The All-Outdoors Whitewater Rafting California River Blog

The South Fork of the American River is the most popular white water rafting run in California for many great reasons. It’s an ideal introduction to whitewater rafting, it’s great for all types of groups (family trips, corporate groups, bachelor(ette) parties), it flows throughout the entire summer, and it’s only an hour from Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. Last summer we filmed a short video with entertaining and informative footage of a South Fork American River rafting trip:

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After a winter hitting the slopes or (more likely) spending far too much time indoors, the North Fork American River is often one of the first whitewater trips of the year . . . the perfect “welcome back to the river” outing for many AO guides and guests alike. We recently launched a wonderful video of a North Fork rafting trip from last spring:



The American River system has three forks–the North, South and Middle Forks–and all have their charms.  But for springtime rafting trips, the North Fork takes the cake.  It may not have the flood of poppies nature unleashes on the slopes of Mount Murphy in Coloma above the South Fork, and it may not have the celebrity status of the Middle Fork’s Tunnel Chute rapid, but it does have beautiful green water rushing past Read more…

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With the weather starting to warm up and spring fever setting in, the question on our mind is what’s in store for whitewater rafters this year. After compiling data from the Department of Water Resources, and comparing it to information from other seasons, it adds up to good flows across the state for the 2008 California whitewater rafting season.

Read more…

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The 2008 season is open and we’re looking at a great season in 2008. Flows will consistent and fun.. get all the details in this months issue.

In this issue:
2008 Predictions & Flow Report
20% Spring Rafting Discount

Read this month’s issue of the AO eNews

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As of a couple weeks ago, spring officially arrived–although the blooming poppies on the upper  South Fork of the American River, the green hills outside our River office, and frankly the sneezing and coughing from the clouds of petals, pollen and dust swirling with every breeze are as good a sign as anything.

It’s already over but it was a full winter indeed at All-Outdoors:  We had three babies born, traveled to Germany, Costa Rica, Argentina and Chile,  (uh, hello, is there a reason that I wasn’t one of the traveling people? I have a new passport and everything!) . . . . seven of us worked across the U.S. making it snow for holiday displays……. people competively skiied in Tahoe, dug themselves out of snow drifts, and gave snow mobile tours…..some of us studied watershed management, others Persian literature….trees were planted and fences built at our River Center, we substitute taught, worked on websites, welded, joined political campaigns (go democracy!), refurbished trailors, hunted for mushrooms and–surprize surprize–rafted California Rivers.

The sun’s out, but don’t pack up your beenies and wool socks quite yet–it’s high time to start thinking about some spring rafting. The season has begun!

(Above: The North Fork of the American River runs only in spring time so start planning now.  Check out our brand-new North Fork Video too!)

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Last week we launched some new California rafting videos, shot on our river trips last summer. We just added another one, of Cherry Creek, a river one of our guests described as “transcendent and transformative.”

Whether you’re an arm-chair adventurer or the real deal, check out our new video, which gives you a virtually-guided tour of the Class-V extravaganza that is the AO Cherry Creek trip. We’ve been out on the Creek since the 1980s, and even though we love family-friendly rivers like the South Fork, there are some of us that pretty much live for Cherry Creek I am not one of those people, because I am a wimp, but even I love the video.

After you watch the Cherry Creek video, check out our new “Cherry Creek frequently asked questions” page to learn more about these remarkable trips. Because class V rafting is a challenge, we’ve found that people tend to have lots of questions–so we thought we’d give you quick answers to some of the easy ones. Call us if we missed anything (800-24-RAFTS).

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It’s official people:  The ribbon has been cut, the champagne bottle has been smashed, the billed passed the House and the Senate, the treaty has been ratified, the train left the station, the rubber has met the road.

The 2008 California rafting season is open and we are ready.  To raft. And raft and raft and raft until our shorts are threadbare and our chaco tans have left us stripier than an old-fashioned barber pole.

 What are you waiting for?  Join us for what we do best: running the sweet sweet whitewater of California rivers…………………

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The 2008 California whitewater rafting season will officially open for business next week, but until then, wet yer whistle and get a taste of what’s ahead in the virtual world of the internet.  Just surf on over real easy like to our website, where we have just posted VIDEOS of our trips on seven California rivers!

Check out all out the videos on the blog:

• South Fork American River - Class III
• Middle Fork American River - Class IV
• Merced River - Class IV
• Tuolumne River - Class IV
• North Fork American River - Class IV+
• Kaweah River - Class IV+
• Cherry Creek - Class V

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Applications are comin’ in and people are getting ready to power down some serious whitewater rafting experience at the All-Outdoors whitewater guide school this April.  Our guide school is a great way to learn the basics of what it takes to become a professional whitewater rafting guide in California. 

(Above: You’ll learn valuable skills like how to have fun sitting on a bag of gear in the Tuolumne  River warehouse….) 

 Our instructors will introduce you to skills like reading water, running rapids, equipment 101, safety and crisis management, and cooking like a pro in the wilderness.  After our whitewater rafting school you’ll know your thwart from your thole pins, your softie bag from your splash jacket, and your trucker’s hitch from your t-grip.

(Right: If you study hard and practice a lot, someday you too will T-off waves, row massive gear boats, and if you’re lucky, cook eggs as perfect as Kyle’s . . . )

You may wake up slightly damp in your tent, you may have pruney hands for a week, you may stay up and get smoke in your eyes around the campfire and go to bed with leaves in your hair–but you’ll also spend long satisfying days on the South Fork of the American River, learn rafting basics from our fabulous (in our opinion!) senior guides, and, let’s face it, you’ll just have fun, pure and simple. 

(Above:  After graduation, this becomes your “corner office with a view.”  Lots of air conditioning, side benefits include buff arms and a chaco tan….)

Check out our Guide School Application and get started!

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I just learned about a Congressional bill that has been introduced to protect 17,000 acres of riparian environment along the Sacramento River near Redding.  The area includes Salmon fisheries, Blue Oak trees, and many species of birds including the Bald Eagle (hey–if you can’t find space in this great country for our national bird what have things come to?!).  Two creeks–Battle and Paynes–that flow into this area of the Sacramento River are up for possible “Wild and Scenic Status,” and would be included in the protected area.  California already has several designated “Wild and Scenic” status rivers, and if you’ve ever rafted the Tuolumne or Merced River  canyons you know how wonderful it is to have these special areas set aside for both nature and recreation.

(Above:  A quiet morning on the Tuolumne River  gives us a chance to relax and hang out with friends in a protected nature area……)   Read more…

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