It’s the best time of year to play on a river! Last weekend our Belay phase students and a few fortunate CCT staff lucked out by spending time down south on the Umpqua River. We left Bend Friday morning and traveled southeast to Diamond Lake where we made camp.
Friday was spent canoeing, hiking, swimming, hanging by the lake and having a campfire. We had an early start Saturday morning to meet our river guides at the Boulder Flats put in on the Wild and Scenic Umpqua River! We paddled approximately 20 miles of stunning class II-IV rapids.
In the morning, the first section of river was mellow which allowed us to dial in our boat maneuvering and paddling techniques. After lunch, we had some bigger rapids – including a class IV that required everyone’s full effort to make it through successfully. By that point, it was no problem for our experienced CCT Whitewater Team.
We finished out the day on the river and headed back to camp to utilize the never-ending summer days we enjoy in Central Oregon. We lounged around camp, walked by the lake, threw the football and barbecued burgers for dinner. The night ended with s’mores, swapping stories, and music around the fire. By Sunday we were all pretty exhausted from a weekend of adventure, but we made one last stop at Crater Lake National Park. This stunning park is the deepest lake in the US – 2,000 feet! And Oregon’s only National Park. Overall it was an incredible weekend, and the students made it fantastic with their willingness to step out of their comfort zone and give it their all!