Deschutes Rafting Trip 2017

We had our annual family rafting trip on the Deschutes river. Emmett was still too little to go on the trip. We tried to fit him in a life jacket that was the right class, but they were still not right. So he stayed home with his Daddy. Brayden and Mitchel also stayed home due to soccer and other obligations. August and I were the only ones from our immediate family to make the trip. This year the trip was formatted differently though, instead of spending the whole week on the river we were going to head to the take out a day early and run Oak Springs the last day. So Brent and the other boys joined us in Maupin for the last day.

It was a great trip. It was nice to have that time with August and really get to spend quality time with him. Especially since having the baby, I had some guilt about his needs. Knowing that a lot of my time was consumed with school and baby things, this was a great opportunity to have one on one time.

It started out similar to the year before. We came to the take out and set up camp. Only this time Brent was there with Emmett when we floated away, instead of us watching Brayden float down the river.

It was great to have them there, but super weird and sad to float away from Emmett. Especially since I had kind of stopped nursing, but knew this would indicate a hard stop.

Anyways, it was a cloudy yet hot day. I was just hoping that there would be no fires. Every trip the last few years, has seem to been plagued with fire.

There was the usual family stuff, making the getting up and going fun, but we got to camp and unloaded. August and I just slept on a tarp with no tent for part of the week. The zipper on the tent broke. It was nice. Peaceful. And just what I needed.

Surrounded by the beautiful Deschutes scenery.

Our tarp area

Danika and Paul hard at work making breakfast

The boys took right to the dirt. They were about this dirty the whole week.

August caught a leech. He was pretty unsure about how to handle it. He was told some graphic stories about their ringed mouth full of teeth. Still, he was fascinated and the leech occupied a lot of his time that day.

On the point there is always a hammock it seems. Plus we have found that in the trees there is a nice little place for a hammock sanctuary. So Justin, Jenna, Nui, Paul and Jordan set up hammocks there.

We were lucky on this trip to have Bud Lewis, and the Hansen brothers. Dane also joined us. It was great to have so much help and such easy going and happy people.

Here I am at the point. Watching the kids while the big people went up to float.

River weed wigs.

Max and Shannon walked August out to wait for the floaters.

Waiting for people to float down the river can be sometimes nerve wrecking. There seems like there is a lot that can go wrong from when they leave to when they get to the point. There have been times when floaties have popped, kids have thrown fits, and Mitchel once got heat stroke. So I get kind of panicky at how long it can take. These videos were me being impatient...and getting worried. The sun was going down...then went down. It gets quite chilly once that sun goes down.

Justin and Nui took turns taking August out to fish and feel like a big boy.

Annette, looking all gangsta.  The boys were telling her how to pose.

My favorite part of the morning...my morning cup of coffee with Annette. Me enjoying myself lead to August stealing my camera and taking a bunch of awkward photos of people. The following are the ones that weren't too bad.

After taking this picture Max enlisted August to help cook breakfast potatoes.

Jordan and his friend took August out on the boat.

Maxie was nice enough to take August up to the rapids and float down with him. There was really no one else I would have trusted to do this, other than his own Daddy. Not with all the rattlesnakes and rocks in the rapids.

Cribbage and card games.

The leech was still there.

Group photo time. I helped set up three cameras and their timers, but mine never seemed to work...Oh well, Jay's did. It is always fun trying to get everyone gathered for this and have good lighting.

All packed up and ready to head to Maupin to set up camp again.

In Maupin Brent, Mitchel, and Brayden were there to help unload. After we got there and set up,  Jordan and his friend made chili dogs. My familia set up our tarps right in the center of the yard. Here is the row of bags the next morning.

Morning meeting

 Annette was feeling like not going down Oak Springs rapids, but she wanted to go sit and take pictures of the area. I decided to forego riding the rapids (sniff sniff) so that I could take her up there and help her do this.

Breakfast time!

Apparently it was a day to wear yellow...

Annette and I drove up and waited at the Oak Springs rapid. After only about 30 minutes there were all our people scouting the rapid. It was fun watching all the guided trips going the rapid and the group of the onlookers cheering for them to flip. It was even more exciting when they did flip. It was definitely a busy part of the river.

Justin rode down the other part of the rapids. Still not sure why...

...but they enjoyed themselves.

Jay had Bud and Mike right up front, so they skirted the big hole.

Charlies face cracks me up in the sequence of these pictures. I didn't post all of them, but his eyes and his mouth got wider and wider as they ran the rapid!

Jordan was the only one who actually hit the hole.

They gathered at the bottom of the rapid and to make sure everyone made it safe and sound.

Annette and I got back in the car and drove down the river. We stopped here and there to take some pictures of the boys and the river.

We finally got to the end of the line. The guys all met us at the take out. I had lunch prepared and ready to go.

After the unloading and the clean up we headed over to the Oasis.

Another amazing trip in the books.