Blog Author Archive

Event: A Flurry of Changes

by ECHO Staff on January 28th, 2012

What: Reception at 5:30 PM, Speakers at 6:15 PM
When: Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Where: KEEN Footwear, 926 NW 13th Ave. #210 / Portland, OR 97209
How: Register at Eventbrite

We feel like we’re always talking about snowpack this time of year, but that is because it plays such a huge role in our rafting season each summer. Reduced snowfall doesn’t just impact skiers and snowboarders, it affects our entire river system. Changes to snowpack and receding glaciers in the Cascade Range will play a part in the future of our summer recreation, but it will also require changes to farming and fishing industries that our vital to our state’s economy.

To learn more about how climate shifts are impacting snowfall and glaciers in the Pacific Northwest, join The Climate Trust for “A Flurry of Changes”. You’ll hear from Dr. Anne Nolin, a snow hydrology specialist at Oregon State University and Dr. Andrew Fountain, a glacier specialist with Portland State University.

KEEN Footwear will host the event at their Pearl District offices, but space is limited so reserve your seat!

and posted in General News.

I’m in Love With a River Guide

by ECHO Staff on December 11th, 2011

Our good friend Laurie Lewis just posted this wonderful video to her song “I’m in Love With a River Guide” featuring many ECHO guides. You’ll probably recognize Ian, Maggie, Heidi, Zach, Krista, JT, Kelly, Vlad, Dick, Joe, Dewi, Jeff, Dale, Adam, Martin, Audrey, Anthony, and Brian. There are also a couple of great shots with long time guests and friends Margie and Don.

Parts of this song were written on our annual Bluegrass Rafting Trips!

Shawn, Maggie, Tom and Laurie on the Rogue River

This post was tagged with bluegrass, fun, Middle Fork of the Salmon, river guides, Rogue River, Tuolumne River and posted in Guide News, Special Trips.

2011 Wild Rivers Night

by ECHO Staff on November 1st, 2011

Join us at Keen in Portland for our 2nd Annual Wild Rivers Night on November 29th, 2011. We’ll be premiering our new Middle Fork of the Salmon film (view trailer) as well as showing conservation and adventure films from wild rivers!

Date: November 29th, 2011
Time: 6 – 8 PM (Zach will do a Siberia slideshow at 5:30)
Location: Keen’s Great Room (926 Northwest 13th #210, Portland, OR)

Wild Rivers Night

This post was tagged with American Rivers, Portland, river guides, Wild Rivers Night and posted in General News.

Our 2012 Guide School on the Rogue River

by ECHO Staff on September 29th, 2011

We just set May 13-18, 2012 as our next professional guide school. If you’ve ever been interested in learning to row a raft or become a professional guide, this is the trip for you! We’ll spend 6 days traveling down the famous Wild and Scenic Rogue River learning basic whitewater skills, the art of wilderness cooking, camp set-up, and boat rigging.

Camp Cooking!

To learn more and sign up, please visit our Professional Guide School page.

This post was tagged with food, Oregon, river trips, Rogue River, training and posted in Guide School.

[Trailer] Middle Fork of the Salmon Short Film

by ECHO Staff on September 23rd, 2011

This summer our friend Nate Herbeck joined a Middle Fork of the Salmon trip to make a short film about the Middle Fork and our trips. Here’s a short trailer he put together as a sneak peek.

We’ll be premiering the film this November in Portland. Stay tuned!

This post was tagged with Idaho, kayaking, Middle Fork of the Salmon, rafting, river, Video and posted in Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

Some of our Favorite Quotes From 2011!

by ECHO Staff on July 20th, 2011

“Don’t change a thing. You guys do an amazing job from the customer service to the prep and answering questions and especially to the on the water experience. This truly was the time of my life you will see me again count on it!!” – Justin, May 5th launch

“Hands down, most AMAZING trip I’ ve been on! (And I’ve been on some pretty cool trips). The scenery was breath taking, the guides were fantastic/fun people with a lot of interesting knowledge/know-how, and the food was delicious. I love to camp but the meals they served us would put a number of restaurants to shame they were so yummy and diverse! I really can’t say enough good things about this trip and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, beautiful, adventure. Simply fabulous all around!’ – Bridget, May 5th launch

“The guides were fun and fascinating. A true asset to the company and really made the experience unique and phenomenal. They are a group of hard working individuals and we truly appreciate it!! Thanks for a great paddle.” – Alice, May 20th launch

“All the guides were interested in all of us, actively seeking us out to learn more about us. They were all solicitous for our comfort, and willing to do anything necessary to keep us comfortable and happy, and enjoy the rafting/camping experience to its fullest. The guides had a great working relationship with each other.” – Nancy, May 20th launch

“Not even four days of nearly constant rain could ruin this trip; the Rogue is beautiful, the guides are great, and the food is the best I’ve ever had in the wilderness. I am so happy I made this trip.” – Eric, May 26th launch

“I just got back from my first trip with ECHO and am already planning my second! I only have great things to say about them. FANTASTIC guides, AMAZING food (I know…great food while camping is hard to imagine but it’s true), and well organized. They made my first rafting experience incredible!” – Lisa, June 15th launch

“ECHO runs the finest trips in the world of wilderness whitewater rafting. There is a big difference among the various companies. I have run rivers around the world for over 30 years. If you like adventure, natural beauty, truly professional and interesting guides and a lifetime memory for you and your family, ECHO is the way to go.” Bernd, June 15th launch

“Truly incredible guides. We felt very lucky to get this group. We have three young kids and this was our first river trip so we a little concerned. The guides (Emma in particular for our family) put as at ease with their expertise, safety procedures, etc. Plus, the kids were just incredible people – very attentive to every detail.” – Greg, June 28th launch

“Even though I had many questions and some pretty special requests for this birthday surprise, all of it was handled flawlessly. I can honestly say it was one that we will remember for the rest of our lives. All of the guides went above and beyond to ensure that we had the time of our lives. I can only attempt to express my gratitude to the entire ECHO family for pulling off what could very well be the best trip we’ve ever had! From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
A customer for life” – Mike, July 6th launch

“Pitch perfect trip. It was a fabulous time together with our adult children. Big water, big personalities, great participants and guides–and the food–Oh My God Delicious. The weather was perfect and the scenery to die for. What more can you ask from a vacation–and no cell phone coverage–perfect.” – David, July 11th launch

This post was tagged with rafting, testimonials and posted in General News.

Wine Tasting for our Rogue River Trips

by ECHO Staff on June 24th, 2011

Southern Oregon’s Rogue River Valley is quickly becoming a hot spot in the wine making industry. With over 40 wineries in the Bear Creek, Applegate, and Illinois river valleys, the task of narrowing down which wineries to feature on our Rogue trips this year seemed daunting. We began talking to a few of the local wineries just to talk prices and quantities, since we were hoping to return home with thirty plus cases of delicious wines. Having a couple definite stops in mind, we hoped fate would lead us in the right direction of other stops along the way. Our first stop though was the charming, historic town of Jacksonville, OR for a night of music with Ray LaMontagne at the annual summer Britt Fest concerts.

ECHO Guides Billy and Jeni Hard at Work Testing Wines

Upon arriving at the Britt Fest too late to obtain very good seats, we began wandering around the grounds in search a better view. We quickly found ourselves in the empty “reserved” bench rows. I began talking to the man next to me, Pat, who works at a nearby winery just outside of Cave Junction. I tell him of the mission we have been sent on for the next day, and he hands us two bottles of wine he just so happens to have with him. Two hours later, and with a belly full wine, we have made arrangements to meet him tomorrow at the winery and purchase some wine for our trips. Could this be fate?

Our first stop the next day was Valley View Winery where we met one of the owners Mark who poured our tasters. Valley View was originally established by Peter Britt in the 1850’s, but the name was restored in 1972 by the Wisnovsky family for their vineyard and winery in the beautiful Applegate Valley. We purchased Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay.

Next stop, Bridgeview Vineyard and Winery. The Kerivan family started Bridgeview in 1986 with a 75-acre field in the Illinois Valley. Between this and the 80-acre vineyard located in the Applegate Valley, they grow almost all of the grapes used for their wines. Here we met Drew, and he helped us to quickly fill our car with cases of Merlot, Reisling, and Cab/Merlot Blend.

Our third stop was to meet our new friend Pat, at Foris Vineyards Winery. Their first vines were planted in1974, and in 1986, they began producing their own wines at the family owned estate in the Illinois River Valley. Here we purchased and filled to the car to the brim with Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and their Red Blend called the Flyover Red. Whew, what a day. Thirty-eight cases of wine later we were headed back home. Not only did we have an amazing day and make new friends, but we also have delicious, local wines to bring on our river trips this summer.

So come join us on a Rogue River trip this summer and try out our hand picked wines! Its just one of the many components that come together to make ECHO River Trips the best choice for a trip down the Wild and Scenic Rogue River of Southern Oregon.

This post was tagged with river, river trips, Rogue River, wine and posted in Rogue River Rafting.

Celebrating the Month of May and Welcoming June!

by ECHO Staff on June 14th, 2011

Summer is finally here and we’re so excited that the warm weather is starting to shine through! Our trips on the the Rogue River during the past month had amazing scenery, cascading waterfalls and abundant wildflowers! Although we’re sad to see May end, we are more than excited to greet the beginning of June.

Here are a few photos of the Rogue River and a few amazing quotes our guests wanted to share:

“The guides were fun and fascinating. A true asset to the company and and what really made the experience unique and phenomenal. They are a group of hard working individuals and we truly appreciate it!! Thanks for a great paddle” – Alice, Eugene, OR

“What a wonderful, memorable trip! The guides were experienced, knowledgeable, and took great care with the environment (and in teaching us about it). Our safety, comfort, and “fun factor” were their goals, which they passed with flying colors! The food was more than your typical camping fare, delicious, healthy and plentiful. Thanks for such a great time! Highly recommend this adventure to anyone!” – Nancy, Bainbridge Island, WA

“A great diverse group of strangers who got together on the rogue and had a awesome time. Cannot wait to go again, and myself and my wife had never been rafting before! Thank you ECHO and thank you JR and Billy. The whole crew rocked!” – Jeff, Salem, OR

“Hands down, most AMAZING trip I’ve been on! (And I’ve been on some pretty cool trips). The scenery was breath taking, the guides were fantastic/fun people, and the food was delicious. We got to see picturesque waterfalls and a number of wonderful animals (bald eagles, bears, deer, osprey, otters, turtles, salamanders, etc). I love to camp but the meals they served us would put a number of restaurants to shame they were so yummy and diverse!” - Bridget, Troutdale, OR

This post was tagged with families, Rogue River, testimonials, wilderness and posted in Rogue River Rafting.

Biggest Snow Pack on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River Since 1974!

by ECHO Staff on May 26th, 2011

The latest reports from Idaho are predicting amazing flows on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River throughout the 2011 season. The Salmon River basin has a snow pack of 140% of average, which hasn’t been seen in over 35 years. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River’s Facebook Page has come alive with predictions and wagers for the peak flow, and outfitters are preparing for higher then normal flows this summer!

Entering the Impassible Canyon on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River

Unlike other seasons that had the Middle Fork flows dwindling by the end of the summer, we expect to see great flows well into August. If you haven’t booked your Middle Fork trip yet, look to late July and August, when the weather will be hot and sunny and the river will likely have plenty of water to raft the full 100 miles.

ECHO has availability on some great dates like the Kids Trip July 31-August 5 with a reduced rate of $1445 for ages 7-17 or the August 16-21 trip which should have amazing fishing as the trout fatten up for fall.

This post was tagged with Middle Fork of the Salmon, snowpack and posted in Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

ECHO Trip Named National Geographic Tour of a Lifetime

by ECHO Staff on April 20th, 2011

ECHO’s trip to Siberia’s Kaa-Khem River has just been named one of the 50 Tours of a Lifetime, 2011 by National Geographic Traveler! We welcome the recognition of this amazing trip that will be lead by ECHO guide, Vlad Garilov this July.

We are so honored that National Geographic continues to highlight our small business alongside many of the big names in adventure travel. What began as a past-time for Joe Daly and Dick Linford has grown into a successful travel company that strives to provide our guests with top service in the world’s top destinations.

About ECHO

River trips are our passion, because we believe in the transformative process that takes place when one spends time in the wilderness. Our trips are designed to facilitate this process with some of the top guides in the industry handling all the details while they attend to our guests’ safety and comfort. We invite you to join us on the Rogue or Middle Fork of the Salmon Rivers, or journey with us abroad to Siberia, Bhutan, Nepal, Turkey or Chile.

Although we appreciate the recognitions from renowned publications, our true reward comes when our guests proclaim their adventure as “the trip of a lifetime”.

“ECHO is a once-in-a-lifetime experience which I’ll never forget… Thanks ECHO!”
- Gabriella Conn, Middle Fork guest

“The absolute trip of a lifetime! Great fun, great guides, great guests!”
- Susan Harris, Middle Fork guest

“Our family has been on over 10 commercially guided trips, including safaris, birding, biking and other rafting trips both in the US and abroad. This trip run by ECHO was fantastic from start to finish. The Echo guides were some of the best we have ever had.”
- Cynthia Faubion, Middle Fork guest

“We planned our Rogue trip because we wanted to experience the Rogue river scenery and white water but we left with much more; the feeling that we had exprienced a very special place. The scenery was amazing! The rafting was a blast! And the staff were great!”
- Monet Monaghan, Rogue River guest

This post was tagged with awards, Kaa Khem, Russia and posted in General News.