“Old Lloyd Morrison was somewhat of a mystery,” General
Manager Lowell Pratt tells me with a humorous twinkle in his
eye. “We don’t know a whole lot about him and his wife, other
than that he was a river guide and a lumber mill worker, that
he hand-picked this choice birds-eye pine you see on the walls
and, rumor has it, that his wife’s ghost makes an appearance
from time to time.”
The lodge was built as a fishing outpost in 1945. In June
of 1964, the lodge was purchased B.A. and Elaine Hanten,
who had come from South Dakota with their three children.
Although B.A. and Elaine have long passed, members of their
family continue the legacy of grand hospitality that they began
45 years ago.
In January of 1964, just after the Hantens arrived, they experienced
one of the worst floods the Rogue has ever seen.
Lowell shows me a faded photograph of the lodge during the
raging flood. Unbelievable! The swirling waters rose higher
than the mantel of the fireplace! With the help of a disaster
fund, they cleaned up and repaired the main lodge and put
the cottages up on stilts where they still stand today.
Lowell shows me a variety of lovely river and creek view
cottages, the rustic guest rooms with real wood fireplaces, a
sprawling vegetable garden that provides fresh organic produce
to the kitchen, hiking trails and a fruit laden mulberry
tree.
“We try to take care of our guests from the moment they
arrive till the moment they leave. We can get them on a raft
trip from our Rogue River rafting company, book fishing, hiking or bird
watching trips, pick them up from the airport, feed them
gourmet food - and we even set up their fire in the hearth
on chilly evenings so all they need is a match. And, by the
way, did you know that we are an Orvis endorsed fly fishing
destination?”
As the setting sun painted the canyon walls with a rusty
glow, my wife and I chatted on the sprawling lawn above
the river where it bends at Taylor Creek Canyon. We sipped
chardonnay. The cottonwoods shimmered. Fish jumped below
us. We saw a lone blue heron waiting patiently for his
dinner to swim by. A soaring osprey circled, then flew upriver
with a fish in its talons. Rafters meandered by in their
lifejackets and sunburns. The tranquility and majesty of the
setting was an inspiration.
When the dinner bell rang, we headed up to the lodge to
be seated on the deck overlooking the river. The menu was
read aloud and the guests applauded. Our dinner, prepared
by new chef Bruno Jappert, was four courses and delicious.
We were satisfied - and pleased and amazed that something
so wonderful was just up the road. My wife looked at me and
I knew what she was thinking. “Let’s come back soon,” she
says. “Yes,” I say. We will come back…to the big little miracle
lodge on the mighty Rogue.
By David Evans
For more information on Morrison’s Lodge and Rogue River Fishing
call (800) 826-1963 or visit www.MorrisonsLodge.com