Fall Break: Raft Guide Clinic

Trips to be scheduled.

This clinic is the first step to becoming a professional river guide, for those of you who’d like to guide a whitewater raft. You’ll learn technical knowledge and gain valuable experience in the art of running rivers and river rescue. This trip takes place on the Maupin section of the Deschutes River, at Wapinitia, Box Car, and Oak Springs rapids. You will be camping riverside for the duration of this clinic.

Fall Break trips can count as an activity credit for graduation! You can get credit in PE/A 101 “Outdoor Adventures” for participation in this trip as long as you register through WebAdvisor prior to the end of the add/drop period. To be granted registration permissions, email yuska@lclark.edu.

How to Register

Registration Opens: Friday, September 8th, 2023
Trip Fee: $285 / $143*

*We have a limited amount of scholarships available based on financial need. If you qualify, he trip fee is cut in half thanks to scholarship funding from ASB. We accept cash, checks, credit/debit cards, and apple/samsung/google pay. 

How to Sign Up:

To register for a trip, stop by the College Outdoors office in Fowler 239. We’re open Mon - Thur 9am-5pm, and Fridays 9am-3pm.

When trips are first posted on Fridays, you can write your name on the paper trip sign-up sheet to save your spot until the following Tuesday at 5pm. You can pay to secure your spot right away, or return to pay by that following Tuesday at 5pm. After that, all trips spots are first-paid, first-served.

Trip Type

  • Camping in a campground
  • Rafting

Physical Demands

No experience necessary! This is a great opportunity to see what it takes to maneuver a whitewater raft, even if you have no paddling experience.

Participants should be prepared to be active throughout the day, engaging your entire body to lift and pull in a variety of positions. You will sit in a raft for a couple hours at a time, paddle using full range of motion in the upper body, walk on uneven terrain, and sleep on foam pads outdoors. Rapids will jostle you in the boat, and you will be doing activities in the water. Swimming ability is required (you will also be wearing a Personal Floatation Device - aka, a lifejacket), and you should be comfortable in fast-moving water.

What to Expect

  • Sleeping indoors
  • Sleeping outdoors
  • Electricity
  • Wifi
  • Cell phone service
  • Heating
  • Beds
  • Bathrooms
  • Gender-inclusive bathrooms
  • Showers
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Food for any Dietary Restrictions

Amenities

Pre-Trip Meeting

College Outdoors trips have a Pre-Trip Meeting (PTM) prior to the trip to help you prepare, which takes place at the Sequoia warehouse on the Graduate Campus.

At this meeting you’ll meet the trip leaders and other participants, learn more about the trip activity, location, and schedule, and be given a packing list of everything you need for your trip. The trip leaders and Sequoia staff will then help you find and borrow anything on the packing list that you’d like to borrow. We have high-quality outdoor clothing and equipment, and it’s all free to use for your trip!

If you miss a Pre-Trip Meeting, check your email for important info you missed. 

Sequoia Warehouse

Sequoia is the College Outdoors warehouse, located on the Graduate Campus. Everything you’ll need is available for free when you come on a College Outdoors Trip. At Sequoia you will find:

  • Clothing needed for your trip, including any relevant outerwear and specialty items needed for the activity. Sizes range from XS - XXL and come in gendered an non-gendered designs. 
  • Gear needed for your trip, such as sleeping bags, backpacks, water bottles, and much much more.
  • Equipment such as tents, cookware, first-aid kits, and boats, which trip leaders will pack for each trip as needed.
  • Gender-neutral bathrooms, which can also be used as changing rooms.
  • Staff available to answer your questions.