To boat or float this weekend, that is the question.

[Ronnie]

i realize it’s a loaded question considering the name of this site I but my family has other palms this weekend so I can do what I want. Either boat solo to I don’t know where or go white water rafting 21 miles down the American River near Sacramento, CA.

The cost is about the same unless I stay overnight where it costs a lot less to camp at the site before rafting than a hotel room the night of boating would. Both options are all day events. Rafting starts promptly at 8a and is 3hrs away but all I have to do is show up unlike boating where I would have to Hook up, trailer the boat 1.5 hours away, and fuel the boat. I boated the entire last weekend of July. I did a half day rafting trip on July 4th. I have boated in my local waters many times, i have never rafted the entire length of the Sacramento River.

 

[sethman919]

White water rafting the American River is awesome. I say go for it.

 

[—Яiвs>]

X2 on rafting

 

[seanmclean]

I'd go rafting. I don't enjoy solo-boating all that much.

 

[Mainah]

I have done a lot of boating this year. I did not do my annual white water trip (dates conflicted with Bimini) and really missed it. That said I missed my friends more than the class 4 and 5 rapids.

If you ever get the chance hit up the Kennebec river in Maine on the first Monday after the 4th of July. During the annual generator check. about 10k CFS of wild white water is ragging. I recommend a private trip taking out at midway driving back to the top and hitting the big water a second time before going the rest of the way down with two rafts. Tell the guide that you are ready for a direct and well timed hit on Maytag. Just hang on to that T handle (unlike me in the video like below) even when you are up to 15 ft in the air if at the bow. This video was taken before the gen check with about 8k CFS. So the big day is all about 20% bigger. There is a good chance that someone will end up out of the raft at some point but that is part of the fun. Just don’t waste time hauling their butt back in.

 

[Whisky]

+1 Rafting, I love boating, but sometimes we have to miss a day or two for another once in a lifetime opportunity. Sounds like this could be a great one!

 

[F.M.]

I had to cancel my annual Ocoee rating trip this year, so I say rafting. Since you enjoy rafting, if you're ever in the southeast TN area, you should try the full river trip on the Ocoee. The Olympic section on the upper Ocoee is amazing.

 

[BlkGS]

I'd go rafting too, you can go boating whenever. Rafting youd want to make sure it's not too cold for!

 

[Ronnie]

Thanks guys, I just booked a rafting trip with up to class iii rapids, 21 miles total with pretrip overnight camping and lunch the day of included. See link if interested. I paid only $80 which is 50% off list because I rafted with them on already this season.

https://raftcalifornia.com/south-fork-american-river-rafting/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv_KGpf_i3AIVioV-Ch21ewz5EAAYASABEgLXZvD_BwE&keyword=chid.1.custid.6476857079.092af7c2-655b-4827-9e21-a0ae846f09b3.kwidt.kwd-360900852437.adgidt.51612738225.campidt.1043589497&_vsrefdom=p.6665

My gear is in the car so I will go there directly from work today. If the 17 mike trip with class iii to v rapids opens up I will switch to that instead. A little bummed that my son would rather stay home and hunt pokemon with his friends but his summer is almost over and he is becoming more independent daily so I get it.

On a semi related note I visited North Carolina in July and found that the u.s. white water rafting center is located there. They have zip lining and hiking too, I didn’t get to visit the site but will if I return.

 

[Ronnie]

I have done a lot of boating this year. I did not do my annual white water trip (dates conflicted with Bimini) and really missed it.

Go Monkey!!!

I’m camping next to the river now and on the wait list for the class iii to v run tomorrow. I hope someone cancels because of the “smoke/unhealthy air” from one of the numerous wildfires burning in California right now. I’m not sure where the nearest one is but suspect the fires to the west near Wine county and to the north in Shasta county are within 150 miles of here. It is a little hazy on here in gold country but no more so than LA most of the time. Maybe one of the other rafters on the class iii to v run will be too jaded to raft in such conditions. Can I get an optimistic rating? If not I will still have a good or great time on the class iii run.

 

[Ronnie]

I was able to get on the early tour with up to class v rapids. Started in boats with a bachelor party of 10 but moved to a raft with a few people who have never met before. It’a already hot out at 9am and we are have a good time in the van to the drop in site. It’s going to be a great day.

Here is pic of the tallest bridge in CA (I will get the name later). It was built in anticipation of a damn that was not built and is best known as the bridge Vin Deisel drove/jumped a corvette off of in the movie XXX back around 2003.

 

[Ronnie]

Ok, I came, I saw, I conquered not saw, conquered and came but in the end rafting was a better choice than boating. It’s been a long time since i have rafted on class iv and v rapids.

I was put in a raft with a group of four friends and a guide by the end of the day I felt like I was part of their group all along.

A few observations:
I didn’t need to camp to make the early morning meeting time. I didn’t sleep well the night before and woke up early the day of, which is not uncommon for me so I should have just slept at home and drove in that morning. It didn’t help that my air mattress leaked, numerous campers got their (loudly) after midnight and the showers at the camp site were disgusting. If I signup for another rafting trip that requires an overnight trip I’m staying at a hotel.

Regardless of the guides suggestions to take only sun block and water on to the raft always take my own wet bag. Like the last time I rafted with the company I was the only one who brought their own phone/camera and a speaker for music which was nice to have on the long stretches of calm water (ponds).

Bring/wear more fleece clothing including short socks, sweat pants and water gloves. No matter how hot the outside temperature the water is always cold.

Take aspirin before and after rafting. I expected to be sore from all the repetitive motions of rowing but that combined with getting in car like wrecks or fender benders while navigating rapids makes feel like I’ve played in a game of tackle football without pads, just sore all over.

If given the choice of participating or sitting it out, participate. I ended up doing something enjoyable and challenging that I rarely do, meeting new people, seeing new places and learning new things and had an awesome time doing it on little, almost no notice as I didn’t book my trip until the day before.

I found that I really enjoy a lot of modern country music which was not always the case. I view country music as rap for Caucasians, which is not only easier to understand but is also family friendly and many songs are relatable / have messages and meanings that most everyone can understand or have experienced.

I realize that I am really fortunate to have a family that allows me to do things like this alone, a job with a relatively flexible work schedule and disposable income to finance adventures like this. I’m not bragging just taking a moment to memorialize in writing of how lucky I’ve been and to appreciate it.

Rare Air: White water rafting (class iv and v rapids) on the Middle Fork of the American River in CA, check.

 

[Ronnie]

A few quotes from my guide.

“The solution to pollution is not dilution, please don’t pee in the river.”

“Please feel free to use the facilities, not the facilitrees . Pissing on the trees can subject you to a ticket.”

 

[Ronnie]

Here are a few pics from the rafting company. I’m leaning towards not buying them as it’s $80 for the entire set of 96 pics and $30 per pic whereas my rafting fee including staying overnight at their camp site was only $90 and there are only a few pics of the 96 that i like. Plus i can live with the water mark especially since it makes the pics free.

 

[Ronnie]

A few more on the water pics from my trip.
The second pic is of the tail end of the only class vi rapids we came across that day. Class vi is considered unsafe to navigate with customers by all rafting companies on that fork of the river so the guests get out of the rafts and walk. The guides decide whether the rafts will be carried passed the site or whether to ride them down. The first part of this rapid starts with a 20 foot waterfall. You can’t see it in the pics but the path to get back to the rafted is dangerous as well, Very easy to twist an ankle or break a leg on it. Getting hurt while rafting could be a really bad experience and /or expensive depending on where on the river you get hurt and the severity of your injury, you may have to continue rafting to the next automobile accessible point on the river or they may have to call a helicopter in to get you. I think the company I used carried an aed and a first aid kit containing bandages and neosporin.