Firefighters raft the Rogue. An iconic section of the lower Rogue has reopened for recreation but it still being used to ferry gear and firefighters to the Big Windy Fire.
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One of the iconic whitewater runs in the Northwest is back in business. The lower wild section of the Rogue River re-opened to rafts and kayaks Monday morning, after thunderstorms dampened the Big Windy Fire.
The air still smells a little smoky, but the sky is blue in Merlin Oregon, the jumping off point for most Rogue River trips.
Just a couple hours after the lower Rogue reopened, Brad Niva said he’d already sent 10 clients down the river. He's the owner of Rogue Wilderness Adventures.
Niva said rafters might spot the Big Windy still burning on the ridges above the Rogue.
“The river’s back open, but the fire’s not out, the fire’s diminished. There are still firefighters down there. And there will a helicopter here and there dipping out of the river. And people think that’s pretty cool. That’s actually usually a highlight of their trip,” Niva said.
The Bureau of Land Management has some suggestions for those recreating on the reopened lower Rogue. Rafts should yield to the helicopters and avoid going ashore in several stretches of the river where the fire is still active. BLM asks rafters to spend no more than two days traveling between Grave Creek and Mule Creek. The agency also warns boaters to watch out for falling snags, loose rock and debris, and increased bear activity as a result of the fire. The hiking trails along the Rogue remain closed.
As of Monday afternoon, the Big Windy Fires had burned 15,278 acres and were 15 percent contained by tested fire lines.
A BLM map showing sections of the lower Rogue that rafters are required to pass through without stopping or camping.