Chetco River, OR

[Suz_MM]

Are there any OR packrafters out there? I've got one, but only an extremely limited # of people to go boating with. I saw an OPB show about a river in SW oregon called the Chetco, apparently the upper section is never run because it's inaccessible except by foot. It looks amazing, would love to go check it out but need partners... anyone?

[billysomewhere]

i ran it this may with 3 kayaks (i alpacka'd)...see pics at northwest rafting companys website. that river needs attention and awareness for protection immediately

[Aiyana]

I live outside Ashland, and have been car camping on the lower Chetco, near Brookings. I also saw the Oregon Field Guide videos (from 2002 and 2012) on the Northwest Rafting Co. website (the forum program won't let me include the actual link!) I'd love to hike in the upper stretches (and boat out) next year sometime, though I would want to talk to folks about current conditions and difficulty. I'm also wanting to do a low water Illinois River trip (walking anything over class III). My husband and I just got our boats a week ago, but I have a lot of class IV big-rafting experience, as well as some kayaking and canoeing. And wilderness time, swiftwater rescue, WFR, etc. I'd love to hear more about completed or planned trips in Southern Oregon!

[Kirkinbend]

Been tentatively planning a trip down the Chetco and the Illinois rivers (as soon as my girlfriend gets a little better at boating, hopefully this next summer or late spring depending on water levels). Start on the Illinois River float down to below Green Wall, take out river left and hike over the pass to the Chetco Valley and continue hiking up toward the headwaters and then float down the Chetco to Brooking s, or above at the normal takeout. The hike is not on a trail and gnarly to say the least (not for the timid).

I have done the Illinois River countless times and always wanted to do this trip variation (Illinois to Chetco) but could never convince anyone to do this packing a hardshell kayak up and over that ridge. Now that I have a packraft is seems a little more feasible.

Any takers, you have better part of a year to think about it.

[Aiyana]

I might be up for that trip!

[Aiyana]

I've been doing some online research, and found some resources for Chetco-bound folks. Northwest Rafting Co. just got approved for commercial IK/packraft trips on the Chetco, so more info will become available as the trip is run. Give them a call if you really want beta.

http://www.nwrafting.com/rivers/chetco
http://www.nwrafting.com/trip-reports/c ... xploratory
http://www.nwrafting.com/trip-reports/t ... etco-gorge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVdaJY6SJnM

http://www.currypilot.com/News/Local-Ne ... to-the-sea
http://saveourchetco.blogspot.com/

http://riverlog.blogspot.com/2012/06/wi ... day-1.html
http://riverlog.blogspot.com/2012/07/wi ... day-2.html
http://riverlog.blogspot.com/2012/08/wi ... day-3.html
http://www.cacreeks.com/chetcojs.htm
http://oregonkayaking.net/rivers/chetco/chetco.html
http://www.cacreeks.com/chetco.htm
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 012&type=3

Trail clearing: http://www.siskiyoumountainclub.org/map ... is-project
Another trail map: http://mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q ... 92487&t=t4

River gauge: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?14400000
River level forecast: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrogra ... gage=chto3

USFS: http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsint ... co%20River

[MikeC]

Thanks for the linkstravaganza, Aiyana.

Kirk, are you still planning your Illinois/Chetco loop? Timing?