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 trips on the South Fork have felt particularly special. After 4 years of below average snow pack, the river is on the higher side and late Spring rains have kept the hillsides emerald green and the white buckeye flowers stand brilliantly amongst abundant leaves.
Early Spring was mostly cool in Coloma. But the cooler weather didn't stop people from getting out on the South Fork and couldn't stop us from showing them the river in true River Runners style.
In April a six year old boy rode up front with a gapped toothed smile just being pummeled by the huge waves created by 3000 cubic feet per second of water on the Chili Bar section. He couldn't get enough. That was until he convinced me to jump in the river with him. We both thought that was enough!
The next day the water was higher but we were taking a river mom, her kids and their aunt who also was a guide once, so we knew they could handle it. The water was pushing hard downstream and we had to work to take a break. Stopping to eat lunch we peeled off our wetsuits and went hiking to see the wildflowers that were bursting orange all over the hills. It was not long before we all got that feeling of being lost in the canyon and of being overwhelmed by the beauty and abundance of nature. There were seemingly endless varieties of flowers. It felt like a different world up there. What would have been a short eight mile river trip at high water on the South Fork turned into an unforgettable all day adventure with sunshine and all.
Then the Boy Scouts really made our May by deciding to come up on a very rainy Mother's Day weekend. It rained Friday night, and Saturday morning. We had to take the Boy Scouts on a hike at lunch to warm up. When we came back the river had come up a lot and a lagoon was forming in front of our lunch site. There was electricity in the air. Boaters were excited. The river peaked at 4200 cubic feet per second. The waves were huge! The only casualty was a single shoe that went down river when one of the troop leaders excitedly paddled himself out of the boat at Satan's Cesspool. Then it rained Saturday night and Sunday morning too and the river peaked at 4000 cfs again as we were taking the Boy Scouts down river in inflatable kayaks to earn their whitewater merit badges. It was an exciting and cold two day adventure. It took a lot of hot chocolate but man were these kids troopers!
After a week of hot weather, it hailed at Camp Lotus today so Summer isn't quite here yet and there is still time for more magical South Fork Spring journeys. But as May inevitably turns into June we are getting ready to say hello to long days on the on the South Fork swimming and playing in that liquid air-conditioning.
Sarah V
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