Even the little things are epic...

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 we were lucky to have a big ol' diesel truck in the party, but we were all ready to hike our gear down the hill. The hillsides were spotted with black from the devastating fires of last year and the vibrant orange California poppies of this years' spring. The run was a short class II section, and really beautiful. It was one of those reminders about how fulfilling just being on a river can be. Being together, being ourselves, interacting with each other and the environment completely free from the distractions of modernity.  

A week later  we ran another section that was new to us on the South Yuba River, class IV, continuous, exciting and beautiful. At 3000 feet I could really sense that subtle shift from winter to spring in the air, in the trees and in the crystal clear water below me. The continuity of the rapids was exhilarating and left one member of our group (Daniel Jenkins) staring longingly down river at take out thinking about the epic class V run below.

I love the excitement of rafting, I love the beauty, I love the peace and I love how rafting always reminds me that even the little things are epic. 

-Sarah Vee