The All-Outdoors Whitewater Rafting California River Blog

So the weather outside is frightful……….but we know you still miss the river.  And while you may not be hankering for a wild and windy river trip (although we would take you, we’re crazy like that), you might still want to get a whiff of nature and spend a little time in the valley. 

This is the weekend to do it!  Lots of fun stuff is happenin’ in our sleepy little valley.  The annual Christmas in Coloma event will fill the State Park with old-fashioned good times: roasting chestnuts, hand-made crafts, carriage rides, and a little face-to-face time with those Christmas celebrities, Mr. and Mrs. Claus.  The American River Conservancy is hosting  candle-making workshops, and the park will be filled with good cheer.  Just up the road, David Girard Winery is also hosting their Christmas open house on Saturday.  Swanky edibles, good deals on wine, and–just to confuse the kiddies and challenge parents’ ability to keep the magic alive…………Mr. and Mrs. Claus!

Need somewhere to stay after all this Christmas Cheer?  Head over to Eden Vale Inn, The Coloma Country Inn, or Bella Vista.

All the fun starts (the Clauses better get some serious shut-eye because they are busybusybusy tomorrow!) Dec 11th.

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Ahhhh Fall……………..the turning leaves, the calling geese, the old Halloween candy wrappers littering the office and………the warm balmy days and weekend rafting trips?  Yes, it’s true.  Here we are in November and still the rafters keep coming!

Yes yes we may have to unroll a boat and dig some paddles out of the barn–and wake up a snoozing river guide–but if’n y’all want to raft the South Fork, we can take you.  We had folks out last weekend and are already looking at a November trip or two as well.  Now that’s hard core, I tell you.  Nothing says Thanksgiving like neoprene and a turkey sandwich, am I right?

The South Fork of the American.  For die-hards.  Four seasons, all year ’round.

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Well, it’s happened.  You’ve seen another California rafting season wear down to brass tacks.  The Middle Fork has joined its bretheren at the river retirement home and now only the brave South Fork of the American soldiers on.

We admit it–there’s nothing like a summer rafting trip with blazing temps and sunburned kids running all over the place, but fall rafting…………….well, it has a magic to it.  The leaves are turning, wildlife is creeping out from its hiding places (you’d hide too, if you lived on the banks of the SF and watched thousands of lobster-red homo-sapiens bomb down the rapids day after day all summer long!), and the air is often filled with the calls of geese high high in the clouds above.  And the privacy–you just about get the river to yourself this time of year–something that is beyond possible in July and August.

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Very exciting news for hikers, walkers, ramblers and trail riders!!!!!!  The American River Trail, organized by the American River Conservancy is officially open–as of TODAY.

The trail runs on Conservancy-protected land from the Coloma-Lotus Valley all the way to Salmon Falls (where we take out for trips on the lower section of  American River Rafting trips.  The completion of the trail is a thrilling achievement–it has taken 20 years and millins of dollars to secure the land, build the trail, and bring the whole shebang together.  The public is invited to enjoy the trail–for more info on access points and whatnot visit the ARC website.

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And then there were two.

With all the spring runs but a distant memory, and the Tuolumne and Cherry Creek just put out to pasture for the year, what’s a California rafting enthusiast to do?  Weep gently and go to a cage fight for an adrenaline rush?  Of course not.  Rely–as we do–on those old war horses, the ever reliable and trusty South and Middle Fork of the American rivers!  With delightful rapids. lovely scenery, and AO rafting as your host, what’s not to love? 

For families with younger kids or folks wanting an introductory experience, the South Fork’s class III rapids are just the thing.  And for people wanting a little more in the challenge dept, the class IV rapids on the Middle Fork are perfect!  These rivers both have solid flows into October this year because of an excellent snowpack and full reservoirs in 2010.

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We spend a lot of time extolling the virtues of heart-pounding, eyeball-obliterating, endurance-testing whitewater.  Class five nutsos–we have you covered!

But what if you have young kids?  Or you want to lower, not raise your heart rate?  What of the unsung glories of the gentle float trip?  Ah, the float trip……….the chance to laze in the sun, watch a family of ducks make its way from eddy to eddy, pick a blackberry or two, and have a good conversation. 

We designed our Tom Sawyer float trip to celebrate the smaller-scale beauties of the river with our smallest fans–young kids (and their parents)!  The trip is exclusively class I and II, meaning it’s all slow moving water and gentle riffles.  A slowly-paced afternoon on the South Fork with plenty of time to play and discover.  Inflatable kayaks for the more adventurous among you, and a tasty lunch for all in the shade of the Gold Rush era oaks at our River Center.

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How’s this for a biathlon of fun?  Come up for an American River rafting trip this Saturday, have a tasty dinner at Marco’s Pizza or Cafe Mahjaic (well, eat where you want, I’m just giving a little advice as a local, don’t you know…), and then on Sunday go STOMP GRAPES at David Girard Winery!  I’m sorry but that sounds awesome!!!  Grapes skins everywhere!  Purple juice staining every tee-shirt within a mile radius!  Your mom might not like it but Bacchus will be delighted and if summer isn’t a time for Bacchus I just don’t know when is…..

Get more details from Girard:  http://www.davidgirardvineyards.com/events.html  (scroll down till you get to the Grape Stomp info!)

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Don’t forget the annual American River Music Festival is coming up in the Coloma-Lotus Valley this September.  The multi-day festival is an extravaganza of folk–bluesy-rocky music, beautiful scenery, white water rafting on the South Fork of the American River, and what should be gorgeous weather.  The festival caters to folks of all ages, so feel free to bring the youngin’s along with you.  If you fancy the white water rafting trip you can do so with yours truly–and you’ll hear some lovely tunes played just for you along the riverbank as well.  Sounds pretty fab to me!

Get all the details–including ticket info, musical line-up and rafting trip reservations–at the American River Music Festival website.

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Here at our home-base on the South Fork of the American River we take lots of families with younger kids because the South Fork’s class III rapids are a great introduction to the sport.  Plus, we know from the letters we receive that family rafting trips are an activity that kids actually think is better than a video game–no really!  We get letters every year saying just that!  Scoff all you want, but it’s true.

For families wanting to stretch their trip into a weekend adventure there a lots of fun stuff to do in the valley.  For instance we have several awesome wineries.  Oh lord, I’m kidding.  No, I’m not advocating you take the wee ones out drinking.  Anyhoo.  The Marshall Gold Discovery Park is just down the road and that’s a great way to get good and close to some major American history.  You can see the sawmill, the old chinese store, and Native American grinding stones.  The hike up to the Sutter Memorial is pretty mellow and the view is great! 

Also in the park is the American River Conservancy’s Nature Center.  They have cool displays of local flora and fauna and lots of info for kids.  They also do cool activities like hikes and star-gazing evenings–check out their website for more info on that stuff. 

One more cool idea for fun after a family rafting trip is just to camp out for the night before or after your trip.  S’mores, a campfire, twinkling stars and some good old-fashioned conversation…..hide those blackberries, iPhones, and ear buds and live in the now!

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With the North Stan, North Fork American, Cal Salmon, Merced, and Kaweah Rivers but a distant memory, what’s a white water enthusiast to do?  Fold your cards, throw in the towel and head to the Lower American River for a boozy and soggy-sandwich filled float that ends with acid-reflux and a sunburn?  Not to bash that dream, but come on, there are better ideas out there.  The South and Middle Forks of the American the Tuolumne Rivers, thank you very much! (more…)

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