“Tenderly, he looked into the rushing water, into the transparent green, into the crystal lines of its drawing, so rich in secrets. Bright pearls he saw rising from the deep, quiet bubbles of air floating on the reflecting surface, the blue of the sky being depicted in it. With a thousand eyes, the river looked at him, with green ones, with white ones, with crystal ones, with sky-blue ones... he wanted to learn from it, he wanted to listen to it. He who would understand this water and its secrets, so it seemed to him, would also understand many other things, many secrets, all secrets ”
— -Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
Summer in Camp Lotus has that smell of lingering wood smoke in the cool morning air and that sound of rustling leaves against the constant but faint roar of the river. Summer seemed to arrive so suddenly this year. From jackets to sunscreen, the temperature jumped into the hundreds and sent us plunging into that ice cold water of the South Fork of the American River.
As the first groups began to flow through our camp for both one day and two day trips, each day on the river blossomed into an unforgettable and unique experience; swimming in rapids, eddies and pools, jumping off rocks, swimming through rocks and of course getting soaked in awesome class three rapids.
River Runners has been getting real this summer. It is as if all the awesome authentic creativity of the past has been condensed into something tangible. I have been calling it, 'Intentional Rafting'. Don't get me wrong, we haven't gone serious - there is plenty of the old joking and horsing around, but everything we do is aimed at one outcome - to provide the best river rafting experience we possibly can to everyone who comes through our camp.
What that looks like is different for everyone and it takes a bunch of adventurous yet sensitive souls like our crew to navigate each trip as artfully as they have been doing!
Our guides have amazed me over the last month - cranking out applause winning dinners after a long river day, taking kids on a swim after cooking a hamburger lunch when they could be off work and generally just being so patient, accommodating and inspired.
It has been such a great summer so far, I am excited to see what happens next!
-Sarah Vee
When John and I took over River Runners in 2015 we could only do so with the support of the Centers. Bill and Robin Center own Camp Lotus where River Runners operates. For years their tireless work on the camp ground has provided a beautiful green oasis throughout the dry hot summers. John and I … Read more
1. Class III Rafting is Fun I know, it’s kind of obvious right? If you have been rafting before, you know how much fun it is. If you haven’t you should come and find out for yourself. Whether you are just floating down a calm pool chatting with friends or if you are slamming through … Read more
In March of 2018, River Runners discovered a trash problem on the Chamberlain Falls section of the the North Fork of the American River near Auburn, California. The North Fork of the American River is a beautiful free flowing river that is usually spared from pollution due to the inaccessibility of its narrow gorges. Much … Read more
From the parking lot 400 vertical feet above the put-in, it’s easy to feel intimidated. At first sight the river falls over a ledge, crashes into a rock, and spits a rooster tail wave into the air. The setting is stunning. A quarter mile downstream from put-in a magnificent waterfall cascades into the river in … Read more
It’s a hot spring day and two yellow school buses squeal their breaks and come to a halt. With the engine idling the roar of the students rivals that of the river nearby. The raft guides are smiling and waving, muttering “here we go” under their breath, readying themselves for the 60 hormonal sweaty teenagers … Read more
I met my husband nine years ago. He was traveling in my home country of Australia and invited me to travel with him so I went. A few days later we were north of Perth. After breakfast he stood up creating a stir among the flies and said, ‘I am going for a hike. I … Read more
I’ve been a professional river guide for 40 years and would like to share a few notions. River guiding is a community event. The degree that the guides cooperate determines the amount of enjoyment on a river trip. I’d like to thank all the river guides whom I’ve had the pleasure to work with over … Read more
Living by the river forces me to be flexible. It’s always changing here so I have learned not to get too comfortable with the way things are. It’s a good thing, because this past winter turned out to be the biggest precipitation year since 1983. We had never seen the river get so high. … Read more
Two Days with River Runners When you go whitewater rafting with River Runners it kind of feels like you are part of a secret society. If you have been rafting with us before you may have noticed other companies’ guides call out ‘yeah River Runners!’ as they pass us playing in the river somewhere. River … Read more
The South Fork of the American River breaks its banks in Placerville California, January 2017. From The River Runners’ Headquaters on The South Fork of the American River – Placerville, California It’s raining. A lot. As I write, there is a torrential downpour obscuring the view out of the windows and hammering on the rooftop. … Read more
Over the course of this past amazing summer I have given a lot of thought to what sets River Runners apart on the South Fork of the American River. It is not just all the extra curricular activities we do, like swimming, jumping off of rocks and stopping to skip rocks and pick berries, it … Read more
“Tenderly, he looked into the rushing water, into the transparent green, into the crystal lines of its drawing, so rich in secrets. Bright pearls he saw rising from the deep, quiet bubbles of air floating on the reflecting surface, the blue of the sky being depicted in it. With a thousand eyes, the river looked … Read more
There is a lot of work involved in setting up River Runners. A lot of building, painting, digging and lots of talking. Yes a lot of things that don’t have much to do with that passion of ours – rafting. But all this pre-season busy work just makes Spring rafting even sweeter. This Spring, rafting … Read more
As the weather warms, rivers run, the lilacs bloom and the poppies burst…we venture out into rivers known and unknown to us. We went on an exploratory mission to find a short section of the Mokelumne River that we had never been on before. The road was washed out by the heavy winter rains and … Read more