BRT Insights - WW Kayaking & Hiking

Basic skills for teaching and learning about whitewater kayaking & canoeing.

This book covers a wide range of pre-trip and on-river topics with short chapters on Safety, Instruction, Lesson Organization, Equipment, Conditioning, Strokes, Maneuvers, River Reading, Rescue, ACA Courses and Competition. This is a good book both for whitewater boating instructors and for learners. The sections on Maneuvers, River Reading, and Rescue are especially good. With so many topics covered, each section of this small book is quite short. A longer book would have been nice to allow these important topics to be covered more thoroughly. The Equipment section is a little out-of-date since whitewater river kayak designs have changed dramatically in recent years. The Conditioning section describes static stretching warmups, while best current recommendations are for dynamic stretching in pre-trip warmups and static stretching at the end of the trip. The Strokes section describes good torso rotation technique for paddling whitewater, but shows too many bent elbows (poor technique!) in the illustrations.

The Canoeing and Kayaking Instruction Manual contains lots of good information for beginning whitewater paddlers and their instructors. Some parts of the book are a little bit out-of-date. (*** - my rating 3 stars out of 5 - good!)

More about: Books, Videos, & Websites for Kayaking & Canoeing on Whitewater Rivers - Critical Reviews.

Tags: kayaking, canoeing, river, whitewater, paddle boating.

Labels: book

Whitewater River Guide & Maps - California.

Recent River Flow Data.

Whitewater Rating vs. Flow Rate.

class . . . runnable flows (cfs)
III ?? . . . ???

River Description - American River NF, Clementine Run.

This is a winter & spring rainy season run. This short run is rumored to have some class III whitewater. It could be used as an alternate put-in for the Auburn Run downstream, or possibly as a section to run twice in one day. What is the range of runnable flows? (Placer County, California, USA)

Driving Directions, Distance, Estimated Time & Road Conditions.

Mapquest provides directions, distance & time from your house to the river.
* From Davis, CA to Auburn, CA - driving time 47 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 topgraphic 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.


Full-Screen Topographic Map - American River NF Clementine Run.
Markers on the topo map show locations of some landmarks listed below (A & B).
Point or DoubleClick on the markers to see their names.

More River Landmarks - Geographic Coordinates.
Copy/paste the coordinates below into the search box at Google Maps or into the Find box at Acme Mapper.
* N 38.9361 W 121.0228, gauge on NF at North Fork Dam (A).
* N 38.93595 W 121.02503, Downstream from North Fork Dam - put-in (approximate)(B).
* N 38.91551 W 121.03736, North Fork/Middle Fork Confluence - Take-out (C).

Local weather in Auburn, California.

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

• American River NFMF Recreation & Conservation Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Printed Guidebooks & Maps - American River white water.

• The American River: North, Middle & South Forks, 1989.
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Whitewater River Trip Reports NEEDED !!

• I'm happy to post or link to well-written, whitewater boating trip reports from guest authors, especially if boating pictures are included. Please contact me to submit your trip report.

Whitewater River Recreation Links - American River.

• American River NFMF Conservation & Recreation Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. Section 1=kayaking-canoeing, 2=rafting-oarboating, 3=conservation-environment, 4=fishing-driftboating, 5=camping-hiking, 6=other-websites)

More about:
• How to use guides to white water river rafting and kayaking - BRT Insights.
• Rivers & creeks nearby: Bear River (Nevada/Placer County), American River SF, Sacramento River Valley Region.
• Whitewater River Guides for California.

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

Labels: guide

Save our salmon and the free-flowing river habitat that they need to survive.

Butte Creek "now holds the largest population of wild spring-run chinook, or king salmon, in the Sacramento River system." "The number of spawning fish returning from the ocean to Butte Creek increased 10 percent from 2006 to 2007 ... even more fish are returning this year." (Salmon resurgence in Butte County - SF Chronicle 26may2008)

With all the bad news lately about declining populations of salmon along the entire west coast USA it is nice to hear a small success story. Maybe its not too late to save our salmon after all. Removing the dams from Battle Creek over the next few years may enable the salmon to be restored there as well. California needs better water policies to balance the water supplies needed for salmon, cities and agriculture.

For more information:
• Butte Creek Recreation & Conservation Directory.
• Butte Creek near Chico - Whitewater River Guide - California.
• California River Conservation & Water Supply Policy - BRT Insights.

Tags: river conservation, river, water, water supply, water policy.

Labels: conservation

Kayakers, rafters, canoeists, whitewater paddle boaters and other outdoor people need the best sunscreen!!

"A surprising new study of 1014 brand-name sunscreens has discovered that few of them offer effective protection. According to the Environmental Working Group, only 15% of sunscreens tested were found to block UVA and UVB radiation, maintain their effectiveness in sunlight and contain a minimal number of potentially hazardous ingredients." (How Safe Is Your Sunscreen - Parade Magazine 25may2008) With so many bad ones on the market its worth some effort to make sure you are using one of the good ones!!

"Look for a product that is labeled very water resistant, is at least SPF 30 ..." "You’ll also need coverage against Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, the ones that cause sunburn. And, no matter what sunscreen you use, reapply it every 2 hours, as well as after swimming." "look for a sunscreen that protects against Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays. These sun rays do not cause sunburn but do contribute to aging and skin cancer." (Sunscreen 101 - Parade Magazine 23may2008) Whitewater boaters should reapply sunscreen frequently. At the end of the day the absence of a sunscreen (caused by UVB) does not prove that you were sufficiently protected against skin cancer (caused by UVA).

"Our comprehensive scientific review indicates that 85% of 993 sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun, or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns. Only 15% of the products on the market are both safe and effective, blocking both UVA and UVB radiation, remaining stable in sunlight, and containing few if any ingredients with significant known or suspected health hazards." (Sunscreen Study - Environmental Working Group)

The Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock SPF 70 that I reviewed last year (***** excellent - 5 stars out of 5) has been reformulated for increased protection - SPF 85. The Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Safety Database raises some health concerns about Neutrogena Ultra Sheer because some of the UV absorbing chemicals it contains may be somewhat toxic. Neutrogena continues to advertise this as the #1 dermatologist recommended suncare product. I will continue using Neutrogena Ultra Sheer, but I'm also looking around to see if I can find a better sunscreen to replace it.

Whitewater boaters - what is your favorite sunscreen?

Please click on the comments link below and discuss your favorite sunscreen and why you like it for use on whitewater paddle boating trips.

More about: Whitewater Kayaking Equipment reviews.

Tags: whitewater, kayaking, river, paddle boating, rafting, canoeing.

Labels: equipment