Holiday Newsletter

2012

Newsletter

Dates/ Location:

Get out your calendar and find a permanent marker. Next, go ahead and write in the dates October 12, 13 and 14th for the 2012 event and the location: Columbia River Gorge!!!! There’s plenty of time to organize carpool’s, purchase cheap flights (you will be flying into Portland, OR) and read up on all the amazing rivers the Columbia River Gorge has to offer!

Please feel free to contact Heather Herbeck at heather@wetplanetwhitewater.com for any questions in planning our trip.

Wet Planet Whitewater in Husum/BZ Corners, WA to host the event.
Wet Planet Whitewater is located in beautiful Husum, WA. Driving 5 miles North of Husum, you arrive in BZ Corners, the most popular rafting/kayaking launch point on the White Salmon River.

Here are some little tidbits about these two towns:
• They are located approx. 15 miles North of the Columbia River (which divides Oregon and Washington)
• The major local industries in these two towns are farming, ranching, timber and recreation.
• These two towns lie in the heart of rich orchard lands. Primarily cherries, apples and pears.
• BZ Corners elevation is 717 feet, while Husum falls to around 413 feet.

The History of Husum:
As some of the first white settlers in Klickitat County made their way up the winding White Salmon river in the mid-1800s, Husum or as it was then called – Wilkensheim – became a common stop-over point on the way farther north to the Trout Lake and Glenwood areas.

As young Husum grew, a school, church, general store, powerhouse and even a hotel were constructed along the route, which took still other homesteaders farther up the trail toward Mt. Adams. Before the first bridge was built below the White Salmon River Falls (Hususm Falls) in 1882, settlers had to ford Rattlesnake Creek, with all their belongings, causing some to dub it “Creek of the Lost Stoves.” After the bridge was put in a stage road was built which followed the White Salmon from Husum to Trout Lake.

Wet Planet Whitewater took over AAA rafting company over 10 years ago. Before that, Wet Planet’s headquarters used to be a gas station in Husum. Just recently, Wet Planet has expanded and now occupies two buildings side by side in Husum, offering plenty of space for guests and gear!

The History of BZ Corners:
The area that became BZ Corner was a wilderness of heavy virgin timber until William Biesanz of White Salmon settled here. Mr. Biesanz “blazed the trail” for the present B.Z. Corner in the early 1930s. People traveling that way in those days did not envy his job of clearing the land of the big stumps and brush. So it was, that soon afterwards the people referred to that section as B.Z. Corners, nicknamed after Mr. Biesanz.

B.Z. Corner grew slowly at first but with the erection of the Jaymar sawmill, families came in, found work there, built homes and cleared the timber. Logging, as well as the big 400 acre pear orchard of the Mt. Adams Orchards Co. also provided jobs for the people of B.Z. Corner. The second place of business to be built at B.Z. Corners was the confectionery and beer parlors of Earl Verley, who a year or so later erected “The Logs,” the county’s finest dance hall in the mid-1930s.

“The Logs” restaurant has recently went under new ownership after being closed for over a year. We’re looking forward to visiting this venue in October.

Here’s a little history of the area . . . so when you arrive, you’ll already feel like you’re home!

Happy Holidays from us!
We want to wish you and your family a blessed & safe Holiday Season. May your 2012 be full of adventures!