Cache Creek, July 2007by Karen PetersonThe players:
We met at 9:00 at the Bear Creek Confluence with Cache Creek. Don organized shuttle, stuffing extra people into cars and sending them to the put-in as we could. By 9:10, almost everyone was loaded and off to the put-in. Except for Wit, who hadn't arrived. We decided to wait until 9:35, then head for the put-in. Carol's car was the vehicle Wit would be shuttling with, so she waited while Karen, Don, and Wil headed for the put-in. Up at the junction of hwy 16 and the North Fork, everyone was busy getting boats inflated and gear loaded. Carol showed up without Wit. Wit showed up about 15 minutes behind her. We launched close to lunchtime. The North Fork part of the river was only 300 CFS, which made the channels tight. The water was cold, the bushes were overhanging, the sun was hot, and the company was good! Even with less water than I've usually seen, the current moved right along. There were a few more strainers to avoid, but it's a lovely paddle. The North Fork water was cold and somewhat clear. The main Cache creek added about 450 CFS of warm, highly organic outflow from Clear Lake. Water visibility immediately went down from about 3 feet to about 3 inches. The first day was uneventful, other than
We started scouting for campsites only a few miles into the run, because Bob said the campsites got worse as we went down. We camped at about 1:30, only about 5 miles into the run, because we found a spot with sand, decent river access, and SHADE. Charlie spent the afternoon sleeping. Don spent the afternoon setting up the groover and the kitchen and staying in the shade. Everyone else, at one point or another, hiked upstream and swam back down to camp. I think Dave started it. Converts grew. The high point (or low point, depending on your point of view) was Dave, Eric, Debbie, Karen, Wil, Carol, Erin and Joan out in the current, laughing, holding hands and attempting synchronized-swimming leg lifts. As they rounded a bend towards the beach they were met by Don playing alligator, lurking from his hiding place in the water under the bushes. Wil threw his fishing line in a few times, and caught some squaw fish. Dinner was a community affair, even though everyone brought their own food. Wit brought an extra 3 gallons of water, which made the community water-boiling much easier. Dave, Wit and Wil shared wine. Wil shared some great chocolate. Wit shared some great cookies. We all investigated each other's food, and offered tastes. The LaDues won the novelty award, with TV dinner meals that were heat-and-serve.... Each with its own self-contained chemical heat source -- basically MRE's. Then there were the stories. Erin told the best story, a description of how he and a friend borrowed his stepfather's expensive canoe without permission, and ended up abandoning it wrapped on a midstream rock. It evidently took them awhile to break the news. Erin got to buy him a new boat. Wit's suggestion for damage control: "Gee, stepfather, here's a deal for you! A coupon for a brand new canoe!" We all shared the setting sun, the rising mosquitoes, and the multiple bats skimming the water. The sun rose hot. Fresh Bear scat was spotted near the edge of camp, but nothing was touched. We had a leisurely morning, getting on the river at about 9:30. 16 miles to go. The rapids got tougher, as the river showed its true Class II soul. Wil and Joan both got dumped in the same rapid. I don't know what Joan did. Wil, who is coming back to whitewater kayaking after years of ocean kayaking, tried to brace with a whitewater paddle that was feathered differently than his touring one. The edge of his blade went 'chunk', right into the water. Wil went 'chunk', right into the water. Dave and Peter discovered maybe their boat was a little overloaded, with two big guys and all of the family camping gear. It didn't go over the waves, it went through. Dave and Peter navigated one rapid but swamped, then dumped while trying to get to shore. Then they tried to navigate a route that didn't really exist (you've seen those, right?), dumped, and their boat got hung by the bow on a midstream branch next to a large midstream rock. Peter and Dave were washed downstream, but managed to get onto shore safely. Bob somehow managed to crawl up onto the midstream rock and flip part of a throw rope over the bow. Wit and Dave were able to pull the boat loose, and Carol helped get it to shore. No damage to the boat; people came out with scrapes, small cuts, and minor ego bruises. We didn't see the bald eagles or ospreys we see in the spring, they must have been off to richer hunting grounds. But there were lots of turtles on the bank, a green heron, red-headed woodpeckers, a red-shafted flicker, vultures, and my favorite, a great blue heron. Joan and Bob spotted an owl in a tree. The next excitement came at lunchtime. We had just come through a nice little drop with big waves, and everyone came over to shore. Dave and Peter (poor Dave and Peter) were at the shore, but were swamped and remained in the boat bailing. The next thing we knew, they'd washed downstream. Bob gave chase, and they all got into the next eddy and hiked back upstream to the lunch stop. Debbie shared homemade (yum!) chocolate chip cookies, and Wil shared some succulent dark chocolate. The remainder of the LaDue family, Eric and Debbie, got off much easier than the canoe duo. Their paddling got better and better, and they completed the run with nary a hitch… unless you want to count a minor "issue" with a rock. Eric counterbalanced to get the boat off, which worked beautifully except that when the boat finally shifted, Eric fell off. After lunch, another drop, and another swamp for Dave and Peter. They dumped. Peter ended up on river left, while his boat and partner were downstream on river right. He couldn't get down near the boat, so Karen and Don ferried Peter across. If you are thinking this is all Dave and Peter's error, think again. At Mad Mike, the last drop, Peter and Debbie walked, Dave and Eric took the IK down, and Erin and Wit took Dave's canoe through. And swamped. Thirsty boat. Everyone who tried Mad Mike had clean runs. Bob, of course, took Mad Mike on the far left so he could hit all the biggest waves. The normal Bear Creek take-out had been a raft mob scene the day before, so we decided to park and take out at the turnout just below. Besides, that got us one more small rapid. Drivers had been organized beforehand: Leave your stuff, grab your keys, and start the shuttle as soon as possible. So the shuttle drivers hustled. From up by the car, Karen saw Erin taking advantage of the last drop, surfing and playing as long as he could before (sigh) finally arriving at the take-out. The shuttle was started by 3:00. Although there was legally only room for 5 in Wil's car, he agreed to shuttle Wit so Wit wouldn't need to hitch-hike... IF Wit agreed to pay any fine that might be incurred. Wit agreed. Joan agreed to sit on his lap, so it was a friendly group (Wil, Karen, Wit, Debbie, Carol Joan) that crammed into the car for the shuttle. None of us had changed out of our wet river clothes, so Wil's car is probably mildewing as I write. Bob, Joan and Charlie headed off in one direction, and the rest of us headed to Pietro's II in Vacaville, an Italian restaurant that has good food, large portions, and doesn't seem to mind feeding a rowdy group of scruffy boaters. Debbie got the 'way-too-much-food award by ordering a half-portion of fettuccine Alfredo and getting a HEAPED plate. There was some interesting speculation regarding what a full portion must look like. A good time was had by all! Karen Peterson |