressible for packing) □ Fleece or pile top & bottom for camp (top can be pullover or jacket) □ Extra fleece pullover or jacket to wear on the river, under your paddle jacket or dry-suit |
□ Swimsuit □ One pair waterproof boots/shoes (for off river if it is raining) □ One pair lightweight hiking shoes (for off river in good weather – can be same as above) □ Wool or polypro/capilene/fleece socks (stay away from cotton) □ Shade hat/visor (baseball cap) □ Warm hat and gloves for camp □ Wool/synthetic hat or neoprene cap for on river under helmet □ Plastic bags for wet/dirty clothing □ Sunblock/moisturizing lotion □ Chapstick with SPF □ Sunglasses with securing strap □ Water bottle with securing strap (1 liter minimum, more if hiking) □ Flashlight/small headlamp & extra batteries □ Personal medications □ Toiletries/small towel, etc. (keep to minimum) □ Optional Comfort Kit (avaialable for rent – $40): rain jacket and pants, sleeping bag, small camp pillow, and ground tarp |
Optional Items: Sandals or flip-flops, binoculars, diary, sketchbook, a good paperback book, camera, paddling jacket & pants, small travel pillow, musical instrument.
You can also download our Guide School Multi-Day Packing List for a printable version.
Beverages
Coffee and tea are prepared first thing each morning. Water and lemonade/punch/gatorade will be available throughout the day. At dinner, there will be hot drinks available (hot cocoa, hot cider, tea).
If you would like additional personal beverages at camp, such as soda, beer, wine, liquor, etc., you’re welcome to bring your own. We will have a cooler with us to put beverages in. No glass bottles; broken glass and rafts don’t mix! Soda comes in cans, there are some good canned micro-brews out there if PBR isn’t your thing, wine should be in bags/boxes, and other adult beverages can be transferred from glass bottles to a plastic container before taking them on the river.
Gratuities
Your instructor team will work hard to ensure that your river experience exceeds your expectations. If you had an amazing trip and feel that your instructors did an amazing job, post-trip gratuities are an appreciated way of saying “thank you.” Tips commonly range from 5 to 10 percent of the trip cost, but should always be based on your satisfaction, financial comfort, and personal attitudes about gratuities. It is common to leave gratuities with the lead guide at the end of the trip, and they will distribute it among the team.
School Specials
River Rescue Certification (RRC)
Acquiring the skills necessary to perform rescues in a whitewater environment is essential for anyone who spends time on rivers. Wet Planet offers two-day River Rescue Courses designed to help students develop the ability to choose good actions when a river rescue becomes necessary. The courses mix classroom instruction with hands-on practice in the river environment, focusing on quick and efficient techniques to respond to rescue situations that may occur in the whitewater environment. These
courses will complement the introduction to River Rescue that you receive in Guide School. Typical topics for the courses include: rescue gear and preparation, rescue organization, practice with rescue ropes, whitewater swimming, strong swimmer rescues, shallow water diving and wading, victim stabilization, boat retrieval, ropes systems, mechanical advantage systems, and strainer management.
- Guide School Special: 10% off a River Rescue Course in the same season in which you complete Guide School
Main Salmon River Multi-Day Trips
The Main Salmon is a stunningly beautiful river flowing through Idaho’s Frank Church River of No Return wilderness area, the largest tract of a protected wild landscape in the lower 48 states. It features fun, big volume class II-III whitewater in an unmatchable wilderness setting, with nights camping on white, sandy beaches underneath the stars. Although Guide School will arm you with the skills necessary to plan your own multi-day trip, it’s notoriously tough to draw private permits on the Salmon River. If you’d like to get out on another multi-day trip and spend more time with your favorite guides, join us on the Main Salmon.
- Guide School Special: $100 off a trip on Idaho’s Salmon River in the same year or following year from which you complete Guide School.
Employment in the River Industry
At Wet Planet, the bulk of our guiding occurs on the White Salmon River. This technical Class III-IV river isn’t the best place for raft guides to start their careers, so we hire guides with prior commercial raft guide experience on Class III-IV rivers. Thus, our guide school should not be considered as Wet Planet job training.
For those wishing to work in the whitewater industry after the course, we will help you determine appropriate rivers. Please realize that developing the skills needed to guide a raft commercially takes lots of practice, even after completion of guide school. While the Wet Planet Guide School will help provide the skills you need to apply to guide in the whitewater industry, each company you might work for will have its own training process in order to make sure you learn that particular company’s practices and rivers.
For more information on our Guide School or to make reservations: contact us! You can also download our Guide School Information for course details, the Guide School Owyhee Trip Info Packet, and a Guide School Multi-Day Packing List.
TRIP PHOTOS
