Oregon, Northern California, and Idaho Rafting

Well done, OSF!  This play is a rolling display of stunning visuals, from the ensemble umbrella-snake to shimmering forest boughs that drop from the sky, from stormy ocean waves crashing across the stage to colorful puppets and creature costumes that dance through billowing fabrics.  It is a constantly pleasing picture.

In short, Momentum River Expeditions gives “White Snake” two enthusiastic thumbs up!  We highly recommend this show, and it runs through July 8, 2012.

It is action-packed and fairly short with no intermission, so you can skip the great rush to the restroom. An audience of all ages surrounded us – and my kids sat enraptured to the end (even the 9 year old whose bedtime was sometime during the part where the Scholar mysteriously disappears on the mountain, last seen with the Disapproving Monk who is chased away by the protective Green Snake).  The live musical accompaniment is cheerful and tasteful, a true compliment to the action and emotion of the story.

Being already a fan of folk and fairy tales, I believe the real gift from this story is the story itself, and what it offers to teach us. The last line of the play still rings in my head even today, weeks later – don’t worry I won’t spoil it for anyone!  It is an echo of the fairy tale’s morality – a way for me and others like me to make a personal connection between our own shuffling existence and the eccentric world of magic and fantasy that we see in the show.  The story reminds us of one of the most important values of all – a foundation of character for humans and spirits alike.

Read more about this classic Chinese fairy tale here: http://www.osfashland.org/browse/production.aspx?prod=236

Purchase your tickets for White Snake, or another of OSF’s amazing productions here: http://www.osfashland.org

Travel to Ashland Oregon

Ashland Oregon is a northwest cultural center surrounded by national forests, beautiful mountains, and rushing streams. The town is home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Wineries, incredible whitewater rafting, and to Momentum River Expeditions.  It is also the jumping off point for many of our rafting trips.

Below is information on  some of our favorite things to do around Ashland. We can also email you information on places to stay, places to eat, and even more things to do. It is definitely a town that you can spend some time in we love it here!

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival:

Named “one of America’s top five regional theaters” by Time magazine, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival draws visitors from around the world. If there is a play that you are set on seeing, please plan ahead because many performances sell out. Even if you are not a big Shakespeare fan they have contemporary plays and the outdoor theatre is an amazing experience in itself.
Check it out >>

The Britt Festival

Operating for over 40 years, the Britt Festivals has become the Pacific Northwest’s premiere outdoor summer performing arts festival. Located in the historic 1850s gold-rush town of Jacksonville, Oregon, Britt presents dozens of summer concerts, featuring world-class artists in classical music, dance, jazz, blues, folk, bluegrass, world, pop, and country music. Bring a picnic dinner and wine!

Southern Oregon Wineries

This area is becoming famous for its wines. Southern Oregon Wineries Association provides a comprehensive list with links to each one.

Trail Running and Hiking

Ashland has become a mecca for ultra-marathoners and now is home for some of the world’s best long distance runners (think “Born to Run”). There are miles of trails leaving right from town. For more information about trail running, visit Rogue Valley Runners in downtown. If you have more time, there are many options within a short drive’s distance. We recommend Grizzly Peak for wildflowers, Pilot Rock to escape the heat, or the section of the Pacific Crest Trail that passes through the area.

Mountain Biking

Ashland is famous for its mountain biking. There are miles of trails in the area, manyAshland is famous for its mountain biking. There are miles of trails in the area, many of which can be accessed right from town. If downhill is more your style, contact Ashland Mountain Adventures for a shuttle ride to Mount Ashland. For mountain bike rentals and trail maps contact Siskiyou Cyclery.

“Amazing  – Pete, If I had to pick one word to describe our trip down the Illinois River last week (with Mike and Mara), the subject line of this email would be it. I knew going in that it was likely to be a good trip, and that we would have fun. I didn’t realize that it would be one of (if not THE) best trip/vacation/experience we’ve ever had. Mike and Mara were nothing short of phenomenal…  Ann actually cried as they drove off after dropping us off. We miss them. (Feel free to share this with them, even if it will inflate Mike’s ego ) On a scale of 1-10 we’re rating this a perfect 10. We’ve never done that before. Thanks again for an amazing run down the gorgeous Illinois – it was one experience I know I won’t forget. Oh – and Tell Mike and Mara we miss them! “

“Dear Arden, Pete and Mike, It’s been over a month since we adventured down the Rogue with you all, yet we still drink coffee from our beat up Momentum mugs and talk about our late summer in Oregon. Rudy grew in inches, strength and soul during our trip; somewhere in the midst of the white water, the mouse in our dry bag and the games of bocce ball along the river great things happened for him and for all of us. As Arden well knows, I was so hesitant at the beginning of the trip (hesitant? No – petrified) having had a bad white water encounter before. Arden’s skill, reassurance and compassion, warmth and outrageous sense of humor helped me to let go of that experience and open up to this one. I can’t emphasize enough what this did for me, and as a result, what it did for our family. It meant so much to us that we were able to take this kind of trip together and that Rudy have an experience that challenged and thrilled him and that we all were able to get so far away from our day to day at home. The weekend after we returned, the three of us backpacked 5 miles to a spot overlooking the ocean in Pt. Reyes and spent the night listening to the waves. It was a great way to think back on the time we spent with all of you. Thank you again and again for this memory. We hope to see you all again.”

“Dear Pete, Robyn, Jason and Chad, I can only echo Nancy’s comments. Many, many thanks for such a tremendous trip. We enjoyed ourselves immensely, and we bring back wonderful memories. The commitment and heart that you brought was fabulous – and shined in every aspect of the trip. You always went the extra mile and anticipated what we would need or want to do long before we knew ourselves. Congratulations on building an organization that brings such joy, fun and laughter to its clients, while executing with the highest professionalism and standards. It is quite an achievement.”

 “Momentum Rafting doesn’t do themselves justice. We were extremely pleasantly surprised with the great food, the small groups, the knowledge shared, and the amazing river!! SO much less commercial than our last trip and so much more time on the river. And all at a really great price given all the extras.”

“I just wanted to thank you again for the great Illinois trip a few weeks ago, it was definitely one of the best multi-day trips I have ever been on and, as usual, the attention to detail that you and your guides adhere to is astounding and very much appreciated.”

“What a premier company you have got going! I have been rafting with groups for over 20 years and you guys are DELUXE! The little things go along way in demonstrating the class act you provide. I have never had anyone provide wines on a trip and I felt like I was pampered and relaxed while in camp. The attention to our safety on the water is the primary goal for our group when we choose a trip and you exceeded the expectations. All of the guides were great fun and obviously selected carefully! I certainly hope to join you on another trip and will recommend your company to my other rafting friends and family! Thanks again!”

“I’ve traveled with Pete on 4 river trips, 3 of them covering multiple days. In every case, his professionalism shines and in each case, my experiences have been nothing less than brilliant.“ 

“I want to thank you as well for your guidance on the river, your patience and respect towards my children, and making our first time rafting the pleasurable time that it was.”

“I know it’s rare, but Momentum is a company that delivers everything they promise – I have been rafting with many outfitters but they set the standard. Great guides, great food, great gear, great times. We had an amazing trip – Support this company!” 

“Unrivaled As a Commercial Rafting Company – Pete Wallstrom, the owner of Momentum River Expeditions, puts his years of experience and expertise into the management of what just might be the best commercial rafting company in North America. The trips are spectacular beyond description, the guides are the best of the best, the food is incomparable, and the customers are treated like royalty. I especially would like to recommend the Cal Salmon trip and the Illinois River trip. The Illinois is one of the most incredible canyons I have ever seen, let alone rafted on. The combination of lush flora, thundering rapids, and isolation make it nearly indescribable” 

Leave No Trace: http://www.lnt.org/

When it comes to our core values, we can’t think of a better match than Leave No Trace!

From the Bigfoot Challenge to Frontcountry Outreach, this organization does it all.  Their main mission is to “Teach People How To Enjoy The Outdoors Responsibly.”  We couldn’t agree more that this is the key to practicing sustainable use activities in our favorite Wild and Scenic areas!  Like Momentum, Leave No Trace believes there is a way to enjoy and recreate in these places without destroying them.  We are excited to be an active participant of this program.

Salmon River Restoration Council: http://www.srrc.org

This is what supporting your community and environment is all about!

These guys work very hard to ensure the long term health of the Salmon River Watershed; one of our absolute favorite destinations on earth.  They organize restoration activities, educational events, and practice cooperative management activities with the community.  Volunteers are always welcome, and this is a great way to get up close and personal with one of the most amazing rivers on earth!  We love to hear SRRC’s updates, and we support them in their efforts to maintain sustainable ecosystem and community health.

Medford Oregon is the getway to southern oregon and just 15 minutes from Ashland.  It is also the Home to our little Rogue Valley International Airport:

The Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (MFR):
You can fly to major airports in San Francisco, Sacramento, or Portland and then drive. However, it is much more convenient to fly into our own Medford Airport. It is small, friendly, easy to get around, and has a fancy new terminal.
Horizon Air, United Express, Delta Connection, Sky West, and Allegiant Air service the airport.  These carriers offer approximately 60 flights daily direct to and from San Francisco, Portland, Eugene, Seattle, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City. New flights and cheap fares are being added all the time – It is hard to believe that over 500,000 people fly in and out every year!

Oregon Natural Desert Association: http://onda.org/

We are duly grateful for their extraordinary continued research and conservation efforts each year!

We love getting updates from ONDA about what is happening over in the stunning, remote wilderness of Central and Eastern Oregon (home of the unmatched Owyhee River).  Their research efforts provide scientific data that aid in the enforcement of environmental laws which safeguard Oregon’s deserts.  They study grazing, climate change, geology, water quality and more – you can even purchase an amazing calendar with photographs like the one you see here!

It’s easy to almost forget about these isolated, extreme environments like the Owyhee River watershed, but once you have been there you will never forget this amazing wilderness.  ONDA will also take you out in the desert as a volunteer, and just like Momentum; will show you a whole new way of experiencing this mesmerizing desert environment!

Wild Rogue Alliance: http://wildroguealliance.org/

We are proud of our wild areas, and we are heartened to know that there are people who will work hard to protect the places we love!

We proudly support the community-based efforts of this alliance.  They are a coalition of conservation groups, rafters, anglers, kayakers, businesses, and individuals who work together to keep us on our toes about what is going on in the environmental highlife surrounding the Lower Rogue River (also known as the Wild and Scenic Rogue).

We love local, organic food!  

We are proud to prepare and feature as many local and organically sourced products as possible on all our rafting trips.  You can read about many of our favorite partners, and more about our food here:  http://www.momentumriverexpeditions.com/about-momentum-rafting/our-food.php

We believe there are countless benefits to visiting our incredible wild areas – that’s why we are here! However the global warming gasses emitted when we travel help to threaten the very areas we are traveling to. So what can we do? Well, we are proud that our rafting trips have inherently low carbon emissions (carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas), but we wanted to make our trips completely carbon neutral.

What We Have Done:

With help from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation we calculated the carbon released on our trips from transportation and propane use and the carbon released from the electricity consumed in our office. We will then offset these emissions by purchasing renewable energy credits called Green Tags. So, your trip will be completely Carbon Neutral from the time we pick you up to the moment we drop you off.

How You Can Help:

We offset your trip from when we pick you up to when we drop you off. If you would like you can offset the rest of your travel. It is easy and surprisingly affordable! Just click here to go to the Carbon Calculator.

How Does Carbon Offsetting Help? Does it Really Work?

Renewable energy credits and offsets work by subsidizing the addition of clean renewable energy to the power grid which then displaces electricity from fossil fuels that otherwise would have been used. CO2 offsets are a way to accommodate the fact that for now, there are practical limits to how much each of us can reduce our own energy use. To make up for the CO2 emissions we can’t avoid, we can instead help someone or something else reduce other CO2 emissions. Basically, offsetting involves helping someone to do something that they wouldn’t otherwise have done, that results in less CO2 emissions than would have happened had you not helped them to do it. In the end it is a great short-term way to help us transform to a low or no-carbon economy in which CO2 offsets are no longer needed.

We are proud to feature Troon Vineyard’s impressive, quality fine wines on our Momentum trips; they are a perfect match for the elegant, comfortable atmosphere that we strive to provide for all our guests.  After an exhilarating day on the river, you can relax in our cozy camp with a glass of wine from Troon, such as the classic Old Vine Meritage.

We dig their local flare – some proceeds from Troon’s incomes are funneled directly back into local community organizations, such as Fire District 9 in the Applegate Valley, and the Art Along The Rogue Foundation.  Every year, owner Chris Martin joins us on the Wild And Scenic Rogue River for 4 days to celebrate the support of local farming practices, and to personally serve us his quality vintages.  Troon Vineyard’s website: http://www.troonvineyard.com/

We can’t get enough of this bread!  We serve Sheila’s amazing artisan breads on all of our day and overnight trips, and we totally support her earthy approach to producing hand-crafted, nourishing organic fine breads and pastries.  If you’d like to know where you can find Sheila’s amazing products for yourself, you can check out her website: http://sunstonebakery.com/

Chupa Mi Pork is our favorite catering service that keeps us well stocked with their scrumptious signature Chupa Mi Pork sauce – a staple of our renowned gourmet menu on all of our Momentum camping trips!  Teresa never fails to make magic for us with her amazing traditional recipe.  She says:

“Cooking with love is a tradition in our family and I’m spreadin’ the love!  We offer great, authentic, Texican food made from local, organic, seasonal ingredients as much as possible.  I am teaching my boys these secret family recipes and the not-so-secret to enjoying life! I love to cook.  It is my medicine.  What I create is now your medicine too.”

You can check out the rest of her menu, including corn tortillas made from scratch, on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chupa-Mi-Pork/102461486502738

Yum!  Thanks to Wiley’s World, our guests get to sample what fresh homemade ravioli is like!  Just down the street from Momentum, Wiley’s World is a fun local joint with a lot of unique character and tons of fresh organic pasta dishes, all made from scratch and served with crisp organic salads and breads.  There’s hardly a refrigerator in town that doesn’t have one of their colorful signature magnets, and you can see them for yourself on their website: http://www.wileysworld.com/

Agave serves fresh and delicious traditional-style mexican foods in their tastefully trendy downtown Ashland cafe; including their amazing carnitas which we serve on every signature Momentum camping trip!  They are friendly locals, and they offer a wide range of made-from-scratch, artfully presented foods and spirits, which you can view on their menu here: http://www.agavetaco.net/  We highly recommend the margaritas!