Planning Spring Rafting Trips

Christmas is done... and along with the turmoil of trying to create that special holiday atmosphere of loving, giving, peaceful co-existence with all members of the family. Arguing over the minutea of past slights and silly ancient family history, we still all sit down at dinner and praise the All Mighty. We stuff our faces with familiar family recipes and we honor and respect each other's idiosyncracies. Talk around the table this year was about the weirdo weather we are experiencing in Northern California. Lots of rain! And the rivers came screaming back up to high water springtime conditions. Weird. The North Fork American was flowing above 3,000 cfs while the South Fork American River stayed at an unreal December level above 5,000 cfs. Up North, the Cal Salmon rose to 6,000+ cfs!

Snow started falling again on Monday and some of us headed up to Kirkwood for a day of skiing and snowboarding today. With all the rain and ground saturation, we should be in very good shape for all dam controlled rivers such as South Fork American, Middle Fork American and Tuolumne River this spring and summer. Reservoirs will be healthy; especially in Northern California! Just remember that the majority of storms seem to come in January and February. We definitely need more snowpack for a longer spring runoff!

Our families and friends are planning several rafting trips this season. In the spring, we are looking to do a private river trip on the Illinois River in Oregon, then commercial river trips on the North Fork American in California, the California Salmon River near the California/Oregon border and then we will do a family and friends re-union on a two day South Fork and Middle Fork American in late July. This should satisfy all the die-hard paddlers in our family, but also it will allow us to include the younger kids and some grandparents over on the American River. This should be a great river rafting season for everyone!

Adventure Gift Certificates for Teens

Yikes, it's almost Christmas! Shopping for loved ones is getting more and more difficult every year. I'm racking my brains to get that perfect something for my teenager. What do you get a teen who has everything?

You know what I mean... they have a computer, they have an X-Box, they have the iPod, they have the snowboard, skateboard, skis, blah blah blah... they have tons of clothes; they have every flippin' thing that every kid wants already... so what does a parent get for their special teen?

I'm getting adventure gifts for mine. Lift tickets at their favorite ski resort, gift certificates for rafting trips, campsite reservations near favorite outdoor programs, rock climbing walls, gift certs for outdoor sports equipment and memberships to the local gym! I want my teen off the couch and in the outdoors enjoying life to it's fullest. Sooooo, hey parents; give the gift of adventure. The teens will really enjoy it!

High Water on South Fork American River

Brrrrrr! It's hella cold. Good for a great base on the ski slopes. Storms are happening and the North Fork American came screaming up in flows. I'm not sure who or what went down the other day when the rains sent the gauge up to 15,000 cfs. Imagine that narrow corridor in that rocky canyon.

Where does the water go when it's that high? Upwards! I heard there were some kayakers attempting it... not sure which portion or if it's just a rumor... that's the thing about river rumors... there's always an element of truth. Did so-and-so really do that descent? Did that company really raft at those flows?

... went over to the South Fork American this past weekend to check out the flows and the beautiful winter scenery. Oh, yeeehhhh... the kayakers were out in the chilly air enjoying the river to themselves. This is such a great time for 'yakers... no commercial activity; just paddle in hand enjoying the river. Calls are coming into the office for early spring trips on the North Fork American and Cal Salmon trips. Weather is starting to promise a great river rafting season for 2006... oh, and by the way, Ryan Mac made it down to Brazil safe and sound. Logistics will be set and the first trips will start on Christmas day. Good luck to the "Chasing 50" Team!

Brazil Rivers - First Descents

Storms are coming in... finally! Rain and some snow in the higher elevations... and good ol' Boreal has opened. Ryan Mac, one of our safety kayakers and also, one of our guides, has put together an exploratory rafting and kayaking trip to Brazil. Calling the Expedition "Chasing 50," Ryan, and the team will be traveling through 7 states, visiting over 20 National Parks in 15 different mountain ranges in an effort to surpass 50 River First Descents on Class 4 - 5 rivers in only 3 months! For info on sponsorships, please click here for further information on "Chasing 50."

Our own W.E.T. River Trips is sponsoring Ryan and the "Chasing 50" team because we support the exploration of new rivers and new rafting programs. To be able to, someday, experience the rivers that this team will be seeing for the first time is one of the best reasons to lend support. We can't wait for the stories to come out of this exploratory river trip!

Thanksgiving Thanks!

This writer would like to give thanks for the many people, places and things that have brought joy and fulfillment to my life.

First my family; their support and love have been complete without exception. The beautiful rivers, streams and natural places that I have visited; God's gift to me, and believe me, I relish those moments of utter quiet and reflection. And the things... the organizations, the hardware to create this website, the rafts and gear that allow me to enjoy my family and rivers... Good health, happiness and strength. Music that keeps my head on the river even when I am not there. All this, I am thankful.

For those of you who have suffered loss and sadness this year, try to find a way to be thankful for all that you do have. This Thanksgiving finds our country in strife both on our shores and on foreign shores. We have seen major natural disasters that have faced both our countrymen and others. Daily we face disappointments and pure joy. Life is all about contrasts.

Eat a bunch of turkey, roll around on the floor while hugging your children, your spouse. Keep your friends close to your heart. If you have enemies, hug them anyway or at least keep an open mind. Have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving!

River Conservation

Holidays are sneaking up on us... and my thoughts are still on the river season. Conservation groups have been very busy these past few months. SMUD's (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) proprosal of relicensing the Upper South Fork American River "was not as positive as it could have been,” said Steve Evans, FOR Conservation Director. It did not include the recommendations of agencies that are responsible for the public trust, including the California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and California Park Service.” FOR (Friends of the River) is not asking for dam removals; just a restoration. Read more about this project at our River Conservation News pages.

And over on the Tuolumne River, conservation efforts have helped convince San Francisco in dropping the additional pipeline that would have adversely affected the beautiful flows of the Tuolumne River. For those of you who love that river, you should read and help support the efforts by the Tuolumne Trust.

Finally, the modifications by the US National Forest has made some profound changes over on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. FEIS (Final Environmental Impact Study) was released last week. "We think it's a workable plan," said Mark Grisham, Executive Director of the Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association, "We would have done some things differently, but recognize that the Park had a tough balancing act." Some of the changes include: Commercial use spreading from April through September with some launches in June and July moved to these early & later seasonal departures; Group size cuts from a maximum of 36 passengers to 28 passengers; and the ratio of commercial motorized use to oar use changed from the current 3 to 1 (motorized to oar) to 2 to 1.

While most of our paddling friends are busy with holiday planning and preparing for their annual rafting trips, our industry is busy protecting these dwindling resources as our California population swells. We work hard to protect our industry's interest just like every other business in the country; except ours is a fun-loving outdoor recreation that truely enhances the quality of our lives.

Teen Rafting Trips

Weather is cold today and a storm is due to hit. Mother Nature is waking up after a long summer/fall. Everyday, this past month, beautiful blue skies and warm sunny days greeted Californians, and the weather started to get to me. It's time for holiday planning and marking the days on the calendar. The guides are hunkering down for the winter and planning their holiday escapes. For those of you who went with W.E.T. River Trips this past rafting season, you may want to share your experience with a friend or loved one. Just call us for holiday gift certificates. We finally have a PDF file to download for the gift certificates or you can just order one to be mailed.

Speaking of holiday gifts & shopping, I came across a news item regarding Abercrombie & Fitch. Seems that a group of young teens have organized a boycott (or as one noted; a girl-cott) of their stores. This isn't the first time that A&F has insulted their buying public. What is suprising, though, is that these young teen women have organized and carefully put their message in front of the media.

What we see is a group of intelligent young teens exercising their Constitutional rights to boycott a stupid marketing attempt by a large corporate retailer. We would love to have these teens rafting with us! Our teen rafting trips honor the intelligence and abilities of our youthful citizens. They are the ones who will be running the show soon. And if this group of young teens is any indication of our future... well, we have nothing to worry about.