California and Oregon Rafting

Rivers all over the state are the highest they’ve been in years. The Main Eel has just passed 200,000 cfs and is headed to 300,000 cfs. The Rogue River in Oregon just passed 80,000 cfs and is rising 3600 cfs an hour.

Rivers in the Sierra are high as well due to a warm Sierra rain. The warm rain fell over a moderate snowpack last night. Both the North Fork of the American and North Fork of the Yuba are above 10,000 cfs and rising right now. Other rivers of the Sierra haven’t risen as much because they are controlled by dams.

Check out our river flows page to see more rivers on the rise.

From our good friend Jeremy Matlock:

Greatings from the Cedar River. Well, it’s almost 2006, and you know what that means, time to decide which rivers we are going to be floating in the New Year. I am getting started early on my one and only resolution this year, which is to make it a priority to not go another year without seeing the Owyhee. To make sure I follow through, I am organizing a trip.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Owyhee, shame on you. Although having never run it myself, I guess i’m not one to talk. However, from what i’ve heard, it is suppose to be one of the best hidden gems, and difficult to match it’s solitude in the lower 48. Since it has yet to be plugged, and flows for only a short time each season. The best time to run it tends to be April, which is when I will be putting-on, water allowing. I am thinking about a two week trip starting around the second week of April. I know Echo’s guide school is the last week of March so it would definitely need to be sometime after April 1st. We could do a shorter or longer trip depending on what everyone’s schedule and water would allow.

The Owyhee can be divided up into a number of sections, and from my calculations we could do up to 205 miles if we added the East or South Fork. It sounds like the East Fork would very likely require at least one or two difficult portages depending on our craft which would need to be 14ft. or smaller to even consider. The South Fork on the other hand would not require any portaging, and would add about 35 miles to the 140 of the Main. The last 10-12 miles on the Main Fork are sadly back up, so we would either need to arrange a tow-out, or acquire an dependable outboard, and enjoy the floatilla out. Or we could take-out 19 miles upstream and avoid it all together.

We would have to include a couple layover days, so that will determine how many miles we could realisticly do. It would be ideal to do as many miles as possible yet not be too rushed.

The logistics to the put-in and take-out could be interesting depending on the weather, and where we decided to start and end. We would need 4wd high clearance vehicles for many of the roads, most of which become impassable when wet.

Lastly we are required to keep our group to 15 people max, so the sooner you can let me know if you’re interested the better. Even if you’re not sure if you can get the time off. I am flexible and open to suggestions so give me a shout.

It’s gonna be one to remember

Thanksgiving is over and holiday gift shopping has officially begun. While there are thousands of gift guides in circulation, few are geared toward whitewater enthusiasts. My relatives spend weeks searching outdoor stores for the obscure items on my wish list. Neoprene and Gore-Tex fill the page. They do not understand my dire need for a two-inch thick, rubber-coated sleeping pad, or sandals with soles made of sticky rubber, and when I have to write down exactly what it is I want, the element of surprise that makes opening presents so much fun is almost entirely lost.

The perfect gift for the river guide, avid kayaker, or rafting adventurer can be tough to find. River bums welcome new gear with open arms, whether it is a drytop with rubber gaskets that actually keep the water out, a new PFD, or a brightly colored, sparkly helmet. Guides spend the winter dreaming about perfect runs through Clavey Falls (Tuolumne), Pillow Rock (Gauley), and Cramer Creek (Main Salmon), so a present that helps make their dreams come true is the perfect holiday gift.

For adventurous folks who would love to spend a week rafting each summer, a gift certificate for a commercial trip is sure to delight. What better present for the whole family than a week-long rafting trip in the Rockies where fishing and hot springs are bountiful? Rafters plan and then patiently await next summer’s rafting vacation, longing for the excitement, as well as the peaceful moments they experience on a river trip. When I was thirteen, my mom gave our family a Middle Fork Salmon rafting trip for Christmas. The following summer, we went on a six-day vacation that is still one of my fondest family memories. My brother and I were entertained the entire time by the rapids and games, while my parents were able to relax and enjoy the side hikes to hot springs and the gourmet cooking. Whether it is a drinking a glass of wine by the river, playing games in camp, or paddling through the rapids, rafting vacations offer something for everyone. Kids and adults, guys and gals will all love this present!

Waterproof cameras, carabiners, cam-straps, head lamps, and small dry bags make great stocking stuffers or less expensive party gifts. You can find gadgets and knick-knacks at most outdoor stores, including REI. Check out Astral Buoyancy for PFD’s, Chaco for river sandals, Jack’s Plastic for paco sleeping pads, Grateful Heads for helmets, and Kokatat for Gore-Tex dry tops.

Tessa

It’s been a slow fall here in California with little boating except for some unique releases on the Lower South Silver, Calaveras, and South Fork of the Feather. It’s been raining in the North, so rivers in the North Coast like the Smith and Cal Salmon have been flowing off and on.

It looks like the next boating event will be the Smith River in February.

Kevsmom has been updated with a new look and a new focus. Check out some of the new river pages and the “old school” Kevsmom is back as well. In this redesign, I stopped supporting Internet Explorer because Microsoft just won’t conform to the same standards as everyone else. For those of you that don’t have Firefox yet, check it out. The new version 1.5 just came out.