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nckayakgrrl
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  Quote nckayakgrrl Replybullet Topic: open to CA suggestions...
    Posted: 28 Apr 2012 at 10:51am
I'm heading down to Cali to the Cherry Creek drainage and I'm looking for some good IV/IV+ to paddle. Feel pretty good on the Upper Wind up to 7 feet. Truss at 2.5, EFL up to 2000... not necessarily looking for a waterfall run, definitely hitting up the T. Never paddled in CA and looking for some good advice? Does the guidebook accurately rate things or is it soft? Thanks!
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tiziak
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  Quote tiziak Replybullet Posted: 28 Apr 2012 at 11:26am
Which guidbook?
 
Good warmups would be the South Branch of the Feather.
You could also do good to get on the Yuba and Fourdyce.
UMC is a little South on the way towards Cherry and is a great run.
 
If you just hang out in Coloma and look for Kiwi's you can follow them to good water.
If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

Daniel Patrinellis
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fiddleyak
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  Quote fiddleyak Replybullet Posted: 02 May 2012 at 8:42am
The Holbek and Stanley is the standard whitewater guidebook for California. Even though it was last published in 1997, it's ratings are still considered standard. It is not "soft". If Holbek says something is V you can bet it is.
Your questions about runs has been asked millions of times on Boatertalk and Boof.com.
Not sure if Dan noticed your request for IV-IV+ runs. Fordyce, Cherry Creek of T and UMC are all definitely solid V runs.
A great run to hit on your way down would be Burnt Ranch Gorge of Trinity. Check out the Smith (MF and SF Gorges are IV-IV+), Cal-Salmon (Nordheimer IV-IV+).
I haven't looked at it much but Darin McQuiod has some well-received blogspots about "stepping stones" for Cali runs. I bet they are worth the read.
http://worldkayakblogs.com/jscreekin/2010/01/27/stepping-stones/
http://worldkayakblogs.com/jscreekin/2010/02/02/stepping-stones-class-iv-and-v/

Edited by fiddleyak - 02 May 2012 at 8:43am
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BRoss
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  Quote BRoss Replybullet Posted: 02 May 2012 at 9:09am
I've only been to Cali once to paddle but it was awesome.   I'd highly recommend the Giant Gap section of NF American (I guess its a little north of the Tuolumne). It felt like the Wind in terms of whitewater (maybe more creeky), but the scenery was outstanding. We posted on Boof.com the night before we wanted to run it and a boater from Sacramento rallied out to guide us down - pretty sweet.

Some of the best class 4 creeks I've ever been on are the Pauley and Lavezzola in Downieville (maybe hit them on your way down?).

We overnighted the lower T - super good trip, also recommended. Easily done in a day, but with the luxury of time we hiked up the NF T and did a little canyoneering/waterfall jumping

Do not run the Bear River, under any circumstances.    


"That boated a lot better than it looked." "It always does until it doesn't."
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firewater
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  Quote firewater Replybullet Posted: 02 May 2012 at 5:45pm
Extra Votes and thumbs up for Pauley and Lavezzola creeks! They literally run right next to each other making the logistics super easy. You can youtube these creeks and get a "good scout." We also ran Mill Creek (decent overnighter, amazing scenery) but thats quite a bit more north from where you expect to be.
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  Quote firewater Replybullet Posted: 02 May 2012 at 6:42pm
http://cacreeks.com/
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