Cali Love 2010

My trip started on April 29th in front of my house looking at my truck covered in snow. I  headed to Steamboat for one last day of work before the annual RCRE spring Cali trip.   I only had to make it til 2 p.m. and then..... 10 days of freedom....  Cali baby!!!  The crew had the truck packed by 3:00 and we were on the road.  

Fisher's truck cruising through Lake Tahoe heading to the UMC. Photo Marty Smith

We headed for Tahoe and the Cosumnes. I drove through the night to wake up the next morning in the drivers seat passed out in a Super Wal-Mart parking lot.  We got supplies, got lost a couple of times, and put on the Cosumnes for our first time ever at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.  Its only 4 miles, how hard could it be?

First Stop Upper Middle Cosumnes, here is a link to Mcquoids blog that we used for beta. We had a higher flow of 425cfs.

Kevin Fisher styling one of the many clean drops.  

Photo: Martin Smith

Marty cleaning it up.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Eric making it look to easy.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Duckyman firing off into a huge hole.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Fisher running it switch.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Marty loving Cali.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Overall the UMC is well worth doing, but I'd recommend an earlier put on time.  We eventually got to the take out at 8:30 p.m.  There are access issues at the put-in.  Be respectful and courteous to the homeowners at the put in.  It is a very private and secluded neighborhood.  There is talk of putting up a gate to keep kayakers out.  Don't screw this up, play it super low key!

A massive storm system came in and changed the itinirary.   We head for good weather and perfect flows.  When the Kern drainage has water it is off the hook!

Brush Creek with water? Photos taken with 2.5 to 3 on the bridge gauge.

Kevin Fisher showing us how to boof!  Photo: Dan Piano

Marty routing through.  Photo: Dan Piano

Fisher dropping the main set of slides.  Photo: Dan Piano

Mayo in the s-turn slide.  Photo: Dan Piano

Eric on his third lap.  Photo: Dan Piano

Marty about to run into me.  Photo: Dan Piano

Dropping! Photo: Dan Piano

Dan in the lower mank section.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Marty and Dan hiking back up.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Dan going for the no paddle boof.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Ducky on his fifth lap.  Photo Adam Mayo

Ducky keeping it real.  Photo: Dan Piano

Marty stepped up for the day and ran it seven times.  I ended up pitoning and cracking the nose of my kayak. Brush is a low stress blast.  Our flows peaked around 3 on the gauge serving up great times but more water in this creek would be sick.

The following morning we ended up running into Eric Giddens and Geno at our base camp in the parking lot.  They were heading up to run Upper Brush Creek - the "UBC" sucka.  It hasn't run in four years due to drought.  Our crew from Colorado specializes in running wood mank.  Come to Cali and run a manky wood infested creek? Sure.  It turns out the UBC is legit.  It starts out a little manky, but I think we put in too high on the creek.  As you go on it just gets better and better.  Check out Giddens's write up on his blog.

Here are some photos.

Hiking in past Alder Creek.  If I went again I would follow this creek down.  Eric Giddens

More hiking.  Photo: Dan Piano

 Crew preparing.  Photo: Marty Smith

                            

The put-in.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Fisher feeling at home in the deep willow mank.  Photo: Dan Piano

Ducky styling.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Mayo unit.  Photo: Dan Piano

Giddens dropping one of the early ones.  Photo: Martin Smith

  

Marty BOOF!  Photo: Eric Giddens

Dan BOOF!  Photo: Eric Giddens

Fisher BOOF!  Photo: Eric Giddens

Dan lining up the pot hole drop.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Marty on the pot hole.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Fisher.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Giddens showing the line.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Duckyman firing on all cylinders! Photo: Eric Giddens

Fisher coming through the bottom. Eric Giddens

Eric probing the clapper.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Dan lining up for the mega clap.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Fisher about to clap.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Dan about to drop the big slide on the second part of

 the clapper as Ducky watches from the pool. 

Photo: Adam Mayo

Mayo charging! Photo: Dan Piano

Giddens making it look easy. Photo: Dan Piano

Geno, one of our guides. showing us how it's done. Photo: Eric Giddens

Duckyman hiking out.  Awesome day!

I highly recommend this creek.  Kernville folks need to clean this thing!

The weather was still lingering north and we were pretty cashed from the day prior so we decided to run the main Kern at 2000.  It was a super fun day with some classic rapids.  Here are some highlights.

Fisher dropping lower salmon falls.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Read and run.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Eric saying peace to the Kern.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Kernville was good to us this year!  The weather was clearing up north and we headed for the Kaweah.

All the flows in the Kaweah drainage were high so we decided to go run the North Fork of the Kaweah. We met up with Kevin Dombey for some North Fork action.

Marty, Eric, and Dan Wait for the shuttle in the rain.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Dombey on the first drop. Photo: Adam Mayo 

Please donate gear to Kevin. Photo: Dan Piano

Fisher probing Cherry Falls. Photo: Dan Piano

Dombey on his second lap.  Photo: Dan Piano

Dan getting a boof.  Photo: Kevin Dombey

The North Fork has a ton of other awesome rapids that we did not get photos of.  If the Kaweah is on the high side check this thing out!

That night at Three Rivers Hideaway.  Photo: Dan Piano

The next day heading to Sequoia.  Photo: Dan Piano

Up Next Hospital Rock at 1400.

Marty firing it up! Photo: Adam Mayo

Dan on one of the upper rapids. Photo: Adam Mayo

Eric showing the line.  Photo: Dan Piano

Kaweah is sick.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Hospital Rock is about as classic as it gets.  

Last but not least we wrapped up the trip on the Tule at 375 (perfect flow).

Later Kaweah.   Photo: Dan Piano

Adam firing up one of the many super fun slides.  Photo: Dan Piano

Dan on another slide.  Photo: Adam Mayo

Marty cleaning it up! Photo: Dan Piano

Eric lining it up.  Photo: Dan Piano

Fisher looks on as Duckyman fires up El Norte Caliepas.  Photo: Dan Piano

Marty on El Norte.  Photo: Dan Piano

Only in Cali!  Photo: Adam Mayo

Look at this place! Are you kidding me!  Photo: Dan Piano

Fisher.  Photo: Dan Piano

Dan getting one last boof!  Photo: Adam Mayo

Until next time....