Corby Fuhriman guides for Indigo Creek Outfitters and is wintering in Whitefish, Montana, working as a ski instructor. Corby made his way to the Rogue after guiding in Alaska and Utah. Corby is one the most positive people you’ll ever meet: “I lived in Uganda, Africa for 3 months doing development work a few years ago. The first week there I had an emergency appendicitis surgery, and the last week I got Malaria. It was still super fun!”

The Interview

What is your connection to the Rogue River?

I’m a river guide on the Rogue with Indigo Creek Outfitters. 

What are your favorite qualities of the Rogue?

The Rogue is one of those places that you fall in love with more and more every time you float down it. The beauty there is something else. Trees everywhere, clear water, gorgeous rocks, and incredible side creeks. The creek hikes are probably one of my favorite aspects of the Rogue.

Where is you favorite spot on the Rogue?

Lower Solitude.

Is there a sense of community on the Rogue River?

Yes, definitely. You know all the guides and start to recognize private boaters who frequent the Rogue. It’s awesome seeing so many friends on the river, where almost everyone is super friendly and outgoing. It’s one big family.

How has the river changed you?

It has. It’s taught me so much about myself and what I care about in life. It has shown me where my priorities are and has taught me to be a better leader. Every trip I go down, I learn something new about myself as well as the river.

What is the personality of the river?

The Rogue is full of eye pleasing sights left and right. There is something new around every corner. In less than 40 miles, you see completely different micro environments, all within the same watershed. It has rapids that are perfect for families and children, and still fun and challenging for the guides.

Have you had an experience that speaks to this character of the river?

My first real season on the Rogue, I had 15 multi day trips down it. The highlight of this section is seeing how it changes my guests. They may start out timid and afraid of water at the put in, and by the time we get to Foster Bar, they can’t get enough of it! From cliff jumping to swimming to paddling inflatable kayaks. I love seeing how it affects those that choose to spend days on the river with us.

Anything else to add?

Book a trip and go raft the Rogue!

Angie Panter lives in Eagle Point, Oregon and has spent the last few years exploring Southern Oregon’s remote backcountry trails. In 2015, she joined the Board of Directors of the Siskiyou Mountain Club. After a couple years as a Director and after hundreds of hours logged on trails throughout the region she became the Siskiyou Mountain Club’s Chairwoman. Angie leads numerous hikes and excursions for the club throughout the year. When she’s not on the trail, she helps people pursue their own adventures with her work at REI in Medford, Oregon.

The Interview

How long have you been visiting the Rogue?

I’ve been floating and hiking the Rogue River for the last four years.

What do you like about floating the river?

Just the right amount of bumps for a beginner to play and learn.

Do you have a favorite viewpoint from the trail?

Favorite place is Inspiration Point [Mule Creek Canyon].

I love the views from the high rocky trails looking down into the gorges.

Is there a sense of community amongst Southern Oregon backpackers?

Yes, the hikers in Southern Oregon have a strong sense of community. Everyone seems to appreciate the gifts this unique region has given us and anyone you run into on the trail has at least one thing in common with you.

Has the Rogue River changed you?

It has given me a healthy respect for the power of H2O.

What is the personality of the River?

A mellow easy going teacher with just the right amount of “spank” when you do something stupid. A couple years ago, my tahiti flipped over when I navigated directly into a large rock and I couldn’t get back in before I lost my cooler and one flip flop. But my life was spared.

Any final words?

LEAVE NO TRACE!

Kara Spaulding is a guide for Morrison’s Rogue Wilderness Adventures. She started her guiding career in California and then got the itch to travel. She spent most of her time abroad in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca Mexico, working at Osa Mariposa. The hostel was owned by a couple from Denver, Colorado. The connection to Colorado drew her to the state to work as a guide on the Arkansa River. In 2016, Kara discovered the Rogue River and is looking forward to returning for her second year with Morrison’s Rogue Wilderness Adventures.

The Interview

How long have you been a guide?

10 years as a guide, one year on the Rogue River.

Where are your favorite places to be on the Rogue?

Right above Blossom and right below Blossom.

Is there a sense of community on the Rogue River?

There is definitely a sense of community on the Rogue; off the river in the lodges, as well as on the river with other companies. With Morrison’s Rogue Wilderness Adventures and Lodge, it is a family.

Has the Rogue River changed you?

I wouldn’t say the Rogue has “changed” me, but it has made me appreciate the abundance of life.

What is the character of the Rogue?

Sneaky. Coming to the Rogue as a guide on other rivers, you look downstream and are generally able to see the intensity of a rapid. Meaning, a drop, or a giant wave. I dub the Rogue “sneaky” because when it looks like a cute lil riffle, and you’re not paying attention…she’ll bite!

Any final words?

The Rogue River is a stunningly beautiful river. With lots of history, insane rock formations, weird currents, and flourishing wildlife. The fall is my favorite time to go, but truly…. any day on the river is a good day!

Skip Volpert is a guide for Idaho River Journeys and occasionally makes it out to the Rogue to help with their Oregon operation, Rogue River Journeys. When he’s not on an adventure he can be found in his basement playing Halo on his XBox Live. Just joking. He is always on the river or on the way to his next adventure.

The Interview

Where are you right now and what are you doing?

I’m in Kernville, California, helping Kern River Outfitters get ready for their upcoming season. In other words, I’m a bus mechanic. We’re also getting out on the water and enjoy higher flows than we’ve seen in a long time. My nomadic lifestyle that is spent around rivers, wilderness, and adventuring continues in Southern California.

What’s your connection to the river?

I’m a river guide. I spend most of my summers guiding on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, but I have been able to guide a few late season Rogue trips.

What draws you to the Rogue River?

I enjoy shooting photography on every river I float. Looking through a lens, the Rogue has incredible lighting. I always enjoy shooting during golden hour on the Rogue and in October the canyon glows. Terrific for pictures.

Where is your favorite place on the Rogue River?

It’s hard not to compare rivers, so when I float through a section that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, it leaves an impression on me. Every time I float through Mule Creek Canyon, I’m in awe.

Is there a sense of community on the Rogue River?

Definitely. Whenever I talk with a Rogue guide, it’s evident how much they enjoy calling the Rogue home for a summer.

How has the Rogue River changed your life?

Every river has changed me in ways I’ll never know, or maybe until I speak with a therapist. Every time I have rafted a Rogue trip I’m with either friends, family, or both. And while I wish I can be around those closet to me on every river trip, I’m not. So it’s a good reminder to enjoy those moments, because they can be few and far between.

What is the character of the Rogue?

For me, the Rogue is a good, reliable friend who I only see once a year.

Dillon Cole guides for Kern River Outfitters in Southern California. When the water runs dry, he heads to Southern Oregon to raft the Rogue and Klamath rivers with Indigo Creek Outfitters. When he’s not on the river, Dillon can be found surfing the California coast. He has surfed on four continents and is a student at U.C. Santa Barbara.

The Interview

What is your connection to the Rogue River?

In 2016 I worked for Kern River Outfitters in Southern California. When we ran out of water in August, I headed north to Southern Oregon and worked with Indigo Creek Outfitters through September on the Rogue River. It was fun to find a river that actually had water!

Favorite spot on the river?

Any camp along the river is a good place to be.

Is there a sense of community on the Rogue River?

Although I was only the Rogue for two months it was easy to discover a community of guides who call the Rogue River home.

How has the river changed your life?

I was just a rad-gnar surfer from Florida. Now I live in a van down by the river.

The Rogue has led to an appreciation for the unspoiled parts of the U.S.A and balance between use and protection of said lands.

What is the personality of the river?

Calm yet stoic. A river that is to be respected but also a river that brings enjoyment and reflection.

Haley Hoback has worked as a river guide on the Rogue River for the past six years. She grew up in Southern Oregon and has been floating and enjoying the river since a young age. She lives in Grants Pass, Oregon, and spends her summers as a guide for Morrison’s Rogue Wilderness Adventures.

The Interview

What is the best quality of the Rogue?

The history it holds and the beauty of the river.

Favorite spot on the river?

In a hammock on the shore of Ennis Riffle. It is right above a calm rapid so the sound of rushing water is soothing.

Is there a sense of community on the Rogue River?

Yes, everyone is very friendly and happy on the Rogue. When you turn a corner it is not a competition, it is a friendly hello and smile from everyone. Everyone has each others backs and it is reassuring to know that.

How has the river changed your life?

I have become a happier and healthier individual. I have learned more about myself in multiple ways. From learning that I can do anything I put my mind to like maneuvering through a difficult rapid, to learning that my life does not always have to be go go go and that it is good to sit back and talk with new people and learn about their adventures through life while relaxing. My eyes have been opened more because I have learned more about the world through people I have met on the Rogue River as well as making friends with people all over the world. I look forward to every summer and getting to be back on the water because I know I will always be happy there.

What is the personality of the river?

I would say the personality is always changing. The river is very calm and relaxing at parts but when approaching a rapid the river changes to having a more aggressive and serious personality. When approaching the rapids the sound of the water shows the change in personality.

Have you had an experience that speaks to those characteristics?

Everyday on the river shows these personalities. When floating in the calm spots games can be played or relaxing can take place but when approaching a rapid it is important to pay attention and be more serious for the safety of the boat.

Anything else?

The Rogue River is a must see for everyone. Either getting a chance to visit the beginning of the river around Crater Lake or the end of the river on the Oregon coast in Gold Beach or anywhere in between the river holds its beauty throughout and everyone should have an opportunity to enjoy it.

Emily Berlant is an Environmental Studies student at Southern Oregon University with a Sustainability & Policy concentration. She is on the board of Rogue Climate, a local climate & social justice organization. She was recently elected to the Talent City Council. She is an advocate for holistic waste management and waterway restoration. When she was was 19, she rowed a fully-loaded raft through the Grand Canyon. She grew up in Grants Pass, Oregon, and is frequently taking trips on the Wild and Scenic stretch of the Rogue River.

The Interview

What is your relation to the Rogue River?

I’m a recreational boater. I’ve been a river guide and a shuttle driver. I grew up with the Rogue in my backyard.

What is the best quality of the Rogue?

The welcoming nature of the water.

Favorite spot on the river?

Clay Hill Stillwater or my dad’s backyard in Grants Pass.

Is there a sense of community on the Rogue River?
There can be. The river brings people together for an opportunity to detach from modern, technologically driven society and have person-to-person interactions while surrounded by a beautiful, wild landscape.

What has the river taught you?

The river is life. I learned this on the Rogue. As with the river, life has periods of slow meanderings and periods of rapid turbulence. You can plan ahead but you never know what the river or life will throw at you. You may be doing everything right, but if you’re in the right place at the wrong time, the river (or life) can flip you and scatter all your belongings – fortunately, your friends are there to help you clean up.

What is the personality of the river?

Challenging and forgiving. Quiet and dynamic.

Have you had an experience that speaks to those characteristics?

​​It was Blossom day on the Rogue. My group floated through Mule Creek canyon and approached that beautiful boulder garden just as another group began to run the rapid. The water was flowing pretty high, I can’t recall the exact CFS. One from the other group ran far left and was precariously wrapped. Others of that group were climbing up the left bank with ropes, clearly unsure of how to release this (safely but strangely) wrapped raft.

A highly-skilled drift boater in my group ran the shoot, caught an eddy, tied up and offered assistance to the rescue group. Nothing seemed to be working; they couldn’t get ropes out to the raft and even if they had, they needed momentum moving right and back into the current, not towards the shore.

My dad and I were up on the big scout rock observing and discussing. “I have an idea,” he said, as he stood up and scurried back to our (very large and heavy) raft. He pushed off, leaving me up on the rock with my camera, and entered the rapid. He caught the safety eddy and proceeded to leap from his seat, with the bow line in hand, up onto a large, slippery rock. He landed, steadied the raft, and leaped onto the next slippery rock. Between the two rocks, he managed to wrap the bowline around some smaller rocks wedged between the boulders. He was Superman. He hopped back on the raft to grab a throw bag and carabiner which he got out to the wrapped raft after multiple tosses. The man on the wrapped raft connected the rope and the two coordinated their efforts to tug on the rope as the river pressure pulsed against the raft. Eventually, the river released the raft; ropes snapped, and cheers went up.

The two groups rendezvoused above Devil’s Staircase to exchange appreciative handshakes, high fives, and cold beers. (I have pictures. It was epic.)

Russell Heard first kayaked the Rogue River in 2001. Five years later he started running rafts down the Wild & Scenic stretch and he’s never looked back. He lives in Grants Pass, Oregon, and works as a guide for Morrison’s Rogue Wilderness Adventures. Prior to moving to the Rogue Valley, Russell spent eight years in the US Coast Guard.

The Interview

Why do you love the Rogue?

It’s isolated, remote.

Favorite place on the river?

Where ever I happen to be with my wife. Isolated one boat camps, etc.

Tell us about the “river community…”

People always seem ready to pitch in and help when it’s needed most. And I’m always running into others I have become friends with from running the river over the years.

How has the Rogue River changed your life?

The river has taught me to relax and take things as they come. The Rogue has always been a place of healing and allowed me the focus on the things in life that matter (other than the river).

What’s the personality of the river?

I don’t think you can nail the Rogue down to a one word descriptor. The Rogue has many personalities and temperaments and I love them all.