Plate & Pitchfork Road and Raft Trip September 6 – 11, 2012
Hit the road with Chef Benjamin Bettinger of Beaker & Flask and Chef Jason Barwikowski of the Woodsman Tavern. We've lured these two Plate & Pitchfork alum out of their kitchens for a five day adventure in Wallowa County.
Join us and explore rolling prairie, verdant valley & timbered rangeland that are home to Carman Ranch & 6 Ranch. You'll spend the first day of your adventure on dry land. While you tour the ranches you'll learn about the art and science behind raising great beef exclusively on pasture, and some of the tools of the trade like cow dogs, horses, and flying lariats. If you're feeling daring you might just find yourself roping a calf. Your day will end with a traditional branding-style BBQ prepared by Ben & Jason.
On day two you'll head into the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, the deepest river gorge in North America.You'll have three days filled with thrilling Class III & IV whitewater, incredible scenery, wildlife viewing and fishing opportunities. And as long as you don't toss the chefs out of the boat they'll be happy to prepare gourmet lunches & dinners for you for the duration of your trip.
Reservations are an absolute must for this trip, and as you might imagine seats are extremely limited. The cost of the trip is $1500 and includes:
- Ranch tours and rafting trip
- Three (3) nights lodging at the Chandler's Inn Bed & Breakfast in Joseph, Oregon
- All transportation upon arrival in Joseph, OR
- All meals from breakfast on the 7th to lunch on the 10th
- Lunch and dinner each day prepared by the chefs, Ben and Jason
- Outstanding guide service, along with all necessary equipment
This trip is made possible by...
Winding Waters River Expeditions
Owned and operated by Paul and Penny Arentsen (along with their daughter, Linden) live in Joseph, Oregon. Paul, Penny and Morgan Jenkins, as well as many of the guides, have diverse backgrounds in experiential and traditional education, watershed science, wilderness medicine, natural and cultural history, wilderness therapy, and wilderness ski guiding. Their core principles are safety, fun, education, hospitality, and respect for the land. They are committed to supporting our community by hiring mainly local guides, donating to regional non-profits, and serving locally sourced foods on the river when available.
Since 2004, Winding Waters has speciaized in providing an entertaining, unique, and comfortable experience for their guests in a rugged and remote wilderness environment. They are proud of our excellent safety record due to their years of experience, combined with the awareness and precautions taken by their experienced professional river guides.
The Snake River through Hells Canyon, the Salmon River, and the Grande Ronde River watersheds truly are the "land of winding waters". And the owners and guides of Winding Waters River Expeditions have a deep love as well for this landscape. Our passion is sharing these dramatic, wild watersheds and witnessing the positive effects these experiences tend to have on our guests.
Carman Ranch
Cory Carman and David Flynn are bringing up the fifth generation of ranchers on Carman Ranch, where they have raised registered Angus and Hereford since 1913. The 100% grass fed herd spends its entire life grazing on a diet of grasses, legume and range forage unique to the soils and climate of the glacier valley surrounded by Northeastern Oregon's Wallowa Mountains. The first grassfed beef in Oregon to be certified by the Food Alliance, Carman Ranch beef is exceptionally tender and flavorful, delicious and healthy. It is free of hormones and antibiotics, and the cattle are never fed grain or grain by-products.
The pasture-based production system used at Carman Ranch promotes preservation of the natural environment and native species, ensuring a beautiful and vibrant landscape for decades to come. Carman Ranch beef guarantees an unparalleled and traceable story of authenticity and the distinctive combination of attributes we've come to demand from our food and those who grow it: local, sustainable, healthy and absolutley delicious.
6 Ranch
In 1876, James J. McAlister travelled to Eastern Oregon as a young man to "find out for himself if the grass was as tall and the wildlife as plentiful as he had heard it was claimed to be! ". He wasn't disappointed, and in 1884 he and his wife, Belle staked their claim on this land that five generations have now called home. Over the past 125 years, generations of his family have produced their own food in addition to a dairy operation, hogs, beef and sheep. Twenty years ago, they broke from tradition and bought their first Corriente cattle to make better use of some rugged terrain on our ranch. It wasn't long after that they sold all their Angus and continued to build the 100% registered Corriente herd of cattle that they own today.
