BRT Insights - WW Kayaking & Hiking

California whitewater river kayaking on a hazy, smoky summer day.

KimF, RaoulA, EricaM, GabrielleMM and I drove up to SF American River and put-in at Greenwood River Access. The SF American River Gorge Run (guide & map) was flowing at 1600 cfs (El Dorado County, California, USA). The air throughout the state has been hazy in recent days from hundreds of wildfires. Fortunately the air at the SF American River was not very bad today so we were able to have a fun day on the river.

RaoulA & GabriellaM running Son of Satan's Rapid.
Additional photos from the Gorge Run, American River SF - California whitewater river kayaking trip.

Experts' day on the whitewater with a surprise or two.

We did a lot of playboating in the first part of the run. Kim demonstrated mastery of the stern squirt! I do enjoy my training trips with beginners, but today it was really special to kayak with experienced boaters who can calmly, easily have 4 kayaks in a 2 boat eddy without any stress or clanging & banging. We had a quick lunch just upstream from Fowler's Rock Rapid, reapplied sunscreen and then got back to the action.

Today was my day to get a lesson. In Upper Haystack Canyon I got pushed onto a submerged rock. My kayak stuck there & I was much too casual about dealing with it. Next thing I knew I was flipping upstream, then upside down and unable to roll up while still stuck on that rock. So I bailed and had a quick swim into the eddy. Gabrielle & Erica pushed my kayak into the eddy where I drained the boat and got going again. Wow, I'm lucky the current wasn't strong enough to wrap me on that rock! Maybe the offside roll that I haven't practiced in many years would have saved me, but who knows?

I ran good lines through the whitewater rapids for the rest of the day. I ran right down the top of the curling wave at Satan's Cesspool Rapid, but it took a big, strong brace to keep me upright on the eddy line immediately below the rapid. No matter how hard I try I never miss the hole at Bouncing Rock Rapid by very much, but barely slipping by the left edge of the hole is just fine. I had a great view of a kayak doing some really wild gymnastics while punching (getting punched?) right down the middle at Hospital Bar Rapid. I was happy to stick to my plan to enter left and diagonal right through Hospital Bar. There were no surprises for us today at Surprise Rapid. I've always enjoyed the last mini-gorge section of II++ (III- ?) rapids at the end of the run. Lake Folsom was at a level of 415 feet, so we had current all the way to take-out at Salmon Falls.

Sitting in the shade at take-out, munching the munchies and chatting about the day the temperature was so nice it didn't matter how long it took the shuttle vehicle to return. On the way home we stopped at the Steve's Pizza in El Dorado Hills (El Dorado County, California USA).

More about:
• California Whitewater River Guides for Kayaking, Rafting & Canoeing.
• Whitewater River Trips - Reports on Kayaking in California.

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

Labels: trip

California needs a water policy that emphasizes water recycling, water-use efficiency, smarter management of groundwater & urban runoff.

"There is only one river left to slake the thirst of California, as the nation's most populous state keeps growing. ... But you won't find California's last river on any map because it's a virtual river. ... the virtual river is a combination of water-use efficiency, water recycling, improved groundwater management and advanced urban runoff management. The virtual river dwarfs all other options." "Making the most of the virtual river will require ... recognition that every water drop saved – whether by conservation, recycling or groundwater and storm water management – counts as water supply. Those drops add up to more than 7 million acre-feet of water a year." (Tapping California's largest source of water - San Diego Union-Tribune 30may2008.)

The chart "Virtual River Compared with Other Water Sources" dramatically shows the massive water source potentially available from the Virtual River. Notice the neglegible water yield from California Gov. Schwarzenegger's costly, foolish dam proposal at Temperance Flat that would kill yet another section of the San Joaquin River. (Tapping Into California's Virtual River - Switchboard NRDC 30may2008.)

New dams & canals would destroy our state budget and our environment without solving our water supply problems.

Our bankrupt state cannot afford to waste taxpayer money building big expensive dams & canals that would take a long time to build and would add very little to our water supply. Damming and draining the last drops of water from our rivers and killing the salmon and the other fishes would be more destruction and not a solution to our problems.

California needs to do more water conservation, store groundwater more efficiently, reuse nearly all of our wastewater, stop throwing away storm water & cut agricultural water waste. (California has enough water - Los Angeles Times 23oct2007.)

California's farms should invest more in modern, efficient underground drip irrigation systems. (Irrigation drip by drip - underground irrigation system - Agricultural Research 01march1991.)

For more information:
• California needs a smarter water supply policy to survive the drought and secure our future - BRT Insights 15june2008.
• California needs innovative, aggressive water supply policy solutions for the future - BRT Insights 01june2008.
• Conservation alone CAN be a big help to fix the water crisis in California - BRT Insights 31oct2007.
• California Water Supply Policy and River Conservation - BRT Insights.

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

Labels: conservation

Whitewater River Guide & Maps - California.

River Flow Data.

This section may be runnable if the inflow to Pardee is over 2000 cfs.

(I think this gauge is located near the Hwy 49 bridge.)

River Difficulty.

class . . flow (cfs)
III- . . . ???

Description - Mokelumne River - Ponderosa Way Run.

Much of the river flow is diverted out of the riverbed for hydroelectric power generation (Amador County/Calaveras County, California, USA). This section of the Mokelumne River is runnable only at the peak springtime flow of wet years or during a recreational dam release. The dirt road from Hwy 26 to put-in was OK for 2WD vehicles on the dry, sunny day when I kayaked this section years ago, but go with caution if the road is soft from recent rain. There is no river flow gauge for this section, but it is likely runnable if the Mokelumne River inflow to Pardee Reservoir is over 2000 cfs. This section of the Mokelumne River may be a little brushy because it is not flushed out very often. Take-out can be at the Electra Access. At flows over 2500 cfs most of the interesting features of the Electra Run get washed out, but boaters may want to continue quickly down to the alternate take-out at the Hwy 49 bridge just to simplify the shuttle and add a few more river miles to a fairly short run.

There is a proposal for official Wild & Scenic status for the Mokelumne River. Please sign the petition to designate the Mokelumne River Wild & Scenic.

Driving Directions, Distance, Estimated Time & Road Conditions.

Mapquest provides directions, distance & time from your house to the river.
• From Davis, CA to Mokelumne Hill, CA - driving time 1 hour, 20 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 Ponderosa Way Run.
A=Put-in. B & C=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 38.29775 W 120.70473, Mokelumne Hill, CA.
• N 38.33038 W 120.63091, Ponderosa Way turnoff from Hwy 26.
• N 38.34098 W 120.63088, Ponderosa Way bridge (washed out) put-in (A).
• N 38.33057 W 120.67538, dam (portage).
• N 38.32854 W 120.67701, Electra Access take-out (B).
• N 38.31284 W 120.72018, Hwy 49 Bridge alternate take-out (C).
• N 38.31253 W 120.71945, gauge near Hwy 49 bridge??.

Local weather in Mokelumne Hill, California.

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

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

Whitewater River Trip Reports NEEDED !!

• I'm happy to post or link to well-written, whitewater boating trip reports from guest authors, especially if kayaking pictures or videos of Ponderosa Way Run on Mokelumne River are included. Please contact me to submit your trip report.

River Recreation Links - Mokelumne River.

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

More about:
• Using the white water river paddleboating guides - BRT Kayaking.
• Rivers & creeks nearby: Cosumnes River, Mokelumne River, Sacramento River Valley Region, Calaveras River.
• California Whitewater River Guides - BRT Insights.
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

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

Labels: guide

Kayak Freestyle Playboating & Whitewater River Guide & Maps - California.

Recent River Flow Data.

Whitewater Rating vs. Flow Rate.

class . . optimum playboating flows (cfs)
III . . . . 2,000 - 3,300 cfs

River Description - Pigeon Point Rodeo Hole, Trinity River.

How many times have I put-in just downstream from this great kayak playspot without realizing it was there?? (Trinity 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 Helena, CA - driving time 3 hours, 30 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.

Full-Screen Topographic Map - Pigeon Point Rodeo Hole, Trinity River.
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 40.76696 W 123.13198, Pigeon Point Campground put-in (A).
• N 40.76766 W 123.12930, Pigeon Point Rodeo Hole (B).
• N 40.7890 W 123.4390, gauge at Cedar Flat - near Burnt Ranch.

Local weather in Weaverville, California.

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

• Pigeon Point Rodeo Hole - Trinity River Rafting.
• Trinity River - Pigeon Point Run (III) whitewater river guide.
• Trinity River Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Kayak Surfing & Freestyle Playboating Trip Reports NEEDED !!

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

Whitewater River Recreation Links - Trinity River.

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

More about:
• River Surfing Guide - California & Nevada Locations for Whitewater Freestyle Kayak Playboating.
• How to use guides to white water river rafting and kayaking - BRT Insights.
• Trinity River Whitewater Paddleboating Guide, Klamath River Valley Region.
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.
• Whitewater River Boating Guides for California.

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

Labels: guide

Whitewater kayaking is a great getaway when California's Central Valley is over 100 degrees.

EricaM, PeterD and I kayaked the Electra Run on the Mokelumne River (guide & map) (Amador County, California, USA) at a flow of 700 cfs. At this flow the whitewater was good, especially for Peter's first whitewater kayaking trip. We reviewed some basic paddling and river skills during a long warmup in the pool at put-in and then continued building skills throughout the day.

EricaM & PeterD running one of the big class II rapids.
More photos of kayaking on the Mokelumne River.

Escaping the 100 degree heat in the valley, we found nice cool water and lots of cloud cover to keep the air temperature down at the Mokelumne River. So it turned out to be a very fine and pleasantly warm summer day on the river.

Mokelumne River recreation paradise.

In the first part of the run we saw lots of people fishing, goldpanning & picnicing. Farther downstream the road is farther from the river so we had the river to ourselves in that section. We had lots of fun running the waves, catching the eddies and surfing the playspots. Playboating at Green Wave was especially great at this flow. It was a little tricky to get on, but well worth the effort! The short boats that Erica & I were paddling had just barely enough hullspeed to surf the clean, green part of the playwave. I liked the spot between the wave and the hole where my kayak found a nice, comfortable sweet spot.

Throughout the day the eddy lines snagged their share of victims. We had one swimmer crossing the eddy line behind one of The Goalpost rocks. Eddied out below The Slot Rapid, I carelessly backed out into the current and got tossed over on the eddy line. When I set up to roll I didn't feel any firm water for the paddle to brace on, but I tried it anyway. Although the roll failed I was able to get the breath of air that enabled me to try it again. Again there was no firm water to brace on, but somehow I managed to get up this time. Then we had one more swim at the bottom of S-Turn Rapid, another eddy line that snagged an unwary boater.

On the way home we stopped for some great food and beer at Jose's Mexican Restaurant in Jackson, CA. Sitting out on the patio the warm air and gentle breezes were just right as we discussed our day of kayaking on the Mokelumne River while recharging and rehydrating. Then we stopped again at the Davis Ranch farmer's market (on Hwy 16 at Sloughhouse, Sacramento County, California) so I could get some great, old-fashioned yellow corn-on-the-cob.

Help conserve the beautiful Mokelumne River by supporting the proposal for official Wild & Scenic status. Please take a moment to sign the petition for a Wild & Scenic Mokelumne River .

More about:
• Mokelumne River - California Whitewater Guides.
• Mokelumne River Recreation Directory.
• Kayaking Trip Reports.

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

Labels: trip

Kayak Playboating & Whitewater River Guide & Maps - California.

(update 13july2008)

Recent River Flow Data.

It takes about 3 hours for changes in flow rates at Chili Bar to change the flow downstream at Coloma.

Whitewater Rating vs. Flow Rate.

class . . . playboating flows (cfs)
II+ . . . . . ???

River Description.

The wave-hole at Barking Dog Rapid is an advanced-intermediate playspot well suited for the new generation of very short kayak playboats. (What is the best range of river flows for playboating here?) Put-in at Camp Lotus or various river access points upstream. Barking Dog Rapid is just a short distance downstream from Camp Lotus.

Converging currents below the wave-hole used to make this an interesting spot for playboaters who need to do an eskimo roll. Recently (2008) somebody has restructured the riverbed with a pile of medium-sized rocks to push the main flow a few feet to the left. This has weakened the converging currents and made eskimo rolls easier. It has temporarily steepened the hole making it even more challenging.

This is in a quiet zone with private property along both sides of the river. The island in the river is public land. To return to Camp Lotus just walk to the upstream end of the midstream island and launch your kayak for an easy paddle back to Camp Lotus. Or walk a short distance in the edge of the water back upstream on river-right (wet feet = legal; dry feet = trespassing). Then paddle the remaining distance upstream to Camp Lotus for take-out. Or paddle to take-out points downstream. (El Dorado 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 Lotus, CA - driving time 1 hour 5 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.


Full-Screen Topographic Map - Barking Dog Park & Surf, SF American River.
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 38.80667 W 120.91862, Camp Lotus (A).
• N 38.80923 W 120.92121, Barking Dog Rapid (class II+) (B).

Local weather in Lotus, California.

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

• American River SF - C to G Run (II+) whitewater river guide. Barking Dog Rapid is in the middle of the Coloma to Greenwood Run on SF American River.
• American River SF Whitewater Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Whitewater River Trip Reports

Please contact me to submit your trip report. I'm happy to post or link to well-written, whitewater boating trip reports from guest authors, especially if boating pictures are included.
• McNasty at Barking Dog video - btupper123 24aug2008.
• Barking Dog playboating pictures & videos 12july2008.

Whitewater River Recreation Links - 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:
• River Surfing Guide - California & Nevada Locations for Whitewater Freestyle Kayak Playboating.
• How to use guides to white water river rafting and kayaking - BRT Insights.
• Sacramento River Valley Region, Whitewater River Guides for California.
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

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

Labels: guide

Water crisis in California is due to fraud and mismanagement of our precious water resources.

The Sacramento Bee had two opinion articles today discussing the drought in California and the water policy changes that are needed for our future.

1. California's water supply problems are due to the foolish ways our water is managed and used.

The state and federal governments are granting fraudulent water-rights permits far beyond the actual capacity of our water supply, thus enabling over-development to occur in desert areas that will be difficult to supply with water in the future. Water usage is not metered in some of our big cities such as Sacramento and Fresno, so big water-wasters pay the same amount for water as the water-conservers. Considerable water is wasted for irrigation of selenium-poisoned soils in the western San Joaquin valley without any acceptable plan to deal with the toxic pollution in the irrigation drainage that these farms generate. Too much waste from urban, agricultural and industrial users is allowed to drain into our rivers, thus degrading the water supply for all downstream users. California's Gov. Schwarzenegger occasionally makes happy talk about water conservation and river conservation, but hasn't taken any substantial action to ensure that water conservation changes are actually achieved. His real agenda apparently is to serve the special interests by building costly, destructive dams that our bankrupt state cannot afford ("hydro-illogical boondoggles"). (Much of California is a desert, we should live in it as such - sacbee 15june2008)

2. Agribusiness corporation water polluters want more taxpayer-subsidized cheap water supplies.

A western San Joaquin Valley agribusiness claims to be careful with their irrigation water, but it is clear from the article that they are using wasteful flood and furrow irrigation, not the modern water-conserving drip irrigation technology. They describe river water running out to sea as a waste, but ignore that commercial fishermen and recreational fishermen need clean water flowing in healthy rivers to support the salmon populations that are critically endangered in the Sacramento/San Joaquin River, the California Delta and the Trinity/Klamath River. They claim that global warming and reduced snowpack means that we should build more dams in California. Unfortunately, if global warming also reduces our total yearly precipitation, then the dams we already have may fail to fill in the future. Maybe there won't be any extra water to fill up any additional dams. They write "It is time to do something different and develop a sane water policy." (Planning, more storage would have prevented this year's water shortages - sacbee 15june2008) Part of their agribusiness corporation acreage is in the highly-polluted western San Joaquin Valley. They failed to mention that irrigation of this region generates toxic wastes containing selenium, boron, arsenic and other salts. There is no acceptable plan for cleanup of the pollution that is generated by irrigated farm operations in this region. Lets DO something different!! The only sane water policy for the western San Joaquin Valley is to stop all irrigation in this region.

California water policy must be designed for farmers, fishermen, city-dwellers and wildlife.

Water policy in California must serve the needs of all, not just the rich and powerful agribusiness corporations. We cannot afford to just build more dams to enable the foolish water practices of the past to continue. The fraudulent and wasteful water polices of the past must end. We need to face the reality of making the best use of our limited water resources to secure the future prosperity for all Californians!!

For more information:
• Demand more government action for river conservation and salmon restoration to celebrate Earth Day 21april2008.
• Oppose the San Luis Drainage Resolution Act - bad for California's environment, bad for taxpayers 17april2008.
• California Delta water crisis can be solved by exporting less water to southern California 08april2008.
• California Delta Water Supply Policy and River Conservation - BRT Insights.
• Selenium Directory - toxic pollution in irrigation drainage from California's western San Joaquin Valley.
• California Delta Water Policy, Conservation & Recreation.
• River Conservation, Water Policy & Recreation on the Trinity River.

Tags: water supply, water policy, California Delta, water.

Labels: conservation

Blogs from whitewater river organizations and whitewater river businesses.

Contact me with information about any more whitewater blogs that should be listed or any PageRanks (PR) needing updates. Updated Feb 13, 2012.

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

Whitewater River Organization Blogs

American Rivers - PR6
Kayaking - about - PR6
Paddling Kayaking Canoeing - about - PR6

Kayakmind - PR5
National Outdoor Leadership School - PR5
American Canoe Association - PR5

American River.com - PR4
World Kayak Network - PR4
Bardstown Boaters Club - PR4
Alpiner Kajak Club - PR4
Liverpool Canoe & Kayak - PR4
Kayak Idaho - PR4
Wausau Whitewater Flows - PR4

Truckee River Foundation - PR3
ICF Wildwater Committee - PR3
Alberta Whitewater Association - PR3
Wokingham Canoe Club - PR3
Cornwall Recreational WW Club - PR3
TDMSKP - Australia - PR3
Born to Paddle - PR3
Bardstown Boaters - PR3
Wausau Whitewater Flows - PR3
World Kayak Blog Network - PR3

My Kayaking Buddies - PR2
Hutt Valley Canoe Club - PR2
Northwest Brigade Paddling Club - PR2
River Guides Community - PR2
International WW Hall of Fame - PR2
North Jefferson Kayak Club - PR2

Patagonia Community - PR1
US Freestyle Kayak Association - PR1
New River Academy - PR1

Urban WhiteWater Pirates - PR0
Oregon Kayak and Canoe Club - PR0

Kayak Blogs - Playak - PR-ND
Pacific Northwest Kayaking - PR-ND
AquaTerraSky - PR-ND
Whitewater Rescue Institute - PR-ND

Whitewater River Business Blogs

Endless River Adventures - PR5
Waterblogged - O.A.R.S. - PR5

All-Outdoors WW Rafting - PR4
canoekayak - PR4
ECHO River Trips - PR4
Ecuador Adventure Travel - PR4
Wend Magazine - PR4
Shredready Beatdown - PR4
Seattle Raft & Kayak - PR4
Mother Lode River Center - PR4
W.E.T. River Trips - PR4
Thinkliquid - PR4
CaliProduct - PR4
idahoriverjourneys - PR4
O'Brien's Rogue River WW Rafting - PR4.
Werner Paddles - PR4
Rafting America - PR4

DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking - PR3
Shaneslogic - PR3
Team D's podcast - PR3
Clarke Outdoors - PR3
Imagine News - PR3
Entropy Gear - PR3
Endless River Adventures - PR3
Team Riot - PR3
Kayak Blog - PR3
Rafting - Whitewater Warehouse - PR3
Rafting - Whitewater Excitement - PR3
Mother Lode ECOS - PR3
Kern River Outfitters - PR3
Whitewater Rafting Blog - PR3
Montana Whitewater Rafting - PR3.
Mariah rafting - PR3.
Mother Lode rafting - PR3.
Colorado Kayak Supply - PR3.
Mild To Wild Rafting - PR3.
OrangeTorpedo Trips - PR3

Columbia Gorge Kayak School - PR2
WRSI athletes & news - PR2
WRSI safety corner - PR2
Kayaking Journal - PR2
4Corners Riversports - PR2.

Experience Bliss-Stick - PR1
Paddling School NOC - PR1
Water's Edge Adventures - PR1

Astral Currently - PR-ND
Seattle Raft and Kayak - PR-ND
Fluid Groove Productions - PR0
Shasta Boyz Productions - PR-ND
Clavey News - PR-ND
Kayaking and Kayak Fishing - PR0
Rogue River Rafting - PR-ND
Wave Sport Kayaks - PR-ND.
Dagger Kayaks - PR0.
Mad River Canoe - PR-ND.
Perception - PR-ND.
Adventure Connection - rafting - PR-ND.
funwhitewaterrafting - PR0.
Thorn91 Liquid Fusion Kayaking - PR-ND.

More whitewater river boating blogs:
• ww kayaking personal blogs - PR4 to PR3 > PR2 to 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 are listed based on Google PageRank (PR) to give credit to the biggest, best and most popular blogs.

More about:
• Directory of Whitewater River Kayaking & Rafting - BRT Insights.
• Whitewater Topics at BRT Insights - Sitemap & Site Search.

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

Labels: blog, directory

(Update: 05april2010.) See my review of the new waterproof Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 camera.

Waterproof, shockproof cameras are great for photography on kayaking & hiking trips.

I am very, very happy with the river trip pictures taken with my Olympus Stylus 720SW camera, so these newer models are hopefully even better.

• Olympus Stylus 1030SW Waterproof Digital Camera.

• Olympus Stylus 850SW Waterproof Digital Camera with Spare Battery + Accessory Kit.


If you have used either of these newer models please add a comment and let us know what you think of these cameras. Or if you want to write a full review I'd be happy to post your review on the blog as a guest author article.

More about:
• Olympus 720SW waterproof camera - critical review.
• Equipment for Whitewater Kayaking - Critical Reviews.
• Photo tutorials - are you serious about photography? - BRT Insights.

Labels: equipment

Blogs focusing primarily on whitewater river paddle boating.

Contact me to let me know about any additional white water blogs that should be added to the list & any pageranks that need to be updated. (Updated June 14, 2008.)

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

Whitewater Kayak & Canoe Personal Blogs - PR1, PR0 & PR-ND.

Bob's Canoes - PR1
Chris Smith - PR1.
Dave Goadby - PR1.
Plunge Pool - PR1.
Ernie's House of Paddling - PR1
sanneshome - SusanneS - PR1
Adventures of Katie - PR1
h2o Dreams - PR1
Kayak 24/7 - PR1
Catalyst Media - PR1
Talkkayak News & Info - PR1
huckzegnar - PR1
Kindly Old Dr. K’s Hydrosphere - PR1
Performance Paddlesport - PR1
excellence through paddlesport - PR1
wet willie - PR1
Team Kettle Chips - PR1
West Coast Creeking - PR1.
Stone And Water Productions - PR1
West Coast Creeking - PR1
Purple Mirage - PR1.
willy pell - PR1.
Christina Russell - PR1.
Appalachian River Running PR1.
Will Mclennan - PR1.
Pirates of the Missouri - PR1.
Kayaking.org - PR1.
hydrophilia - PR1.
Next Big Idea - PR1.
Kayak Shed - PR1.

Level Six - PR0.
hoodlivin - PR0.
Paddlin’ Ed - PR0
Colorado Kayak Chronicle - PR0
On the Brink - PR0
Tales from the Rio - PR0
watergrande - PR0
Foreign Waters - PR0
Freestyle kayaking & expeditions - PR0
West Coast Creeking - PR0.
sagedonnelly - PR0.
gorgehits.com - PR0.
Irene's Kayaking - PR0.
Casper Kayakers - PR0.
Kayaking Journey - PR0.
Paddle California - PR0.
Rush's Blog - PR0.

Rambling Ruminations - PRN.
Skolai Images - PRN.
Slim's space: Boating - PRN.
LiquidJournal - PRN.
Chuck's Paddling Trips - PRN.
Naiya Days - PRN.
thelifeofarambot - PRN.
Corn Dog Kayaking - PRN.
Grand Canyon 2008 Trip Planning - PRN.
Tom Parker - PRN.
its all good - PRN.
fourthchild.family - PRN.
Kayak 559 Fresno CA - PRN.
Oregon Paddling - PRN.
MassiveCock Productions - PRN.
From the Dirt - PRN.
Althea Kayaking - PRN.
4Corners Kayak - PRN.
Harry Wood kayaking - PRN.
kayaking Kalifornia - PRN.
Andy White Kayaking - PRN.
bb-breezy - PRN.
Between Put-In & Take-Out - PRN.
North Coast Paddling - PRN.

More white water river paddle boating forums and blogs:
• ww kayaking personal blogs - PR4 to PR3 > PR2 > PR1, PR0 & PR-ND.
• 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.

More information:
• Whitewater Topics at BRT Insights - Sitemap & Site Search.
• Whitewater River Kayaking & Rafting Directory - BRT Insights.

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

Labels: blog, directory

Whitewater river kayaking on a sunny summer day in California.

DonB, DonnaF, BillJ, SueC and I went up to SF American River and put-in at Greenwood River Access. The Gorge Run on SF American River (guide & map) was running at 1600 cfs (El Dorado County, California, USA). Sue had a Mamba kayak demo boat from The River Store and Donna was paddling her new Mamba kayak (The Mamba Sisterhood !!). During the first part of the run we were dodging rafts more often than not. After a leisurely lunch in the shade at Composting Toilet #2 scenic rest stop (N 38.79381 W 120.98211) most of the rafts had gone by and we had an uncrowded run through The Gorge the rest of the day.


More photos from this whitewater river kayak trip.

Whitewater river running - with or without your kayak!!

We got lots of roll, swim and rescue practice in The Gorge. After eddying out on river-left and running my intended line at Satan's Cesspool Rapid (N 38.80607 W 120.97675) I got pushed up on the rocks below the rapid on river-right. When the river started pushing me over I decided not to bash my paddle on the rocks to stay up. I haven't needed to do many combat rolls lately and I haven't done enough (any!) practice rolls either, so I wasn't super confident about my roll technique. After tipping over my instincts kicked in, my set-up position felt great and I popped up smiling and happy.

I got to tow a swimmer to shore below Bouncing Rock Rapid. The loops on my Frankenstein kayak are not real easy for swimmers to grab, so I'm going to make some equipment adjustments before the next trip. More about that in a later post. It was an easy, no stress, no problem swim and rescue, but it did take longer than necessary to get to shore. I was a little rusty on my communication with my swimmer, so I will discuss how I need to tighten that up in a future post.

Lake Folsom was at a level of 429 feet. We paddled the last sets of class II+ whitewater rapids after Surprise Rapid, but then we had a short stretch of reservoir to paddle before reaching Salmon Falls take-out.

On the way home we stopped at the Round Table Pizza in El Dorado Hills (El Dorado County, California USA). We ordered two giant pizzas, more than we could possibly finish, and then proceeded to finish them.

Thanks to Bill & Sue for a big bag of really great cherries! I'm always glad to help solve your "problem" with that excessively productive cherry tree!

More about:
• Gorge Run American River SF - California Whitewater River Guides.
• Whitewater River Trips - Reports on Kayaking in California.

Tags: kayaking, river, whitewater, paddle boating.

Labels: trip

WOW, river-lovers will LOVE it !!!

Whitewater Adventure on the Nile River. The Mystery of the Nile movie tells the story of the first descent via raft & kayak from the origin of the Blue Nile River at Lake Tana in Ethiopia all the way to the Mediterranean Sea near Alexandria, Egypt. Low level aerial photography provided spectacular views of the Nile River. I instinctively read the water for boating routes, obstacles, whitewater excitement, and places where portages would be needed. The movie describes the people in the boating team and some of the local people they met along the way. They also visited some interesting historical and archaeological sites. Whitewater kayakers, rafters & canoeists should see this movie !! Hopefully you can find this movie playing at an IMAX theatre. The giant IMAX movie screen and the throbbing, pounding sound system gets you as close to the whitewater river action as a movie possibly can. The movie tells a great story and provides great action and great scenery. (***** - my rating 5 stars out of 5 - outstanding!) There is also a Mystery of the Nile DVD version of the movie that you can watch at home and a Mystery of the Nile book that provides more pictures and descriptions of the journey.

DVD purchase. BOOK. DVD Rental. Mystery of the Nile - Netflix.

Geographic landmarks along the Nile River.

• Lake Tana, Ethiopia (N 12.04201 E 37.31918) origin of the Blue Nile River (A).
• Khartoum Sudan (N 15.59990 E 32.53326) confluence with the White Nile River (B).
• Aswan Dam, Egypt (N 23.96978 E 32.87727) (C).
• Nile R enters Mediterranean Sea (N 31.46147 E 30.37033) (D).

Map of the Nile River journey from the headwaters to the sea.

(To get a full-screen map - RightClick on the Google logo - Open link in new tab.)

More about: Videos, Books, & Websites for Whitewater River Kayakers, Rafters & Canoeists.

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

Labels: book, video

"... here is a water package based on improving efficiency and developing local supplies that could transform California's water landscape to a sustainable future with a vibrant economy, robust agricultural sector and healthy environment. First, we must monitor and measure all water uses in California, including both surface and groundwater. ... Second, let's set a goal of improving the efficiency of both urban and agricultural water uses by 20 percent by 2020." "Third, we must expand the thinking of what constitutes new (water) supply. ... In the 21st century, it must mean integrated management of surface and groundwater, storm water treatment and use, and the development of drought-proof water sources, such as reuse of highly treated wastewater and desalination." (State needs innovative, aggressive water solutions - Sacramento Bee 01june2008)

Don't raise my taxes to perpetuate the failed water policies of the past!

I oppose the dinosaur-brains of the 20th century who just want to build more costly, destructive, wasteful and inefficient dams for water storage. Our bankrupt state cannot afford to build giant expensive dams just to allow cities and agriculture to continue their current wasteful and inefficient styles of water use. What a horrid, awful place California would become if they were allowed to realize their dreams of destroying every river and every mountain valley with an ugly dam and a stagnant, stinking reservoir!!

I support investing in greater water use efficiency, both for urban and agricultural users. I support updating our ancient water laws to allow more sensible management of our surface and groundwater resources. I support treatment and use of stormwater and wastewater. I support desalination of saltwater, especially when powered by green power sources such as wind and solar.

For more information:
• River Conservation & Water Supply Policy in California - BRT Insights.
• Western Water Campaign - Taxpayers for Common Sense.
• Future of California Water Use - Land, Water & Wildlife - Environmental Defense Fund.
• Wasting Water on California Farms - Natural Resources Defense Council.
• New Vision for California Water: Cut Waste by 20 Percent - Pacific Institute.
• How to supply water for California's future without constructing new reservoirs - physorg.com 15june2006.

Tags: dam, water, water supply, water policy.

Labels: conservation