Rivers and rafting and coastal survival, what fun. We did the two weeks of academics before going to the river. We learned about river travel in one man rafts, seven man rafts and improvised rafts. They taught us food and water procurement in temperate zones and on coastal areas, shelters and fire craft.
We were loaded onto a commercial type bus. Our equipment packed away on a big truck. We went to the Nehalem River. Where we got off I haven’t a clue. The class was split in two. Half went to the Tillamook Spit for coastal and we went to the river. After a week we swapped. The river was so much fun. We did all the basic survival stuff so I won’t bore you with that. I’ll just tell you about some memorable times.
The weather on the river was rain off and on. There was very little sunshine, but it didn’t matter, we had a great time. The first day I was floating down the river in a one man raft. Laying on my back in an anti exposure suit with a light rain hitting me in the face. It was so nice and quiet. Some how some of the guys in my element met this older fellow, I think they went ashore and bumped into him. They explained what they were doing on the river and he said that he had wild meat in his freezer from the last season that he had to get rid of so he would have room in his freezer for the anticipated meat from the coming hunting season. If someone would come by his place he would put some of it in the mail box that evening. A couple of the guys went back that evening and he had put some meat, potatoes and bread in the mail box. While the guys were gone I fixed up a couple of spits for the meat. We cooked the meat and potatoes that night. Sure was good.
While on the river we got to do a little white water rafting in the one man raft and the four man raft. One of the elements had made a wilderness raft and went through the rapids with that. We also practiced river crossings by building bull boats and putting our equipment in it then pushing it ahead of us as we swam behind it.
After five days on the river we swapped places with the other group and went to the Tillamook Spit for coastal survival training. The first evening we were there we went out into the bay at low tide and gathered oysters. Let me tell you, I wasn’t looking forward to eating raw oysters. The only experience I had with raw oysters was in Chicago when I was a little kid. My Mom and Dad, sister and I went to my Uncle Duane’s house for a family gathering. He had some raw oysters on the half shell. He told me I should try one, I would really like it. So I did and I didn’t like that slimy little thing. Well while we were out in the bay gathering oysters the instructor gave us each an oyster. Then he demonstrated how to open it and loosen and slide it right out of the shell and into our mouths. Now it was our turn. I swear he gave me the biggest oyster in the world. I wasn’t about to be out done by the other guys, so I opened it, loosened it and slid it into my mouth. There was barely room in my mouth for the oyster. Thought I was going to choke. I chewed it up and swallowed it. It was pretty good. I’ve liked oysters since then.
While on the spit we dug beach wells for water, made shelters, practiced beach landings in the one man and four man rafts. We made crab rings and went crabbing, ate lots of oysters and clams, we were picked up out of the water by a helicopter and we had a tour and lecture of the Coast Guard facility in Tillamook.
We also spent an afternoon and night on a 20 man raft in the bay. We had the cover up so the wind didn’t cause us any problems but the floor of the raft just didn’t stop the cold from the water. We removed our LPU’s (PFD’s) and sat on them which was a big no no, and that helped keep our butts warmer. I wasn’t affected by the wave motion but some of the others were and they were up all night leaning over the edge of the raft giving the old heave ho.
On the way back to the base the bus stopped at a store so we could buy something to eat. Almost all of us wanted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
We were loaded onto a commercial type bus. Our equipment packed away on a big truck. We went to the Nehalem River. Where we got off I haven’t a clue. The class was split in two. Half went to the Tillamook Spit for coastal and we went to the river. After a week we swapped. The river was so much fun. We did all the basic survival stuff so I won’t bore you with that. I’ll just tell you about some memorable times.
The weather on the river was rain off and on. There was very little sunshine, but it didn’t matter, we had a great time. The first day I was floating down the river in a one man raft. Laying on my back in an anti exposure suit with a light rain hitting me in the face. It was so nice and quiet. Some how some of the guys in my element met this older fellow, I think they went ashore and bumped into him. They explained what they were doing on the river and he said that he had wild meat in his freezer from the last season that he had to get rid of so he would have room in his freezer for the anticipated meat from the coming hunting season. If someone would come by his place he would put some of it in the mail box that evening. A couple of the guys went back that evening and he had put some meat, potatoes and bread in the mail box. While the guys were gone I fixed up a couple of spits for the meat. We cooked the meat and potatoes that night. Sure was good.
While on the river we got to do a little white water rafting in the one man raft and the four man raft. One of the elements had made a wilderness raft and went through the rapids with that. We also practiced river crossings by building bull boats and putting our equipment in it then pushing it ahead of us as we swam behind it.
After five days on the river we swapped places with the other group and went to the Tillamook Spit for coastal survival training. The first evening we were there we went out into the bay at low tide and gathered oysters. Let me tell you, I wasn’t looking forward to eating raw oysters. The only experience I had with raw oysters was in Chicago when I was a little kid. My Mom and Dad, sister and I went to my Uncle Duane’s house for a family gathering. He had some raw oysters on the half shell. He told me I should try one, I would really like it. So I did and I didn’t like that slimy little thing. Well while we were out in the bay gathering oysters the instructor gave us each an oyster. Then he demonstrated how to open it and loosen and slide it right out of the shell and into our mouths. Now it was our turn. I swear he gave me the biggest oyster in the world. I wasn’t about to be out done by the other guys, so I opened it, loosened it and slid it into my mouth. There was barely room in my mouth for the oyster. Thought I was going to choke. I chewed it up and swallowed it. It was pretty good. I’ve liked oysters since then.
While on the spit we dug beach wells for water, made shelters, practiced beach landings in the one man and four man rafts. We made crab rings and went crabbing, ate lots of oysters and clams, we were picked up out of the water by a helicopter and we had a tour and lecture of the Coast Guard facility in Tillamook.
We also spent an afternoon and night on a 20 man raft in the bay. We had the cover up so the wind didn’t cause us any problems but the floor of the raft just didn’t stop the cold from the water. We removed our LPU’s (PFD’s) and sat on them which was a big no no, and that helped keep our butts warmer. I wasn’t affected by the wave motion but some of the others were and they were up all night leaning over the edge of the raft giving the old heave ho.
On the way back to the base the bus stopped at a store so we could buy something to eat. Almost all of us wanted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
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