TO TOP OF 4’S -- 6 HOURS MOVING..... Stopped at Oatmeal Falls to eat...... JULY 28

Follow right shore after islands (avoiding deep bay to the south).

R (Before Oatmeal falls) Run right shore. Bridge visible from here (1/2 mile below Peat Island)

Hug right shore. A gravel road access with landing area that extends into the water (with a similar one on the opposite shore) is passed, and in a few more hundred yards turn up a small creek (40 yards above the falls) on the right. Paddle up creek about 300 yards to Portage (Indian site at the start).

P Oatmeal Portage. In a small bay to the left, grassy landing. Trail overgrown and goes about 900 yards until it ends at the road going to La Grande. Climb up steep embankment to the road, cross the road, and angle down to the river where you can descend down the steep bank, or down a bulldozed gradual slope going diagonal to the bank. 1000 yards in all.

Construction worker’s camp across bridge with cafeteria. They said they were closing this fall. Photos #85, 86

C.S. possible on point on the right, below Oatmeal (tent platforms still present)

Paddle two miles to White Beaver Falls. Approach on right, through swifts.

P Lift over on right, over tip of a point, puts into a very tricky eddy, or just portage 30 yds across this point just left of old surveyor cut. Climbs steep clay bank at start.

Paddle directly across the bay.

P 300 yards around major drop of the falls. #87 Obvious landing.

Cross to left shore quickly before next rapid which arcs to the left.

R Scout from old 300 yard trail on left to look at the foot- the only tricky part. Run down close to the left shore. River swings sharply to the right. Paddle 4 miles to a rapid at the narrows.

R Easy. Run on right at top, out to center below (scout from left).

C.S. One point before the Fours, on left. A surveyors site. Blueberries and raspberries great in the back. Dirty!

I’m sitting at a table (one of four) in a small building- a very crude ‘cafeteria’. We’ve polished off two loaves of bread, a jar of peanut butter, jelly, cheese whiz, etc. Lunch is in another hour. The fresh food is going to blow our systems out but it’s great when you’re eating it. The bridge goes right over the falls here. A really beautiful falls. The cook told us of a section that came through here about a week ago. We have known there was a section in front of us -- 3 canoes. The guys with the airplane told us about them, and they have cut out some fresh windfalls over portages. I know the section is from Camp Kapitachouane, which did the river in ’70, ’72, and possibly again since then. In spite of the fact they’ve done it so many times and so recently, evidently they haven’t got their heads together. Here evidently they got caught in the current on the side of the falls and one guy got hurt pretty bad. You’ve got to be crazy to be playing around with the current around this falls, it’s unbelievable. We crossed the runoff 1/2 mile below the falls and the current and stacks were unbelievable. Also they evidently shot some 7’ falls up the river and have pulled a couple other good ones. It just goes to show you’ve got to really know what you’re doing or good-bye. I just hope we can keep acing everything like we have so far. One very tricky rapid later today -- probably trouble spot #10 (I didn’t write down the last couple so I’m not sure exactly where the last four “trouble spots” are. I hope we can still move after this meal. Evidently the Indians stopped the work on the dams for at least three years, so not much is happening here. Only five moving days left, then Rupert’s House. It’s been a super good trip so far, just hope we can keep it up.

Later: I mailed out letters today. We sat in that cafeteria for about two hours. First we polished off the PB & J and bread. Later the cook served lunch and everyone pigged out. The cook said that the section ahead of us had to carry the guy out who got caught in the current in some 7’ falls upriver. It’s a wonder the guy lived. I’d be interested what the actual story was, what actually happened.

Rupert (the dog) got fed by someone, his first filling meal in a long time for sure!

We shot what might have been trouble spot #10 no sweat. We ran into a really big headwind though as the river heads directly west here and that west wind blowing against the current created big waves, which was a pain, but no one really minded, they were so full-stuffed from the meal. The constant drizzle rain has set in again. We are camped at the top of “The Fours”, a set of four really big cascade/falls. Lots of walking tomorrow, about 2 1/2 miles of portages. That’s a lot, believe me! I’m sure tomorrow is a trouble spot because the Four Cascades are portaged around in three portages and if you screw up approaching one, good bye. So,…. Oh, we’re camped near this old geological surveyor’s site and back in a cheap semi-fallen down plywood shock in the back they had a bunch of aerial photo sheets. A couple in this area. They’re pretty cool to look at.