Wednesday, July 30, 2008

 

Eel River Pillsbury Run - California Whitewater River Paddleboating.

River Guide & Maps for kayaking, canoeing & rafting - Lake County & Mendocino County, California USA.


Recent River Flows on Eel River Pillsbury Run.

Release from Lake Pillsbury - Dreamflows.
The flow on Eel River is measured just upstream from put-in.

Whitewater Rating vs. Flow Rate.

class . . . flows (cfs)
III . . . . . 300 - 3000 cfs

River Description.

A silty Coast Range river with some good whitewater running through a beautiful canyon. The shuttle road on river-left was blocked by a landslide some years ago, so shuttle using the road on river-right. The road on river-left is open up to Bucknell Creek take-out and a little ways upstream from there. (Lake County / Mendocino 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 Potter Valley, CA (Mendocino County) - driving time 2.0 hours 32 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 - Eel River Pillsbury 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 39.41022 W 122.97926, Elk Mountain Road Bridge put-in (A).
• N 39.41630 W 123.01151, Dennis' Menace Rapid (B).
• N 39.39176 W 123.03949, Double Falls Rapid (C).
• N 39.37729 W 123.05009, Bucknell Creek take-out (D).

Local weather in Potter Valley, CA.



Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

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

River Guidebooks.

Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg 13-14)
California Whitewater - A Guide to the Rivers, Third Edition 1995. (pg.167-169)
West Coast River Touring - Rogue River Canyon and South, 1974. (pg. 134)
California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Whitewater River Trip Reports NEEDED !!

Please contact me to send in your trip reports. I'm happy to post or link to well-written, whitewater boating trip reports from guest authors, especially if boating pictures are included.
Eel River Pillsbury Run photos - liquidfusionkayaking 09march2010.
Eel River Pillsbury Run kayaking pictures - Andy 09april2001.

Whitewater River Recreation Links.

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

More about:
Use of these white guides to water river kayaking and rafting - BRT Insights.
• Rivers & creeks nearby: (Eel River, Black Butte River, Outlet Creek, Ten Mile Creek), Russian River, North Coast Rivers Region.
California Whitewater River Guides.

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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

 

American River MF Tunnel Chute Run.

Whitewater River Kayaking Guide & Maps - California.


Recent River Flows on American River MF.


The flow on MF American River is measured just downstream from put-in.

Whitewater Rating vs. Flow Rate.

class . . . flows (cfs)
IV . . . . . 800 - 2000 cfs

River Description.

A long hard run with a long hard shuttle and a long hard portage. Reliable dam releases make this a favorite summer run. (Placer County / 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 Foresthill, CA (Placer County) - driving time 1 hour 15 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 - American River MF Tunnel Chute 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 39.00264 W 120.74784, Below Ralston Afterbay put-in (A).
• N 39.0060 W 120.7600, gauge on MF below Oxbow Powerhouse.
• N 39.00678 W 120.76309, Tunnel Chute Rapid (possible portage)(B)
• N 38.99611 W 120.79824, Kanaka Falls Rapid (C).
• N 38.95407 W 120.90664, Chunder Rapid (a.k.a Upper Ruck-A-Chucky Rapid)(D).
• N 38.95527 W 120.91334, Ruck-A-Chucky Rapid (portage)
• N 38.96251 W 120.92935, Greenwood Bridge take-out (E).

Local weather in Foresthill, CA.



Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

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

Printed River Guidebooks - American River.

Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg 159-160)
California Whitewater - A Guide to the Rivers, Third Edition 1995. (pg.112-116)
Western Whitewater From the Rockies to the Pacific, 1994. (pg. 359-361)
The American River: North, Middle & South Forks, 1989.
California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Whitewater River Trip Reports NEEDED !!

• 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.
Tunnel Chute Run, MF American River - trailrunr 12nov2005.
Rafting the Middle Fork of the American River with AO video - aorafting 26july2007.
Tunnel Chute rapid video - AandETurner 10april2007.

Whitewater River Recreation Links.

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

More about:
Use of these white guides to water river kayaking and rafting - BRT Insights.
• Nearby rivers & creeks: Bear River (Nevada/Placer County), American River NF/MF, American River SF, Sacramento River Valley Region.
California Whitewater River Guides.

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Monday, July 28, 2008

 

Taking photos while kayaking & rafting on whitewater rivers is really challenging.

Tips, techniques & strategies for whitewater river photographers.


1. Olympus 720SW water resistant camera.

I'm even more happy with my Olympus 720SW water-resistant camera as I learn how to use more of its capabilities. I use the Super High Quality setting to get big pictures from which I can later crop out smaller pictures. I use the sports setting and no flash for both action photography and landscape photography during whitewater river trips. This seems to work fine under typical summertime high light conditions and saves the trouble of changing settings. On a shady creek run or on a gray, cloudy winter trip it may be necessary to make the settings adjustments from action to landscape. I've learned how to quickly switch between photo and video mode. I'm really enjoying the capability to take both photos & videos on the river with the same compact, little water-resistant camera.

2. Taking photos of kayakers from the seat of my own kayak.

It is really hard to take pictures of whitewater kayakers while being bounced around in the river sitting in my own kayak. Currently I'm carrying my camera on a strong two-foot cord tied to the shoulder strap of my pfd. When not in use I just slip my camera inside my pfd so I can get it out quickly when needed. I think this is sort of OK for the conservative class II and III boating that I'm doing lately, but if I ever get back onto kayaking on class IV whitewater I'd need to insert a weak link into the camera cord. If the camera ever got snagged on something in the river it would be important for it to break away and not keep me trapped. No matter how much I love this camera I'm not willing to drown to avoid letting go of it in an emergency.

I'm learning how to get myself sufficiently stabilized and close enough to the action to get good photos without detracting too much from the fun of paddling my own kayak around in the river. Larger groups of kayakers are better for photography. There are more subjects to shoot, and other kayakers can be the rescuers whenever needed, so the photographer can just focus on taking great pictures.

The Olympus 720SW is the first camera I've owned that has only the digital monitor and no optical viewfinder. In some sunny conditions while I'm wearing my dark, polarized sunglasses it is difficult or impossible to see anything in the monitor. I've been able to compensate for this by looking past the camera and making my best guess about shooting the camera when the subject might be in the frame of the photo.

Autofocus delay is another big challenge. Kayakers can move a long way through a whitewater rapid in the time it takes the camera to focus and choose the exposure. Thus, I need to anticipate the shot and push the camera shutter button just before the kayaker gets to the area where I want the picture to be taken. This was agonizing at first, but as I have gained experience at on-river photography and familiarity with my camera its becoming less and less of an issue. Of course I still shoot too late on many of my photos, but as long as I get it right on many other photos each day I'm happy.

3. Take a variety of pictures that tell the story of the whitewater river trip.

I'm making a special effort to take a wide variety of pictures that tell the story of the trip and show the multiple dimensions of a whitewater river experience. I try to remember to take some photos at put-in, lunchtime and take-out. I look for wide views of the landscape and close-ups of the local wildlife, as well as the mandatory whitewater action shots. Photos & videos preserve the memories of our great days on the river!!

4. Instructional feedback from photos and videos help us to improve our kayaking skills.

Photos & videos show us what we're doing or not doing on the river. Looking at photos of better kayakers shows us the good kayaking skills and techniques for which we should be aiming. (Example 1. Example 2.)

5. Photo editing software enhances the photos.

        Despite my great equipment, great skills and considerable effort, the original photos that I bring home from my whitewater kayaking trips are typically quite poor. I'm using IrfanView photo editing software to enhance my kayaking photos. This software is available for download from the Internet. You can get the software for free, but please make a donation if possible to encourage continued development of this great software.

IrfanView photo enhancement tools that I use on almost every picture:
• Cropping helps focus on the point(s) of interest.
• Auto Adjust Colors does an amazing job.
• Color Corrections (brightness, contrast, saturation).
• Resize/Resample to a size of 400 to 600pixels wide.
• Sharpen makes the pictures look more crisp and sharply focused.

6. Online photo albums rapidly display your photos to friends around the world.

I've been uploading my kayaking photos to my site at Picasa Web Albums and videos to my site at YouTube.

7. My camera takes pictures of you, your camera takes pictures of me.

Its really nice when the group has more than one camera, so everybody has a chance to get photographed during the trip.

8. Practice, practice, practice !!! Shoot, shoot, shoot your camera !!!

No matter how much you know, you have to take it out on the river and practice to train your photography skills and reflexes. In whitewater action photography there is little time to think about what to do. Wherever there is a chance to get a great photo you need to have the camera ready and then let your reflexes take over.

Take lots and lots and lots of pictures. Knowledge, skills & reflexes will improve your probability of success in photography, but be sure to also take advantage of the law of averages. Zoom in, zoom out! Shoot everything that moves or doesn't move. I'm really happy to bring home many dozens of pictures. Its a happy task to sort through a set of new files looking for the occasional magic moment captured in a photo.

More about:
Photos & videos on whitewater river paddleboating trips - are you serious about photography?
Equipment & Supplies for Kayaking on Whitewater Rivers - Critical Reviews.

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Sunday, July 27, 2008

 

C to G Run, SF American River, whitewater kayaking California class II+, 26july2008.

Kayaks, whitewater, sunshine - stir it up and let the fun begin!!!

Today I had the great fortune to go kayaking again with Hubert ... and BruceH came along to drive and to kayak. The air was pretty smoky from faraway forest fires as we drove up there in the morning, but fortunately it cleared up a lot before the day was over. We dropped the shuttle bicycle at Greenwood River Access and launched our kayaks at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. Our leisurely late departure got us to the C to G Run on SF American River (map & guide) after the glut of early boaters, but still on the 1600 cfs peak flow for the day (El Dorado County, California, USA).

BruceH running Swimmer's Rapid.

Kayaking whitewater on SF American River, C to G Run, more photos.

Does anybody know a name for the class II whitewater rapid just downstream from Coloma Lake ??

We did a little playboating on the first wave-hole at the entry to the rapid, then eddy-hopped down to Gremlin wave-hole. Gremlin took a bite out of me today!! After a long, exhilarating, but exhausting surf I got tossed off and was too tired to brace & balance to stay upright. So I got a quick refreshing dunk and a little roll practice. We ran into SueS - long time no see!! Then we eddy-hopped Old Scary Rapid, and a few class IIs down to lunch just below Henningson County Park. Almond M&Ms survived just fine in my lunchbag, so now chocolate lunches can be a year-round treat while kayaking!! We also picked some blackberries, reapplied sunscreen and then headed downstream. Looks like the island just downstream from Henningson will be a good lunch spot for the future.

Playboating on the little glassy wave upstream from Camp Lotus was great as always. When you get past fighting to stay on the wave its incredibly hypnotic to set up the rhythm, relax and just surf there with the greatest of ease. We should call it Edge Control Wave because it gives good rides only to kayakers who steer their kayaks using edge control via knee and hip action. The ability to keep your midsection flexible while independently engaging muscles in your upper and lower body is a critical skill for kayakers.

A mellow afternoon on the SF American ~wilderness run.

We decided to keep it a mellow day by blasting through Barking Dog Rapid and heading right downstream. There were few, if any, other boaters on this section of river in the late afternoon. OK, not a real wilderness run, but with just a little imagination you could enjoy how it was like a wilderness run in some ways. In between the rapids the river was calm, quiet and really beautiful with clearer air than we had in the morning.

And it was a lucky day too!! Fortunately the IK boating couple that we met last weekend was at the Greenwood Creek take-out tossing tennis balls into the river for their great Labrador water dogs to fetch. And they were heading back to Coloma, so I was saved from riding a bicycle shuttle.

On the way home we stopped at our favorite dinner spot Thai Style Dining in Cameron Park, CA. We got a stir-fry, a noodle dish and their great brown rice. Both dishes were unique and very tasty!! And we toasted a most excellent day of kayaking with a Thai iced tea. Driving home we caught the worst sun-in-your-eyes time of the evening, so we should have stayed a little longer and had one of their excellent desserts.

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

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Friday, July 25, 2008

 

How to get started in whitewater river kayaking.

Training is important for good performance & safety skills on the river.


1. Take some training classes in whitewater river kayaking.

Instruction from an experienced teacher is critical to learn eskimo roll, good paddling techniques, river running skills and river safety skills. Avoid the common beginner mistakes. Don't let yourself develop bad habits that will need to be corrected later. Good instruction is the key to more fun, rapid advancement in skills and better safety on the river.
Basic skills training classes for whitewater river kayakers in northern California.

2. Join a kayaking club.

Kayaking attracts the rugged individualists who insist upon being captain of their own boats! Nevertheless, we typically team up with others for transportation to and from the river and for safety & rescue while on the river. Clubs help beginning kayakers to continue their learning on river trips together with more experienced kayakers. Clubs typically help beginners decide which equipment to buy and may be a source of used equipment for sale.
Clubs for northern California whitewater river kayakers.

3. Buy a whitewater kayak and other necessary gear.

New or used kayaking equipment can be purchased from a variety of sources.
Kayaking Equipment Purchase Directory.

4. Books, videos & websites on river kayaking.

Reading books and watching videos can provide supplemental information about kayaking skills, but classes and guidance from experienced kayakers is still critical when practicing these skills on the river.
Reviews - Books, Videos, & Websites about kayaking on whitewater rivers.

More about: Kayaking Skills & Techniques for Whitewater Rivers.

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Monday, July 21, 2008

 

Gorge Run, American River SF, California kayaking class III, 28june2008.

Whitewater excitement - it doesn't get any better than that !!

GabrielleM, JimH, MelodyS, WillD and I met BillJ at Salmon Falls about 12:30. We drove up to put-in at Greenwood River Access. Fortunately we got the last two parking spaces at Greenwood. The Gorge Run on SF American River (map & guide) was flowing at 1600 cfs (El Dorado County, California, USA). Recently I had been paddling my Frankenstein kayak on this run, but I decided to bring the SuperEgo kayak tugboat-playboat on this trip. I have been paddling this kayak on lots of class II runs this year, so I was ready to try it on a class III run.

MelodyS freestyle playboating on the wave above Fowler's Rapid.

Additional photos:
BRT's pictures - The Gorge Run, SF American River, California.
JimH's photos - whitewater river kayaking trip.

Class II whitewater warmup section.

Our mid-day meeting time got us on the river after the majority of the rafts, so we had a pretty uncrowded run through the class II section. There was one incident when an All-Outdoors raft crashed into Gabrielle & me. I got my arm up on the tube of the raft in time, but Gabrielle got knocked over and almost got pushed under the raft. That rude, careless, poorly-trained All-Outdoors raft guide is a real hazard on the river.

Other than that it was an easy, fun first part of the trip. There was lots of chatting & getting acquainted in a pretty experienced group of kayakers who hadn't all boated together before. There was lots of playboating, surfing, squirting, & ferrying on the easy class II whitewater. We surfed the big play-wave above Fowler's Rapid and stopped there for lunch. I was taking it real easy through this first section to make sure I had plenty of energy to run the big rapids later in the day. The clouds were really great, so it was a nice day for photography.

Lolipop Tree marks the entry to the big whitewater in The Gorge.

I knew that if I paddled aggressively and carefully I could get through the big class III rapids. The SuperEgo kayak is tugboat slow compared to the Frankenstein kayak that I am accustomed to paddling. So I had to pick my lines early, use my best stroke mechanics for powerful paddle strokes, and go for it aggressively to make sure that I stayed on my lines. Aggressive paddling was also important to make sure that this little, slicey, low volume boat didn't start making unexpected, undesirable, underwater submarine moves at the worst possible times!! And I knew that I would somehow survive running Satan's Cesspool Rapid, but I didn't know if I could get through there without getting totally hammered. I made a good entry at Satan's, ran the top of the curling wave, but unexpectedly did a little extra 360 unintendo spin. Cool, no problem, made it OK, didn't even need to do any emergency braces to stay upright. Big sigh of relief!!!!!

BRT kayaking Satan's Cesspool Rapid. Photo by JimH.

And then the rest of the day was really fun. I could enjoy the way the little playboat dances on the waves and responds rapidly to all of the currents in the river. I need to run the river with a slightly different strategy than I'd use when paddling a high-volume, speedy kayak, so it makes some interesting new challenges while kayaking on a familiar old whitewater river.

Lake Folsom was at a level of 401 feet, so we had current all the way to Salmon Falls take-out.

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

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C to G Run, SF American River, California whitewater kayaking class II+, 19july2008.

Messing around in kayaks - what a cool thing to do on a summer day !!

BruceH, TaylorC, JoelH & I went up to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park at Coloma, CA to launch our kayaks on the C to G Run on SF American River (map & guide) (El Dorado County, California, USA). Even driving shuttle was an adventure. We made a side-trip to The River Store to rent a sprayskirt because I forgot to bring an extra one for the extra kayak. One of our shuttle cars zoomed past the Greenwood take-out, but we eventually got that figured out. Then the parking lot at Greenwood was full. Lots of cars were parked off the pavement despite the sign asking people not to do that. We drove 1/4 mile down to the equestrian access parking lot and left our shuttle car there.



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

I did a little playboating at Gremlin Wave-Hole, caught some eddies and made some ferries, but I was also taking it easy in the first part of the run to make sure I'd have plenty of energy for later. After a quick lunch at our traditional spot downstream from Henningson Park, we reapplied sunscreen and moved on. The surf wave above Camp Lotus gave us some good rides today. This tiny little wave rewards kayakers who use good edge control and know how to steer their kayaks with knee & hip action.

Barking Dog Rapid has a big growl and some bite !!

We got lots of combat roll practice, one brief swim and a lot of quick rejections while playboating at Barking Dog Rapid. Even with lots of energy left in the tank I wasn't able to do anything much. Entering the wave-hole with a good line and a good plan it always turned instantly into sensory overload and survival paddling. I only got munched once and then I got back upright on my second roll attempt. All of my playboating attempts were rapidly rejected. Looks like I need to spend some entire days here to finally get this awesome playspot figured out.

Kayaking whitewater in the late afternoon - sometimes mellow and sometimes not.

By the time we left Barking Dog the flow was dropping. The easy class I & II sections were really slow and gentle. Current Divider Rapid still had some good waves and currents. Taylor eddy-hopped through here like an expert. Highway Rapid had lots of rock obstructions and a big mid-stream eddy that isn't there at higher flows. The top wave at Swimmers Rapid looked great, but even the fastest kayak in our group could not get back upstream high enough to get onto the wave. Ferrying across the wavetrain was pretty challenging, but with good edge control its a whole lot easier.

On the way home we stopped for an excellent dinner at Mangolian BBQ, Cameron Park, CA. Its pretty great to assemble your own using the ingredients and sauce mix that you like and then get it hot off the grill.

More about:
American River SF - Barking Dog Park & Surf kayak freestyle playboating.
Trip Reports - Kayaking Whitewater Rivers in California.
California Whitewater River Guides - trip planning info for kayakers, rafters and canoeists.

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Thursday, July 17, 2008

 

Auburn Run, American River NF/MF, California whitewater kayaking class III, winter2008.

NF/MF Confluence to Rattlesnake Bar : Lottsa Flat Water, Maynard, and a Looong Class II ?? NOT !!


Guest Author: John Simpkin. Auburn Run NF/MF American River (map & guide) (a.k.a Confluence Run) (Placer County / El Dorado County, California, USA).

Ok, I know what you're thinking. Ok, I don't know what you're thinking, but I know what I was thinking : "Lottsa flat water, Maynard. A looong class II". Think again, Homie. I was very surprised ! What you see on this run will depend on lake level and flows, but what I saw at 1200 cfs with low lake levels was this : five or six class III rapids, an optional, chunky class IV rapid, and two nice (non play park) play waves. And yes, there is a lot of flat water and a 2 1/2 mile paddle out at low lake levels. I began the run (my first) expecting a laid back class II paddle, nice scenery, and a state-of-the-art play park. Like I said, I was surprised. This run definitely has more bite than C to G Run on SF American River or Shirttail Run on NF American River; no question about it. In my opinion, the Confluence Run might be more challenging than the Lower Run on Cosumnes River if you discount the class IVs on that run.

The fun depends on the flows. I figgered we had about 1200 cfs : 675 cfs inflow at Lake Clementine (NF American River) with a two hour delay, and I assumed the same outflow. I added to that about 550 cfs from the release at Oxbow Dam (MF American River), and took into account a five or six hour delay.

Tobias, Darlene, Shelly, Joe Gerber, and I met at the Rattlesnake Bar Recreation Area, just above the boat ramp at 11:00. Be advised that the Rattlesnake Bar Recreation Area spans both sides of the river; we met at the river right (north) takeout near Auburn CA. If you takeout on river left, the "other" Rattlesnake Bar, your total shuttle time goes up by maybe an hour and the flat water increases by several miles.

We drove back to Auburn CA and down the hill to the put-in around noon. We continued east at the confluence, off of Hwy 49 towards Lake Clementine. The road crosses the NF American River maybe a quarter of a mile upstream of the Hwy 49 bridge. We parked near the start of the uphill grade, another quarter of a mile east of the bridge over the NF American River. We walked down to the MF American River just below a rapid I have seen from Hwy 49 and wondered about for years. The Gerb walked up to do the rapid while the rest of us watched from below. The river left side of the rapid is a solid class III, while the river right side (the side that catches your attention from the highway) is a bit chunky at the flows we saw and might deserve a higher rating. At lower flows the right side could be dicey. A bunch of us ran the left side a few days later : fun !

After Joe flushed, we all headed downstream to a couple of easy, if squirrley, rapids and then under the Hwy 49 bridge. Downstream and within sight of the old abandoned bridge was a very nice surf wave; not as good as Barking Dog Rapid or Maya Rapid on SF American River, but maybe as good as the surf spot above Fowler's Rapid on SF American River. We all had a go at it.

Downstream of the play wave were stretches of class II whitewater, but I didn't mind. "Lottsa flat water, Maynard", but the river and surrounding canyon were very pretty. The hills were greening up, the sun was out, and the blue sky was punctuated with only a few puffy clouds. The water was clear and warmer than that of the SF American River. We found another play wave before lunch, but it was tricky. The easy paddling continued until we approached the Artificial Rapids and lunch.

Artificial Rapids at China Bar, Auburn State Recreation Area.

A month and a half ago, Melvin, Darlene and I spent the better part of an afternoon trying to get to the Artificial Rapids. There's a big pipe gate at the top of the canyon near the fairgrounds in Auburn CA and it was locked. We drove up and down the canyon rim looking for another way down, but no cigar. We finally drove to the State Park office south of Auburn on Hwy 49 and talked to an official. What she said seemed a little indefinite, but the play park was supposed to have regular hours, extract a fee from users, and be supervised by park personnel. If I'm not mistaken, The Gerb said the State was having some trouble getting money to open the park. I Googled the play park and got nowhere.

In any event, as the massive, chiseled, and blasted canyon walls above the Artificial Rapids came into view, my stomach began to growl and I was looking forward to lunch. We parked and scouted. The Artificial Rapid's left channel is a 100 yard class III rapid at 1200 cfs, and is constructed of boulders and concrete. The first surfable wave is a Barking Dog kinda thing about three quarters down the channel followed by another wave 50 feet downstream. The second wave reminded Shelly of a wave on Cache Creek. It had a river wide trough that fed you into the wave. Four of us were able to catch the lower wave with varying degrees of success. Tobias and The Gerb busted their butts getting on the Barking Dog; I think there were two or three short surfs on this one. The water was not deep. There was another playboating wave that we saw at the park, but the Barking Dog was definitely the eye catcher, and the Cache Creek the most accessible.

Somebody said that the right channel at the Artificial Rapids was actually an intake for a utility company. It was a chute confined to a formed concrete channel with a perfect glassy wave. No eddies. The water was moving fast and you'd have to catch this one on the fly : nobody tried. If you missed it, you'd be able to eddy out 50 yards down stream, lug your boat back up, and throw the dice again. The water was shallow. At the bottom of the right channel is another possible surf spot, but eddy access is lacking.

This Whitewater River Run is just Class III, Right ?

As I was eating my lunch, I was thinking that this run would be a good class II for a beginning boater. Easy rapids, lottsa slow water, no stress; maybe accompanied by an experienced friend satisfied to simply enjoy the beauty of the river and the new greenery of Spring. I changed my mind about a half hour later.

Shortly after getting back into our boats, Joe told us that when he had done the run the first time, there was a mild river-wide boulder mini ledge that contained the remnants of an old metal culvert. The culvert was torn up with sharp metal pieces exposed, pieces that might pose a hazard to boaters. We didn't see it. Next on the menu, spread out over maybe a mile, were three class III rapids. Two of them came in close succession and had large pour-over boulders. Good wavetrain action, and you had to move to avoid some sections. In the first wave train below the Artificial Rapids there is a very good surf wave. Interesting features and definitely fun rapids below the Artificial Rapids. A newer boater might be pushed by these rapids in my opinion. There were a number of opportunities for making these rapids more challenging.

Some distance below these three class III rapids was a fork in the river around a cobble island. The middle channel eventually turned into easy class II riffles. The right channel looked interesting, and some of us headed in that direction. Most of the right channel rapid was hiding behind a horizon line. The top of the rapid was cut up by a bunch of smaller boulders providing multiple routes. "Go slow. Eddy, eddy, eddy." We spread out and maybe halfway down, saw a central (maybe four or five foot) horse shoe shaped ledge that could be approached from a number of directions. The ends of the "horse shoe" were facing down stream creating a bowl in between the horse shoe arms. This feature might be nasty at higher flows. The right side looked better than the center or left : less chunky, with a narrow chute of more or less unobstructed water. Nevertheless, you had to make a few moves and avoid some boulders. This would be a bad place to go downside up; no chance for a roll. Not class III. The following week, Joe went far left at the top of this rapid : another chunky drop.

Two more class III rapids followed. One had numerous apparent routes and several opportunities to get in trouble. The other had laterals that reminded me of Scissors Rapid on SF American River, but not as difficult as Scissors. There was also a stout wavetrain down here someplace. Finally, there was a class II rapid that had a very nice playwave. We diddled around on the wave for ten minutes.

The river seemed to get flatter and flatter and the water moved slower and slower. Finally we had to accept that we were on the lake. Best guess is that we had 2 1/2 miles of flat water to take-out. We could not see the boat ramp or parking lot at takeout from river level. Earlier in the day Joe had us note three overhead transmission lines, with big ball thingies on them, that spanned the river just downstream of takeout. We eddied out a few hundred yards upstream of the transmission lines, climbed a bank, and saw the boat ramp. The trip had taken us five hours.

At this flow, the Confluence Run is much harder than a C to G Run or a Shirttail Run. There are stouter rapids. There is also a lot of flat water, and there will be more flat water as Folsom fills up. I don't know what to make of the Artificial Rapids. At this point, it doesn't look like there is easy public access. There were only two, maybe three play waves at the Artificial Rapids at 1200 cfs. It seemed pretty shallow for rolling in some places, so maybe it was designed with higher flows in mind. The run had at least two good surf waves, one just below the bridge near put-in, and one at the end of the run.

One final reiteration : Don't use the Rattlesnake Bar Rd takeout 12 miles east of Pilot Hill. Use the Rattlesnake Rd. take out just west of Auburn. Yahoo Map to takeout.

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

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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

 

American River NF/MF China Bar Artificial Rapids.

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


Recent River Flow Data.

The flow on this run is the sum of flows on the NF American River and MF American River.




The flow on NF American is measured not far upstream from put-in. The flow on MF American is measured far upstream at Oxbow Powerhouse. Changes in the flow at Oxbow will reach the Artificial Rapids approximately 8 hours later.

Whitewater Rating vs. Flow Rate.

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

River Description.

Artificial rapids were constructed at the site of the failed Auburn Dam project. (Placer County / El Dorado County, California, USA). Enter the China Bar Unit of Auburn State Recreation Area at Maidu Drive Entrance Station (only open on weekends 8AM to 9 PM from May to September). Drive to Birdsall River Access to unload boats, then drive back 1/2 mile to park cars at Oregon Hill Day Use Parking Lot. From Birdsall Access paddle across to the South side of the river and then hike a few hundred yards upstream to the portage trail that runs parallel to the artificial rapids.

Please contact me or add a comment on the blog if you have any information about the range of river flows that are interesting for playboating at the China Bar artificial rapids. The pump station diverts 300 cfs from the river at the upstream end of the artificial rapids. Summertime releases from Oxbow Dam on the MF American won't reach China Bar until early evening. That doesn't leave much boating time before the entrance gate is closed for the night.

Considering the parking access and flow issues this area may not be useful as a park & play spot for kayakers in the summertime. The river may have higher all-day flows throughout May that could be interesting for park & play boaters, but unfortunately the Maidu Drive Entrance Station is entirely closed during the early Spring boating months of March & April. Thus it is unlikely that this will be very useful as a park & surf playboating spot until more favorable parking places and access times are negotiated.

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.

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 - American River China Bar Artificial Rapids.
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.
• N 39.0060 W 120.7600, gauge on MF at Oxbow.
• N 38.87540 W 121.06513, Maidu Drive Entrance Station (A).
• N 38.86838 W 121.06110, Oregon Hill Day Use Parking Lot (B).
• N 38.87513 W 121.05809, Birdsall River Access (C).
• N 38.88191 W 121.06148, Artificial Rapids (III) (D).
• N 38.86243 W 121.06041, Oregon Bar River Access (E).

Local weather in Auburn, CA.



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.

American River NF-MF Auburn Run (III).)(a.k.a. Confluence Run)
California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.
• China Bar brochure, Auburn State Recreation Area - call 530-885-4527 and they will send a printed copy to you via snail-mail. Ask them when they will have a pdf version of the brochure on their website.

Kayak Surfing & Playboating 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 NFMF Recreation Directory. (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: Bear River (Nevada/Placer County), American River NF/MF, American River SF, Sacramento River Valley Region.
Whitewater River Guides for California & western USA.

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Sunday, July 13, 2008

 

C to G Run, SF American River, California kayaking class II+, 12july2008.

Whitewater extravaganza with photos & videos to prove it !!

GabrielleM, PeterG, TaylorC & I drove up to Coloma, CA to kayak the C to G Run on SF American River (map & guide) (El Dorado County, California, USA). While driving shuttle I could see that the flow had not yet reached the Hwy49 bridge, but by the time we got back to put-in I think the flow was up to the 1600 cfs that was the peak flow for the day.


• More pictures of whitewater kayaking on SF American River, C to G Run.

We had a nice lunch just downstream from Henningson Park, picked some blackberries, reapplied sunscreen, got back into our kayaks and got going again.

Playboating our brains out on some great whitewater and sometimes paying the price !!

Gremlin Wave-Hole provided a great surfing warmup for all. Its funny how such a small wave can be so snarly. It doesn't look like much until you get into its clutches and then its quite challenging to stay on it long enough to get a good ride. Its a fun spot for me now, but I'll never forget that I swam there at least three times on my second day of beginner kayaking class.

The little wave just upstream from Camp Lotus is another one of my favorite kayak playboating spots. I got a few good surfs there, but there was some urgency to get downstream to the main event of the day.

Barking Dog Rapid was bigger and steeper than it was last time I was there. Somebody has done a little riverbed rearranging there to push the main jet of current a few feet to the left. This has steepened the wave-hole and made the run-out from the hole a little less chaotic for those who need to roll back up. I surfed across the hole a few times, but didn't make any moves to try to stay in it any longer than that. I need to spend some entire days surfing here to get this incredible hole figured out.

• Videos - whitewater kayak freestyle playboating at Barking Dog Rapid, SF American River, California.

After driving the SuperEgo kayak tugboat around in the river all day I was pretty tired by the time we got to Current Divider Rapid. Unfortunately, I didn't yet know how tired I was. At first I was happy to catch a tiny, boiling microeddy, but when it flipped me the eddyline defeated my weak roll attempt. I didn't have enough air in me to hang out long enough to make a second roll attempt. So goofus me, I'm swimming again!

I did a little ferrying and eddy hopping at Highway Rapid. Then those who had any energy left used it up ferrying at Swimmers Rapid and trying hand-rolls at takeout.

Thanks to Taylor for a pitcher of Scotch Ale at Yosum's Pizza in Coloma, CA!! After baking in the sun all day on the river it was refreshing to drink & chat in the cool, dark restaurant. (The photo of us sitting around the table was illuminated by the flash, not by any light in the room.)

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

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Tuesday, July 08, 2008

 

Mokelumne River NF Tiger Creek Dam Run.

Whitewater River Kayaking Guide & Maps - California.


Recent River Flow Data.

Mokelumne River NF - Below Tiger Creek Dam - Dreamflows.

Whitewater Rating vs. Flow Rate.

class . . . flows (cfs)
IV . . . . . 600 cfs or greater

River Description.

A short run with great scenery and convenient shuttle road access. Runnable in Spring after rains or dam releases. The shuttle road (not shown on map) is next to the river on river-right. This river is being proposed for official Wild & Scenic status. Show your support by signing the petition to designate the Mokelumne River Wild & Scenic. (Amador/Calaveras 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 Pine Grove, CA (Amador County) - driving time 1 hour 19 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 - Mokelumne River Tiger Creek Dam 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 38.44054 W 120.50515, below Tiger Creek Dam put-in (A).
• N 38.42334 W 120.54118, Red Corral Road take-out (B).

Local weather in Pine Grove, California.



Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

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

Printed Guidebooks & Maps - Mokelumne River.

Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg 193)
California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Whitewater River Trip Reports.

Tiger Creek Run on the NF of the Moke - Rambling Ruminations 09june2008.

Whitewater River Recreation Links.

Mokelumne River Conservation & Recreation Directory. Mokelumne River valley websites. (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.
• Nearby rivers & creeks: Cosumnes River, Mokelumne River, Sacramento River Valley Region, Calaveras River.
California Whitewater River Guides.

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Saturday, July 05, 2008

 

Rumsey Run, Cache Creek, kayaking class II+, 05july2008.

Greatest whitewater river in Yolo County California!

TaylorC & I loaded up the Prius - the ultimate small economical shuttle vehicle! With a good roof rack and a shuttle bicycle in the back seat we were good to go.

Messing around in kayaks - no better way to spend a hot summer day.

We drove up to the Rumsey Run on Cache Creek (map & guide) (Yolo County, California, USA). Cache Creek was running at 800 cfs which is a really great flow for a July day in a drought year summer.


More whitewater photos from our Cache Creek kayaking trip. (Some videos will be posted later.)

We put-in just below the upper County Park river access. The $6 parking was all full, so we went 100 yards downstream and parked for free along the side of the road. A well-worn trail led us down to a perfect launching beach. Unfortunately this put-in was a little way downstream from a great ledge hydraulic playspot, so next time maybe we will look for a put-in just upstream from the upper site. After some roll practice and some missed-roll practice we headed downstream. Despite a leisurely 10:30 departure from Davis and a side-trip to Woodland for gas there were still throngs of inflatable boaters going by when we got to put-in. After surfing, ferrying and eddying down the river and a leisurely lunch upstream of the low water bridge most of the inflatable boaters had passed us. We had a less crowded river for the remainder of the day.

We spent a lot of time playboating on a little ledge hydraulic that I remembered very fondly from a previous trip. Sweet spot!! Great playspot and an excellent stable spot for the photographer.

We got a quick glance at Mother Rapid from the bridge while driving to put-in. And the rafting company worker standing on river-right was sending the inflatables down the rapid. So we dispensed with scouting and just ran it down the right side. At 800 cfs there weren't many rock obstructions, but the hydraulics were quite powerful. It was a bouncy, fun ride.

We couldn't decide whether or not to get tacos from the famous taco truck in Winters, CA. When we got there the truck was not parked in its usual spot. Oh well, maybe next time.

More about:
Kayaking Trips - California Whitewater Rivers.
California Whitewater River Guides.

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Wednesday, July 02, 2008

 

Truckee River Whitewater Park - Reno, Nevada.

Kayak Freestyle Playboating & Whitewater River Guide.


Recent River Flow Data.



Whitewater Rating vs. Flow Rate.

class . . . playboating flows (cfs)
II - III . . . 400 cfs or greater

River Description.

Park in the parking lot at Bennett Park or use metered parking on city streets (free after 6 p.m. and on Sundays and holidays). Bathrooms are available at Bennett Park.

"Length: 2,600 feet, including 1,400 feet in the north channel and 1,200 feet in the south channel or one-half mile. Note: The north and south channels are created by Wingfield Park, an island in the river that divides the flow and has been a city park for years." "Users: kayaks, canoes and rafts, inner tubes. Maneuvers: freestyle including front and side surfing, cartwheeling, throwing ends, blunt moves, spoofing and splatting, flat spinning, loops, front flips, slalom racing. Random boulders in channels." (cityofreno.12hna.com) (Washoe County, Nevada, USA)

Hole Number 1, 2, 3 & 4 are in the north channel (river-left), with Hole Number 5 after the two channels have come back together. Beginners will enjoy any flow as you can always flatspin and roll in the holes. Hole Number 5 is about the only usable spot for advanced boaters at flows of 300-400 cfs. It has to get above 600 cfs for any real playboating tricks in Hole Numbers 1 - 4.

The south channel (river-right) is called the slalom course, but the gates are up for only a few months each year.

Reno Riverwalk District describes the nearby places for food & drink after boating (map - pdf).

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 25 minutes.

Road Conditions - California & Nevada (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.


Full-Screen Topographic Map - Truckee River Whitewater Park.
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 39.52385 W 119.81629, Truckee River Whitewater Park, Reno NV (A).
• N 39.52518 W 119.81556, Riverwalk District Reno NV.
• N 39.53132 W 119.78634, USGS Gauge 10348000 (B).

Local weather in Reno, Nevada.



Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

City of Reno : Whitewater Park.
City of Reno : Whitewater Park Webcam.
Truckee River Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Kayak Surfing & Playboating Trip Reports NEEDED !!

Reno White Water Festival photos 10may2010
Truckee River Reno Whitewater Park Kayaking photos - fourwindsink.
Reno Playpark Truckee River - kimandgeoff 17june2005.
Reno River Festival Truckee River - kimandgeoff 17may2004.
Xterra Planet #1: Truckee River White Water Park.
HOT boogie boarding at the Reno Whitewater Park - Ruth Gordon 12july2008.
Secret Stash: Winter Kayaking at the Reno Whitewater Park video 18feb2008.
Whitewater kayaking at the 2007 Reno River Fest video 25june2007.
Reno River fest video 31may2007.
Introduction to Wingfield Park video - trfblog 21nov2008.
Reno River Festival freestyle video - 14may2008.
Reno River Festival 2008: Day 1 - Pro practice video - 09may2008.
Run Amuck race at the 2008 Reno River Festival video - 13may2008.
Reno Tahoe Adventures, Whitewater Park video 09may2008.
Fun on the Truckee River video - sparksbob 23june2006.
Standing wave in the Reno Whitewater Park video - kahos12988 21nov2006.

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

Whitewater River Recreation Links.

Truckee 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.
Using the white water river paddleboating guides - BRT Kayaking.
Truckee River Guide - Runs in NV, Great Basin Rivers of CA NV - Regional Overview.
Sparks NV Whitewater Park Guide - Truckee River.
Truckee River Guide - Runs in CA.
Whitewater River Guides for California & western USA.

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