Read about Upper Sacramento Blast - May 2002
Read about Scouting the Sacramento - April 2002
Read about Floating the Sacramento - March 2002
The first rapid below Sims Campground was so exciting that we could not hear our guide over the cries of glee. From there down to Lamoine we had several class III rapids and countless lesser ones. Contrary to popular belief, there are also many eddies to rest in. All in all, the trip with the River Dancers was well worth the $80 price tag. Upper Sacramento Blast
By Chuck Muck
May, 2002
As far as a future POST trip goes, I would say this is mostly for rafts and inflatable kayaks. Advanced paddlers would also enjoy it very much. This was an 8 mile run that took from 0900 to 1600, including unloading, lunch, and loading.
The launch point by the bridge is ideal. However, the 100 yards to the trailer at Lamoine made my back ache just to look at it.
There were 14 people, including some from the Bay Area. Of course, lunch on a sandy beach was a highlight for me. Others enjoyed seeing a bald eagle and other waterfowl. The scenery is unmatched with views of Mt. Shasta and waterfalls along the way. The timbered shoreline had many flowers, including azaleas, wild lilac, and Indian rhubarb.
Dennie liked the big rapids best and wants to do the stretch in our inflatable.
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While the hardy and adventurous were on the Dos Rio run of the Eel, POST members Brian Weise and Gordon Mortlock, together with Brian's friend Rip went exploring on the Sacramento River in preparation for next month's trip. The trio drove up Friday night and spent the night at the Best Western - Knight's Inn in Anderson, not more than a mile from the put-in. The accommodations were quite fine and very reasonable - we recommend them if you need to stay in the area. Scouting the Sacramento
By Gordon
April 12 - 14, 2002
The next morning we put in at Anderson Riverside Park and paddled past wooded banks and scattered houses to an uncharted camping area on the right bank just above the mouth of Cottonwood Creek. It was a lovely meadow where we spent a leisurely afternoon and evening, and slept under a sky filled with stars.
The next morning we continued down the river through some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen in the central valley. The river followed a winding valley in and out of a wild canyon topped by lava palisades. From time to time we marvelled at views of snow capped Mt. Lassen, Mt. Shasta, the Trinity Alps and even snow topped peaks of the Coast Range that appeared and disappeared above the forest and meadow lined banks as we paddled round bends in the river. Wildlife was plentiful and varied, including numerous otters, hawks, egrets and great blue herons.
We took out near the village of Bend, and all agreed that it had been a marvelous weekend. All in all, a very wild and scenic class I run with a couple of class I+ drops at 6500 cfs.
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FLOATING THE SACRAMENTO
March 16 & 17, 2002
By EricThis trip lost a couple of paddlers before put-in on account of the weatherman. But hours of predicted rain turned out to be a few minutes of showers and a weekend of beautiful clouds over snow-capped peaks. Is there a lesson here?
Drastically different from the Navarro River trip it replaced due to low water, the Sacramento is BIG WATER. At about 9000 cfs the river moved quickly and decisively. Eddy lines were sharp. When I tried to keep us out of a big wave train, we were abruptly spun upriver. No swimming, just consciousness-raising. As Jane and I learned about eddies on river left, new P.O.S.T. members Bruce & Donna studied them on river right.
Water speed brought another surprise. We put-in at the Andersen Valley Fishing Access off Ball’s Ferry Road about 11am. Lunched from 12 - 12:45. And by 2pm had traveled 12 miles and reached our campsite.
Bob and Joan found the idyllic spot on their scouting trip the Sunday before; it included a big green meadow above a beach at the mouth of a still inlet. There were huge cottonwoods, lots of firewood and a fine river view from the groover.
With all the daylight left us, we not only set-up the kitchen and tents, we also played real games. Carol Hamilton started us out with a Saint Patrick’s Day word unscramble. (Ticcle is _______.) From scratching our heads she got us moving feet and mouths in a relay that involved unwrapping mini Tootsie Rolls with gloves on. Don’t try it alone.
From the relays we launched into appetizers and a game that featured lying about ourselves. We all did well. Then came a fine Bob-only dinner of Italian cut string beans with bacon, hot garlic bread, fresh spinach and other greens with blue cheese and feta, spinach borselini. With various fine California and European wines. (From Boy Scout Troop to Paddling Gourmets?!)
To let them know just exactly what they were missing, Carol cell-phoned husband Joe and other trip dropout, Ilse. As darkness finally descended on our campfire circle, Bob and Thad emerged from the kitchen bearing a big tray of blueberry tarts each topped with just-whipped cream and a candle. Jane, Joan, Ann and Eileen, each celebrating their 32nd birthday, blew out the flames with youthful vigor. Then Ann, in honor of her recent engagement to Thad, was crowned with a paper tiara that she declared was totally useless for any other purpose. (If this makes no sense, bring it up at your next P.O.S.T. campfire.)
Something unusual happened on Sunday. At first it was a casual thing, with Jane tossing a tethered throw rope over into Thad and Ann’s canoe, so the hulls would stay together as we talked. Then Charlie and Bijili came up in-between and he became the C-clamp holding all three boats together. Soon Carol and Anne joined up, along with Birgit and Herman. We formed a raft. The wide river offered no immediate obstacles to group travel, and proximity gave rise to frivolity.
During shore stops several flotilla opinions were expressed. Con - that this mode was slow and likely to give the storm a chance to catch us. Pro - that it was fun and who cared if it rained? Pro plus with our enormous outrigger stability the flotilla was much safer in the big river waves and whirlpools.
Over time the barge found itself highly maneuverable and wonderfully self-sustaining. It stayed together till take-out below the Balls Ferry Bridge. And despite a lack of hard paddling, the raft, and of course the independent canoes, again got off the river by two.
Besides the extraordinary organizing, preparation and tasteful effort of Bob, and Joan, everybody on the trip deserves another Tootsie Roll. Unfortunately, they already ate them.P.O.S.T. Script: Herman’s homemade cookies-yum! The Saturday salad was, says Bob, brought by Carol. And the trip didn’t really end until we finished a great Saint Paddy’s dinner at Louis Cairo’s in Williams, outrageously well-served by Marilyn O’ W.