TR - Middle Fork of the American River - Auburn, CA

[derstuka]

For all that is curious. A buddy and I went rafting down the Middle Fork of the American River (which is in Auburn, CA, about 40 minutes from Sacramento, CA). This river is rated a class 4+. It has rapids from class 2 to 4+. It was my first rafting experience, and a wonderful one at that. We went 17 miles total, and spent about 7 hours on the river (including lunch). I took the right front spot, and subsequently, the worst of the punishment to be dealt, as we would usually come in cockeyed to the left (since the guide was on the right back), and my right front was constantly getting punished. The most exciting was probably both a rapid called "Last Chance" which is right before "Tunnel Chute" which was a nasty man made rapid created by miners followed by a tunnel, and another one which had a 8 foot waterfall drop. Most fun I have had in quite sometime. Sorry, but I couldn't manage to take really any pictures of the nasty rapids as I was a little preoccupied with paddling. The scenery was second to none. Just gorgeous...to bad my camera wasn't up to par. Get this, we drank beer at the end, as well as everybody else in the van including the driver as we cruised up a very bumpy road on a cliff...just like the good ole days!

Oh, we also hit Lake Tahoe (I went swimming in it) and cruised by the Sierras and Mono Lake on the way back to San Diego. The pictures from the way back are attached first.

[Sombeech]

Cool! Was that a waterproof camera?

[derstuka]

Cool! Was that a waterproof camera?

Yeah, it was a waterproof disposable. Got it at Best Buy. It worked ok for what I needed it for. It was too hard to take it out in time after a big rapid though. I was the only one from the two rafts with a camera. I just added some more pictures from our trip back from rafting, thru Lake Tahoe.

[Alex]

Looks fun man! Did anyone flip or fallen in?

I am working on a helmet camera, I will post the pics once it's done. I am heading to West Water canyon (Colorado river) in August for some rafting action.

[derstuka]

Looks fun man! Did anyone flip or fallen in?

I am working on a helmet camera, I will post the pics once it's done. I am heading to West Water canyon (Colorado river) in August for some rafting action.

Yeah, several people fell in. I didn't fall in until after that we hit the nasty rapids though. I stayed in for the hardest ones. We hit a big hole coming in and turning left, so I got hammered one after another with these waves as my corner of the raft fell down in the hole, and about the 2nd or 3rd large rapid/wave knocked me back and I could not maintain my balance. My buddy tried to grab me, but a rockwall was coming up so (thankfully) he let me go so I did not get crushed between the raft and the wall. I then went over a 3 foot waterfall and was held underneath for a few seconds by the water rushing down. I got battered by some rocks and waves for a little bit then. It was a little freaky, and the water was COLD! I managed to get back to the raft, and ride the rest of the trip without falling in.

Sounds like you have a fun trip planned. Make sure you give us some pics of that. Are you the one who has the waterproof digital? How are you going to carry it? I actually had a fanny pack strapped on, and it worked great. I actually zip-tied the buckle so I could not bump something and come off.

[stefan]

nice!! looks like you all had a rockin' time :2thumbs:

gotta love that drive on 395. what did that end up taking you from SD. did you take 5 up and 395 back? when's the next river trip...hooked yet?

[derstuka]

nice!! looks like you all had a rockin' time :2thumbs:

gotta love that drive on 395. what did that end up taking you from SD. did you take 5 up and 395 back? when's the next river trip...hooked yet?

It was an excellent time to put it mildly. :rockon: I am hooked, and actually looking at doing a river closer to SD. Not sure if it will happen, but I would like it to. Most problem is finding some one adventurous enough, who can foot the cost of it.

Yes, the 395 is such a beautiful drive, I just love it. Probably one of the prettiest major roads (as in highways) I have been on. Lake Tahoe is just so gorgeous as well. We took the 5 to the 99 to the 80 (east from Sac) on the way up, and as you guessed, we took the 395 back till it hit the 15 freeway about half-hour outside of San Bern-A-Shithole. In Auburn, we crossed over the highest bridge in CA, and it happened to be the one that the scene from XXX (Vin Deisel) where the covette was jumped off the bridge. You ever stopped and checked out Mono lake off the 395? I mean, close up down the dirt roads around it? Pretty eerie place, but beautiful.

Man, I must be going crazy! I thought that I put this thread in the Rafting section, not kayaking. Shouldn't kayaking and rafting be together anyways? Well, the mods can move it if they want.

[stefan]

Lake Tahoe is just so gorgeous as well.


absolutely!



You ever stopped and checked out Mono lake off the 395? I mean, close up down the dirt roads around it? Pretty eerie place, but beautiful.


yup! very cool. i have to admit, pink floyd first turned me on to the tufa. have you ever been to the ancient bristlecone forest in the white mountains? if not, that's a worthwhile place too, if you like trees, especially old gnarled ones..




Shouldn't kayaking and rafting be together anyways? Well, the mods can move it if they want.

Well, i don't know if you read one of the noob threads, but there was talk of making a whitewater section, mixed with rafting and kayaking. then either creating a new section for the rest or removing it all together.

http://uutah.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2872

[Alex]

derstuka, yes I do have Pentax W10. I bought a ballhead tripod mount and going to mount it on my whitewater helment, then attached the camera to it. So then I set my camera to interval shooting (every 10 secods) and hit the rapids. Or just do a movie mode.

I will post the pictures of my project, it will be similiar to somebeoch's helmet.

[James_B_Wads2000]

Nice TR Der Stuka, :2thumbs:

Hey wait a minute isn

[stefan]

ask, derstuka, and you shall receive...those thread titles have changed, and your post magically in the right place.

very nice :2thumbs:

[derstuka]

[quote=James_B_Wads2000]Nice TR Der Stuka, :2thumbs:

Hey wait a minute isn

[derstuka]

yup! very cool. i have to admit, pink floyd first turned me on to the tufa. have you ever been to the ancient bristlecone forest in the white mountains? if not, that's a worthwhile place too, if you like trees, especially old gnarled ones..


Never been to the white mtns...I will definitely look into it though. Sounds sweet!