X - California Los Angeles Band

Exene of X

Funny how time stands still in moments like this. I saw "X" on Thursday night at Harlow's on J Street in Midtown, Sacramento. Time came to a screeching halt as the band came out and grabbed their guitars and mikes. Los Angeles is where X comes from and their sound is uniquely theirs.

When I first saw them way back in the 80's, punk rock music was their calling. But, their punk was not the punk from Great Britain. There was more of a rockabilly stance then with Exene, Billy and John dressing so casual that one always felt that we were in their living room enjoying a wild night of music. X always respected their fans, and we always respected X.

Breathless by X

Three bands for the cool price of $32 beckoned us. First, we stopped for pizza and started counting our funds. Hmm... we needed two more tickets. The pizza parlor was near Harlow's venue, so we sauntered over hoping to score a couple of tickets.

The guy in the black truck... he had tickets and he was selling them cheaper then he bought them. Why? Because he scored X tickets for New Year's in San Francisco. Cool. Even cooler as I got to purchase those 2 ticktes for less than $50 bucks. Now, we were all set to listen and watch this sold out show.

We ran into Marcus and Chas on the way in and learned that it was Marcus' Birthday. They hung out with all of us as we found a view site from the bar. We could see the entire stage!

Billy Zoom of X - Mr Cool

First up was "Scott Wheeler and Zander Schloss" a twosome who wielded a big folk sound. I was taken to the isle of dreams as I sat their absorbing their noise. The music was tinged with a melancholy sound and had me drifting away in a silent revelry of my own place.

Second band was "The Black Tribetans" and they kicked their sound out to a roar of fan approval. They had a faster pace with rockabilly, psycobilly sound. I want to hear this band again... I think I might buy a CD of their music... listening to a youtube video of them right now.

Then "X" lit the stage. And I mean they lit it up with their charm and music. Gawd, I love this band so much! They are the best band that has ever come out of California! Every song was a power based riff of music and X-olator noise.

X - Los Angeles

A great time was had by all!

... wondering if I can get into the San Fran show tonight at Slims...

UPDATE: Yep, Los Angeles video was pulled! Yikes, we just replaced it with a "Los Angeles" live video... let's see if it survives.

This post and this blog belong to WET River Trips in California.

Photos by Big PoppahJah and video by youtube.com.

FOOD! on WET River Trips

I admit it. I am the food writer for FOOD! and camp recipes. How I got involved in that was kinda funny as I am not a great writer...

but I love food (oh, my waist-line).

I went rafting with WET a few years ago and really loved what they did to their albacore salad and how they made their pesto pasta. On the side of the river in a beautiful canyon, those young men and women provided a freshly-made menu that was both superb and filling.

The albacore had uniformly cut carrots, celery, and onions. The rafting crew added in the capers along with mayonnaise and a secret ingredient that made it the hit of the lunch! I had mine on whole wheat and added lettuce and tomato. Very tasty! And, then I grabbed a soft tortilla and rolled-up an albacore salad burrito. Geesh, I'm a pig! I still wanted more! (Apologies to all the porkers out there...).

When we floated back into camp that evening, the guides told us that hors d'ouevres and dinner would follow shortly. Come on, now, I expected some burgers and hot dogs for camping and instead received the most incredible food!

I had a grilled, juicy steak cooked to perfection, a side dish of fire-roasted red peppers and asparagus pesto pasta, a wedge of romaine lettuce w/ bits of tomato, capers and blue cheese and toasted, grilled French bread. OMG! I was so stuffed with food and drink that I could barely keep my eyes open around that campfire.

WET River Trips Food video:

Sleep enveloped me in whitewater rafting dreams and food! What a glorious two day trip on the river! Now, if I can only get the camp recipes...

FOOD Resources for camping

• WET Menus : http://camprecipes.blogspot.com
• Whitewater Rafting Menus : http://raftwet.com/menu.html
• FOOD! : https://www.facebook.com/FOOD.wet
• Camp Recipes : http://camprecipes.com/recipes

All photos, videos and this rafting blog belong to WET River Trips and their social media.

Kudos for Big Poppah's Picasa photos for this blog.

WET Wishes You a Merry Christmas!

December sneaked in with hardly any storms blanketing the Sierras with a promise of a another great whitewater season. California is blessed with a supply of snow and water from last year for all of our needs: water, agriculture, energy and recreation. Good clean water. We are very lucky. And, we still have the wettest months still to come!

Holidays are here and every morning, I receive an overwhelming amount of catalogues, discount coupons and special offers in my email and mailbox. It's hard to know what my family and friends want this year. We all have so much already. Do we really need another toy or tie or bath soaps? I want to give my loved ones something special... something that counts in their memories.

Last year, money was tight, so most of us settled in on quick trips and excursions in our local area. In California, our local areas are where most tourists go for major vacations. California has everything; mountains, lakes, rivers, oceans and adventure.

North Fork American Class 4+ w/ WET River Trips

Team Building trips on American River in Northern California

We have skiing, Disneyland, hiking, climbing, rafting, sailing, surfing, Los Angeles, clubbing, wineries, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge, California State Capitol, American River, Coloma, Sacramento, restaurants, gardens, art galleries and music. There is no other place like this state. NONE.

So, I will be giving gift certificates to my friends for my favorite destinations so that they can share the real California experience with me. My plans this year are to do a rafting trip, go to Tahoe, hit Disneyland, hang out in San Francisco, visit the newly designed Crocker Art Gallery and chill at the beach in SoCal. The gift certificates are inexpensive and my friends can use them the way they want and when they want.

This year, our holiday will be spent rather quietly with very few friends since so many of our friends and family are scattered across the world and can't make it home for Christmas. The family unit that will be here is one of good friends who really matter to me. And, that is the best gift of all.

Merry Christmas video from youtube.com

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays...

Drive safe!

This blog belongs to W.E.T. River Trips along with all content included.

Thanks to youtube for the Christmas video!

California Skiing and Snowboarding

Rain came like a silent warrior in the night. Just enough rain to wash the house, sidewalks and streets clean. But, then the next day... brilliant blue skies torturing all of us who love to go skiing! Fresh powder! Where is it?

Sugar Bowl in Northern California w/ GoPro

Ski resorts are best bets for friends and families this holiday season!

Here are the California ski resorts that are open now and those who will be opening next week:

Snow Country Info: http://www.snocountry.com/index.php/ski-reports/california

Associated Press just released a news report about more scattered showers are coming to California, "...Meanwhile out West, a low pressure system moves down the coast of California and will produce a few more scattered showers across southern California and northwestern Mexico. Snow may develop at high elevations of the southern Sierras..."

The site is a clean, no-nonsense list of open ski resorts, resorts that are opening within days, and more info about the resorts; including trail maps.

Take the family, your friends and enjoy the snow! Have that snowy, white Christmas! This holiday season, remember who you love, who loves you and what is most important to you and your life. Your family, your friends are the most important people in your life! Cherish them!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

WET River Trips

RAFTWET.com

raftwet-store.com

OCCUPY USA 2011

I am a bit late as a blogger to repeat or dissect the going-ons of Occupy Wall Street and the myriad communities that have jumped aboard the protest. My first reaction was, "Right on!" But, here we are months later and there are so many people who haven't heard or are ignoring the movement. Why? This is important info as all of us suffer through the slings and arrows of the current economy.

For me, I am concerned as a business owner and as a citizen of the USA. How did we get so low? Who did this to us? Why did it happen after years of economic stability? Was it an expensive war? Or just the stupidity of our government?

Naw. None of it matters at this point. None of it. We have such serious concerns in our nation now. What do we tell the people who worked all their lives, who saved exactly as they should, who invested in stable markets and never lived the high life? They have lost their homes, their money, and their position in a middle class society and community.

And, you wonder why so many Americans are supporting the youthful brigade? They support them because we are all in this terrible circumstance. There is no one immune except for the 1% uber wealthy... and guess what? Even some of those folks are desperate to get rid of the baggage and the title of "uber rich" so that they can just look at themselves in the bathroom mirror in the morning.

Now, I am starting to rant... again. This is an emotional issue for someone like me who watched as a little kid the shenanigans of the youthful brigades in the early 70's when Vietnam was on the horizon. I remember later reading about Kent State where the National Guard literally gunned down innocent students protesting at their campus. The video can be found on youtube and it is horrifying.

Is this what will change the mind of our leaders? "Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming; 4 dead in Ohio..."

Four dead in Ohio.

Wikipedia on Kent State Shootings : "At this point, at 12:24 p.m., according to eyewitnesses, a Sgt. Myron Pryor turned and began firing at the students with his .45 pistol. A number of guardsmen nearest the students also turned and fired their M1 Garand rifles at the students. In all, 29 of the 77 guardsmen claimed to have fired their weapons, using a final total of 67 rounds of ammunition. The shooting was determined to have lasted only 13 seconds, although John Kifner reported in the New York Times that 'it appeared to go on, as a solid volley, for perhaps a full minute or a little longer.' The question of why the shots were fired remains widely debated."

Rants from WET office staff belong to this California Whitewater Rafting blog for WET River Trips.

Many thanks to the folks at Wikipedia for sharing the little blurb above.

The Great Valley - Splendor in the Grass

When California is mentioned, the ocean, beaches and surfing are always a highlight of the conversation along with
the beach communities of Malibu. Los Angeles and the glitzy glamour of Rodeo Drive, Hollywood, Getty Museum and music at every club and lounge in that area are something to brag about when talking about the pros of California.

Then there is California's most famous city, San Francisco. Hippies on Haight Street, Golden Gate Bridge, the beautiful bay where whales, dolphins still visit the urban population reminding San Franciscans of the closeness of nature to the City by the Bay. Picturesque Victorian homes dot the hillsides in walking distance to world-class restaurants and culture. An artist and musician's paradise of golden inspiration at every corner of the city. Photographers can spend a lifetime here capturing images unique only to San Francisco.

And, California brags about their mountains. Spectacular Sierra Nevada with Lake Tahoe bordering both California and it's next door neighbor Nevada. Rivers and waterfalls flowing everywhere in the spring where the runoff from the snow brings a sense of urgency to California. Possibilities of whitewater rafting and flooding are paramount in everyone's mind during this time. And, the photo opportunities are legendary as photographers line up to visit Yosemite and other mountainous areas. The Sierras are legendary and draw recreationists, adventurers and explorers from all over the world.

California is my home. I would not live anyplace, but California. But, I want to talk about an area that Californians rarely brag about... and it is unfortunate, because it is one of the most spectacular places in the world.

The Nature Conservancy - Consumnes River, California

The Great Valley. California. The bread basket of the world. Soil that can grow anything. An expanse so huge, that it takes a lonely drive up Hwy 5 to really appreciate the place. Like John Steinbeck and Joan Didion, I have found the beauty and sadness here, too.

I had an errand to run, and I had to meet a friend in Lodi. Remember that old Creedence Clearwater song? "Stuck in Lodi" was a vision of hot, dusty agricultural gloom signaling a valley town that did not warrant a visit. Well, the place was vibrant with grape vines and cherry trees. Vineyard country with world-class wines and wineries and restaurants that support the agriculture there. We had an incredible lunch together at a local restaurant.

The Great Valley at sunset by Stephen L.

As I drove home the next morning, the sky was a swirl of blue and huge pink, gray, white and bluish clouds were filling the skies space. Massive clouds filled with rain and snow moving across the sky like a heavenly dream. The width of the valley was so apparent. Flat and wide, the valley's structure was quite apparent. A huge valley surrounded by mountains. So huge, that you could see the curvature of the earth when you scanned the sky with your eyes.

I almost got vertigo driving and staring at the huge expanse of sky. Birds flew past the clouds, moving and darting among the wind and then landing along the freeway in the wetlands filled with nutritious food of algae, bugs and critters in the water. I saw egrets... snowy white egrets walking in the water right near the freeway. Picturesque, old barns and

landscape dotted with cows were as painterly as the landscapes that you would see at Crocker Art Museum's collection of old California art.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I spotted Mt Diablo in the distance. What an incredible perfect structure in the flatness of The Great Valley. You could see the coastal mountains off in the distance. The lush green pastures of the farmland and the swirl of the wild mustard coloring everything with a chrome yellow. Old Oak trees at least 100 years old or more were leafing out making each tree look as if puffs of sage-colored smoke were clinging to the end of their branches.

I could imagine wild herds of animals thundering through the flat expanse looking for water in the wetlands before civilization started building cities and suburbs in the valley. Indigenous people hunting the animals and praying to their gods for their skillful capture of fish, animal and birds in the valley. Even then, the valley gave the populations food fit for kings.

The Great Valley is beautiful. It is as spectacularly beautiful as any other place in California. I opened my car windows and sang

along with the radio. I had a smile on my face as I realized how incredibly lucky and privileged I am for living in this state. California has more than just beaches... it is a godly place of incredible beauty. Please respect this place and please help to preserve the natural places as best we can. Even the valley... wonderous... The Great Valley.


The Great Valley resources:

Golden Gate Bridge : http://www.goldengatebridge.org/visitors/

Sierra Nevada : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Nevada_%28U.S.%29

Getty Museum : http://www.getty.edu/museum/about.html

The Nature Conservancy : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbaJHeJ9j6o

California Writing Project's "Great Valley Writing Project" : http://www.californiawritingproject.org/In_The_News/index.html

John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, CA : http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1962/steinbeck-bio.html

Joan Didion was born in Sacramento, CA : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Didion

World Wildlife : http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/na/na0801_full.html

Fresno, CA - The Bread Basket of the Nation : http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/fresno-california-the-bread-basket-of-the-nation-1636814.html

Crocker Art Museum's California Art : http://www.crockerartmuseum.org/art/permanent-collection/california-art

Sacramento Art & Events : http://www.sacramento365.com/


Photo: Off the side of one of the WET River Trips vehicles in California.


This rafting blog and photos belong to W.E.T. River Trips; all contents are reserved.

Thanks to Stephen for his awesome pics and photos of the sandhill cranes.

Thanks to Great Valley for video and links!

California Rafting - 2012

WET River Trips has just finished their 2011 rafting season. What a long season we had, too! We started on the first Friday in March and kept going until last weekend. Geesh, what a year!


Learn how to guide the river in 2012 with W.E.T. River Trips! "Saving a Person in the River"

Here is the upcoming schedule for W.E.T. for this winter:

• Discounts and promotions for 2012 - this week
• Spring rafting - reservations are being taken now
• Guide school - March through June 2012 (only 12 people per session)
• Marketing our trips
  

Oh my! We do have a rather busy schedule...

Discounts are available and we will allow anyone to reserve on the 2011 pricing as long as they call/email us prior to end of this year. (You don't have to schedule your trip yet; but we advise contacting us about 2012 rafting trips prior to the end of the year if you want the 2011 rates!) That means our old customers and guests will get the best rates! Wooo!

Spring rafting will take place starting March 2, 2012 on Friday. Class 4+ North Fork American is usually flowing by then. Guide school program starts on the same day, March 2, 2012. The classes will go on through June or until newbies stop calling for the guide school information. Six (6) days of instruction or you can do the course in three (3) consecutive weekends.

Guide school is a fun, educational course for wannabe, newbie guides. We provide professional guide school information and execution for every student in our course. Most end up being professional guides for W.E.T. and our other associates.

Marketing continues as we sludge through all the media available to W.E.T. including social media. Yes, WET River Trips is on facebook, twitter, youtube, flickr and so many others that most of us are focusing on the day when all platforms are integrated!

Well... it's been a looooong time on the river for WET River Trips in California... and we look forward towards 2012!


Summer rafting fun with WET River Trips in California's South Fork American

Visit us here: http://www.raftwet.com
Like us here: http://facebook.com/wetrivertrips
Follow us here: http://twitter.com/wetrivertrips
Buy now!: http://raftwet-store.com

All photos and content are property of W.E.T. River Trips for this California Whitewater Rafting W.E.T. River Trips rafting blog.

SPAMMER, SCAMMER and CON-MEN

Greed. The holidays are coming and, wow, does it bring out the worst sometimes! Anyone else getting the emails? You know which ones I am talking about, don't you?

So far, I have won the following:

• 1 million dollars
• 2 million dollars
• $520,000.00
• an island
• an abandoned bank account
• a possible lottery
• an inheritance

The lottery wins are amusing. How in the world did I register for that lottery all the way in the UK? Or Nigeria? Or, how about the abandoned bank account that the bank employee wants to siphon off to me? The employee is clearly a criminal, and he wants me to participate in his devious plan. And, then there is the inheritance from a long lost uncle, and the attorney who needs details to transfer the funds to me.

I do understand why these scammers, spammers and con men approach us. They make money doing this, and in a way, this is their job. But, why do some of us respond? Greed.

The offers have a glimmer of hope for some, I suppose. There might be a fantasy dream of actually winning a lottery or inheriting a large sum of money. And, those who work in concert with a possible bank employee to rip off the bank deserves to get this spam. But, for others, it is a hopeful but hopeless dream.

Be careful out there folks. Life has no guarantees, but I am 99.99999% sure of this. I did not win a million dollars.




Rants from the WET office staff... for California Whitewater Rafting W.E.T. River Trips blog.
All photos and content belong to W.E.T. River Trips
'Fool' image from Google Images.

South Fork American for 2011

2011 South Fork American River, a photo by W.E.T. River Trips on Flickr.

Summer rafting and now into fall... South Fork American is a standard whitewater trip out here in the western United States. From early March through October, the whitewater rafting season continues out here in California through October...

or until demand wains!

Buy it Now!
Online rafting store
Like us!
WET Facebook
Visit us!
WET website

California COMBO River Trips!

2011 has been an incredible year for California whitewater rafting... true; but, did you get on a river? If you did, are you ready to get back out there?



Summer is winding down and soon the rivers will too. Don't be caught with "rapid-remorse"....AKA: "I should have gone rafting!"



The South Fork American River will flow through October and the Middle Fork of the American will flow through the first weekend in October with the good flows that we are used to seeing in July!



Late summer and early Fall is the prime-time 'shoulder-season" of California whitewater and W.E.T. River Trips is ready with 1-2 day trips on the South Fork and Middle Fork American River as well as the mighty "American River Combination" 2-day trip: both the South and Middle Fork rivers in 2 days while based in our camp at Camp Lotus.



Don't be caught with rapid remorse and get out there while you can!



da Boss : Steve Liles

NOTES from the office staff:
American River Combo is South Fork American the first day; Middle Fork American the next day! $269/person Buy it here http://raftwet-store.com/sofoamcotr.html Place the date of your trip in the comment box at the bottom of the billing page. We will confirm you within 24 hours! Also, note; we wear helmets on every rafting trip!

Like us here : http://facebook.com/wetrivertrips
Follow us here : http://twitter.com/raftwet



Our California Whitewater Rafting blog was uploaded by WET River Trips office Staff using da Boss, Steve's photos.
All content was created for W.E.T. River Trips blogs and other content related sites.

Music, Rafting and More! James Israel Band Releases New CD!

Good friends over at "James Israel Band" just finished their latest CD. A lot of work went into the project and WET River Trips would like to share their tunes with you. Check them out!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The James Israel Band releases new CD, "Good Enough"

Hello music lovers! We finally finished our CD, which is available for streaming on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JamesIsraelBand. (Please "like" us there, if you haven't already.)

If you like what you hear, individual songs (just 99 cents) and/or the whole CD are available on our CD Baby page at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jamesisraelband.

A few of the songs featured on the album are:

• Codependent Blues: A raucous and fun romp, about a subject most -- if not all -- of us are quite familiar with!
• Good Enough: Ok, it's only "white man's" reggae, but still a fun song!
• Just a Little (Can Do a Lot): A yin-yang kind of tune, all about love.
• Sweet Dark Princess: This tune features a beautiful piano opening by our wonderful Carrie McNabb and a very tasty guitar solo by our other wonderful lead instrumentalist, Sue Kasper. A love song many tell us is their favorite tune on the album.
• Deal With It: You know you must.
• The Kin of Ata: A spiritual tune inspired by the book The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You by Dorothy Bryant.
• Aliens On Ice: Tongue-in-cheek song about the Roswell Incident.

Thank you!

James

(Sonicbids EPK: http://www.sonicbids.com/JamesIsraelBand)

Notes from WET River Trips: August is rolling in along with many musical festivals throughout California and the entire West coast. River rafting, whitewater rafting and more on the American River coming up next!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More music on the West Coast:

AUGUST 2011
July 31-Aug 7 Seattle Festival of Dance Improvisation - Seattle, WA; http://www.sfadi.org
July 31- Aug. 7 Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival - Port Townsend, WA; http://www.centrum.org/blues/bl-festival.html
Aug. 5-7 The Gaia Festival - Laytonville, CA;http://www.thegaiafestival.com
Aug. 5-7 Reggae Rising - Garberville, CA; http://www.facebook.com/ReggaeRisingFestival
Aug. 5-7 Pickathon - Happy Valley, OR; http://www.pickathon.com
Aug. 6 - Petaluma Music Festival - Petaluma, CA; http://www.petalumamusicfestival.org/
Aug. 11-15 Beloved Festival - Tidewater Falls, OR; http://www.belovedfestival.com
Aug. 12-14 Northwest World Reggae Festival - Marcola, OR; http://www.nwworldreggae.com
Aug. 12-14 Indijinus - west of Eugene, OR; http://bhumsiva.com/indidjinus-gathering
Aug. 12-14 Summer Meltdown - Darrington, WA; http://www.summermeltdown.com
Aug. 12-14 San Jose Jazz Festival - San Jose, CA; http://jazzfest.sanjosejazz.org/
Aug. 12-14 Outside Lands - San Francisco, CA; http://www.sfoutsidelands.com/
Aug. 17-21 Sierra Contact Festival - Sierraville, CA; http://www.bodyresearch.org/contactfestival
Aug. 19-21 Northwest Herbal Fair - Mt. Vernon, WA; http://www.nwherbalfair.com/
Aug. 20-21 Art and Soul - Oakland, CA; http://www.artandsouloakland.com/
Aug. 26-28 The Eugene Celebration - Eugene, OR; http://www.eugenecelebration.com
Aug 29- - Sept. 5 Burning Man - Black Rock Desert, NV; http://www.burningman.com

SEPTEMBER 2011
Sept. 2-5 Singing Alive - Cosmopolis, WA; http://www.tribesofcreation.com/events.html
Sept. 2-5 Northern California Women's Herbal Symposium - Laytonville, CA; http://www.womensherbalsymposium.org/pages/symposium.html
Sept.3-6 Strawberry Fall Music Festival - Yosemite, CA; http://www.strawberrymusic.com
Sept. 3-5 Bumbershoot - Seattle, WA; http://bumbershoot.org/
Sept. 4-5 Scottish Highland Games - Pleasanton, CA; http://www.caledonian.org/games.html
Sept. 8-11 Bhakti Fest - Joshua Tree, CA; http://www.bhaktifest.com/
Sept. 9-11 Newport Music Festival - Newport, WA; http://www.pvbluegrass.com/
Sept. 9-11 Sisters Folk Festival - Sisters, OR; http://www.sistersfolkfestival.org/sff.php
Sept. 13-18 Somafest Somatic Movement Arts Festival - LA, CA; http://www.somafest.org
Sept. 16-18 Monterey Jazz Festival - Monterey, CA; http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org
Sept 16-18 American River Music Festival - Coloma, CA; http://www.americanrivermusic.org/musicians.php
Sept. 17-18 Mendocino Rejuvenation Festival - Mendocino, CA; www.RejuvenationFestival.com
Sept. 23-25 Earthdance - Vallejo, CA; http://earthdancelive.com/
Sept. 23-25 Art of Community - Occidental, CA; http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/03/18/art-of-community-pr-jan-2011.pdf
Sept. 24-25 Adams Ave. Street Fair - San Diego, CA; http://adamsaveonline.com/StreetFair/


Content created by James Israel, W.E.T. River Trips, and WestCoastFest.com for this rafting blog.
Photos by : WET River Trips on Flickr

SOUTH Fork American River Latest News!

Our old friend, Bill is a former El Dorado County supervisor now comfortably running the show at his campground on the shores of the South Fork American River. He was one of the early pioneers on the rivers of California, and his passion for this beloved river, South Fork, is unprecedented in the history of conservation in Northern California.



Bill gives us the latest on the flow regime of the South Fork American River near Sacramento, California.

SOUTH FORK FLOW PROJECTIONS JUNE 14 2011

By Bill Center

"It looks like we may avoid any significant periods of flows above 7000 cfs, and possibly even much time above 6000 cfs. The flow pattern we have seen over the past week or so could well hold through June and as long as mid July. At the current melt rate Union Valley will not fill to 260,500 AF until the last week of June. This is the volume (elevation 4868) where they open their spillway gates, putting somewhere between 1000 and 2000 additional cfs down the river. It appears unlikely that Ice House will spill. In the meantime the South Fork at Kyburz appears close to peaking, and flows on it over the next week to ten days will likely drop below 2000cfs. By late June the area of melting snow will have significantly reduced, though there will still be substantial volume above 8000 feet. What all this means is that we are in the middle of a prolonged non-peaky flow regime, and if/when Union Valley spills the South Fork natural flows will have dropped enough to keep the Chili Bar flow from getting much higher than it's been.

What could change this is a couple of things. If we get a week of hot - close to 100 degree - weather, stuff will go off faster and we could get a couple of thousand cfs surge. Also, on a day to day period, SMUD is still peaking White Rock, and will likely continue to, resulting in a spiky Slab Creek reach flow and about a 1500 cfs variation in Chili Bar flows. So we could see flows occasionally jump above 6000 or even approach 7000 if the average flow reaches 5500. Right now the average flow is around 4500. These spikes can be avoided - or selected - by watching the flows and adjusting what time and section you are on the river. They tend to last only a couple of hours at most, and tend to be in the early morning right now, caused by both the diurnal melt pattern and low power demand in the very early morning hours.

We will likely see periodic flows of 3500 cfs well into and possibly even through August, especially on warm week-day afternoons. On the low end, sometime in mid to late July, we will likely see our first drops to around 500 cfs, probably on weekend nights."

This is indeed good news for the general public who loves the South Fork American with the same passion as we do. WET River Trips will pull the plug on any river that is running at dangerous level. But, this news is welcoming as we usually cancel trips above 10,000 cfs on this river.

The weather is hot. The flows are awesome. Come on out for a ride like no other... whitewater rafting in California is the best NOW!

RESERVATIONS: raftwet-store.com

Toll Free: 1.888.723.8938

News & Review Story this week!: GET WET News & Review

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/travel-recreation-get-wet/content?oid=2333595

All photos by WET River Trips in Flickr and uploaded by WET River Trips blogging staff. Letter and information by Bill Center and offered for public use for the whitewater rafting industry on South Fork American River in California.

Excuses, Excuses... Poor Grandma!

Whitewater rafting trips are happening all over California and the western USA. W.E.T. is booking many paddling enthusiasts as this is shaping up to be a historical year for water and rafting in California.

A big snow pack and late storms are proving to be godsend for Northern California's spring rivers. A long season of spring flows until probably end of June? For real!

But, I digress, as I usually do when writing about the insignificant minutiae of the reservation office as we all sit here talking to guests, booking reservations and overseeing the online store for rafting trips.

What I do know is that guests are reserving later and waiting until the last minute to book a trip. We know one of the reasons is because of cancellation policies. It's a dilemma for both the company and the guest.

We have to have a cancellation policy or people won't show up. Any excuse could prevent

them from showing up! So the guests wait... until the last minute to book.

The entertainment for those of us in the office this month has been the excuses for canceling trips. You would think it would be about the weather which is a reasonable excuse given that May's weather was quite unpredictable. Some people do not like to do anything outdoors in the rain. Ok. That's cool, we understand.

Some of the best reasons for the dreaded "no-shows" have been unreal. We hope you understand, if your reason was real and it is listed here... it was just hard for us to believe!

TOP 10 REASONS (Excuses) for Canceling a Rafting Trip

10) I lost my driving directions, so I missed the trip.

uuuhhh... driving directions were sent w/ confirmation... they even called the day before to confirm directions again...

9) My boyfriend made dinner last night and it made me sick.

hmmm... we all wondered what he made...

8) We followed a truck with a raft on it and ended up in Tahoe.

we had a serious good laugh over this one... giggling still... lemmings are alive in California!

7) My friend organized this trip w/ my credit card, but he didn't give me any info.

right. someone uses your credit card & you don't have any info over a thousand dollar charge... sure.

6) I put the wrong date on my calendar.

this is actually a common error... double check peeps!

5) I got up too late, realized it was too late; so I went back to sleep.

WHA? this one was amazingly arrogant... couldn't they at least call us...

4) We got drunk last night and we were hung-over.

our fav excuse of all time! so honest and candid... we rescheduled them.

3) My grandmother is dying in the hospital.

this same guest used this excuse 4 years in a row... hmmm...

2) My grandmother died.

and the same guest used this excuse in between those years... 2nd or 3rd year...

and... TA DA-A-A-A... the top #1 excuse in the last few years...

1) I have to go to my grandmother's funeral.

and finally, the same guest used this one for a reschedule in another year... when we could not reschedule him due to a sold out date; he kept his original date and told us his grandmother was dead anyway and probably would not want him to miss his trip... hmmm... she probably would also wish he didn't use her as an excuse! Poor grandma...

Ok. For those who really did have the grandmother excuse, our prayers are with you. For those who used their grandparent for an excuse... well, I hope nothing ever happens to grandma. She deserves better respect than that!

We discussed this phenomenon and we all agree. The best excuse is this, "We have to cancel due to personal/work reasons." It really is none of our business why you didn't show up. It is only our business if you demand a reschedule.

Memorial Day weekend is coming up next. Saturday is packed and there is still some room on Sunday. Do us a favor and try... oh please, try... to book your reservations early next week. We want to make sure everyone is reserved in a timely fashion!

See you on the river,

WET Reservations

W.E.T. River Trips

RAFTWET.com

raftwet-store.com

Note from the editor: ...sounds like the office staff needs to go on a whitewater rafting trip...

All blog content including photos are the property of W.E.T. River Trips and related sites and networks.

Spring Break - The Empty Nest - I Miss Them!

Spring break. The heart aches in the silence of the house. The kids have all moved away now. One is in college and the other just left to room with his buddies. The silence is deafening.

Those big feet that belonged to the male eating machine would constantly pound down the stairs in the morning yelling, "What's for breakfast?"

And, the sound of that incessant blow dryer as she would fuss over her hair for hours each morning, whining loudly, "I hate my hair!"

I miss it very much. The problems of teenagers, with their ever present drama and bad decisions taking a toll on the entire family, seem to be a distant insignificant blip. That entire episode of the teen years seem so harrowing... so incredibly important, then.

I miss them in the house. I miss their friends. I miss the mess strewn throughout the house of misplaced clothing, school books and spilt sticky juice on the counter. I miss it all.

We are an empty nest. A nice tidy home now with everything in its place. It's maddening. I hate this quiet place. The only sound now is our voices and the tv. Every little musical ding in the background, and I am checking my cell phone for their text messages. I seem to wait for their contact everyday.

We are connected by our cell phones and computers. We share our family pictures in the social networking sites like FaceBook. We text each other. Though I would prefer to talk in voice, they both claim that I am old-fashion and no one calls anymore. I miss their voices very much.

What I have done is plan a trip for our family this spring. We are going rafting and camping together. Amazingly, they both agreed and they were both excited. We used to take them when they were adolescents. The wide-eyed amazement on their faces made the rafting trips worth every minute of the hassle of packing them up in the car to drive the miles cooped-up together in the noisy metal box.

I told them to bring a friend with them. That's always fun as I love to watch them interact with their peers. The insights in their conversations tell me so much about their life now. I stopped interrogating them long ago as I discovered that teens and young adults really don't tell you what you really want to know. I know I never told my parents much... only what they wanted to hear.

Soon, they will be arriving only during special occasions with their own children. Soon, they will look at us fondly, and believe that we are wise beyond our years. That day is not here, yet. So, we grab each other on these special whitewater trips to bond and tease each other lovingly. 2011 Spring Break brings us all together again for a family outing...

I miss them so much.

Notes: W.E.T. River Trips honors our families. We now have multiple generations on our whitewater rafting trips. Some have been with us since the late 70's and bring their own children and grandchildren now. Bless all of you and may we enhance your family experience in the best possible way.

All photos by W.E.T. River Trips except for the Family pic at the top. Thanks to Google images for that one and thanks to youtube for the video parody of teens tolerating their parents.

All About the Attitude - WET River Trips

WET River Trips March 19 - 20, 2011 a photo by W.E.T. River Trips on Flickr.



No matter what you do in life, it all boils down to your attitude. A sour attitude with a big fat chip on the shoulder is a proven ground for a sad life of bitterness and dour relationships. An attitude born in enthusiasm, wide-eyed thirst for the unknown and a smile from ear to ear is proven to be a recipe for a happy life and fulfilling life.



Last weekend, we had those guests that come into life's hardships with a smile and a reverence for all things good. The flows were high... beyond 5,000 cfs. The rain came pouring down and the wind blew hard. But, the entire crew and the guests were pumped up and paid their dues to Mother Nature. And, Mom rewarded them all with an incredible day of whitewater rafting in the solitude of the river canyon.



Together, they were celebrating their best buddy's upcoming wedding nuptials. A group of old friends getting together for a memorable time on the river while challenging themselves to a taste of adventure in the outdoors. They were celebrating life and all the good things that go with a good life... friends, food, nature and adventure. A whitewater rafting trip to remember their last bachelor days together.



The accolades came in on Monday from the bachelor group. They had great things to say...

"Just wanted to send a follow up email to our trip this past weekend... We spent 2 nights and 2 days, surviving the elements of wind and rain, and conquering the high water... We all had an awesome time and will have plenty of memories to share for a long time. Our bachelor, J., especially had a good time. I wanted to give a special thanks to our guides Justin and Steve... We could not have asked for better guides to introduce us to whitewater rapids. These guys are the best and deserve some recognition! From cooking up our meals, to guiding us on the river, and just plain showing us a good time, Steve and Justin did a fantastic job. We hope to organize another trip during the summer, and will definitely recommend WET to all our friends. Many thanks again!

Joel B., trip organizer"



And this is why we do what we do... whitewater trips for our guests!



It's all about the attitude.



All photos and content belong to WET River Trips. Blog and pictures uploaded by WET blogging staff. All photos also uploaded to WET Flickr site. Visit W.E.T. on Facebook.

North Fork American - March 4, 2011

Well, W.E.T. started with quite a bang last weekend. The day was sunny, blue skies and the people were great. A couple from the local area, some trainee guides and guests from past trips were all there to start the official first day on the river.

There was a relaxed feeling about that day, too. No stressful late arrivals or surprise add-ons at the last minute. Everyone was prepared and ready to roll onto the Class 4+ whitewater on the North Fork American. Chamberlain Falls is the big rapid there and most had seen it before, so the day was like a reunion of W.E.T., the guides and the guest all paying homage to this most wonderful river trip.

Big Poppah was there, too with a big smile as he waved off the crew as they snaked down the river bobbing and drifting into the big rapids ahead. 2011 rafting season is here, and it seems we just put the last river season to sleep in a blanket of paperwork and file folders.

Flowers are blooming, red bud is starting it's color change to magenta and chrome yellow daffodils are starting to poke their heads out of the ground. Spring in California! Nothing is better than that... absolutely nothing!

Video slide show by: Big Poppah

Blog written and upload by: WET River Trips blogging staff

More videos: http://youtube.com/wetrivertrips

Check WET Flickr photos

North Fork American starts March 2011

On my way down Hwy 80 after a day of snowboarding to enjoy the fresh powder of "Snowmagedon" (the latest and most amazing snow storm in a decade that dropped 2 feet of snow at 3,000 ft. and over 10 ft. on the Sierra summit), I drove down to the Iowa Hill bridge to check out the flows on the North Fork American River.

I found snow at the put-in and a rising river that will be more than ready to deliver solid class 4 whitewater that should easily last through May.

Information on the beautiful North Fork American can be found at several resources including:

• C-W-R (California Whitewater Rafting) info site
• RAFTWET (W.E.T. River Trips) WET's official website
• CACreeks (All kinds of creeks and rivers) private rafters and kayak site
• Rafting Online Store (Buy Now!) for WET River Trips

Get your friends together and come on out for California's best river trips this spring. The river is ready and so are we as we start our whitewater trips starting this weekend on March 5, 2011!

All photos by Poppah Jah from his Picasa album and uploaded from W.E.T. River Trips blogging staff for this blog, the official California Whitewater Rafting blog for our company.

RAFTING : middle fork guests at safety talk

middle fork guests at safety talk
Originally uploaded by W.E.T. River Trips

New Video! ~~~ group rafting trips!

Time for whitewater rafting!

Get your groups together and give us a call to plan for a whitewater trip this season. You can have your friends reserve online or by phone. Make it easy!

Looking over the top of Rucka-Chucky Falls; the portage on the Middle Fork American.

Middle Fork American is a wilderness rafting trip in California. We pull over onto the beach and make camp there. Peaceful and quiet, the canyon's only sound is our laughter.

W.E.T. River Trips has two wilderness trips on the American River: South Fork American and Middle Fork American Tunnel Chute run. Are you surprised that we said the South Fork? YES! Both rivers have a wilderness camp and both have an ambiance like no other.

Group rafting trips: Reserve them now!

All photos by W.E.T. River Trips for the oldest rafting blog in the world! California whitewater rafting is a must-do. Join us for 2011!