With a few weeks to go of the “high season” for California rafting, the news is all good. Flows have been lovely all across the board–from the gentle riffles of our class II Tom Sawyer Float Trips on the South Fork of the American River, to the boat-eating gigantor hydraulics of Cherry Creek, which is as tough as California Rafting gets.
At this point in the season, we are only rafting dam-controlled rivers: the South and Middle Forks of the American River, the Tuolumne River, and Cherry Creek. All of these runs have tightly controlled water levels because of their upstream dams and reservoirs. For us–and you!– this means continuing raftable flows all summer long, and lots of different rafting itineraries.
Here we are in the height of the summer California River rafting season and you have lots o’ options choose from–great news, but also part of the mixed feelings we in the industry have about dams. On the one hand we tend to be conservation minded and are well aware of dams’ many drawbacks ecologically. On the other hand, dams dramatically extend our rafting season and make water flows much more reliable. We’re able to organize trips and logisitics around scheduled flows and can give guests a pretty accurate idea of what to expect because we are so familiar with rafting the same flows summer after summer.
The mixed bag of dams aside, the end result is that we have three rivers that flow consistantly all summer–the South and Middle Forks of the American Rivers, and the Tuolumne River. The Tuolumne is really a two-for-one deal because not only do we get the class IV section of the main T, but we also get the class V section of the Upper Tuolumne, or Cherry Creek, as it’s more commonly known. We will offer consistant trips on all these rivers for the rest of summer!
(Above: Summer is the perfect time to explore California Rivers with side-hikes and overnight trips!)
Auburn Dam–the project with more lives than an alley cat–has been dealt a mighty blow: on December 2, the California Water board voted unanimounsly to revoke the water rights it granted over 30 years ago to the US Bureau of Reclamation. This means that the federal governement would have a seriously uphill battle to sucessfully build the dam, a project richer in controversy than the American River used to be in gold. With no rights to store water, a dam would be largely pointless so it looks like the project is doomed. But before you peel that sticker for or against the dam off your bumper, remember that this is one fight that dates back to the Cold War era so I don’t know…..could be resurrected yet. In the meantime–and I confess this might betray a bias here–I’m stoked that we know the Middle Fork of the American river will be echoing with the sounds of rafters, fishermen, and gold miners for summers to come.
To learn more about the Water Board’s decision and see some photographs, read the article in the Sacramento Bee:
Just days ago I was telling you that the Middle Fork of the American rafting season was going to end this Sat, September 27th. Well, at the very last minute, the powers that be who control the water level on the river decided to continue releasing raftable flows into October. Class IV river trips will be available on Saturdays and Sundays. We know there will be good water through October 19th, but we think it is very very likely that we’ll be able to raft all the way to the end of the month.
It’s been a glorious season on the mighty Middle Fork, replete with high adventure, wildlife sightings, a wedding engagement, many bachelor parties, and countless deli sandwiches dropped in the sand; but after this weekend, fishermen, gold panners, and sunbathers will have the canyon back to themselves for the rest of the fall and winter. We commercial river outfitters will be packing up and heading back to warehouses, storage bins, sheds and barns to repair gear, take a breather, and rest up for next year. The last Middle Fork whitewater rafting trips will be this Friday and Saturday, the 26th and 27th of September–you literally have no more time to put off making plans.
Middle Fork American river outfitters have gotten word from State Parks and the powers that be that we will have excellent river rafting flows through September 27th. This means there are three weekends left to brave the man-made class IV rapid that is the incomparable Tunnel Chute. Three more weeks to see the quiet tree covered hills of the Middle Fork canyon. Three more weeks to sleep under the stars on a two-day trip, wake up to the smell o’ bacon in the morning air, drink cowboy coffee blacker than pitch….
If my bacon referance doesn’t whet your imagination like it does mine (but how could it not? come on: bacon is possibly the best thing in the entire universe) take a moment to check out our Middle Fork rafting video.
(Above: River rafting Middle Fork style: explore side canyons and waterfalls on two days, stick to the river on a one-day adventure)
Another fun pairing is coming up this weekend for those of you looking for a quick escape to the Sierra Foothills. This time, come up for a rafting adventure and then relax with a tour of the foothill’s fantastic wineries at the peak of harvest season.
River trips are available this Sat and Sun on the South and Middle Forks of the American River. Also running both Sat and Sun is a special foothill winery event called “Tour de Vine.” The event includes 20 wineries, each of which will be offering special events like cellar tours, crush and harvest demonstrations, and vineyard tours. Light refreshements and food pairings will also be offered. Tickets are good for both days so you can explore different wineries at your own pace. For more information and to see a list of participating wineries, visit the El Dorado Country Wine Association website.
Visit AO rafting for suggestions on local places to stay.
(Above: Winemakers and Vineyard managers like Greg Boeger of Boeger Winery will be out in force this weekend to give you a behind-the-scenes look at Sierra Foothill winemaking)
For river rafters living near the Bay Area, or in the Sacramento region, how’s this for an unusual weekend getaway? Get off work a little early on Friday and drive up to El Dorado County–after dinner that evening, join the American River Conservancy for a moonlight hike on the Stagecoach Trail. The guided hike is mellow and led by an ARC volunteer. You’ll see fantastic and unusual views of the American River Canyon! Round out the weekend Saturday or Sunday, and raft the South or Middle Forks of the American River for a totally different view of the canyon.
The hike starts at 7:30 on Friday September 12th and ends around 9:30. For more info, or to sign up, visit the ARC website.
Our focus is as a commercial rafting outfitter, but AO Rafting has worked with special groups for years–schools, Boy Scouts, programs for underpriviledged and special needs kids–because rafting has the potential to be a uniquely rewarding experience for kids and young people. This history made it a no-brainer to partner with the Inner City Outing Whitewater Rafting volunteer group for a fundraiser this September.
Inner City Outings is a volunteer branch of the Sierra Club whose mission is to give at-risk urban youth and adult recovery groups the chance to explore the natural world, give them a team and confidence building experience, and broaden their perspective of the world. The kids ICO serve come from a variety of challenging backgrounds–poverty, violence, foster homes–so ICO adventures are truly remarkable opportunities for them. ICO rafting trips are staffed entirely by volunteers and rely heavily on donations.
Each year ICO takes over 200 kids rafting, and All Outdoors is excited to have the chance to support their efforts by partnering up for a fundraiser weekend on the South and Middle Forks of the American River September 20 and 21. You will enjoy a day on the river of your choice–and a significant portion of your trip fee will be donated to the Bay Area ICO rafting group to help them keep doing their good work in 2009. You can even make it a tax-deductable donation!
For more information please visit the ICO Bay Area rafting fundraiser website. You can also sign up online or send an email to:fundraiser@icorafting.org
We uploaded another Northern California rafting video–of the Middle Fork of the American River. With its remote canyon, class IV whitewater, and raftable rock tunnel, the Middle Fork is a great river for one day trips or over nighters if camping is your style (just remember to leave your flat iron at home).
With a few weeks to go of the “high season” for California rafting, the news is all good. Flows have been lovely all across the board–from the gentle riffles of our class II Tom Sawyer Float Trips on the South Fork of the American River, to the boat-eating gigantor hydraulics of Cherry Creek, which is as tough as California Rafting gets.
The mixed bag of dams aside, the end result is that we have three rivers that flow consistantly all summer–the South and Middle Forks of the 
