BRT Insights - WW Kayaking & Hiking

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