Recent Posts from ECHO Staff
Announcing Kid Deals
Here at ECHO World Headquarters we are used to fielding the multitude of questions that people have about our trips and since we love to tell people about them, this isn't a problem for us. However, for the past couple of years, we've noticed a bit of confusion resulting in the following inquiry: "What's the difference between the Family Trips and the regular trips?" As all of our trips are geared toward families and almost every trip has kids on it, we realized that the name...
Sundance Kayak School
Last spring, the owners of ECHO acquired Sundance River Center, which has been a leading name in kayak instruction on the Rogue River since the 1970's. Sundance has changed hands a few times throughout the years, but has maintained their emphasis on teaching fledgling paddlers the skills needed to travel safely downriver. ECHO plans to continue this tradition by operating Sundance's new kayak schools in the same way that we've managed our river trips for over 37 years. After purchasing a new fleet of boats, retaining...
2010: Ready to Launch!
Hard to believe that the 2009 season is almost over, but much like Santa on December 26, we are busy in our workshop planning for summer of 2010! Some special trips are already scheduled including the return of DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking for 2 trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River as well as a Discounted Family Trip on the Rogue River. You can help us make 2010 our best summer yet by telling us what types of trips you'd like to see on our...
Awesome Quotes from our Legendary Floats
We're now half-way through the rafting season and here are some comments from our guests so far! "Great people, great food, great fun, great rivers. I love you guys." - J. Littman (Rogue River guest) "I was way out of my element, but the guides took great care of me. They were pleasant and upbeat the entire time." - M. Hardy (Rogue River guest) "All of the guides were an absolute delight - not only were they knowledgeable about the river, wildlife, etc., they had great...
Another Family Trip Added!
Summer is heating up on the Rogue River and since all of our discounted Family Trips are now sold out, we decided to continue the savings by offering another trip at these lower rates. Pack up your crew for a 4-day trip launching on July 22 for only $765/adult and $645/youth and save over $350 dollars for a family of four! Family Trips are run exactly the same as our other trips, but offer substantial savings. The lower rate encourages more families to book ensuring your...
Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival Report
ECHO guides had a blast at the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival last weekend and got to experience a mini-reunion before heading out to work at the Rogue or Middle Fork this summer. Hata, Maggie, Lexey, Zach, both Billys, Al, Katrina, Paige, Colleen and Alex all participated and showed the newly trained guide schoolers just how much fun rafting can be. ECHO placed in multiple events including the cataraft slalom, the oar boat slalom, the cataraft rodeo and the down river paddle boat race. We want to...
Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival
Boaters will be getting wet and wild next weekend at the 26th Annual Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival in Estacada, Oregon. The festival offers boaters an opportunity to gain bragging rights among their peers and allows spectators a chance to see these titans battle the rapids for river-cred. Events include slaloms, sprints, and relays for hardshell and inflatable kayaks, catarafts, paddle and oar boats. Other fun events include the Cataraft Rodeo, Val's Volleyball, a silent auction and there's even a Dutch Oven Cook-Off! Following ECHO's Guide School...
Great Deals For Your Middle Fork Trip!
The best deals for family trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon are our 5-day trips in August for $1495/adult and $1395/youth. The average family (2 adults & 2 kids) would fly into Boise, ID (BOI). From Boise you have three options. Fly from Boise to Stanley before your trip and then from Salmon back to Boise after your trip with Salmon Air for $360.00 per person. For a family of 4 these flights come to $1440.00. You can also choose to book your flight...
Great Deals For Your Rogue River Trip!
Right now some airlines are operating at less than 70% capacity and are slashing fares to boost demand. Take advantage of the current low fare environment and buy your tickets now for your upcoming family vacation. Here are some examples of the total costs of a 4-day whitewater rafting trip on the Rogue River for a family of 4 (2 adults & 2 kids). To keep consistent we looked at the Orbitz website for prices. Historically our guests on the Rogue River have flown into Portland,...
Report: Time in Nature is Good for You!
Scientists find that immersion in nature restores mental acuity. Two experiments show that workers who take their breaks in a natural setting return to their jobs more rested, relaxed and mentally sharper than those who take their breaks in artificial, man-made environments. In one experiment, psychologists found that looking through a window at real natural settings was far superior to looking at nature images, even images shown on HD TV. In another study, they found that taking a walk on a nature trail was much more...
