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.

Lost and Found - PR2
Trinity Alps Photo - PR2
Montana Eddy Hop - PR2
Northwest Livin - PR2
Creek & Freestyle Kayak - PR2
Think rain - PR2
kayakshed - PR2
RobertP kayaking - PR2
Testing The Waters - PR2
Jenny Right-Side - PR2.
Sierra Sojourner - PR2.
Chris Eastabrook - PR2.
Graham Fairweather - PR2.
Jam Freeride - PR2.
Rob Tuley - PR2.
blonde blogger - PR2.
Pommie Productions - PR2.
Total Whitewater Fun - PR2.
Clissold’s Adventures - PR2.
Third Coast - PR2.
Sea-Boo-Photos - Nora - PR2.
Judy Ranelli's DangerBlog - PR2
River's End - PR2
KayakDude - PR2
whitewaterfreestyle - PR2
Paddle Hard - Jake - PR2
Team Swain SE Boating - PR2
Eat-sleep-paddle - Jesse - PR2
Flow Rider - PR2
Graeme Addison’s ottspot - PR2
Kayaking pure zest for life - PR2
Rockratrobinson - PR2
In Between Swims - PR2
KayakCanberra - PR2
newmexicoh2o - PR2
Downstream Movement - PR2
Mike kayak - PR2
Colorado Kayak Chronicle - PR2
mb-kayak - PR2
liquid-addiction - PR2
Adventures of BurgessN - PR2
Go Boating Australia - PR2
mthoodh2o - PR2
Tom's Adventures - PR2
George Holmes - PR2
Kim and Geoff's Corner - PR2
CalamityChris - PR2
Jefferson St Creeking DarinM - PR2
Kayak Boat Riding - PR2
Humbled By Water - PR2
welshkate - PR2
Furious George: Wildwater - PR2
8thriver - PR2
Into the Outside - PR2
tom-laws.com - PR2
The Skux - PR2.
Hotel Charley - PR2.
Lizzy English, HBIC - PR2.
Potatos and Pistol Flips - PR2.
kayakpucon - PR2.
watergrande - PR2.
Creek & Freestyle Kayak - PR2.
roaring fork kayakers - PR2.
Water Cycle - PR2.
Hailey Thompson Whitewater - PR2.
Northwest Paddling - PR2.
NC Paddle Surfer - PR2.
Kayak Boat Riding - PR2.
thegnargnar - PR2.
Where is Baer? - PR2.
gorgehits - PR2.
Northwest Livin - PR2.
Kayaking on the Rocks - PR2.

Blogs & forums on white water river paddle boating:
ww kayaking personal blogs - PR4 to PR3 > PR2 > PR1 & PR0.
ww rafting blogs, flat water paddle boating blogs.
ww organization blogs, ww business blogs.
ww photoblogs, ww videoblogs & ww socialblogs.
ww forums & ww bulletin boards.

Blogs about human-powered whitewater river boating are ranked by their Google PageRanks (scale from 0 to 10). I know of 15 sea kayaking blogs that have achieved PageRanks of 4 or 5, so whitewater river bloggers are definitely lagging behind in this area.

You can see the Google PageRank for all websites that you visit by installing the Google Toolbar into your web browser software. For more information see my post on blog publicity via hyperlinks.

Comments contributed by readers are essential to the blogging community experience. Some websites built using blogging software which do not enable reader comments are not included in this directory. Blogs that are dormant for many months will be removed from the list.

More about:
Whitewater River Kayaking & Rafting Directory - BRT Insights.
Whitewater Subtopics at BRT Insights - Site Map & Site Search.

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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.



Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

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

Printed Guidebooks & Maps - Mokelumne River white water.

Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg. 194-195)
California Whitewater - A Guide to the Rivers, Third Edition 1995. (pg. 88-91)
Paddling Northern California by Charlie Pike. (pg 165-166)
Ann Dwyer's Easy Waters of California North, 2000. (pg. 218-219)
California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Float Tubing - Innertubing.

Float Tube (Innertube) Skills, Techniques and Safety for your River Trips.
Equipment for Float Tubing - BRT Insights.

Whitewater River Trip Reports - California.

Mokelumne River Electra Run video - lunaticrider209 25july2010
Electra Run, Mokelumne River, kayaking class II, 18jan2009.
Electra Run, Mokelumne River, kayaking class II, 21june2008.
Electra Run, Mokelumne River, Oct 14, 2006 (II).
Electra Run, Mokelumne River, Sept 30, 2006 (II).
Electra Run, Mokelumne River, Aug 26, 2006 (II).
Electra Run, Mokelumne River, Aug 6, 2006 (II).

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Back to: BRT Kayaking Homepage. | Sitemap.

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Thursday, August 23, 2007

 

Truckee River - Runs in NV

Whitewater River Guide - Nevada.


River Flow Data.

USGS Real-Time Data for Nevada: Streamflow - 7 gauges for the Truckee River.

River Difficulty.

Verdi to Mayberry, 8 mi, class I-III.
Mayberry to Cottonwood Park, 10 mi, class I-III.
Cottonwood Park to Pyramid Lake, ?? mi, class I-II (III).

Description - Truckee River Runs in NV.

These runs (Washoe County, Nevada, USA) are fed by the releases from Lake Tahoe, Prosser Creek Reservoir and Boca Reservoir in California. See also Truckee River - Runs in California.

Driving Directions, Distance, Estimated Time & Road Conditions.

Mapquest provides directions, distance & time from your house to the river.
* From Davis, CA to Reno, NV - driving time 2 hours, 21 minutes.

California Road Conditions (Delays or closures due to weather, construction, etc.)
California Travel Information - highwayconditions.com.
Road Conditions - California Dept Transportation.
Road Conditions - Nevada Department of Transportation.
Nevada - Safe Travel USA.

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: Truckee River - Runs in NV.
A, B, C = Put-ins and Take-outs. Zoom out to see G=Pyramid Lake.

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 39.51371 W 119.99654, Crystal Creek Park, Verdi, NV (A)
• N 39.50454 W 119.89234, Mayberry Park (B)
• N 39.52385 W 119.81629, Reno NV Whitewater Park (C)
• N 39.53013 W 119.81295, Riverwalk District Reno NV
• N 39.52073 W 119.76531, Sparks NV Whitewater Park (D).
• N 39.51298 W 119.73016, Cottonwood Park (E)
• N 39.52662 W 119.70055, Vista Blvd, Sparks, NV (F)
• N 34.64417 W 118.76333, Pyramid Lake (G)

Local weather in Reno, Nevada.



Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

Truckee River Directory.
(Sort alphabetically - see section 1.)

River Guidebooks & Webguides.

Ann Dwyer's Easy Waters of California North, 2000. (pg. 288-293)
Sierra Whitewater - A Paddler's Guide ... 1974. (pg. 164-165)

Whitewater River Trip Reports NEEDED !!

• I'm happy to post well-written, whitewater boating trip reports from guest authors, especially if boating pictures are included. Please contact me to submit your trip report.
Traveling Nevada: Rafting down the Truckee River 26june2008.
truckeeriver - AroundCarson.com.

River Recreation Links - Truckee River.

Truckee River Directory - Recreation & Conservation. (Display options - alphabetical 100. Section 1=whitewater, 2=rafting, 3=conservation, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=local-info)

More about:
Using these guides to white water river paddleboating - BRT Kayaking.
Reno NV Whitewater Park Guide - Truckee River.
Sparks NV Whitewater Park Guide - Truckee River.
Truckee River Guide - Whitewater Runs in CA.
• Nearby rivers & creeks: Carson River, Walker River, Great Basin Rivers of CA NV - Regional Overview.
Whitewater River Guides.

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Wednesday, August 22, 2007

 

Foolish land developments will lead to destructive developments on California rivers

Sacramento flood control problems are increased by continued developments on flood-prone lands

The Sacramento Bee newspaper has published two editorials on floodplains recently. People who care about river conservation and wise use of taxpayer money should pay close attention to these issues.

The editorial Second thoughts on West Sacramento's floodplain plan (Aug 20, 2007) describes how developer fees on new construction developments will be used to fund the local share of levee upgrades for flood control. Thus, more unwise development will be stimulated to help provide flood control funding for the unwise developments of the past. The Bee went on to say "if it pursues a Faustian bargain of using new development to pay for flood control, West Sacramento should at least consider how it phases in this development. Build on the highest ground first, and elevate structures (carports on the bottom, residences on the second floor). Plan for evacuations. West Sacramento needs to be a leader in floodplain management, especially with such a risky method of flood control financing."

The editorial No floodplain hypocrisy (Aug 21, 2007) describes how Sacramento is opposing Assembly Bill 70 which "would require cities and counties to share liability with the state when they approve new developments in the floodplain." "That position would carry more weight if Sacramento were taking prudent steps in Natomas, where the levees have been found to be substandard. Instead, city leaders recently asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency not to adopt any designations that would restrict development in Natomas. In other words, the city wants someone else -- federal and state taxpayers -- to bear all the risks of its decisions, while exerting no control over them."

For more information see California Assembly Bill 70 - 2007-08 Session - LegisWeb. The LA Times newspaper also supports Senate Bill 70 and Local liability for flood damage.

Sacramento CA flood risks are high and getting higher !!

Why are we talking about this in the middle of a hot, dry California drought-year summer? Foolish land development practices enable homes and businesses to be built in areas with very high risks of flooding. Then federal and state taxpayers are expected to pay for dams and other expensive flood control structures to protect these developments that shouldn't have been built in the first place. California has plenty of land that is not susceptible to flooding, so future development should be redirected into those areas. Katrina's devastation of New Orleans has temporarily raised our awareness of flooding issues, but I fear that we are slipping back onto business as usual.

More about: Sacramento CA Flood Control and California River Conservation.

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Monday, August 20, 2007

 

Boca to Floriston Run, Truckee River, kayaking class II+ (IV), Aug 19, 2007

Kayaking California whitewater at high elevation.

Driving up Hwy 80 from Davis MasaO, KenyaO and I were talking about how beautiful the mountains, forest and rivers are up in the Donner Summit and Truckee area. I had kayaked on this section of the Truckee River a few years back and I was wondering why it took me so long to get back up there again.

We Don, Sherry, BruceF and PaulaF at put-in, just upstream from the Hirschdale, CA exit. The Truckee River was flowing at 445 cfs. This is a great flow for mid-August in a California drought year. My river guide for the Truckee River provides maps and other trip planning information. (Nevada County, California, USA).

The day started out cool and cloudy, but once most of the clouds cleared out the sun warmed up to make a glorious day. In the first part of the run the rapids were pretty mellow class II and the forest was pretty green. Highway 80 was close enough to be seen or heard at times, but most of the day it was not an issue. Overall the scenery was quite good. We stopped for lunch at the start of a little mini-gorge. I forgot again to reapply sunscreen at lunch, but I'm working to make it a habit.


Here are more of my pictures of whitewater kayaking on the Truckee River.

Rocks + Water + Gradient = Whitewater Excitement

After lunch we got into a section of canyon that was slowly revegetating after a forest fire, so this was the geology section where the rocks dominated the views. The railroad crosses the river at Gray Creek, marking the entry to the steep final section of the run. Here the whitewater rapids were pretty long and pretty steep.

At this flow Jaws Rapid had no clean runnable line, so I quickly and easily decided to portage. Then our two demonstration kayakers got smacked down and bounced around before rolling up. This settled the issue and the rest of the group portaged with me.

Bronco Billy Rapid was a long continuous minefield of rocks with only narrow, twisting whitewater routes to get through in our kayaks. It was a fun, technical challenge for most of us, but a very harsh place for our one swimmer. Kenya was the "hero of the rapid" for finding the paddle that escaped and went off on a short journey of its own.

We took out of the river under the local road bridge at Floriston, CA. On the way home we stopped for sodas at Truckee, CA and tacos in Auburn, CA.

More about:
Trip Reports - Kayaking on Whitewater River in California.
Whitewater Guides for California Rivers.

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Saturday, August 18, 2007

 

Sun Block - More info and more recommended brands - BruceH Insights

Paddleboaters, kayakers, rafters & canoers need the best possible protection against UV

Guest author BruceH.

General information on Sun Block.

With new ingredients there are a variety of sun blocks on the market. The new driver is an organic blocking agent that blocks both UVA and B. This has been available in Europe and Australia for several years, but only recently in the US. Even a few months ago there were few products with octinxalate but now there are a number. The cost is dropping dramatically.

The market size for sun blocks does not support clinical trials and they are regulated as cosmetics not drugs. So the data on their efficacy is not wonderful. However, one wants an agent that is opaque to UVA and UVB (zinc oxide, titanium oxide) and/or an organic dye that absorbs both. One also needs an agent to apply these and retain then on the skin.

With opaque agents one can use the old fashioned materials that make one look like a mime or nanoparticle materials which are almost transparent.

Although data are not good there are some general principles. Any sun protection is better than none (remember hats and shirts work well). With sun block applying any is better than none, applying a lot is better than little, applying early is better than just before sun exposure, and reapplying material during the day is not a bad idea. I have tried all of the varieties below and all seem to work well.

ELTA MD Skincare Sun Block.

Most brands will have a brand that they tend to sell through a dermatologist. These are very expensive and one hopes that they work well. They advertise to dermatologists more than to the general public. This was one of the first brands available in the US. They have a no oil version which is easy on the skin but washes off. Their ‘Sport’ version is in the usual Elmer’s glue base.

Blue Lizard Sun Block.

The Australian government took seriously the ozone hole and the dramatic rise in skin cancer with a PR campaign to use sun block. They were fast to approve broad spectrum UV blockers. Blue Lizard was one of the first aussie products to get in to the US. It stays on very well in water and has both a semi transparent zinc oxide and several organic blockers that stop UVA and B. They have a nice marketing tool in being sold in a white bottle that turns blue in UV light (one can also buy UV sensitive beads from science supply houses). This is half the cost of ELTA but still very expensive.

Trader Joe’s Sun Block.

This is 10% the cost of Blue Lizard and seems to work well.

REI Sun Block.

REI sells several products that I have carried for years. The older product is the opaque mime material. They do not fool around with fancy emollients. It is nice in that you can see where you apply it and when it wipes off, it does not taste bad, and a tiny can has lasted for years crossing the occasional glacier and periodically bagging a peak. They have a new product (also light, small and water free) which seems to be the organic sun block in lanolin. With both of these you give up aesthetics for effectiveness.

(Guest author BruceH is a kayaker and mountaineer who has made a special personal study of sun blocks. In his spare time he is a biochemistry researcher and university professor.)

See also:
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock 70 SPF - Product Review.
Kayakers, Rafters and Canoers Need the Best Sunscreen Protection.
Choose a good sunscreen & use it well.

More about: Equipment & Supplies for Kayaking and Paddleboating.

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Thursday, August 16, 2007

 

Funding update for Folsom Dam and Sacramento flood control

Critical infrastructure project for flood control and river conservation

Reported today in the Sacramento Bee newspaper (pg B2):
"Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., uses Folsom Dam as a backdrop Wednesday to report on the Water Resources Development Act, which includes $444 million in funding for the dam. The legislation has been approved by a conference committee of both houses of Congress, but still needs Senate approval before it can be sent to President Bush for his signature. Bush has hinted at a veto, Boxer said."

Funding for Folsom Dam upgrades is needed desperately. Sacramento, CA has the lowest level of protection against flooding of any major city in the USA. It is easy to forget during our hot, dry summers, but Sacramento is a New Orleans style disaster just waiting to happen. Upgrading the flood control capabilities at Folsom Dam is the most rapid and cost-effective method to provide part of the flooding protection that Sacramento needs so desperately, so all taxpayers should support this project. Whitewater boaters and anybody interested to conserve river canyon environments should also support Folsom Dam improvements. Upgrading flood protection at Folsom Dam will reduce the need to build new flood control structures elsewhere, thereby preserving other areas of our river canyons in their current state.

On the other hand, The Heritage Foundation describes The Water Resources Development Act of 2007: A Pork Fest for Wealthy Beach-Front Property Owners. If this pork barrel legislation gets the veto it apparently deserves, hopefully the Folsom Dam upgrades and any other critical infrastructure projects in this legislation will get funded quickly some other way.

More about: Sacramento CA Flood Control and River Conservation in California.

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Tuesday, August 14, 2007

 

American River SF - Gorge Run

Whitewater River Guide & Maps - California.


River Flow Data.


It takes about 3 hours for changes in flow rates at Chili Bar to change the flow downstream at Coloma, so it may take over 4 hours for the flow to reach Greenwood.

Recent water level in Folsom Reservoir. River flow extends all the way to take-out when the reservoir level is at or below 423 feet. When levels are higher the reservoir will extend upstream, sometimes far enough to cover Surprise Rapid.

How low must the level be to uncover Salmon Falls rapid downstream of the bridge?

River Difficulty vs. Flow Rate.

class * flow (cfs)
III 800-8000
IV >8000 Wintertime flood flows.

Description - American River SF - Gorge Run.

Dependable summertime flows from dam releases make this whitewater section of river very popular for rafters and kayakers. Higher flows in winter and spring are a whoop-de-doo for big water boaters. (El Dorado County, California, USA).

Distance: Greenwood Creek to Salmon Falls _____ miles.

Driving Directions, Distance, Estimated Time & Road Conditions.

Mapquest provides directions, distance & time from your house to the river.
* From Davis, CA to Coloma, CA - driving time 1 hour, 7 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 - with river features marked.

Full-Screen Topo Map: SF American River Gorge Run. Try both the Map view and the Topo view on the maps!!

River Landmarks - Geographic Coordinates.

(A)(B)(C) locations are marked on the Acme Mapper topo map above.
* N 38.80440 W 120.90703, Rafter's put-in, Henningson-Lotus Park
* N 38.80667 W 120.91862, Rafter's put-in, Camp Lotus
* N 38.82436 W 120.94576, Kayaker's put-in, Greenwood Creek (A)
* N 38.81838 W 120.94797, Cable Car rapid (II)
* N 38.81967 W 120.95518, Composting Toilet #1 - Lunch spot
* N 38.79381 W 120.98211, Composting Toilet #2 - Lunch spot
* N 38.80602 W 120.97085, Fowler's Rock rapid (III) (B)
* N 38.80601 W 120.97404, Upper Haystack Canyon (II)
* N 38.80626 W 120.97593, Lost Hat rapid (III-) (C)
* N 38.80607 W 120.97675, Satan's Cesspool (III+) (D)
* N 38.80590 W 120.97836, Son of Satan's (III) (E)
* N 38.79569 W 120.98108, Scissors rapid (III) (F)
* N 38.76878 W 121.00091, Lower Haystack Canyon (II+)
* N 38.76379 W 121.00805, Bouncing Rock rapid (II+)
* N 38.76392 W 121.00771, Pre-Op rapid (II+)
* N 38.76379 W 121.00805, Hospital Bar rapid (III) (G)
* N 38.76466 W 121.01226, Recovery Room rapid (II+)
* N 38.77456 W 121.01556, Surprise rapid (II+)
* N 38.77329 W 121.03525, Take-out, Salmon Falls bridge (H)

(Major rapids on the run are rated above at low-med flows.)

Copy/paste these coordinates into the Search box at Google Maps or into the Find box at ACME Mapper.

Local weather in Coloma, California.



Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

So. American - At Chili Bar - CA Sierra West Slope - Dreamflows.
American River SF Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Printed Guidebooks - American River white water.

* Paddling Northern California, Charlie Pike 2001. (pp 229-230)
* Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg 181)
* California Whitewater - A Guide to the Rivers, Third Edition 1995. (pg 104-111)
* Western Whitewater From the Rockies to the Pacific, 1994. River guidebook, pg 355.
* The American River: North, Middle & South Forks, 1989.
California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Whitewater Trip Reports.

Gorge Run, American River SF, California kayaking class III, 28june2008.
Gorge Run, American River SF, kayaking class III, 07june2008.
Gorge Run, American River SF, kayaking class III, 22mar2008.
Gorge Run, American River SF, kayaking class III, 16mar2008.
Gorge Run, American River SF, kayaking class III, 26jan2008.
Gorge Run, American River SF, kayaking class III, Aug 11, 2007.
Gorge Run, SF American River, Oct 28, 2006 (III).

River Recreation Links - SF American River.


SF American River Recreation Directory. (Display options - alphabetical 100. Section 1=whitewater, 2=rafting, 3=conservation, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=local-info)

More about:
Using these guides to white water river paddleboating - BRT Kayaking.
• Rivers & creeks nearby: American River NF/MF, American River SF, Cosumnes River, Sacramento River Valley Region.
California Whitewater River Guides.

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Monday, August 13, 2007

 

Gorge Run, American River SF, kayaking class III, Aug 11, 2007

Hot sun and cold whitewater make a great day !!

JimH, PaulG & I went up to the Gorge Run on South Fork American River (El Dorado County, California, USA). The river was flowing at 1600 cfs. Lake Folsom was at a level of 409 feet, so we knew we would have current flowing all the way to take-out. Parking was pretty full around take-out, but we eventually got lucky and got a parking spot at the lot downstream of Salmon Falls bridge. This provided a rare opportunity to photograph the riverbed downstream of the bridge in an area normally covered by the reservoir, including the ruins of the fish ladder that previously enabled salmon to migrate upstream past Salmon Falls rapid.

As we ran the river I did the photography and Jim took gps data for some of the river landmarks that we needed to identify on the topo map. Here is my whitewater guide for the Gorge Run.

Dodging the unbroken line of rafts while running the river

We put-in at Greenwood Creek a little after noon. The flow was already up, a mass of rafts were coming from upstream and even more rafts were coming from the parking lot at Greenwood. The first part of the day we dodged rafts, and did a little surfing and eddy catching. Wild blackberries were ripe and we spent some time picking ones we could reach from our boats. Our lunch stop was at composting toilet #2, just a bit upstream from Fowler's Rapid. By the time we finished lunch most of the rafts were gone and the river was pretty uncrowded for the rest of our day.

Here are more pictures from today's run and also Jim's photos from the trip.

Whitewater Big Time in The Gorge !!

We all had great runs at Fowler's Rapid, Upper Haystack Canyon and Lost Hat Rapid. At Satan's Cesspool Rapid Jim made it look easy, running precisely right down the top of the twisting, curling wave in the middle of the rapid. Paul went quite a bit to the left of Jim's line and had a wild whitewater ride. I was tossed around last time I ran Satan's, so I set up very carefully and ended up running a little to the right of Jim's line. That kept me out of the hole, but delivered me into a boiling eddy on river-right. After a few emergency braces I got out of there in pretty good form. Son of Satan's Rapid and Hospital Bar Rapid did a little bit of smackdown on us today. We also had a little bumperboats incident at Scissors Rapid, but no harm, no foul, no problem. I've always enjoyed the class II+ section after Surprise Rapid as a time to make a few last moves and reflect on the end of a great day of whitewater.

It was especially great to float past the normal take-out at Salmon Falls Bridge and run Salmon Falls Rapid for my first time. Silted in with reservoir gunk this is now a class II- rapid that wouldn't block any salmon migration, so it would be interesting to flush out the gravel and see what this rapid looked like before the reservoir was built. The long walk up the hill from the river bottom up to the parking lot was not so great, but it was interesting to see the river bottom in a section that is normally drowned by the reservoir.

Perseid Meteor Shower.

Jim & I then drove up to the Caples Lake area up to 8300 ft elevation, camped out on a tarp in a meadow at Schneider Cow Camp (enter coordinates N 38.72496 W 120.05018 into Find box at Acme Mapper). We had a good view of the sky and watched the Perseid Meteor Shower. At this high elevation we had a dark sky far from city lights, really clean air and brisk, cool temperatures. After my miscalculation on the recent McCloud River trip I was really glad to spend the night nice and warm with some additional warm gear in reserve. Jim is a fountain of knowledge about astronomy. Waking up intermittently throughout the night, it was really interesting to see the stars progress across the sky. We saw some man-made satellites and quite a few meteors, some very bright and others more faint.

More about:
Trip Reports - Kayaking on Whitewater River in California.
Whitewater Guides for California Rivers.

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Thursday, August 09, 2007

 

Kayakers need to operate upper body and lower body independently

Important technique for intermediate-level kayak paddling in whitewater rivers



Beginning kayakers


Beginning kayakers are typically focused on using their arms, shoulders and torso to power their paddles. Many people kayak on class II whitewater rivers using just their upper body muscle strength to power their paddles. Some kayakers even advance to class III whitewater rivers using this strong arm style of paddling. Even the strongest person will eventually find their kayaking performance limited by this style of paddling. Paddling with brute force also makes our bodies locked up stiff with muscle tension and may result in tipping over frequently when the whitewater starts to bounce us around.



Intermediate kayakers


Kayakers make a leap in performance when they realize the power of steering their boats with their knees and hips. Using these lower body muscles to control the left-to-right rotation of the kayak makes the boat into a giant rudder helping to steer in the desired direction. This frees the paddle and the upper body muscles to focus more on providing propulsion. Kayakers who can simultaneously control the paddle with their upper bodies and control the boat with their lower bodies get a big performance advantage. This requires that we unlock our midsections to allow upper body and lower body muscles to work separately, independently and simultaneously.



More about: Whitewater Kayaking Techniques.

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Wednesday, August 08, 2007

 

Truckee River - Runs in California

Whitewater River Guide & Maps - including tributaries Donner Creek & Little Truckee River.

This run is fed by the releases from Lake Tahoe, Prosser Creek Reservoir and Boca Reservoir (Placer County / Nevada County, California, USA). See also Truckee River - Runs in Nevada.

River Flow Data.




River Difficulty.

Ratings from Paddling Northern California by Charlie Pike and americanwhitewater.org
A. Tahoe City to River Ranch, 4 mi, class I (II).
B. River Ranch to Silver Creek, 3 mi, class III.
C. Silver Creek to Donner Creek, 7 mi, class II.
D. Donner Creek to Glenshire, 5.8 mi, class III.
E. Glenshire to Gray Creek, 9.4 mi, class II.
F. Boca Bridge.
G. Gray Creek to Floriston, 1.9 mi, class III to IV.
H. Floriston to Verdi, 9.8 mi, class III.
I. Farad Powerhouse.
J. Crystal Ck Pk, Verdi NV.

Ratings from Ann Dwyer's Easy Waters of California North:
K. Upper Truckee River, 10 mi, class I-II.
L. Donner Creek , 4 mi, class II.
M. Little Truckee River, 10 mi, class I-II.

Driving Directions, Distance, Estimated Time & Road Conditions.

Mapquest provides directions, distance & time from your house to the river.
* From Davis, CA to Hirschdale, CA - driving time 2 hours, 4 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 - with Critical Locations Marked.

Full-Screen Topo Map: Truckee River - Runs in California.

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 39.16710 W 120.14400, Truckee River Dam at Lake Tahoe (Tahoe City, CA) (A)
* N 39.18688 W 120.19549, Alpine Meadows Road (B)
* N 39.22521 W 120.20150, Silver Creek Campground (C)
* N 39.31632 W 120.20056, Donner Creek (D)
* N 39.35326 W 120.12346, Glenshire Drive Bridge (E)
* N 39.38555 W 120.08825, Boca Bridge (F)
* N 39.37282 W 120.03160, Gray Creek (G)
* N 39.39647 W 120.02435, Floriston (H)
* N 39.42012 W 120.03169, Farad Powerhouse (I)
* N 39.51371 W 119.99654, Crystal Creek Park, Verdi, NV (Washoe County) (J)

Local weather in Truckee, California.



Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

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

Printed Guidebooks - Truckee River white water.

Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg. 306-307)
California Whitewater - A Guide to the Rivers, Third Edition 1995. (pg. 126-129)
Paddling Northern California by Charlie Pike. (pg 231-240)
Ann Dwyer's Easy Waters of California North, 2000. (pg. 276-287)
Sierra Whitewater - A Paddler's Guide ... 1974. (pg. 160-165)
California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Float Tubing - Innertubing.

Float Tube (Innertube) Skills, Techniques and Safety for your River Trips.
Equipment for Float Tubing - BRT Insights.

Whitewater Trip Reports.

Boca to Floriston Run, Truckee River, kayaking class II+ (IV), Aug 19, 2007.
California Whitewater Paddling: Truckee river (II+) - CA49rivers.
YouTube - Upper Truckee River kayaking.
Truckee River Rafting with Mountain Air Sports video 07feb2010.

River Recreation Links - Truckee River.

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

More about:
Using these guides to white water river paddleboating - BRT Kayaking.
Truckee River - Runs in NV.
• Rivers & creeks nearby: Carson River, Walker River, Great Basin Rivers of CA NV - Regional Overview.
California Whitewater River Guides.

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Monday, August 06, 2007

 

Rumsey Run, Cache Creek, kayaking class II+, Aug 5, 2007

Whitewater in the river and in the clouds made a fun and beautiful day!!

I met JimH and OliverH in Winters Ca at 10:30 and we got deli sandwiches for lunch at Lorenzo's Market. Then we had a nice Sunday drive through the country taking the scenic route to put-in. Driving through the agricultural fields we crossed over the canal of water diverted from the river downstream of the whitewater section. Lets give thanks to the farmers. Their irrigation water contracts explain why we have higher than normal flows in Cache Creek this summer despite the drought year. For more information see "The art of moving water."

We went to the Rumsey Run on Cache Creek (Yolo County, California, USA). See my whitewater guide for the Rumsey Run. The creek was flowing at 775 cfs based on the estimate at Dreamflows.

Oliver was giving the new red inflatable kayak its first trial run on the river, while Jim & I were paddling playboats (EasyG 60 and SuperEgo kayaks). We found quite a few nice surfing spots and had a blast carving them up!!



Here are more of my pictures from today's run and a link to Jim's pictures. Here are BRT videos and a link to Jim's (ElRemaro) videos in the subscriptions section.

Having lunch downstream of County Park #2 we met Mike and his gang of kayakers making their first run on Cache Creek. Our leisurely late departure did get us on the river after the commercial boaters were mostly gone, so the river was remarkably uncrowded through the afternoon.

The weather front that had passed through the night before brought crisp, clear air and some very interesting clouds, so it was a really great day for photography. A tall grass was making big feathery flowers along the shore in many places.

We tried running a new line at Mother Rapid. Driving by on shuttle (and when taking pictures there 2 weeks ago) I saw that we could enter on the left and diagonal across the rapid to finish on the right. Jim found a pretty good line through there, but I got bounced around a little. Once I had to start dodging rocks it became more exciting than I planned as missing one thing resulted in bouncing off something else. I eventually got over to finish on far right but it wasn't easy or graceful.

On the way home we got to Guinda, CA too late for our traditional popsicle at the corner store. Ibarra's Mexican Restaurant in Guinda, CA was open, so we stopped there and got some excellent tacos and burritos.

More about:
Trip Reports - Whitewater River Kayaking in California.
California Whitewater River Guides.

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