Cali Roadtrip: Part 1

Almost directly from the Embudo race I began driving in search of the granite wonderland known as California. The back-breaking fifteen hour drive was rewarded with the ever rising South Merced. While camped at Yosemite a bear had broken into my truck and eaten all of my food, so I armed myselfwith a healthy supply of gas station peanuts headed to the multi day classic.

Getting my game-face on

Christian Cook in an early rapid

Louis in Super Slide

Tom Janney charging the high water.

From the South Merced I headed up to the South Yuba where less than agree able weather, and less than agree able dam keepers made for some desperate days of paddling. Nonetheless I got out to paddle in some miserable snowstorms as pictured above on the summit run (Will Pruett photo).

Fleeing from the weather I headed up to the South Branch of the Feather for some Disneyland waterfalls. Here's Tom Janney enjoying some airtime

Rolf Kelly wishing he was inner-tubing

The next several days remain undocumented because my camera was out of batteries but several high water cali-classics were enjoyed before the flows stopped cooperating. Three days later while hanging out in a bar Nevada City Drew Duvall mentioned that the erratic Chawanikee Gorge of the the San Joaquin was hanging on the high side of good at around 850 cfs. By two in the morning we were at the take out and after a few hours of sleep we set out to find the put in. I have never seen a flow graph as erratic as the Chawanikee. While we were in it the water spiked from about 900 to near 1500 and back down making for exciting but very enjoyable boating.

The Chawanikee Put in

Jason Hale fighting some savage boils to get where he needs to be.

Anyway, that's all that I have time to put up now but check back for some shots of Kaweah, Kimshew, and more. Nate