... 'cause it's all about the water.

[johnd]

There's always ALF. We're a friendly bunch us southern boys.

Go East, Young Man!

[valhallalongboats]

I've driven along the Eel many times when I was working over there, but never ran it. A good friend said there was a nice class II run on the lower section...he was unspecific as to precisely where I was never that interested when I had the Upper Sac, Trinity, and many others much closer.

[valhallalongboats]

There's always ALF. We're a friendly bunch us southern boys.

Go East, Young Man!

It always seems like going 'backwards' to me.

[johnd]

In some ways paddling in the East is going forward because it is more organized. There are some pretty good paddling events back East, like ALF, and Week of Rivers Fourth of July week. I went to Week of Rivers and it was a lot of fun, it's super organized, and you can run a different river every day.

[valhallalongboats]

I was just teasing our eastern brethren. I am well aware they have a good deal more going on than we do out west. Exactly WHY this should (still) be I'm not sure...but it is. California, in particular, should be home to tens of thousands more boaters with all the whitewater available...but we're not. If it doesn't rain more, we're all gonna have to go east!

-Rob

[johnd]

Since we've had this discussion about all of the great runs in California, not to mention the original topic regarding the need for rain, what about the Eel River Pillsbury Run, Scott Dam to Bucknell Creek? I never hear anyone talking about running this, but it sounds like a fine Class III run, OK down to 300 CFS if the guidebook is to be believed. Could be extended to 8 miles.

[Larry Horne]

Yes John, Pillsbury is a great class III run. It's a deep, remote feeling canyon with lot's of fun little rapids. I spent many many days on that one. The only thing keeping it from stardom is the longish shuttle and lack of healthy flows. 300 is ok, but it can handle much more. Trouble is it starts at the base of a dam so what they release is all you get.. untill it spills OVER...I remember one day we had 7,500 cfs.
Another good III run (my 1st class III) is what we call Outlet Creek to Dos Rios. It's on the Eel, along Hwy 162, and starts at outlet creek and ends down by the middle fork eel at Dos Rios. Roadside run, easy shuttle. It's a pretty dependable rain fed run... it's a big watershed. And it's a big riverbed so it's runnable at a HUGE range of flows. Lot's of sac. and bay area boaters used to, and probably still do, come over to run it.

[Carol]

Dos Rios on the Eel, multi-day trip class II-III ?

Don't forget Hayden - Cedar on the Trinity, a nice solid Class II and at lower flows I'd say "Picket Fence" turns into a class III

and yes it is raining today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And someone once told me that one can turn even a II- run into a class III+ run by "pushing" yourself. Its all a matter of attitude, think his name was Neal.

C

[valhallalongboats]

If it's Mr. Rucker you are thinking of, its spelled 'Neil', and yeah, he does say that . If the run is too easy, there are always ways to make it harder! AND ITS RAINING! It's been raining for 2 days and looks like its going to rain for two more! Woo Hoo baby!! We may not be doomed yet!

[Carol]

that's the man

[johnd]

How about an late spring/early summer rendezvous, all of the runs in the list above? That would be pretty cool. Or a mid-summer Tuolumne rendezvous would be good too. And maybe a Gorge rendezvous would be worthwhile. Having proposed the idea, I am now passing the torch to someone else to organize it.

[truckeeboater]

I'm definitely down for some type of CA class II-IV get-together. +1 on not having time or energy to perform formal organizational duties, tho...