{"id":24701,"date":"2021-03-05T15:00:35","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T23:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=24701"},"modified":"2021-03-05T09:12:05","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T17:12:05","slug":"wild-scenic-rodhouse-a-new-wave-of-female-paddlers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2021\/03\/05\/wild-scenic-rodhouse-a-new-wave-of-female-paddlers\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild & Scenic Rodhouse: A New Wave of Female Paddlers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Wild and Scenic North Umpqua River runs a 34-mile cross-section in Oregon, on the 43rd, north parallel. Brazenly plunging around vertical rock cliffs, it drops out at 30 feet per mile. Mountain meadows, hemlock and sometimes burnt douglas-fir forests comprise its riparian zone. It\u2019s a timber tunneled thoroughfare to wily steelhead, salmon and tenacious paddlers alike. Slicing through emerald waters from Horseshoe Bend to Gravel Bin with Isabel Louise Rodhouse, I can see she is every bit as wild and scenic as the rivers in which she paddles.<\/p>\n

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This whitewater wonderkid keeps father and mini-me kid sister in toe, rounding boulder choked channels into splashy drops on class IV Pinball Rapid. Isabel is like a merry river otter surfing, diving and performing a ballet in aerated waters. Bright eyed and bushy-tailed, her ease and glee seem to compliment the waves like sunshine. As a late-in-life-learner of many sports, including boating, I am in awe watching her consistently channel effortless mastery on the water. Perhaps it all starts with the foundational Rodhouse family motto: Clean underpants and a good boof stroke.<\/p>\n

One could attribute Isabel’s dexterity navigating rushing water to her early introduction to the sport at summer camp. \u201cGoing into camp I had no idea what whitewater was,\u201d she says as she reflects on her ten-year-old self and that summer. \u201cBut the first time we got on the water I just fell in love with the sport. Going through actual whitewater was the best feeling ever. I couldn\u2019t and still can\u2019t get enough of it.\u201d The first rapid she sent was a little hometown high desert riffle, Bill Healy Rapid, on the townie section of the Upper Deschutes River just outside a wild and scenic corridor.<\/p>\n

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Hailing from the state of Oregon, which has the most wild and scenic river designations in the nation\u201459 to be exact\u2014could be the draw in her propensity for paddling.<\/p>\n

Today, at 15, she\u2019s dropping falls and creek boating. \u201cI would classify myself as a solid IV+ boater,\u201d she humbly notes. \u201cI have [sent] some class V rapids but I don\u2019t make them look very good [smiley face emoji].\u201d Having witnessed her skill up close, my two cents is she\u2019s exceptionally talented and equally as humble.<\/p>\n

Inner critique aside, this river maven\u2019s resume includes Canyon Creek (IV\/V) just over the Washington border, California\u2019s Pit One (IV) and Oregon\u2019s Opal Creek (IV+).<\/p>\n