BRT Insights - WW Kayaking & Hiking

Whitewater River Kayaking, Rafting & Canoeing Guide & Maps.

Recent River Flows on Cache Creek NF Long Valley Run.

The flow on Cache Creek NF is measured as the release from Indian Valley Reservoir.

Whitewater Rating vs. Flow Rate.

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

River Description.

Ann Dwyer describes it as "brushy," "technical but not difficult and requires quick maneuvering skills." If the release from Indian Valley Reservoir is too low, then choose a put-in downstream after sidecreeks add additional flow. (Lake 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 Clearlake Oaks, CA (Lake County) - driving time 1 hours 33 minutes.

Road Conditions - California (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.

• Topographic map user instructions.
• Full screen topo map and coordinates of additional landmarks - see below.


Full-Screen Topographic Map: Cache Creek NF Long Valley 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 39.08037 W 122.53364, Below Indian Valley Reservoir, put-in (A).
• N 39.06978 W 122.58455, Wolf Creek confluence, put-in (B).
• N 39.04812 W 122.57953, Long Valley Creek confluence, put-in (C).
• N 38.98839 W 122.54061, Benmore Canyon confluence, put-in (D).
• N 38.98839 W 122.54061, below Hwy 20 bridge, take-out (E).

Local weather in Clearlake, CA.

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

• Whitewater boating & flows in Cache Creek Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Printed River Guidebooks - Cache Creek.

• Ann Dwyer's Easy Waters of California North, 2000. (pg. 200-201)
• 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 Cache Creek trip report.

Whitewater River Recreation Links.

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

More about:
• How to use guides to white water river rafting and kayaking - BRT Insights.
• Nearby creeks & rivers: Stony Creek/Grindstone Creek, Bear Creek (Colusa County), Sacramento River Valley Region.
• California Whitewater River Guides for kayakers, rafters & canoeists.

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

Labels: guide

Guidebook for canoeing and kayaking in northern California, with a few runs in Oregon and Nevada.

The book describes boating destinations on rivers, lakes and ocean. It includes chapters on Equipment, San Francisco Bay, North Coast California, Eureka to Oregon, Sacramento Valley, The California Delta, San Joaquin Area, East Slope & Western Nevada, South Coast California, Conservation, Lists. The book describes 61 class I runs and 73 class II runs (with a few class III runs). There is some overlap with other California river guidebooks, especially "Paddling Northern California." Nevertheless, many of the class II whitewater runs described in the book are not included in the other California river guidebooks. The book provides very brief comments on each of the runs, together with crude, low resolution maps showing river access points. All of this could have been better, but the book does achieve its main of purpose of describing places where I can paddle my boat and the minimum amount of information needed to get there. The book includes a good list of phone numbers and website resources for the paddlesports community. It has a horrid dual system of page numbering that makes finding anything a chore. The few murky black & white photos are not very interesting.

Disclaimer.

Ann Dwyer wrote on page 1: "About this book ... Now that you have this book you should know that it is out of date and the information incorrect BECAUSE a tree fell down! It fell across a river written about in this book! There is no way that this book can be absolutely correct, although I and others tried to be as accurate as possible. But I'm writing about moving waterways that have constant pressures on them caused by natural forces like running water, wind, beaver and us."

Rating.

This book is a very useful resource for boaters interested in paddling on class I & II waters. The book describes many paddling opportunities that are not covered in any of the other books about boating on rivers of California. I rate this book good (*** 3 stars out of 5), partly because of the criticisms above and because I'm not personally interested in the class I waters that occupy so much of the book.

More about:
• Reviews - Books, Videos & Websites for kayaking & canoeing on whitewater rivers.

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

Labels: book

Animated Manual of Intermediate and Advanced Whitewater Technique for paddle boaters and oar boaters making river trips.

This manual of whitewater river boating technique was written for kayakers, but the information is also highly relevant for whitewater canoeists, rafters and dory boaters. An incredible amount of valuable river running and river safety information is provided in a very entertaining and well illustrated format. Chapters include Paddle Fu, Hydrotopography, Air Traffic Control, Swimming Self Rescue, Self Rescue, River Rescue, The Joy of Flood & Big Water Technique, First Aid for River Runners, Appendix and Glossary of Riverese.

This second edition is an update of the classic manual of intermediate and advanced whitewater river boating technique. I'm glad that this book has gotten the modernization it needed to remain relevant to the new generations of whitewater boaters. Illustrations have been edited just to show the shorter kayaks that most of us have switched to in recent years. The text has been updated in just a few places, because no other updates were needed. Although river kayak designs have evolved over the years, the whitewater rivers and the techniques that we need to navigate them remain pretty much the same. Those who already have the first edition of this book (see my book review) need not rush out and buy the second edition.

All whitewater boaters who want to advance to the intermediate and advanced levels should definitely read "Kayak: The New Frontier." I give this book my highest recommendation (***** 5 stars).

More about:
• Reviews - Books, Videos, & Websites for Whitewater River Kayaking.
• Kayak - Animated Manual of Whitewater Technique, 1st edition 1986 (book review).

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

Labels: book

Kayaking, Canoeing & Rafting Guide & Maps - Yolo County & Lake County, California, USA.

Whitewater Boating Runs on Cache Creek - locations of put-ins.

North Fork Cache Creek.
A. Cache Creek NF Long Valley Run (class II, 9 miles)(N 38.93471 W 122.64150).
B. Cache Creek Wilderness Run Wild and Scenic (class III, 17 miles)(N 38.98840 W 122.54060).

Cache Creek.
C. Clear Lake to Dam Run (class I, 5 miles)(N 38.93471 W 122.64150)
D. Dam to Hwy 16 Run (class III+p, 23 miles)(N 38.92336 W 122.56657)
      We cannot put-in at the dam, use Hwy 53 bridge 3 miles upstream for put-in.
E. Cache Creek Rumsey Run (class II+, 8.5 miles)(N 38.92653 W 122.33294).
F. Rumsey to Guinda Run (class I, 7 miles)(N 38.89036 W 122.23835)

Bear Creek (Cache Creek tributary).
G. See Bear Creek Whitewater Runs - confluence with Cache Creek at Rumsey Run put-in.

River Map showing put-in locations for whitewater runs - Cache Creek.

• River map user instructions.

Full-Screen River Map: Cache Creek boating put-in locations.

Markers on the topo map show locations of put-ins listed above (A, B).
Point or DoubleClick on the markers to see their names.

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

• Cache Creek Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Printed Guidebooks - Cache Creek whitewater.

• Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg 78-79)
• California Whitewater - A Guide to the Rivers, Third Edition 1995. (pg.151-157)
• Paddling Northern California by Charlie Pike. (pg. 134-143)
• Ann Dwyer's Easy Waters of California North, 2000. (pg. 198-204)
• West Coast River Touring - Rogue River Canyon and South, 1974. (pg. 197-201)
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Whitewater Paddleboating Trip Reports from Cache Creek.

Contact me to submit your trip report. I'm happy to post or link to guest author trip reports, especially if boating pictures and/or videos are included.
• Cache Creek whitewater kayaking video - CalKayaking 27sept2010
• Upper Cache Creek Rafting Trip - rodneysparks 26july2010
• Pirates at Cache Creek photos - crimdom 24july2010
• Cache Creek tubing 5 video - rauri76 22july2010.
• Cache
Creek Rafting Adventure photo set - Brian the Great 12june2010
• Kayaking Cache Creek Running Mother Rapid video - lunaticrider209 27may2010
• Kayaking Cache Creek before Highway Bridge video - lunaticrider209 25may2010
• Cache Creek Rafting - yourasianconnection 2010
• Tubing Cache Creek "Mother" video - TubeNation 19july2009
• Tubing Cache Creek "Nemesis" video - TubeNation.net 19june2009.
• Tubing Cache Creek video - TubeNation 19june2009
• It's Kayaking Time on Cache Creek - Yolohiker 05june2009.
• Cache Creek rafting photos - pseudoreid 02aug2008.
• Rumsey Canyon 08 Tubing Cash Creek video - joshnakken 17july2008.
• Video of Cache Creek Kayaking & Wildlife - Yolohiker 12july2008.
• Cache Creek with Paula and Erol - Kim and Geoff 18may2008.
• Bear Creek & Cache Creek - Kinetic in Stasis 25jan2008.
• Cache Creek Rafting Trip: Man Overboard video - und3rcov3r101 03aug2008.
• Cache Creek Rafting Trip: Rock Avoidance video - und3rcov3r101 03aug2008.
• White Water Rafting Cache Creek video - levka 29june2008.
• Pirates at Cache Creek - June 2007
• Cache Creek Rumsey Run kayaking photos - marold 15jan2006.
• Running the rapids at "Mother" on Cache Creek in innertubes video - pursuant 11aug2006.
• Cache Creek rafting pictures - troopeighteen 05may2006
• Cache Creek rafting photos - Swingaroo aug2005
• Silicon Valley Redneck: Cache Creek Innertube Float 26june2005.
• Cache Creek Rafting/Camping photos - crimdom.net june2003.
• Cache Creek Rumsey Run - Confused Outdoor Club 28july2001.
• Clear Lake to Cache Creek Dam Run, map & video - Lake County Water Trails.

• More trip reports: Cache Creek Wilderness Run and Cache Creek Rumsey Run.

Whitewater River Conservation & Recreation.

• Cache Creek is protected as part of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System in California.
• Cache Creek Conservation & Recreation Directory. Cache Creek Canyon and Capay Valley websites. (Display options - alphabetical 100. Section 1=whitewater, 2=rafting, 3=conservation, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=local-info)

More about:
• Cooperation Restores Access to Cache Creek at Rumsey Bridge 09march2012.
• Cache Creek access issues at Rumsey Bridge - Letters needed 04dec2010.
• Using these guides to white water river paddleboating - BRT Kayaking.
• Creeks & rivers nearby: Stony Creek/Grindstone Creek, Putah Creek, Sacramento River Valley Region.
• California Whitewater River Guides.

Tags: wild and scenic, Cache Creek, California, river map, whitewater, kayaking, paddle boating, river, Capay Valley.

Labels: guide

Another fine day of whitewater on SF American River !!

GabrielleM, Kevin & I drove up to Coloma and met up with MasaO and KenyaO. We put-in at ~11:30AM on C to G Run SF American River (map & river guide). (El Dorado County, California, USA).

We did a lot of eddying and ferrying and some freestyle surfing to get our trainees up-to-speed. There was a lot of eskimo roll practicing being done, but happily every roll down was answered by a roll UP!! (except for one quick swim just before lunch) Kenya made it look easy playboating at Gremlin wave-hole. We had lunch on river-right just upstream of Henningson Park. Then one sore shoulder ended the day for two members of our group, so they took out at Henningson Park. The rest of us continued on down the run.

BruceT trapped on a "keeper" playboating wave (photo by MasaO).

We did some playboating on my favorite wave upstream from Camp Lotus. There was a long line of boaters waiting to playboat at Barking Dog wave-hole. Masa took a few turns there and we headed on downstream.

MasaO freestyle playboating at Barking Dog Rapid!!

• More photos, SF American River whitewater kayaking, C to G Run.

Kenya got some playboating practice and some roll practice on some of the smaller waves.

KenyaO freestyle playboating on a glassy wave.

I almost got dumped while playboating at Current Divider Rapid, but saved myself with a flurry of sculling braces. Then we ran Highway Rapid and Swimmers Rapid without incident and took-out at Greenwood Creek Access.

On the way home we made a quick stop at The River Store in Lotus, CA and a not-so-quick stop at an Asian grocery store in Sacramento.

More about:
• MasaO trip report - My Son's Debut in HARDSHELL Kayaking!!!
• Trip Reports - Kayaking Whitewater Rivers in California.
• California Whitewater River Guides - trip planning info for kayakers and other paddle-boaters.

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

Labels: trip

KimF, CarolynD, EricaM, JimH & I drove up to China Bar and met up with DustinH, SueM, WillD, JoeG & Eddy to kayak the Auburn Confluence Run on NF American River (river guide with map). We joined MelodyS, Brian, Marion and unexpectedly picked up John at put-in at The Confluence. The flow started to come up and we headed downstream a little before 5 PM. (Placer County / El Dorado County, California, USA).


• NF American River whitewater kayaking, Auburn Confluence Run, more BruceT photos.

It was interesting to compare this trip to last weekend's run at lower flow. This week all of the rapids and playspots were a little more dynamic and there were no shallow spots where we had to scrape over the gravel bars. The calm spots between the rapids were still pretty slow, so we did a fair bit of downstream paddling. Apparently we were kayaking ahead of the main flow because when we stopped for a while at the Artificial Rapids the flow came up considerably. The left channel had very little flow just like last week, but two pretty fierce hydraulics formed in the right channel. As the flow came up the upper wave-hole went from a good-looking playboating spot to a pretty fierce stopper wave that I had to punch pretty hard when I kayaked through it. The second hydraulic on the right was also pretty powerful, but there I was able to run a sneak route on the left and avoid the need to punch it.



Downstream from there we had one swimmer and a pretty nasty broach on a mid-stream rock. When I heard somebody say that we had a swimmer I shifted my attention far downstream attempting to see if my help was needed. Then I hit a submerged rock, didn't react to it strongly enough and suddenly I was broached hard on a mid-stream rock. I was stuck there long enough to give everybody a scare. Pretty quickly it became clear that with the rock sticking deep into my cockpit I wasn't going to flush off of there easily. Eventually I was able to push myself up and then slide off the rock to the left. Whew!!!

It was starting to get dark as we reached Oregon Bar take-out. The hike up the hill with our gear was pretty strenuous, and then the drivers had to hike even farther up to where the shuttle cars were parked. Just like last week we were loading boats in the dark ~8 PM and got out the entrance gate at 8:30, just 1/2 hr before the gate was locked.

This run is deceptively challenging. The whitewater at the flow we saw was no more than class III-, but with limited daylight, flow that doesn't come up until late and an entrance gate that gets locked at 9 PM there is not a big margin for error. With a lot of very experienced boaters in the group we made it fine, but just barely.

French fries "animal style" at the In 'N Out Burger in Davis was a great way to finish the day.

More about:
• Trip Reports - Kayaking Whitewater Rivers in California.
• California Whitewater River Guides for kayakers and other paddle-boaters.

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

Labels: trip

Whitewater river kayaking is a very challenging environment for action photography.

It is difficult to take pictures of moving kayakers, rafters & canoeists while I am bouncing around in the river in my own kayak. Usually the best I can do is point and shoot in the general direction of my subject and hope for the best. There is never time to make adjustments of all the setting options that my Olympus 720SW waterproof camera offers to perfect the pictures at the time they are taken. Thus, whitewater paddleboating and playboating pictures from river trips always need some enhancement after I get home.

IrfanView software helps to make your whitewater kayaking photos look their best !!

IrfanView photo editing software can be downloaded from the Internet and installed on your computer. Donations to the software designer are highly recommended to help ensure the continued development of this great little software.

IrfanView has all of the basic tools needed for easy, quick & simple photo enhancement. View-Fullscreen zooms the pictures for easy previewing. Kayaking pictures almost always need to be cropped. Kayaking is done out in the bright mid-day sunshine, so pictures often need color adjustments for bright spots and dark shadows. Using the Auto Adjust Colors tool often is all that is needed, but the Color Correction tool can be used to make manual color adjustments. Pictures that are uploaded to the Internet need to be resized to economize on download times and storage space. I typically resize & sharpen the pictures to a width of 400 - 600 pixels wide for display on the Internet.

IrfanView also has a very powerful batch conversion tool that enables many photo enhancements to be applied automatically to an entire folder of pictures.

IrfanView is a great software! For many digital photographers IrfanView provides all of the photo editing tools that they will ever need. (**** - my rating 4 stars out of 5 - recommended!)

More about:
• Brthomas6 whitewater river kayaking photo gallery.
• Taking photos while kayaking whitewater rivers is really challenging - BRT Insights.
• Reviews - Books, Videos, Websites & Software for Whitewater River Kayaking.

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

Labels: software

Get coordinates for all of the landmarks that you encounter on your journey. The Garmin GPSMap 76S is a waterproof, portable device that uses global positioning satellites to determine the coordinates for your location. This requires a clear view of a large portion of the sky. It works in many river canyons where a part of the sky is obscured by the canyon walls. It is useful to mark the locations of all the interesting landmarks that you encounter during your journeys. For example, on a whitewater river kayaking trip we may want to locate put-ins, take-outs, whitewater rapids, logjams, side creek hiking locations, playboating spots, etc.

Locate your landmarks on the map when you get home.

Acme Mapper online topographic maps are really excellent!! Acme Mapper provides road maps, topographic maps and satellite maps all in one convenient location. Coordinates from your GPS unit or any other source can be easily located on the maps. DoubleClick anywhere on the maps to learn the coordinates for that location. Landmark locations can be marked and labeled on the map and then your custom map can be posted on your blog or other website.

• Posting Acme Mapper Topographic Maps on your Site.
• Using Acme Mapper Topographic Maps.

More about:
• Equipment for Whitewater Kayaking - Critical Reviews.

Labels: equipment