The Grande Ronde is a fun trip. We did the Minam to Troy section many years ago. Pretty country--no idea on water levels.
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Request for Insight on the Owyhee River, Oregon
- Thread starter Pseudonym
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The Grande Ronde River is my favorite of all time. The wildlife safari. Wild and Scenic River requires firepan and portable sanitation. Clean and gorgeous camp sites. Great vegetation types. It is remote in a deep canyon. Few roads.
We put in at Minam and took out at Boggan's Oasis in Washington State. About 78 miles in a week. It was at 3000-5000m cfs. A deep canyon.
We took rafts. Lots of drift boats. Few canoes except experts. Bighorn sheep, elk crossing the river, and bald eagles all day long. I took a nap and woke with a fawn staring at me from 8 feet.
We put in at Minam and took out at Boggan's Oasis in Washington State. About 78 miles in a week. It was at 3000-5000m cfs. A deep canyon.
We took rafts. Lots of drift boats. Few canoes except experts. Bighorn sheep, elk crossing the river, and bald eagles all day long. I took a nap and woke with a fawn staring at me from 8 feet.
Sounds like it's changed a bit since I paddled it in 1988. No other boats, no restrictions, me in my Wenonah WWC1, brother,his wife and toddler in my old Penobscot, and friend in probably a kayak (or maybe a MR Explorer). Certainly nice trip and good country.
@Pseudonym , you might also want to consider the John Day from Clarno to Willow Creek.
Thanks everyone!
@Steve in Idaho, good advice! We did the John Day in '22. At 14,000+ CFS, it was a lot to handle but we made our way through it. The upshot was that the whole canyon was especially green and verdant.
Here's a glamour shot of my finest work on the John Day, in front of an appreciative crowd:
@Steve in Idaho, good advice! We did the John Day in '22. At 14,000+ CFS, it was a lot to handle but we made our way through it. The upshot was that the whole canyon was especially green and verdant.
Here's a glamour shot of my finest work on the John Day, in front of an appreciative crowd:
The John Day is a classic river for canoes. It changes character above around 5000 cfs. The Class II rapids get pushy with huge wave trains. Many turn into II plus or IIIs.
The rapids are in rocky knick points with steep canyon walls. Lining is not possible. I had my brother and dog get out to walk around one and it took 45 minutes. My friend cracked up his old fiberglass canoe. We pounded the boat back into shape and got home with a roll of duct tape. Eddy shopping the whole way.
My brother and I swamped our canoe in big waves and paddled ashore up right with the boat totally submerged.
I think the John Day is a much better alternative to the Owyhee River.
The rapids are in rocky knick points with steep canyon walls. Lining is not possible. I had my brother and dog get out to walk around one and it took 45 minutes. My friend cracked up his old fiberglass canoe. We pounded the boat back into shape and got home with a roll of duct tape. Eddy shopping the whole way.
My brother and I swamped our canoe in big waves and paddled ashore up right with the boat totally submerged.
I think the John Day is a much better alternative to the Owyhee River.
We did the JD in April, before the spring runoff. I'd have to check my records, but it was definitely considered low flow. Crux of Clarno was reduced to an impenetrable rock garden with a narrow chute (little more than canoe width) next to a deep recirculating hole. I was loaded down in my MR Guide, and chose to line the crux on river left. Wasn't an easy path through the rocks and willows, but not bad. It does have a good portage trail on river left.
Basalt was a gas. Most people would want to go around the right side of the big rock. I took the left channel, which dumped me into the side of the bottom of the main chute at a 90° angle. Lifting my upstream knee hard against the thigh strap as the current hit me worked better than I expected it to, and launched me upright into the wave train below. I'd take that line again, just for the fun of it.
The rest was all mild wave trains and scenery.
Basalt was a gas. Most people would want to go around the right side of the big rock. I took the left channel, which dumped me into the side of the bottom of the main chute at a 90° angle. Lifting my upstream knee hard against the thigh strap as the current hit me worked better than I expected it to, and launched me upright into the wave train below. I'd take that line again, just for the fun of it.
The rest was all mild wave trains and scenery.
I just realized that we ran the section from Service Creek to Clarno.
That makes sense. Sounds more like what I've heard about it from others.
I miss spoke. That was Clarno to Cottonwood. Don't know what I was thinking.
How long of a trip was it Steve? Around 70 river miles.
We were on the river six days. Could have easily done it in five. We did some hiking halfway through a couple days. We didn't drag our feet much on the water, but didn't hurry. Played croquet in camp a few times.
Steve, as of today, the entire Grand Ronde watershed seems to be in the red (~drought) area of your snow water equivalent link. Are you prepared to travel 6,000 miles round trip to paddle a bony river?
Here's a glamour shot of my finest work on the John Day, in front of an appreciative crowd:
Your bucket hat survived and made it into your avatar!
It depends on the timing. The Grande Rhonde should be runnable in the spring until maybe mid June. Check the hydrograph. We ran it at around 4000 cfs. 1000 would be good for canoes.
I’m a glutton for punishment, Glenn! I like to portage my RX Trippers too.
Yes, my understanding from my trip mates is that the Grand Ronde is less snowpack dependent than the Owyhee and feasible in early May, when we intend to go on this trip.
As far as, I’m concerned, it seems objectively unfair that the entire northwest is getting walloped by several feet of snow (at least at altitude) and the Owyhee basin ain’t getting a drop. I guess it’s a freakin’ desert for a reason!
I've since done a little more research and we're zeroing in on this exact stretch. The put-in is on the Wallowa River, about seven miles above the confluence with the Grand Ronde. Paddling two rivers in two states will be a fun bonus. In early May, the steelhead season is over but we should be getting into prime trout fishing. I'm not much of a fisherman, but I'll happily cast into the oblivion for an hour or two.
I used to run trains along that Minam to the Grande Ronde stretch of the Wallowa. There was a red tandem canoe wrapped around the piling on the trestle across the confluence during that time. Must be a little tricky passing under there. I didn't have canoes then, nor did I have time to use one. Anyway - it's a beautiful stretch of river. That's a trip I'd love to do.
I like the Grande Rhonde so much I have been reluctant to talk about it until lately. There is motel in Minam, They do shuttles and rent equipment on the Wallawa River. The take outs are far apart. The canyon is gorgeous and the wildlife is the best I have seen outside of Alaska. It is a great river with wild and scenic regs. Difficult for canoes. Not that hard for skilled boatmen in rafts and drift boats.
The GR is running at 8000 cfs right now at Boggan's Oasis.
The GR is running at 8000 cfs right now at Boggan's Oasis.
During the spring runoff the river is pretty swift. We brought fishing equipment but rarely used it. The river is known for steelhead fishing in the fall. The best fishing is during base flows which make boating a challenge. Good fishing means tough boating and dragging over shallows. Good boating means difficult fishing.
How would you compare its difficulty in a canoe with the Owyhee Rome to Res stretch?
