HEADING INLAND

 

 

We spent 6 wonderful days in Brookings at Harris Beach State Park.  We managed to get a couple of hikes in along with walks on various beaches.  After laundry and a resupply, we headed inland toward Grants Pass.  We settled in at a Indian Mary County Park which is right on the Rogue River.  We are very familiar with this campground having stayed there many times going back over 30 years.  It was the Memorial Day weekend, so it was best to stay in one place.  We have two sets of friends in the area and we had great visits with both of them.  We only managed to get in one hike while there, along the cliffs above the river to Rainie Falls.  These falls have three routes one in a kayak or raft can take.  A class 3 a 4 and a 5.  We watched as rafters and kayakers took the class 3 and 4 rapids.  No one opted for the class 5 rapid.

 

 

Speaking of Kayaks, we have an inflatable two person kayak of sorts that is very stable.  We had in some class 2 Rapids and it performs well.  The issue I have with it is that due to it's design you are constantly sitting in the water. It's doesn't get used much.  I wanted a hard shell stable Kayak that would keep me dry, unless of course I turned it over.  Cathie didn't.  So by saving my allowance I managed to buy my own kayak.  Turns out REI (outdoor store) was having a sale so I checked their kayaks out.  I settled on a Elie 10 footer that was advertised as stable.  I figured that if I couldn't mount it on the RV"s ladder to the roof, it would fit inside.  There was the added bonus of buying it in Oregon as there is no sales tax.  I liked the idea of cheating the State of California out of the sales tax.  Lo and behold, it mounts on the RV ladder for easy transport.

 

For my first tryout in it, I opted to avoid the rapids of the Rogue River and waited till we arrived at our next stop with calmer waters, Lake of the Woods. So for my maiden voyage I took a slow paddle around one end of the lake and everything we just fine until coming back to the boat launch.  As I came ashore, the local sheriff was docking his boat at the ramp.  I mentioned to him that it must be fun to have such a great assignment.  This of course drew his attention to me and my kayak.  Turns out I needed an "Invasive Species Permit" to operate my "boat" in Oregon waters.  I was also lacking the required whistle.  So, being a nice guy, and I wasn't about to be an ass, he inspected my "boat", gave me a nice red inspection sticker to paste on it and the required whistle.  Then suggested that within the next 15 minutes I run over to the marina a purchase the Invasive Species Permit for $7 and he would let me off with a warning.  Not being stupid, I did just that.