ALL YOU CAN PADDLE: PADDLE TOWN SACRAMENTO

Ever go to a restaurant buffet and you're almost overwhelmed by the selection of items? There is American, there is Mexican, Asian, and Italian. There is seafood, fried food, barbecue, and even pizza. I mean there is something for everyone and so much to sample, that there is no way you can get everything all on your plate for just one sitting.

That's what it's like when it comes to the Sacramento area and the American River. It's a year-round paddling smorgasbord for everyone's taste and appetite that will leave you stuffed yet craving more.

Adrenaline junkies will lick their chops for whitewater delicacies of the three forks of the American River, only an hour away from Sacramento. During the spring and summer, the North Fork, Middle Fork, and South Fork are the area playgrounds for whitewater kayakers and rafters of all different levels. Commercial whitewater rafting outfitters offer a wide variety of river experiences, while The River Store, provides a cafeteria of boating supplies, boat demos, and kayaking instruction.

"There are multiple runs of varying difficulty," says area paddler Martin Beebee, "All of which are easily accessible: from moderate Class I and II rapids, perfect for learning to navigate whitewater, to Class V runs with plenty of challenges. So there’s a variety to choose from, depending on what kind of adventure you’re in the mood for."

South Fork of the American River

>The South Fork dishes up a recipe for some serious fun in its first five miles from the Chili Bar access filled full of exciting Class III whitewater with rapids with scary names like Meat-Grinder and Trouble Maker. The so-called easy section serves appetizer through the valley consisting of several Class II rapids including Barking Dog, before gorging down "The Gorge", the river's most challenging series of Class III rapids descending at 33-feet per mile toward Folsom Lake.

For area sea kayakers, Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma are hors-d'oeuvres of delight while prepping for a big trip to San Francisco Bay or Tamales Bay, while the rec and SUP paddlers will revel in the classic comfort of both lakes' bays and sloughs.

Folsom Lake

Forget summer weekends. Come to Folsom Lake either mid-week or wait until late fall or early spring to escape the speed boat and jet ski crowd. Out in the open, it can feel like the ocean with the wind and waves, but there are a few quiet and scenic spots like on the lake's north arm worth exploring. You might have to choke down the Delta Breeze, but you will savor the sunsets.

And if Folsom Lake is a little too hard to swallow, all paddlers will gobble up Lake Natoma.

"Lake Natoma is great for many reasons," said local paddler and photographer Tom Gomes, "Living in the Sacramento area, we are so fortunate to have such easy access to such a resource that offers incredible views. It’s big enough to get a good exercise paddle and there are no powerboats to compete with."

This narrow and popular 5-mile lake is the main entree of the area's paddling venues. It's an a-la-carte of racing shells crews, outrigger canoes, SUP paddlers and kayaks and sailboats sprinkled over the waterway. Outfitters use the lake for classes and moonlit tours while racing crews have been known to hog-up much of the lake a few weekends a year.

Lake Natoma

Want just a taste of the lake's fare? Kayaks and SUPs are available for rent at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center. Sit back and enjoy the sun or go a nature safari while exploring the lake's sloughs.
"It’s very scenic with more wildlife than anywhere else," added Gomes, "I paddle the Natoma sloughs quite often, but it never ceases to amaze me how removed I feel from the real world while realizing that I’m right in the middle of a densely populated urban area. I feel like I’m Huck Finn, exploring uncharted waters with abundant wildlife, just waiting for the alligator to swim by."

The lake with its three California State Parks' access points is lined with biking and hiking trails encompassing its shores. Bird watchers will feast one's eyes at sightings of geese, herons, egrets, cormorants, and bald eagles flying and nesting along its banks. The lake is home to many established rookeries to nesting colonies while migrating birds arrive in the spring and stay throughout the summer.

The American River is a sweet treat for everyone. This 23-mile recreational waterway meanders through the heart of Sacramento along The American River Parkway. Seasoned with a good mix of fast-moving currents, along with some slow and lazy flows to satisfy every water enthusiast's cravings. Not just for paddlers, more than 5 million visitors annually indulge in this wildlife and recreation area.

The Lower American River

"I love paddling on the American River especially in the off-season when the wildlife is stirring around and the people are not," said Sacramento paddler Lynn Halsted. "Early morning or late afternoon and evening are always my favorite times. Watching the river otters and beaver swim around and doing their thing while I watch from a distance is magical."
Just downstream from the Sunrise Access, San Juan Rapids spices up the river for boaters and summer-time rafters. A constant Class II rapid stretching out more than halfway across the river creates a long and vibrant wave train and chaotic churning eddy that can scarf up unsuspecting paddlers.

San Juan Rapids

Further down, the river is peppered with a few ripples, but mostly it's an easy slow-baked urban paddle all the way down to the Sacramento River, serving up views of bridges and large pleasure boats to mark the progress to Discovery Park and the confluence of the two rivers. From there, nothing is stopping you from having a pie in the sky dream of going on a paddling binge all the way to the Golden Gate.

So whatever boating you have might a hankering for, in Sacramento, you'll be able to fill your plate and come back for seconds, again and again, to satisfy your paddling hunger and nourishment.

And don't worry about taking too much. There is enough for everyone.

This article was originally published in Canoe & Kayak, May 7, 2018, and was published in Outside Adventure to the Max on June 8, 19, 2018.

 

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THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

The usual placid waters of Lake Natoma bolster a fast current now with releases coming down from Folsom Dam.

A Pacific storm system known as the “Pineapple Express” blasted California earlier this week dumping waves of water and snow across the west coast region raising risks of flooding and mudslides.
Drawing its name from a weather phenomenon that periodically heads east in long and narrow bands of water vapor formed over an ocean adjacent to the Hawaiian Islands this past weather system was one of season's strongest in series of storms this winter.

“The (Pineapple) Express is no joke,” Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland told Reuters. "We're talking 3 to 5 inches of rain in San Francisco and coastal areas."
Those torrential rains beginning last Tuesday shattered daily precipitation records in Sacramento and led to flash-flood watches across the region. Water releases from Nimbus and Folsom dams increased as the storm moved through the region.
While at Lake Tahoe a winter storm warning from the National Weather Service in Reno remained in effect for much of the week as some ski resorts on Thursday morning did report over a foot of fresh snow.

The snow is great news for those heading to the Lake Tahoe slopes. The latest in winter storms have increased snow depth at area ski resorts to above-average levels delighting would-be skiers looking for fresh powder. While whitewater kayakers like world-class kayaker Carson Lindsay know that the higher snow means the bigger the water come springtime.
"I’m not only looking forward to some bigger flows in the rivers this spring during the peak runoff but also longer and more sustained flows into the summer as the snow melts!" said Lindsay, "My friends and I have our eyes on some epic whitewater missions and adventures this spring.

The biggest winner however just might be California's water supply which has face uncertainty over the past decade. The snowpack, where the state gets one-third of its water supply, always plays a pivotal role as it slowly melts filling the state's reservoirs, rivers and streams. In wet years, the runoff begins in April and can continue to flow through into August. But in years with less snow accumulation, therefore less precipitation, the runoff can run out as early as May.
The latest statistics from the California Department of Water as of Wednesday, the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada has an astounding snow water equivalent of 136 percent of historical average for this time of year. That's a big jump from a month ago when the snowpack was at just 69 percent and huge from just last year when it was at only 18 percent of normal.

Californian boaters are cautiously optimistic those numbers will translate into longer high flows and even bigger summer rapids.
"I'm hopeful this year will be better than last. December was drier than normal, but January was above average, so we're off to a good start," said Shingle Springs, Ca., based photographer and paddler Martin Beebee, "I'm looking forward to having more time to run some of the rivers that are really dependent on the winter rain and snow, such as the North Fork American. The more rain and snow."
Lindsay agrees even though he says that typically with these bigger snow packs it makes access difficult in the higher elevations until much later.
"The weather quite a bit nicer and it helps spread out the season a bit more," said Lindsay, "Also, this will help fill the reservoirs so we can have guaranteed world-class commercial rafting 7 days a week."
Although hopeful, Beebee emphasized the uncertainty of the weather and a past history of droughts over several years.
"It's so hard to tell anymore what's going to happen," said Beebee, "Call me a pessimist, but it could just as easily stop raining and snowing after this next storm and leave us high and dry again. 2017 was really an anomaly in the last decade or so when we've mostly been dry"

Landmark Conservation Bill Protects Nearly 620 Miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers

In a landmark conservation bill, the US Senate earlier this week, passed legislation to protect nearly 620 miles of wild and scenic rivers across seven states from damming and other development. With bipartisan support, the bill is the biggest step forward for Wild and Scenic River designations in nearly a decade.
"The overwhelming local support for these protections are the reason why they are moving through Congress despite the gridlock that usually dominates Congress when it comes to natural resource issues." wrote David Moryc the Senior Director Wild and Scenic Rivers and Public Lands Policy for American Rivers on their website this week.

Some details on the rivers protected compiled by American Rivers:

• 256 miles of new designations the for tributaries for the Rogue River, the Molalla, and Elk Rivers in Oregon;
• 110 miles of the Wood-Pawcatuck Rivers in Rhode Island and Connecticut;
• 76 miles of Amargosa River, Deep Creek, Surprise Canyon and other desert streams in California;
• 63 miles of the Green River in Utah;
• 62 miles of the Farmington River and Salmon Brook in Connecticut;
• 52.8 miles of the Nashua, Squannacook and Nissitissit Rivers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Tour boat will change kayaking at Pictured Rocks

 

Courtesy of Moran Iron Works Inc.

Paddling at Lake Superior's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore will get easier for some folks after Moran Iron Works Inc. announced the production of the first-ever kayak launching vessel, designed to take 72 passengers and 36 kayaks. The 64-foot-by-19-foot vessel will be used to take passengers and their kayaks around the Pictured Rocks for guided tours. The custom-designed kayak launch system will be tailored to allow passengers to launch their kayaks offshore once the boat is parked.
Tourism companies on big lakes such as Lake Tahoe will surely take note.

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ALL YOU CAN PADDLE: PADDLE TOWN SACRAMENTO

Ever go to a restaurant buffet and you're almost overwhelmed by the selection of items? There is American, there is Mexican, Asian, and Italian. There is seafood, fried food, barbecue, and even pizza. I mean there is something for everyone and so much to sample, that there is no way you can get everything all on your plate for just one sitting.

That's what it's like when it comes to the Sacramento area and the American River. It's a year-round paddling smorgasbord for everyone's taste and appetite that will leave you stuffed yet craving more.

Adrenaline junkies will lick their chops for whitewater delicacies of the three forks of the American River, only an hour away from Sacramento. During the spring and summer, the North Fork, Middle Fork, and South Fork are the area playgrounds for whitewater kayakers and rafters of all different levels. Commercial whitewater rafting outfitters offer a wide variety of river experiences, while The River Store, provides a cafeteria of boating supplies,  boat demos, and kayaking instruction.

"There are multiple runs of varying difficulty," says area paddler Martin Beebee, "All of which are easily accessible: from moderate Class I and II rapids, perfect for learning to navigate whitewater, to Class V runs with plenty of challenges. So there’s a variety to choose from, depending on what kind of adventure you’re in the mood for."

The South Fork of the American River

The South Fork dishes up a recipe for some serious fun in its first five miles from the Chili Bar access filled full of exciting Class III whitewater with rapids with scary names like Meat-Grinder and Trouble Maker. The so-called easy section serves appetizer through the valley consisting of several Class II rapids including Barking Dog, before gorging down "The Gorge", the river's most challenging series of Class III rapids descending at 33-feet per mile toward Folsom Lake.

For area sea kayakers, Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma are hors-d'oeuvres of delight while prepping for a big trip to San Francisco Bay or Tamales Bay, while the rec and SUP paddlers will revel in the classic comfort of both lakes' bays and sloughs.

Folsom Lake

Forget summer weekends. Come to Folsom Lake either mid-week or wait until late fall or early spring to escape the speed boat and jet ski crowd. Out in the open, it can feel like the ocean with the wind and waves, but there are a few quiet and scenic spots like on the lake's north arm worth exploring. You might have to choke down the Delta Breeze, but you will savor the sunsets.

And if Folsom Lake is a little too hard to swallow, all paddlers will gobble up Lake Natoma.

Lake Natoma

"Lake Natoma is great for many reasons," said local paddler and photographer Tom Gomes, "Living in the Sacramento area, we are so fortunate to have such easy access to such a resource that offers incredible views. It’s big enough to get a good exercise paddle and there are no powerboats to compete with."

This narrow and popular 5-mile lake is the main entree of the area's paddling venues. It's an a-la-carte of racing shells crews, outrigger canoes, SUP paddlers and kayaks and sailboats sprinkled over the waterway. Outfitters use the lake for classes and moonlit tours while racing crews have been known to hog-up much of the lake a few weekends a year.

Want just a taste of the lake's fare? Kayaks and SUPs are available for rent at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center. Sit back and enjoy the sun or go a nature safari while exploring the lake's sloughs.

Lake Natoma

"It’s very scenic with more wildlife than anywhere else," added Gomes, "I paddle the Natoma sloughs quite often, but it never ceases to amaze me how removed I feel from the real world while realizing that I’m right in the middle of a densely populated urban area. I feel like I’m Huck Finn, exploring uncharted waters with abundant wildlife, just waiting for the alligator to swim by."

The lake with its three California State Parks' access points is lined with biking and hiking trails encompassing its shores. Bird watchers will feast one's eyes at sightings of geese, herons, egrets, cormorants, and bald eagles flying and nesting along its banks. The lake is home to many established rookeries to nesting colonies while migrating birds arrive in the spring and stay throughout the summer.

Lower American River

The American River is a sweet treat for everyone. This 23-mile recreational waterway meanders through the heart of Sacramento along The American River Parkway. Seasoned with a good mix of fast-moving currents, along with some slow and lazy flows to satisfy every water enthusiast's cravings. Not just for paddlers, more than 5 million visitors annually indulge in this wildlife and recreation area.

"I love paddling on the American River especially in the off-season when the wildlife is stirring around and the people are not," said Sacramento paddler  Lynn Halsted. "Early morning or late afternoon and evening are always my favorite times. Watching river otters and beaver swim around and doing their thing while I watch from a distance is magical."

San Juan Rapids

Just downstream from the Sunrise Access, San Juan Rapids spices up the river for boaters and summer-time rafters. A constant Class II rapid stretching out more than halfway across the river creates a long and vibrant wave train and chaotic churning eddy that can scarf up unsuspecting paddlers.

Further down, the river is peppered with a few ripples, but mostly it's an easy slow-baked urban paddle all the way down to the Sacramento River,  serving up views of bridges and large pleasure boats to mark the progress to Discovery Park and the confluence of the two rivers. From there, nothing is stopping you from having a pie in the sky dream of going on a paddling binge all the way to the Golden Gate.

Lower American River.

So whatever boating you have might a hankering for, in Sacramento,  you'll be able to fill your plate and come back for seconds, again and again, to satisfy your paddling hunger and nourishment.

And don't worry about taking too much. There is enough for everyone.


This article was originally published in Canoe & Kayak, May 7, 2018.