BACK ON THE WATER: 2022 GREAT AMERICAN TRIATHLON TRAINING

The peaceful evening river shoreline was shattered by Dan Crandall's epic battle cry. Somewhere between the Tarzan scream and the Rebel Yell, the sound pierces the quiet and echoes throughout the valley. Moments later, the paddlers he is leading chime in with their call. Crandall tells the group in doing the cry will ease their tension and freak out the racer in front of them on the river. It will also let folks know racing is back on the American River Parkway.

The Great American Triathlon returns this weekend in Sacramento. The race, formerly known as Eppie's Great Race, will have athletes run, bike, then paddle the American River. Organizers took two years off due to the pandemic, but this Saturday, they are bringing the 40-plus -year-old tradition July race back to the parkway. The race, formerly known as Eppie's Great Race, will have athletes run, bike, then paddle the American River.

Dan Crandall works with a paddler.

While most triathlons have participants swim along with a bike and run, the Great American Triathlon uses kayaks and stand-up paddleboards for the water leg of the race.

"It's definitely different. What I say is, you are on top of the water, not in the water. You can enjoy the view, talk to people while you are paddling," race director Nicole Young told KCRA-TV.

The kayaking portion does provide a different dynamic from other triathlons with its "no swim" competition feature, and with the two years break, some racers may be a little rusty when it comes to paddling the river.
Like in past years, to help people get on the water, Crandall, the owner of Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips offered an array of training nights. During the last couple of weeks, to get the participants familiar with the river, he and his instructors have shown them the fastest and safest routes on the water to ensure success come this weekend. Over the years, Crandall and his instructors have coached over 1,000 participants to build their confidence, paddling skills, and river reading knowledge.

"Keep those hands loose and drive your feet into the foot pegs to get your power," Crandall calls out to the boaters preparing to leave the Sunrise access, the starting point for the kayaking section of the race. Crandall reminds racers to focus on their pace and use more than just their arms to make the boat go. He encourages them to use their core for maximum power and endurance.

San Juan Rapids

The Boston Marathon has Heartbreak Hill. Great American Triathlon has San Juan Rapids. It's a rapid, where racers can lose valuable time and go from first to 31st by miscalculating the boil. During the practice sessions, the paddlers were encouraged to run the rapid a couple of times during their training sessions to familiarize themselves with its flow and circular eddy.

"Lean forward. It's more about finesse than muscle here," warns Crandall while approaching the rapid. "Let it push you around a bit. Just get through it, and most importantly, smile and show the river you are not afraid. If you show fear, the river will dump you for sure."

During each of the training nights, there were more smiles than swims as the boaters navigate the troublesome rapid and paddled downriver to the finish line at River Bend Park. For some, it's their first trip down the river. For others, they are looking forward to racing again after the 2-year break.

Crandall and the Iron Hussies

 The 2nd Great American Triathlon is sponsored by Innovations Health Systems, a Citrus Heights-based healthcare holding company and managed by Capital Road Race Management. This year’s triathlon is once again raising funds to support the American River Parkway Foundation and local children’s charities.

Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips
PHONE: 530-333-9115 or Toll-Free: 888-452-9254
FAX: 530-333-1291
USPS: Current Adventures, P.O. Box 828, Lotus, CA 95651

info@currentadventures.com
owner Dan Crandall dan@kayaking.com

Keep up with Outside Adventure to the Max, on our Facebook page and Instagram and now on Youtube.

URBAN PADDLING: A TRIP DOWN THE LOWER AMERICAN RIVER

 

Most of us picture paddling out in the heart of nature. It is easy to see ourselves gliding along on a serene mountain lake or into the bays of a country lake. For the more adventuresome, maybe running a scenic wild river or out in the ocean against a rugged coastline is more your style. But as more and more people take up paddling, an urban kayaking trend is emerging. Paddlers from coast to coast say paddling along their urban waterway has changed their perspective of their neighborhood river and the city along its banks. Switching to panoramic views of skyscrapers, bridges, and other urban dwellings instead of mountains or forest scenes offer paddlers an alternate aspect of their town often not seen.

"We love urban kayaking and it was fun to see the Minneapolis skyline from the water," wrote Minnesota based blogger Jenna Kvidt in Wander The Map! while paddling through on the Mississippi through the heart of the Twin Cities, "It’s a perspective of the city we had yet to witness, plus getting out on the water is always a great time."
Once New York paddler Noriko Okaya got over her fears of paddling New York City's Hudson River, she wrote there was no better way to see the city.
"Just over the horizon the Hudson offers magnificent views of the Manhattan skyline and a unique view of some of the most iconic man-made landmarks of the world, including the Empire State, Chrysler, the Standard, Whitney Museum, and One World Trade Center," wrote Okaya in PaddleXaminer, " Not many people get to see the city the way we do from the water, and in my opinion, it’s the best way to see New York."
While Jennifer Koerner, who is with Up the Creek Expeditions based in Jacksonville, Fla., found beauty at every turn while touring the St. Mary's River.
"At first, I couldn't imagine why someone would want to paddle by buildings and bridges. But look at the railroad trestle up. It looks like art to me," Koerner told First Coast News.

After sliding my kayak into the Lower American River at the Rossmoor Bar Access in Rancho Cordova, Ca., just east of Sacramento, I said to my paddling partner John Taylor, "How lucky we are to have this river right in our own backyard just minutes from my home."
Taylor is a veteran of many voyages down the American says no trip has ever been the same.
"I'll see something different every time," John said.

The Lower American River meanders through a network of highways, suburban streets, and urban bustle for 23 miles immediately after leaving Lake Natoma and Nimbus Dam, all the way to the confluence with the Sacramento River. At least that is what the map says, but on the river, we are in a different world.
The American River Parkway is a looping green ribbon that shelters the river and its shore for most of the way to the Sacramento River. Often called "the jewel” of the Sacramento Region, the river is the central focus of the Parkway, which features a good-mix of fast-moving currents, along with some slow and lazy flows that are perfect for most beginning paddlers. Annually more than 5 million visitors use the Parkway, not for paddling, but hiking and biking also.

It was a late summer trip for us. Past the season when a large rafting crowd frequent the river in large yellow or blue rafts with full coolers and no paddles. Popular on the hottest days of the summer, the river turns into a jamboree of hijinks, loud music, and bad sunburns. During a mid-summer trip where I took two groups down the river on the same day, I told them that the morning group would see nature, while the afternoon group would see "wildlife."

We put in on the river below San Juan Rapids with two other paddlers, skipping the sometimes tricky rapid. We still have a long way to go with an estimated 17 miles to the confluence with the Sacramento River. There is a bright blue sky, a slight breeze, a relaxing flow, and no sign of anyone outside of a few fishermen.
Classified as a “Recreation” river within the State and Federal Wild and Scenic River Systems, it was a little hard to imagine we were surrounded by the city. Since being established, the American River Parkway has ensure the preservation of the river's naturalistic environment.
"With the American River at my feet," wrote David Dawson, in the American River Parkway Foundation newsletter Stories from the Parkway, "I saw nothing of the two million human beings who surrounded me in the Sacramento metropolitan area. I saw no streets, no cars, no buildings, and no lights."

 Varieties of animal wildlife such as wild turkey, deer, and hawks can be seen at every bend, while river otters and beaver wait till twilight. We saw a few deer passing over a few fast ripples near Ancil Hoffman Park. As the river turns to the south leading up River Bend Park, we paddle past a row of river homes and under the Harold Richey Bicycle Bridge, to signify that we are not that far from civilization. 

The river speeds up down to Harrington Access as we encountered Arden Rapids. It is not as challenging as the San Juan Rapids as the river pushes against gravel deposits creating some standing waves.
"Go right down the middle," John tells the others.
It's a rubber raft graveyard as we encounter sunken trees and shredded rafts along the way. On a summer trip, we watched the Fire Department rescue some rafters stuck in the snag of trees.

Islands and channels provide jungle-like exploring opportunities along the way, But now it was time to paddle because the current had slowed. We heard the roar of city traffic at the Watt and Howe Avenue bridges. While cruising past the monolithic-looking structure of Sacramento's' Water treatment plant, we saw the Guy West Bridge suspension bridge. Designed to resemble the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, it is used by bicyclists and pedestrians to get to the Sacramento State University campus. From now on, the closer we will come to the Sacramento River the more bridges we will encounter. 

Like most urban areas, Sacramento is plagued with a growing homeless population. We paddle past scores of tents, tarps, and encampments line the river shore along with shopping carts, abandoned bicycles, and piles of trash. It is illegal to camp along the American River Parkway, but efforts to rousted the homeless from the riverway have been limited since for most, there is nowhere else for them to go.
I told John, "As much as I love this river, this is a terrible existence for them. How stressful and dangerous their lives must be. My heart goes out to them.

A train horn bellowed from above on railroad trestle as we come up to Sutter's Landing. Like all river towns, Sacramento history intertwines with the river. Captain John A. Sutter established a permanent camp and later built his fort south of the river. There is not much evidence from the past here as the dirt used to construct levees were built to elevate the city to prevent flooding leaving behind open pits. It became the city landfill for number years. Now through restoration, it is a popular park along the Parkway.

As we continued downstream, the pace slows considerably. We might have been in a hurry to get to the Sacramento River and Discovery park but, the Lower American River was not. It's deep and wide now. The ripples are gone and the river appears idle. Our kayaks were tugged along lazily like Huck Finn on the Mississippi. We paddled by two railroad bridges, one with its supports spray-painted with graffiti and was a former railroad bridge now reserved for bikes and pedestrians.

We are in the heart of the city now, except it still seems wild. Here the river is cradled by trees, obscuring any urban buildings from view. Only the I-5 bridge and a few motorboats let us know our journey is almost finished.
In the distance, a jet ski and rider revs up and heads out on the Sacramento River just past the Jibboom Bridge, a historic metal truss dinosaur of a bridge built-in 1931. A swing bridge from days gone by, it now has only light traffic in its park setting. It is the last bridge we pass under during our paddle down the American River.
The Sacramento River was a dingy pale brown compared to the American River and its clear flows as we crossover into its murky water turned up by powerboats. We look to the south and finally see the city of Sacramento and its tall high-rise buildings and waterfront.
While we had to wait till the very end of our great urban adventure down the American River to see the skyscrapers of Sacramento, our trip still gave us all a new perspective of our city and its waterway. 

And no matter how many times I will paddle The Lower American River as John says, it will always be a new and different experience every time, especially when I see it over the bow of your kayak.

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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."

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.

 

Keep up with Outside Adventure to the Max, on our Facebook page and Instagram and now on Youtube.

 

2019 GREAT AMERICAN TRIATHLON TRAINING

This weekend they will be running, biking and paddling again on The American River Parkway as the Great American Triathlon on kicks off its inaugural event. Following the same course as Eppie’s The Great Race which called it quits last year after 45 years, The Great American Triathlon includes all the Eppie's ingredients of a 5.82-mile run, a 12.5-mile bike and the final leg a 6.10-mile paddle down the American River.

Last year it looked like the end of the traditional summer race when Eppies organizers decided to discontinue the event following a steady decline in participation. For many like Dana Thompson-Maker, they thought their kayak racing days on the river were over for good.

"It was sad, it was bittersweet," said Thompson-Maker, "It was wonderful doing it but, it was also sad because we were hearing it was going to happen anymore."

But earlier this year, co-founder of Innovations Health Systems Ken McGuire took up the mantel to keep the race alive.
“I felt it was too great a tradition to let die,” McGuire told The Carmichel Times, “People came here from all over the USA to compete. Eppie’s was a boost for our national profile. For all sorts of good reasons, keeping Eppie’s alive seemed critical.”
In the same spirit of Eppies, the new race will also be a philanthropic drive to support the American River Parkway Foundation and local children’s health charities.

It's good news to Thompson-Maker who enjoys the fun and comradery of race day.
"We were thrilled. Absolutely thrilled! " said Thompson-Maker, "I think it's smaller number right now, but the more people hear about it, the more they will want to it."

With the new race also containing kayaking portion like before, it provides a different dynamic from other triathlons with a "no swim" competition feature. To help people get on the water, Dan Crandall the owner of Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips offered an array of training nights and one clinic during the last couple of weeks to get participants familiar with the river, learn the fastest and safest routes on the water to ensure success come this weekend. Over the years, Crandall and his instructors have coached over 1,000 participants build their confidence, paddling skills, and river reading knowledge.

"Keep those hands loose and drive your feet into the footpegs to get your power,' Crandall calls out over the water to the group of boaters while preparing to leave the Sunrise access, the starting point for the kayaking section of the race.

"I was a little apprehensive at first I've never on the river," said first-year participant Mary Closner, "I've normally just putz around the lake, but my group needed a kayaker so here I am."

Like Heartbreak Hill in the Boston Marathon, the kayaking portion of the race runs right through San Juan Rapids, a place where racers can lose valuable time and easily go from first to 31st by miscalculating the boil. During the Current Adventures' practicing sessions the paddlers were encouraged to run the rapid a couple of times during their training sessions to familiarize themselves with its flow and circular eddy.

"Keep smiling and lean forward. It more about finesse than muscle here," warns Crandall while approaching the rapid. "Let it push you around a bit, but just get through it,"

During each training night, there were more smiles than swims as the boaters navigate the troublesome rapid and then head downriver to the finish line at River Bend Park.

"I'm so glad I took the course from Current Adventures," said Closner, "I learned quite a bit with this being my first time on moving water. Now to turn it into a personal victory."

Current Adventure Kayak School and Trips
PHONE: 530-333-9115 or Toll-Free: 888-452-9254
FAX: 530-333-1291
USPS: Current Adventures, P.O. Box 828, Lotus, CA 95651
info@currentadventures.com
owner Dan Crandall dan@kayaking.com

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KAYAK SUMMER 2018

         Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air. --- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have found that summers linger in Northern California. There are no hurricane warnings or threats of frost or snow. The mornings at the lake have a certain crispness where you just might need a sweater, at least through breakfast. Outside of my favorite Starbucks adding Pumpkin Spice Latte to the menu board and slow traffic coming from nearby Apple Hill, it feels as if summer is not all that anxious to concede to autumn just yet. But it's on way.

"There is something deep within us that sobs at endings." wrote American author Joe Wheeler, "Why, God, does everything have to end? Why does all nature grow old? Why do spring and summer have to go?"

Lake Jenkinson

Bittersweet for some. A celebration of the change of seasons for others. No matter how you regard it, this Saturday marks the first day of fall, which of course subsequently, means its the official end of summer.

To keep my memories burning bright heading fall, I like to look back at some of my favorite images I created over the summer. Some picture-perfect tranquil moments are accompanied by some fast-paced and lively shots of my time on the water. They compose the snapshots of my summer recollections. But, of course, they are not the whole story.

In a recent Paddling Magazine article title Unforgettable, Everything Instagram Won't Tell You About Canoe Tripping, writer Kaydi Pyette says that her most memorable moments aren't always perfectly lit and beautifully composed, but are the gritty and hard moments hard moments of her trips.

The American River Parkway

"What Instagram so rarely shows is the side canoe tripping not so splendidly picture perfect. There are bugs,"  she wrote, "Followers don't get to see the hours of tediousness invested in capturing this one outrageously perfect moment. we don't see the work it takes to align the gear, sunlight, smoke signals and hang those twee tinkle lights just so."

Guilty as charged. Because I'm not going to tell you how I rolled and swam in front of everyone at San Juan Rapids, ripped the seat of pants while working the boat dock at Sly Park and sliced my big toe on rocks on North Fork of American River. The same goes for loading and unloading trailers of boats, dumping kayaks full of water and long shuttle drives, they just go with the territory.

They were all outweighed by watching a shy kid learn to kayak, helping a father, in an age-old tradition of taking his children on their very first canoe ride and coaching a determined Eppies Great Race participant take on the rapids of Lower American River. Summer 2018, like all my paddling summer before, those are the memories that will kindle in the consciousness of mind.

Sly Park

"When summer opens," wrote American transcendentalist essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson, "I see how fast it matures, and fear it will be short; but after the heats of July and August, I am reconciled, like one who has had his swing, to the cool of autumn."

There is something incredibly nostalgic about paddling into the fall season. The lakes are quiet. Gone are the crowds and motorboats and the only sound you will hear are those of nature. The trees are ablaze with a canvas of bold-colors reflecting on the undisturbed peaceful waters.

It was early morning on the lake last weekend. Idly in a canoe, I lingered just a bit longer, before dipping my paddle. The water is still warm enough for a swim, but the air was noticeably cooler. In the distance, a wispy veil of mist hovers over its surface. It's the ghost of summer, I suppose.

Sly Park's Lake Jenkinson

A moonlit paddle on Lake Natoma with Current Adventures.

John Weed and kids classes with Current Adventures.

Debbie Carlson's new SUP on Lake Natoma.

Paddling after dark with Bayside Adventure Sports.

Eppies training with Current Adventures .

Fall comes to Lower American River.

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@nickayak
The official feed of Outside Adventure to the Max. Follow us on river trips along the American River and the lakes of the Sierra with Current Adventures as we count my paddling days of the year.

THE LATE, GREAT EPPIES GREAT RACE

"It doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."----Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

"Well guys, it's been a heck of a ride," said a hoarse-voiced Dan Crandall when leaving Sacramento's Riverbend Park in a van and trailer laden with kayaks. Eppies Great Race was days away and there was still plenty of work to do, but leaving the park on the last night of his company's kayak workout sessions for area racers his mood was a bit melancholy.

Early this year, organizers decided to discontinue the event following a steady decline in participation. The great race was on it's last and final leg.
"I hate to see it go," said racer Diane Marlow on the day of the race, "It's depressing, but I'm so excited, So excited about today, it's going to be a blast."

Diane Marlow on a Current Adventures training night.

For 45 years, Eppie’s Great Race was a summer tradition. Billed as the world’s oldest triathlons, the race was founded in 1974, using a 5.8-mile run, a 12.5-mile bike ride and a 6.1-mile paddle on along the scenic American River Parkway to raise money for Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services. Over the years, the race raised more than $1.2 million for (TRS) which specializes in treatment for those with developmental disabilities.

The kayaking portion of the race made it one of the largest paddling events in the United States, by offering a different dynamic from other triathlons with a "no swim" competition.

Training Night

While most of the participants came to the race with running and biking skills, many had never paddled the river before or even sat in a kayak. To help people get on the water, back in 1993, Crandall the owner of Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips started a uniquely designed training session to coach racers and ensure success come race day. Over the years, Crandall and his instructors have coached over 1,000 participants build their confidence, paddling skills and river reading knowledge.

"It's been a Godsend," said Marlow, "It's a been a wonderful escape. This race brought me to kayaking. About 11 years ago a couple of gals talked me into being on their team. I signed up for Dan's program about learning to kayak so I could do the race and I've been hooked ever since."

San Juan Rapids

What Heartbreak Hill is to the Boston Marathon, San Juan Rapids was to Eppies Great Race. Competitors could easily go from first to 31st by miscalculating the boil. The Current Adventures' practicing paddlers were encouraged to run the rapid a couple of times during their training sessions to familiarize themselves with its flow and circular eddy.

"Lean forward and smile," Crandall would advise before their first run, "Show the river you are not afraid of it and keep a paddle in the water."
By the end of their training and after more than a few spills, those pesky rapids were just a speed bump come race day.
"The river has been fabulous," said Marlow, "I like San Juan, I like it bumpy, I like the waves."

Race Day on the American River

On race day, the rocky beach at the Jim Jones Bridge, where participants transfer from bicycle to boat at the for the final leg of the course was a rainbow of every color and every kind of kayak prior to the race. Organizers said the final race attracted a record 2,500 people.

"Today is much more like what it used to be 30 years ago." Crandall told Fox 40-TV, "The number of people, the spirit, you know just everybody really being into it. A party atmosphere."

Encouragement from Dan Crandall

Six-miles down river at the finish line in Riverbend Park, it was a sentimental goodbye the area's annual summer celebration, as medals, hugs and high-fives were shared evenly. Racers posed together for pictures, knowing it might be the last time they all get together for this one of a kind Sacramento event.

Crandall says that everyone he talks with is hoping that someone starts a similar type of race. While he hopes other groups might take over the running and biking portions of the race, he pledges to keep the kayaking community racing on the Lower American River.

"We've always done the Eppies Pre-Race or Eppie Johnson Memorial." Crandall told his paddling group, "So even if something like Eppies Great race itself somehow manages to rise out of the ashes of this one. We're probably going to keep doing that race and just do that race every year."

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.