It was our first day of Rogue River kayaking. We had already been fitted for our gear – helmet, PFD, kayak, and skirt. And now we were to get a feel for putting it all together. As with many water sports, this first day was to be spent in a more protected section of the river. We were literally getting our feet wet and learning the basics before we hit the rapids.

Getting Started with Rogue River Kayaking

We slowly walked into the water, getting adjusted to the cool temperature. Some got to about waist deep, then submerged quickly to get it over with. Others waited until our instructor, J.R., gave us no choice but to stick our faces in the water.

After a few minutes of such howdy-do’s with the river, it was time to get in our kayaks and become acquainted with the vessels for our week’s adventures.

My fellow rookies and I agreed we were excited, albeit nervous. The part we were most nervous about? Flipping over.

So what do you think was the first thing we worked on after learning how to put on our kayak skirts?

You guessed it – what to do if you flip.

Yours truly with my guides for the week: J.R., Elizabeth, Ashlee, and Ryan. Photo by Meg Dunn.

Eat the Frog

If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.

~Mark Twain~

First Descents introduced me to Sundance Kayak School for my time kayaking on the Rogue River. There were 12 of us whitewater rookies, along with 2 lead staff members who are experienced kayakers, and 4 coaches from Sundance present to teach us the ropes: J.R., Ryan, Ashlee, and Elizabeth. (Or, for those of us who know them through FD, Gnomeo, Tarzan, Smash, and 2Tall. 😉 )

The above quote by Mark Twain is one of my all-time favorite quotes. It’s a humorous mental image! But it’s also good advice to live by: if you have a task that you’d rather not do, it’s best to get it done first thing.

No one from Sundance quoted this to us as they led us out, one by one, to practice being flipped in the water. But it’s certainly the thought that came to mind. While I don’t think any of us were ready for that kind of introduction to kayaking, I realized that was the best possible way to get started. For one thing, we were tackling a fear right off the bat. But from a practical sense there was no point handing us paddles and teaching us different strokes, only to have one of us lose our balance and inadvertently flip.

Know what else we gained from all that flipping and playing upside down in the water?

Trust. Learning to whitewater kayak demands a certain amount of trust and respect for your guides.

Several of us in my group may not have initially been fond of starting with flipping, bailing out, and being righted. Though it did mean we had one of the more intimidating lessons behind us.

And if I’m honest, flipping actually turned out to be – dare I say it? – pretty fun!

The Staff Make the Difference

Sundance Kayak School began in 1973. Sometime later, a young J.R., then 11 years old, took a kayaking trip with his dad on the Rogue River, learning his skills from Sundance. He and his dad returned several times for family vacations before J.R. got a job with Sundance at age 16.

Though J.R. had gone to college and trained to be a chiropractor, he had the opportunity to buy Sundance in 2013. We were floating down a gentle part of the river, relaxing between rapids. He told me this story and how much it meant to him to give back to the company that had had such an impact on his life. He spoke with a genuine passion and love not only for kayaking – that was obvious from the moment he got on the water on Day One. But also for the company itself.

And that, my friends, is when you know you’re with the right group of instructors

Of course they love kayaking, the thrill of the ride and being on the water. That passion is palpable.

But so was their passion for teaching others and spreading a love of kayaking to their students.

Like the opportunities we had to jump into different depths and characters of the river, learning to not only appreciate kayaking, but the river itself. And the time J.R. and Elizabeth were absolutely stoked when I utilized my newly learned skills of the T-rescue after a set of rapids. Like how our instructors used a variety of phrases to help explain paddling techniques, because we all learn differently and one may click better than the others. (Maybe it’s just the irony since I’m missing one, but my favorite was “tits out” for working on my forward paddling.)

Elizabeth coming alongside to cheer me on after she T-rescued me. Captured with my GoPro.

This wasn’t just a team that enjoyed the sport. Rather, they clearly wanted you to learn and come to love the sport as well. I was a bit surprised to see they even had a few different kayak models available – I hadn’t realized that was a thing! Feeling claustrophobic in this kayak? Let’s try this model instead! All for the purpose of sharing the joy of kayaking with as many people as possible.

And As for the Rogue!

Oh, and have I mentioned that the Rogue River is absolutely beautiful? Because oh my gosh, y’all! There were osprey and bald eagles and mountains and blue skies and deer and mink and…! Needless to say, I was pretty darn content there. I definitely fell behind a few times because, rather than forward paddling to keep up with the group, I was lazily spinning in my kayak as the current took me, looking around at all the scenery.

So should any of you be interested in a kayaking trip, I highly suggest the Rogue River.

Once you narrow that down (shouldn’t take long once you do an image search of the area), I’d recommend Sundance Kayak School, hands down.

Happy kayaking!

This post was not sponsored or suggested by Sundance Kayak School. I just really enjoyed my time with them and wanted to give them a shout out. I love them even more seeing as they work with First Descents for a few weeks each season! This company is doing some amazing things, and this post is my small way of thanking them.