BRT Insights - WW Kayaking & Hiking: August 2007

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Whitewater River Blogs Directory pg3

List of blogs focusing on whitewater river boating.

Send a comment to let me know about any other whitewater blogs that should be added to the list & any ranks that need to be updated. (Updated Oct 12, 2009.)

• Back to front page - Whitewater Blogs & Forums Directory.

Whitewater - Kayak & Canoe - PR2.

Labels: blog, directory

# posted by brthomas @ 6:36 PM 0 comments

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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Mokelumne River - Electra Run

Whitewater River Guide & Maps - California.

River Flow Data.

(I think this gauge is located at the Hwy 49 bridge, so the flow you boated on all day reached the gauge close to your take-out time.)

River Difficulty.

class flow (cfs)
II 400 - 2500
III >2500 strainer hazards

Description - Mokelumne River - Electra Run.

This run (Amador County, California, USA) is fed by the releases from Salt Springs Reservoir and Lower Bear River Reservoir. This is one of the best local training runs for beginning kayakers because the whitewater is gentle just below put-in and becomes progressively more challenging towards the end of the run. There is good road access along much of the run for scouting, choices of put-ins & take-outs and evacuation. This run also has a pretty reliable flow all summer from dam releases upstream.

Support the proposal for official Wild & Scenic status for the Mokelumne River. Please sign the petition to recognize the Wild & Scenic Mokelumne River .

Driving Directions, Distance, Estimated Time & Road Conditions.

Mapquest provides directions, distance & time from your house to the river.
* From Davis, CA to Jackson, CA - driving time 1 hour, 15 minutes.

California Road Conditions (Delays or closures due to weather, construction, etc.)
* California Travel Information - highwayconditions.com.
* Road Conditions - California Dept Transportation.

Topographic River Map, Road Map & Local Business Search.

• The map below is interactive - click and drag on the map to adjust the location.
• Point or DoubleClick on the red markers below to see their names.
• Use the tool on the left to zoom and pan.
• Click on the Map button for a road map, Topo button for topographic map.
• Click on Google logo for road map & local business search (gas, food, camping).
• Full screen topo map and coordinates of additional landmarks - see below.
• Topographic map user instructions.

Topographic River Map.

Full-Screen Topo Map: Mokelumne River Electra Run.
A=Put-in. F=Takeout.

River Landmarks - Geographic Coordinates.
(A)(B)(C) locations are marked on the Acme Mapper topo map above, or
copy/paste these coordinates into the search box at Google Maps or the Find box at Acme Mapper.
• N 38.34712 W 120.77341, Jackson, CA
• N 38.32854 W 120.67701, Electra Run Put-in (A)
• N 38.31809 W 120.69932, The Slot Rapid, class II (B)
• N 38.31506 W 120.71357, S-Turn Rapid, class II (C)
• N 38.31284 W 120.72018, Hwy 49 Bridge take-out (D)
• N 38.31253 W 120.71945, gauge near Hwy 49 bridge??.
• N 38.31122 W 120.72327, Devil's Toilet Rapid, class II+ (E)
• N 38.29822 W 120.74996, Middle Bar take-out (F)

Local weather in Jackson, California.


Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

• Mokelumne River Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

River Recreation Links - Mokelumne River.

• Mokelumne River Recreation Directory. Recreation & conservation links for the Mokelumne River valley area. (Display options - alphabetical 100. Section 1=kayaking-whitewater, 2=rafting-oarboating, 3=environment-conservation, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=local-info)

More about:
• How to use guides to white water river rafting and kayaking - BRT Insights.
• Rivers & creeks nearby: Cosumnes River, Mokelumne River, Sacramento River Valley Region, Calaveras River.
• Whitewater River Guides for Paddleboating in California.

Tags: kayaking, paddle boating, California, river map, river, whitewater.

Labels: guide

# posted by brthomas @ 5:11 PM 0 comments

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Monday, August 27, 2007

Help open access for paddle-boating in Yosemite National Park - Write a Letter

Tell park managers that whitewater river boating is an important recreational activity

Guest author: Bob Hackamack.

Friends: Some of you have boated the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park (California, USA) and know that boating there is presently forbidden. However, a planning process is underway that can change that with your help. Presently, the Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan (TR CMP) is underway for the river in the park, for the main stem, Dana and Lyell forks. The Tuolumne River CMP is open for comments, but has not yet addressed whitewater boating on the Tuolumne River.

I urge you each to write a short statement telling why whitewater boating on the Tuolumne River should be allowed and encouraged. Motor vehicles and bicycles are allowed on designated roads and paths, rock climbing is allowed throughout the park, rubber rafts are allowed on Merced River flatwater in Yosemite Valley, but no whitewater river boating is presently allowed anywhere in the park. This is our opportunity to crack that prohibition—since it is happening anyway and an important planning process is underway. This plan is so important that it amends the General Management Plan of 1980. If registration or a permit is acceptable to boat, say so. Wilderness permits are required to control crowding at popular back country campsites, not access. Camping in the back country requires a wilderness permit, would a wilderness permit be tolerable for boating?

Deadline for letters is Sept 15, 2007.

Input for the present round closes Sept 15, 2007. Send comments to Kristina Rylands, Yosemite Planning, Yosemite National Park , PO Box 577, Yosemite CA 95389-9905 or yose_planning@nps.gov (that is: yose_planning) or fax 209-379-1294. I have written and will write again.

Yosemite National Park is also doing a Tuolumne Meadows Plan at the same time. Scoping is open for that plan and you can say that present things and facilities should be continued, be decreased, increased, eliminated or something added, like boating. You can include both plans in the same letter by using the words TM Plan scoping and TR CMP.

The Planning and Conservation League, Tuolumne River Trust, Friends of the River and Restore Hetch Hetchy have included whitewater boating in their joint scoping input for the TR CMP last year, part of which were written by Dave Steindorf.

For more information:
* National Park Service - Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan and Tuolumne Meadows Plan/EIS.
* Yosemite National Park - Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan/Tuolumne Meadows Plan EIS.

Guest author: Bob Hackamack

is a retired open canoeist, a volunteer worker on Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River concept since 1969 and now Comprehensive Management Plan for the river in Yosemite. Bob is also founding director of Tuolumne River Trust and of Restore Hetch Hetchy, and is a member of Sierra Club Hetch Hetchy Restoration Task Force.

More about: California River Conservation and Recreational River Access.

Tags: rivers, kayaking, whitewater, rafting, canoeing.

Labels: conservation

# posted by brthomas @ 10:56 PM 0 comments

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Dynamic and static stretching methods for whitewater paddle-boaters

Kayakers, canoers and rafters will benefit from better warm up and cool down methods.

For many kayakers the only warm up is to get dressed and get going down the river. Then at the end of the day their only cool down is to get into street clothes and get a beer. This may be enough to get by, but better kayaking performance and more fun may be possible with better warm up and cool down methods. As we get older our bodies tend to stiffen up somewhat, so proper warm ups and stretching for flexibility become increasingly critical to keep us going in kayaking.

For years I have done "static stretching" as part of my warm up for kayaking and other sports. Static stretching involves moving to the outer limit of mobility for some muscle group and then applying firm continuous pressure to extend the range of mobility. After doing some more reading about stretching this no longer seems to be the best approach for optimum performance in a sporting event. Static stretching of a cold muscle is not recommended because it risks causing a muscle pull, although I have done this for many years without any such problems. Static stretching also causes a temporary reduction in muscle strength, so this is clearly not the right thing to do just before kayaking or any other sporting event where your best strength may be needed.

Dynamic muscle stretching as part of your warm up routine for kayaking.

"Dynamic stretching is good for “waking muscles up” to get them ready to work hard. This involves moving your limbs through the full range of motion that they will be used in during the game or training." (1)

"Dynamic stretching uses speed of movement, momentum and active muscular effort to bring about a stretch. Unlike static stretching the end position is not held. ...Arms circles, exaggerating a kicking action and walking lunges ... are examples of dynamic stretches. ... Dynamic stretching is useful before competition and has been shown to reduce muscle tightness." (2)

"... dynamic stretching is likely the more effective pre-workout routine by helping to increase blood flow to muscles and lubricating joints." (3)

Kayakers are doing dynamic stretching and warm ups while paddling their boats on easy water at put-in. This may be sufficient for some kayakers. Sitting in our boats and wearing bulky boating gear tends to restrict our motions somewhat, so more effective dynamic stretching might be achieved just prior to changing into our boating gear. I can remember being stiff and clumsy all morning on some winter boating trips when I didn't do any stretching before launching my boat. And don't forget to warm up again after a long lunch break on the river.

Static muscle stretching after kayaking improves your flexibility and relieves delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

"Contrary to old beliefs, the best time to work on flexibility is at the end of your workout, and not in the beginning." (4)

"... this is the best time to relax and develop maximum flexibility with muscles that are pre-exhausted and thoroughly warmed-up." (5)

"A static stretching program effectively increases range of motion over time. This chronic adaptation may reduce the risk of injury as it increase the safe range through which a joint can be taken without injury occurring to surrounding muscles and ligaments." (6)

"Overexertion and/or intense muscular activity will fatigue the muscles and cause them to accumulate lactic acid and other waste products. ... static stretching ... will help alleviate some of the soreness." (7)

Stretching to increase flexibility is a critical component of maintaining my active lifestyle. Flexibility is needed to make the moves and to reduce injuries during kayaking and my other favorite sports. Static stretching also has amazing effects in relieving the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) that sometimes occurs the day after an especially hard boating trip.

Revolutionizing all of my sports and training activities.

These new concepts are forcing me to rethink all of my sports and training activities. Clearly, my old habit of doing static stretches before sporting events needs to change. I'll be testing out various dynamic stretches to learn which ones are most useful in my warm ups for kayaking and my other favorite sports. Remembering to do static stretches at the end of kayaking trips and mid-week workouts will be tough, but knowing why it is important should help. Static stretching after a hot shower may be a useful addition to my daily routine, both to increase flexibility and to relieve DOMS from the workout of the previous day.

More about: Fitness for Kayaking on Whitewater Rivers.

Tags: kayaking, rafting, canoeing, DOMS, fitness, delayed onset muscle soreness.

Labels: fitness

# posted by brthomas @ 9:55 AM 1 comments

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Fitness for Whitewater River Paddlesports (subtopic)

Paddle-boating requires strength, speed, endurance and flexibility.

All paddle-boaters (kayakers, rafters and canoers) and endurance sport athletes require a combination of strength, speed, endurance and flexibility. Nutrition and hydration are critical to get the maximum performance that your fitness will enable. Healing of injuries and regaining fitness after an injury is critical. Maintaining fitness as we get older is also important.

• Apple Cider Hydration Sports Drink - homemade recipe tastes great with some vinegar added 02may2012.
• Low-Fat Chocolate Milk as a Post-Workout Recovery Drink 17april2012.
• Hot Therapy vs. Cold Therapy for Treating Minor Injuries from Kayaking, Hiking and Other Sports Activities 23may2011.
• PowerT Hydration Juice - healthy homemade energy-sports drink recipe 07sept2010.
• Homemade Energy Drink Recipe Made Using Healthy Natural Tea 06sept2010.
• Energy drinks boost your metabolism for better athletic performance in your favorite outdoor sports activities 05sept2010.
• Grape juice sports drink homemade recipe for hydration and reducing muscle soreness in athletes 21aug2010.
• Pomegranate & cherry sports drinks decrease muscle soreness in athletes 17july2010.
• Organic sports drinks made from healthy natural fruit juices 13nov2009.
• Stevia enhances the flavor of Hydration Fruit-Ade homemade sports drinks 09oct2009.
• Hydration Fruit-Ade Natural Sports Drink - Oct. 2009 Update.
• After Sports Drinks Provide Carbohydrate & Protein for Recovery After Intense, Prolonged Workouts 24sept2009.
• Hydration Fruit-Ade - natural fruit sports drink for paddleboaters and other athletes 22sept2009.
• Hydration Cool-Ade - inexpensive sports drink for paddleboaters and other athletes 18sept2009.
• Sports Drinks for Hydration of Kayakers, IKers, Rafters, Canoers, Innertubers & Paddleboaters 14sept2009.
• Paddle boaters need good hydration for optimum paddling performance 09sept2009.
• Dynamic and static stretching methods for whitewater paddle-boaters.
• Stretching after you are in your Kayak.
• Stretching for Torso Rotation and Kayak Paddling Performance.
• Stretching for Kayaking, Rafting and Canoeing Paddlesports.

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Labels: fitness, subtopic

# posted by brthomas @ 9:50 AM 0 comments

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Thursday, August 23, 2007

Truckee River - Runs in NV