Awake

The Craziest Story of the Year (at least in my book!)

The Upper Rogue River Gorge is one of the most wild and scenic stretches of the Rogue. The 500-foot stretch of water drops 45 feet and hides an unknown number of dangers including hidden lava tubes. I've been there dozens of times since it's right near Union Creek, our favorite place to camp. I've fished it and hiked it and I've heard the stories of people falling in and never coming out, but today I heard a true story of a 16-year-old who fell in and came out...alive!

He was taking some pictures and went above the gorge to the unfenced area to get more pictures. He waded in (OMG!!!), lost his balance and went in. Apparently lots of people saw him go in but no one saw him come out. At the bottom of the Gorge, there's great big pool that forms before the rapids continue. The water kicked him out along a ledge of that pool. People saw the body along the ledge "and then the body started moving." He had only scratches and bruises to show for wildest and craziest ride down the Rogue no one would ever want to take.

Read the full story in the Mail Tribune.

Crazy!!!