May 18 - 24 2014

                     Great week! We still have good flows on the Salmon and were able to utilize all sections that we have been running for the last few weeks. Great having Kathleen and Rose around who, while they didn't paddle, took full advantage of the area. Bruce Wear was in great form and definitely got the top dog award. My friend and ski buddy Bill Sullivan made the scene and it was a total pleasure catching up with him. Pippin and Mario kept us on our toes and we enjoyed the company of two new women (Kim and Danielle). Our amazing chefs, Therese and Miranda did not disappoint and I may weigh 300 pounds by the end of the season. I believe we delivered an amazing product this week and the only downside was that It appears many people think we don't have water so the groups are small. Admittedly, we are moving towards the Klamath but the water is wonderful and the quality of the experience is as superb as always. So if you are reading this and were here this year leave a comment on Facebook re same. We need some help filling our weeks!  Thanks for coming   P

May 11 - 17

                     Very keen group this week and we had a blast with these guys! Wonderful weather and water and the cooks continue to amaze all of us. All river sections had excellent features and we are super pleased that the flows on the Salmon have been perfect. We only wish more people had booked earlier this year. Great seeing Clifford Schostal who has been coming here for 30 years as well as Peter Eisner who has been a regular for quite some time. This group was a stand out in terms of wanting to learn and I have to say that our final meeting was very memorable as a number of people articulated their appreciation for the whole experience and, in particular, the excellence of the instruction here. Thanks for coming!!

May 4-10 2014

                   It was a total whirlwind getting the lodge ready to open this year as we did a ton of painting, landscaping, remodeling etc. Due to last year's fire we had been closed for nine months so it took Peter and crew many months of 10 hour days to bring it back. Week one was an absolute blast despite some rain and lower than normal levels. We started on the section from Otter Bar to Norheimer and progressed to the lower salmon, Ikes, Presido to Sandy Bar, Creeks run, Butler and Nordheimer for our strongest paddler. Fabulous cloud , brilliant sunshine and chunky showers were the norm. The food this year was outstanding (many people claim it was the "best ever") and Therese and Miranda worked wonders in the galley. This week was truly a bit of magic never to be forgotten and the stellar instructional crew of Scott, Andy, Jess and Dn was super well received. We also have Deborah who is new to the massage house staff team and is a most welcome addition! She and Judy B will be doing the massage program this year. We will miss Bob Beaver, although he has been helping Peter with a major overhaul of our bike fleet. We missed not having Steve Rossberg here last week and had a memorial for him with those who knew him on Wed (see post on FB). Thanks for coming and love to you all.   Pictured above is  Rheim, Mellissa, John,Cat, Tim, Willy, Greg, Dn,Jason, Teresa, Asuko, Paul and Merida.  Not pictured were Andy, Scott and Jess

July 28 - Aug 3

Temps cooled this week and azure blue skies returned on Wed as they managed to get the Orleans fire contained. Our late summer season was shaping up quite nicely with additional bookings coming in and minimal smoke from the Oregon fires. This was not to be as on that same Wed evening some arsonists lit multiple fires along the Salmon River roadway and, at present, we are in a smoke and fire filled war zone with the Salmon River road closed. This week's group was amazing for their kindness and understanding and, in fact, there was a ton of learning that went on despite the fact that the road closed on Thurs and we couldn't get to the Klamath. Matt, Bob, Lynn, David and Gus cheerfully put up with the late week crisis and for this we are hugely thankful. Scott Harding and Peter Kettering did a great job keeping things moving. Therese and Bri kept the killer food coming and Kristy took over all the Lodge jobs as no other staff could get here. We are so thankful for all who came this season.  p

July 21 - 27 2013

Certainly one of otter Bar's most successful weeks ever! We had a full adult class as well as a full kid's week which ran simultaneously. Lots of vehicles, shuttles and details but all went according to plan. Very enjoyable group with a wide range of skills and true passion for the sport. It was, however, very hot but this didn't seem to slow down the group at all. Good thing kayaking is such a wet sport. Great seeing Bruce Van Nice again and the Team of Nathan and Sarah Norris was a pleasure to have around. Lots of new people this week. Alex Muck brought her dad, Steve and brother Max along and I believe they pegged the fun meter! Great seeing Eric Weiss and his wife Amy (thanks for all the medical tips) and our resident biologists Paul and Sherry Barrett kept us laughing and tuned to the natural world. We also enjoyed Rachel and Jared Adams who brought a pack of kids to kids camp and I believe we owe a huge thanks to grandpa Phil Harlan for his generosity. Bob Pender and his beautiful daughter Victoria were a lovely addition and I was fascinated with his life story - sorry we didn't talk more. Regan Moore and Lynne Bruno were both delightful to have around and were a positive influence. I loved this week despite the fact that it was a major handful because the group had such a blast together. Thank you all for coming!!  p

July 14 - 20

Great week with lots of repeats and some fun new folk as well! Stunning weather with perfect warm days and cool nights. Caryl Hart and Ione Cutter certainly styled the course with their determination and prowess. Lovely having Penny Cooper back with her welcome positive slant on life as well as Charlie Keene, although we missed his other half. We had a family of four cancel the day before the class and we were sorry not to host the diBonaventura clan.

July 7 - 13

The wedding! In the thirty two years we have been running this place, this week stands out as one of the very best. Steve Canale and Michele d'Hemencourt decided to tie the knot here at Otter Bar. They wanted a low key event with immediate family and friends most of whom would also take a week long kayak class. To say this was a success would be profound understatement. In short, everyone had a blast at this joyous occasion and many even learned to kayak. This was a fantastic group of people and we will be talking about this week for years to come. A huge thanks to Pierre and Nancy d'Hemencourt and Tom and Alida Canale for their incredible support for this crazy idea!