The story on the Kaweah River, in Southern California, is a little confusing.  If you google water stats for the Kaweah you’ll see numbers that are a little higher than what we reported in our “flow prediction report” a little while back.  Here’s why:  Snow water content in the Kaweah Watershed is at around 120% of normal this year. However, since 2007 was pretty dry, the ground and plant life is prepped to soak up a lot of the run-off this spring.  This means less will flow into the river, which is why we are predicting that this will be a “normal” rather than a “high water” year.

The reason this is still good news for Southern California rafters is that the 2008 season on the Kaweah will be longer than it was last year, when there weren’t very many weekends the river was running at great flows.  We think the river will peak sometime around the Memorial Day Holiday weekend.

If you’ve never rafted the class IV whitewater of the Kaweah River Canyon, check out the video we shot there last summer to give you a taste……office cubicle one day, screamin’ whitewater the next.  Cowboy up!

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Since the first eruption on May 1st, Chaiten has erupted two more times, covering neighboring regions with 15 inches of ash.  The photographs we’ve seen look like a snowy winter evening–not the green South American landscape we know and love.  Many people in the area have been forced to evacuate, but others are trying to stay behind to care for livestock and property.

One of our guides works with a kayaking school based in the area and she told us that it has started collecting aid through an organization called the Futaleufu Relief Fund.  Run by the Rane family, this fund will distribute badly need aid like water filters, first aid, and dust masks.  The group is also helping clean up destroyed property, dead livestock, and the many tons of ash.  All funds collected will go directly towards rebuilding this incredible town and river valley.

All-Outdoors has close ties with the Futaleufu River, and we are establishing contact with the families we know and love in the area.  We will be focusing our attention in that direction and will keep you updated.  If you would like to contribute to the Rane family’s efforts we know they–and the people devestated by this unexpected natural disaster–will be grateful.  You can email them at futarelief@gmail.com for more information.

Above: The road out of Futaleufu…

Left: Ash covers the area’s simple homes…

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If April is warm, the snow can melt early and take some of the zest out of water flows in May and June. This was not the case in 2008. In fact we will have April flows in May and May flows in June! The rafting has been great since we inflated our first rafts in early April and shoved off from shore, and it looks like it is about to get better. As of this week temperatures are beginning to raise both during the day and at night, so the snow melt is picking up speed and so are the rivers.

Free flowing rivers without man made dams like the Merced, North Fork of the American, Kaweah, North Stanislaus and Cal Salmon will have slightly longer seasons than anticipated but higher flows. Dam controlled rivers like the South and Middle Forks of the American, and the Tuolumne will have higher flows in May and early June and then shift into a consistent pattern for the duration of summer and into fall.

If you are looking for higher water flows and more exciting rafting, try to schedule your trip for May and the first half of June because every river will be running at it’s highest flow of the year. If you want hot summer days, no wet suit requirement, and good dependable flows, go in late June, July, August, or September…there is plenty of water to last all season!

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I digress.  Here’s the idea: Come up to the Gold Country on the Mother’s Day holiday weekend….  On Saturday the 10th the American River Conservancy is hosting a free guided hike exploring the Serpantine Habitat at Traverse Creek.  Naturalist Robert is going to guide the hike, which is mellow and easy.  (For more info on this event and other cool stuff the Conservancy is up to, visit their website.) Then, the next day,  Raft the South Fork American for an adventerous wrap up of a nature filled weekend.

What to do in between you ask?  What, you want even more to do?  Well ok, if it was me, I’d go wine tasting at a local winery (Venezio, Gold Hill, and David Girard are all really close) after the hike, and then have dinner at Cafe Mahjaic in Lotus.  If you stay at the Lotus Inn, which is right next door to the Cafe, you just could not get any more convenient.  If you feel like camping check out Camp Lotus–they’re about a mile away from Cafe Mahjaic.

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Though our state flower has already displayed most of it’s gorgeous seasonal colors, you still can catch a glimpse of perennial beauties such as lupin, coreopsis, calendula along the South Fork canyon of the American River. There is plenty of color to be seen in early May when you raft down the Upper section of the South Fork just above its most infamous rapid, Trouble Maker. Rafting in April ensures that you see the greatest abundance of wildflowers but the river continues to provide treats for those who play in its waters and visit its shores. Next up, riverside blackberries in late summer!

Above/Right: Lupin in the hills above the Upper South Fork American.

Below: Thousands of springtime poppies pepper Mt. Murphy in April.

The American River Conservancy will host a hike up Mt. Murphy this Saturday, May 3rd from 9am to 1pm. Check out their site for more details:

www.arconservancy.com

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Our July 19th trip combines some of the best receation the Gold Country has to offer–whitewater rafting and wine tasting. A little lux, a little adventure……..sounds pretty sweet to me! Napa and Sonoma may be more famous, but the Sierra Foothills are becoming more and more well known as the awards and accolades continue to roll in. Our first wine trip this summer will partner up with Boeger Winery–which has been making rich Barberas and unusual varietals like Tempranillo and Charbono since 1972.

Details on the trip:

• When: Saturday July 19
• Where: We’ll meet at our River Center in Lotus, California, at 9:00am.
• What: Raft first! Lunch and wine second! After rafting the Upper section of the South Fork of the American River we’ll have a fabulous lunch, taste a flight of Boeger’s wines, and learn a little something about the Sierra Foothills appelation and Boeger Winery’s history. Boeger’s staff will be on the trip so the wine will be poured by the folks who know it best.
• Cost: This trip is $175, and includes a one day rafting trip, lunch, and wine tasting. All equipment, shuttles, taxes and fees are included.

For more information, give our office a ring (800) 247-2387 or email Malina at Malina@aorafting.com

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