Aaron Lieberman is the Operations Manager for Orange Torpedo Trips. In between packing trips, scheduling guides, and driving from ramp to ramp, he somehow finds time to get on the river in a kayak or raft. His trusty side kick, Chetco the lab, often joins in on Aaron’s adventures. Aaron grew up on the Rogue and floats the Wild & Scenic stretch year-round.

The Interview

What is your connection to the Rogue River?

I’m a recreational boater, former guide and operations manager of Orange Torpedo Trips.

How long have you been working or recreating on the Rogue?

I’ve been floating the Rogue since childhood, and working on the Rogue for 9 years.

What are your favorite qualities of the Rogue River?

My favorite qualities of the Rogue are: its wildness, its rapids and pools and the landscape of fog in the evergreens falling over the river on cool mornings.

Favorite spot on the Rogue?

Mule Creek Canyon.

Can you describe the community of people who visit or work on the Rogue?

There is definitely a sense of community on the Wild & Scenic Rogue. It comes in part from the local boaters who grew up on its banks, those who have made it their homes and a central part of their lives and from those who find their way to it later on and from time to time. It reveals itself in the relationships among guides, lodge owners and staff and in the interaction and support among all of those who float its course. There’s a sense of shared place and purpose on the Rogue. If you find yourself in need of help, you won’t want for it. We rely on the river, what it gives us, and it depends on us in turn. We’re all in this thing together.

Has the Rogue River changed you? How has it shaped your life?

The Rogue hasn’t changed me so much as its helped form me. I cannot disentangle the threads of the river from the weave of my person. It’s woven into my childhood memories, my friendships, my desire and priorities. It’s helped me to appreciate simple things and wild places. It’s encouraged me to “go with the flow” and live in the moment. It’s likely a big part of why I don’t spend my off days watching TV and its gravity has pulled me ever back to it, so that now my professional and personal life are as much a part of it as it is of me.

What is the personality of the Rogue River?

The Rogue is wild, literally, not figuratively. Yet its forested, winding canyon lends it a familiar feel, like being pulled into the fold. Its rapids offer a combination of relative ease and difficulty, fun but not scary, with periods of calm punctuated my moments of stimulation. It’s at once forgiving of the intermediate boater while still enjoyable for the expert.

Any examples?

I can’t convey the character of this river in any story of experience. It would be like describing a person by their fingertip. The Rogue’s character is a mosaic of the experiences and stories of those who have joined it along its inexorable course. It is at once dynamic and unchanging. To abuse the cliche quote: “No man steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” (Heraclitus)

What would you tell someone who has yet to visit the Rogue?

“Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges – Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!” – Kipling

Robyn Janssen is the Clean Water Campaigner for Rogue Riverkeeper. She was first introduced to the Rogue at eight years old and eleven years later found herself guiding on numerous rivers in Oregon, California, Colorado, and Idaho. Along the way, she graduated from Southern Oregon University with a BS in Art. She now spends her time protecting rivers with her work at Rogue Riverkeeper.

The Interview

What is your connection to the Rogue River?

I’m a local river guide and a river conservationist.

Tell us about your line of work

I’ve been a river guide on the Rogue since 1995 which I still do part time. Now I work full time for Rogue Riverkeeper, a member based non-profit that works to restore and protect clean water and fish for the entire Rogue Basin.

When did you first float the Rogue?

My first raft trip down the Rogue River was when I was 8 years old. I became a river guide at the age of 19 and I’ve been floating the river ever since.

What are the best aspects of the Rogue?

It is accessible, friendly, beautiful and wild.

Favorite place to be on the Rogue?

The Wild & Scenic corridor specifically the Big Windy area.

Is there a “river community” on the Rogue?

Yes. Everyone is out to enjoy the river and their time there so the river community is friendly and familiar, whether you’re a first time boat person or a seasoned veteran. There are always stories to tell, old friends to see or new ones to make.

Has the Rogue River influenced your life?

Um…yes! It made me the person I am today and shaped my life in ways I never thought anything could. I’ve been a river guide on the Rogue for nearly 20 years and that experience has taken me to guide in places like the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho and the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. The Rogue introduced me to a life and career of guiding and that has shaped my life in every possible way.

Describe the personality of the Rogue

Friendly. Playful. Sweet. Familial. Home.

Any good river story that speaks to those traits?

Oh…I have many but overall I think that the Rogue, like any river, invites you in and offers adventure and beauty around every corner. It’s friendly but will always remind you that it is a wild, living, moving thing and will not be conquered or over managed or restricted. It knows where it needs to go and it will always get there.

“Wild rivers are earth’s renegades, defying gravity, dancing to their own tunes, resisting the authority of humans, always chipping away, and eventually always winning.” — (Richard Bangs & Christian Kallen, River Gods)

Final words?

The Rogue is home.

Matt Volpert is the General Manager of Kern River Outfitters, a whitewater rafting company in Southern California operating on the Upper, Lower, and Forks of the Kern. He periodically escapes the Kern and guides trips for Rogue River Journeys. He grew up in Point Reyes, California, spent his summers in Salmon, Idaho, and graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara in 2010.

The Interview

What is your connection to the Rogue River?

During the summer you’ll find me on the Kern River but I do make it up to Oregon for a Rogue trip or two almost every September and October.

You manage Kern River Outfitters – tell us about that operation

The Kern is the most southern river in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Its headwaters are in the Golden Trout Wilderness Area and it makes its way west toward Bakersfield. We run three sections of the Kern – the Upper, Lower, and Forks. The Kern is a busy river with great whitewater and also a lot of people. It’s always refreshing to come to Oregon to visit the Rogue where things are a bit more mellow and quiet.

How long have you been floating the Rogue?

I’ve worked on the Rogue for three seasons.

What are your favorite qualities of the Rogue River?

The mix of fun rapids, the scenery and the vast wild life.

Favorite spot on the Rogue?

Entering Mule Creek Canyon.

Is there a sense of community on the Rogue?

It seems that every company has a close connection to their start group. I’ve always enjoyed working alongside with ARTA and the other companies that RRJ launches with.

Has the Rogue River changed you? How has it shaped your life?

The Rogue River was my first river trip…..when I was 9 months old.

What is the personality of the Rogue River?

The Rogue is a great river for those looking for a nearby multi-day rafting trip that is completely road free, remote, has big swimming holes, fun rapids, warm water, and pretty much unparalleled wildlife.

What’s your favorite time of year to run the Rogue?

I love Fall trips on the Rogue. The river is a bit mellower as the Summer rush has passed, and they’re easy to plan: Most of my friends live within a half day drive, camping is spectacular, the fishing is good and fun and the logistics are simple.

From someone who has seen a lot of different rivers, what stands out about the Rogue?

A niche aspect of the Rogue that is available only on this river is that it caters so perfectly as a great introduction to ‘roughing it’ to non-campers. Building a lodge trip itinerary, and at just three or four days, you can show someone whom has never ventured further than a hotel that experiencing the outdoors is not only easy, but truly fun. The handful of friends that have never camped further than a Coleman Tent in their background regard ‘that lodge trip last summer’ as a vacation highlight of their decade.

Neil Nikirk is the owner of Go Light Outdoors. He lives in Joshua Tree, California, and often makes an annual pilgrimage to Southern Oregon to run the Rogue and Illinois (tributary to the Rogue). Go Light Outdoors sells rafts, frames, and other river running equipment.

The Interview

How are you connected to the Rogue River?

I’m a recreational boater and seller of boats, frames, oars, and boating accessories.

How long have been floating the Rogue?

On the Rogue off and on since the early 1980s.

What are your favorite aspects of the Rogue?

Multi-day adventure, the beauty, the wildlife, and just being on the river.

What’s your favorite spot on the Rogue?

I really like the upper end from Graves Creek to Mule Creek Canyon.

What role has the Rogue played in your life?

It was one of the first multi-day trips I did and I still love overnighters and long expeditions.

What is the personality of the Rogue River?

Mellow, fun, and safe. I once got to run the Rogue at over 20,000 cfs and it is a whole different river then. Big, bouncy, and exhilarating.

Anything else you would like to add?

Almost all of my boating friends describe the Rogue as their favorite river.

Angie Fuhrmann is a river guide for ROW Adventures. Prior to working on the Rogue, she had a cubicle job with the Department of Health and Human Services in Northern California. “Although I enjoyed the job, I couldn’t spend any more time in a cubicle, I just needed to be outside.” During the off-season, she leads experiential education semesters abroad for Carpe Diem Education. The trips are three months of travel to various countries, with a focus on local culture, environment, and issues affecting the communities. She has a Master’s in Anthropology from Colorado State University and is currently doing independent research in ethnomycology (the interactions between humans and fungi).

The Interview

How are you connected to the Rogue River?

I’ve been a river guide for ROW Adventures for the past four years.

What do you enjoy about working on the Rogue?

It is a perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. You have fun rapids, great flat water stretches to swim in, and tons of amazing wildlife.

Do you have a favorite place on the Rogue?

Mule Creek Canyon is my favorite place on the Rogue River. I have spent time on many rivers and have never seen anything like it. The thrill of the rapids combined with the amazing geology is truly remarkable!

Is there a sense of community on the Rogue?

Yes, there is a great community on the Rogue. I especially love the people who run Marial and Black Bar Lodge. It is like arriving home. They are always there with open arms, ice cold lemonade, and freshly baked cookies!

Has the Rogue influenced your life?

Yes. I fell in love on the Rogue, with both the river and a man. In the end, I chose the river and I am still seeing it to this day.

What is the personality of the Rogue River?

The Rogue River is like a playful puppy. Upon seeing it, you let your inner child come out and your real-world responsibilities fall away. You become absorbed in the fun it presents you and you just want to play, play, play.

Does that happen to your guests as well?

As a river guide I have the opportunity to take many people down the river for their first time. It is amazing just how much it opens people up and expands their comfort zones. I remember taking a young boy down the river. In the first rapid, he was terrified and clinging to the boat. By the last rapid, he was riding on the front of the raft, yelling “bring on the waves”!

Anything else you would like to add?

The Rogue is a place that is near and dear to my heart. The first time I went down it, it changed my life. Coming from the desert, I had never seen a place so green. Now, year after year, I return to the river that for me, never gets old. I know that there will be fun splashes, lots of sunshine and beautiful stretches of flat water to relax in, and amazing personalities – whether they are rafters, lodge workers, or BLM rangers.

Gabe Howe is the Executive Director and founder of the Siskiyou Mountain Club. He worked as a caretaker at the Rogue River Ranch on the Rogue River in 2005 and floated the Rogue River as a young kid with his father. In 2015, Gabe spent a large portion of his summer working on the Wild Rogue Loop trail with the Siskiyou Mountain Club through a grant agreement with the Oregon State Recreational Trails Program and REI Medford.

The Interview

What is your connection to the Rogue River?

Grew up rafting the Wild and Scenic section and took to hiking it as a young adult. I hike a lot off the river corridor and in the recesses of the Wild Rogue Wilderness Area.

Tell us about your line of work

I’m Executive Director of the Siskiyou Mountain Club. We completed a major trail project in the Wild Rogue Wilderness to resuscitate a 25 mile loop that had been filled in with downed trees, encroached by brush, and swallowed back into the wilderness’s rugged slopes.

How long have you been working or recreating on the Rogue?

25 years

What are your favorite qualities of the Rogue River?

This area has a long, storied history, and discovering the archaeological sites and seeing where people used to live really unleashes my imagination.

The Wild Rogue Wilderness harbors the most contiguous and impressive old-growth stands west of Interstate 5. I gravitate toward the Rogue’s pristine tributaries and high ridges.

While the Rogue is a more populated and famous wilderness, it’s still really easy to get off the beaten path for a primitive, unconfined type of recreation.

Favorite spot on the Rogue?

That’s a secret

Can you describe the community of people who visit or work on the Rogue?

They cover a wide spectrum. I’ve met all sorts on the Rogue, and they’re all colorful characters, from heirs of the settling families, to the long distance runners who hike the river in a day.

The most successful proprietors are those who have the river in their blood and in their hearts. It’s really obvious when outfitters harbor an honest-to-god passion for the river and hold reverence for the history. And it’s really obvious when they don’t.

Has the Rogue River changed you? How has it shaped your life?

As a boy and young man, I had formative experiences on the Rogue that seeded a lifelong appreciation of America’s wilderness, wild places, and the experiences they provide us. Now, my life’s work is defined by ensuring the next generation of Americans can discover wilderness and seek the challenge it provides.

What is the personality of the Rogue River?

The Rogue is a storyteller. It tells so many stories from so many people. And while it may seem to provide an insulated wilderness experience, it can be unforgiving.

Any examples?

I will never forget the first time I hiked the Clay Hill Trail in February 2015. Its wide bench and impeccable engineering showed that a ton of work went into its construction by Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps.

But when we got to the trail, it hadn’t been properly maintained in decades. The trail bench was being swallowed back into Clay Hill, downed logs created impassable gaps, and brush had been left to encroach into the corridor.

It represented this forsaken gem with long, long history; and it told many stories.

It was obvious that Clay Hill’s savanna had once been intentionally preserved by indigenous peoples using fire. It was clear that early settlers had eyed the settlement at Clay Hill for a homestead. And the trail showed the value of human capital and what people can do when we work together.

I read all that from simply discovering the landscape.

What would you tell someone who has yet to visit the Rogue?

The Rogue provides the full spectrum of wilderness experiences. For folks who pay an outfitter to raft the Wild and Scenic section, it’s a gateway drug. For people like me who hike the ridges, gorges and remote recesses of the Wild Rogue, it’s like backcountry heroin.

Mike Slagle is a guide for Orange Torpedo Trips. “I grew up in Grants Pass and I am ashamed to say we floated the river in innertubes when I was a kid – WITHOUT LIFE JACKETS!” His neighbor, who worked for OTT and Jerry Bentley, introduced him to guiding. That was in 1972 and he’s been guiding ever since. Mike taught High School Math from 1974 to 2004 and now spends his off season as a volunteer at the Food Bank, Grants Pass High School, or fishing the Rogue.

The Interview

How are you connected to the Rogue River?

I am a river guide for Orange Torpedo Trips.

How long have you been working on the Rogue?

2016 will be my 45th summer.

What do you enjoy about working on the Rogue?

I still enjoy the scenery and the isolation. Once I pass Grave Creek, I feel like I am 10,000 miles away from civilization

Do you have a favorite place on the Rogue?

I have two. One is Marial Lodge. The other is below Blossom Bar after I have made it safely!

Is there a sense of community on the Rogue?

Yes. The people who live and work on the river are aware of its unique qualities and work to keep it the way it is.

Has the Rogue influenced your life?

It has been a large part of my life. My family and kids all worked on the river and even though they live 250-800 miles away, they always want to go on the river when they come home.

What is the personality of the Rogue River?

To me, the river seems beautiful and peaceful, but there is always something right below the surface. You can enjoy the Rogue, but never turn your back on her, or disrespect her.

How so?

Like anyone who has been on the river long enough, I have had my share of instances where the river taught me a lesson (got stuck on a rock). I really believe that I learn something new on every trip that I take.

Any last words?

I enjoy the beauty and isolation of the Rogue. I also enjoy how the river “equalizes” us all. It doesn’t matter how much money you make, or how many times you have been down, the river treats us all the same.

Michael Dotson is the Development Director at KS Wild. Prior to moving to Southern Oregon, Michael worked as an Interpreter and Educator at national historic sites in Kansas and Iowa and for a river conservation organization in California. He enjoys exploring new places either on foot or by boat.

The Interview

What is your connection to the Rogue River?

Recreation boater, hiker, wilderness lover.

Tell us about your line of work

I work at KS Wild and Rogue Riverkeeper

How long have you been working or recreating on the Rogue?

3 years

What are your favorite qualities of the Rogue River?

Wilderness, recreational opportunities, and wildlife.

Favorite spot on the Rogue?

Anywhere on the water.

Can you describe the community of people who visit or work on the Rogue?

River lovers, nature lovers, and fisher-folk.

How has the Rogue changed you?

There was this hike I did recently on the Rogue River trail. There was a clearing in the weather for a day, and so we journeyed down to Whisky Creek cabin. Standing along a bluff, I looked around and soaked in the beauty of the river canyon. It was just one of those moments where nature captured my attention. For the first time in my life, nature made me weep.

What is the personality of the Rogue River?

Casual and fun.

How so?

Having done a couple of Grand Canyon rafting trips and using that as a marker for big water rapids, I’d say the Rogue is nice and easy, with a few moments of heart-beating action at Blossom Bar.

Any last words?

Keep it wild and free.

Aylan Lee is a guide for ROW Adventures. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Geography at Portland State University. Prior to working on the Rogue, he guided in Washington on a number day trip rivers. If he’s not on a raft, you’ll either find him in a kayak or messing around with bicycles.

The Interview

What is your connection to the Rogue River?

I am a river guide for ROW Adventures.

How long have you been guiding on the Rogue?

The 2016 river season will be my fourth.

What’s your favorite part of working on the Rogue?

The atmosphere of the place is tremendously special. Watching people encounter it for the first time is always rewarding.

Do you have a favorite spot on the Rogue?

Tucked in an eddy in Mule Creek Canyon, somewhere above the Coffee Pot.

Is there a sense of community for those who work on the Rogue?

Very much so. In general, the guiding community is very supportive. Getting to know the lodge staff and caretakers of the Rogue River Ranch also adds to this sense of community.

Has the Rogue changed who you are?

Probably. It has certainly highlighted to me that, while I want to work in whitewater, it doesn’t need to be gut-wrenchingly hazardous for me to get excited. Overall, the Rogue is about the best work environment I could ask for. I could (potentially) be making more money somewhere else, making longer expeditions, or challenging my whitewater skills, but the Rogue always reminds me to optimize, rather than maximize.

What are the characteristics of the Rogue?

The whitewater can be challenging, but forgiving. The scenery gets other-worldly. I once had a priest describe it as a very Holy Place. I agree, although not in a strictly dogmatic sense.

Anything else you’d like to share?

The more time I spend on the Rogue, the more I care about it and the better it gets.