White Water Rafting

As with bungee jumping, white water rafting requires a road trip.  There are a lot of cool things around San Francisco Bay, but river rapids aren't one of them.  Plan on two hours' drive, minimum.  Also, keep in mind that white water rafting is seasonal, since it depends on having enough water in the river for good rafting.  In northern California, most runs are open spring and/or summer, but some go as late as October.

Most companies that offer white water rafting require a downpayment to reserve space, and that's usually not refundable.  Also, most white water runs have a minimum age.  However, that age varies depending on how difficult/dangerous the run is.  There's at least one Class III rapids open to children as young as 7 years old, with parental supervision.

Speaking of "Class III", runs are rated by class.  Generally speaking, the higher the class, the wilder the ride and the more skill and experience required to run it safely.  Class I has so little white water that it barely fits the average person's definition of a "rapids", while Class VI is strongly reminiscent of the cliff scene in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".  (Class VI is sometimes referred to as Class U, for "Unrunnable".)  If you have no experience, you're probably going to be limited to a hard Class III or an easy Class IV.

Note that there are two different scales in common use in the United States, the International Scale and the United States Scale.  The US Scale includes + and - ratings (i.e. Class III+), and separates Class V into distinct levels that are usually specified using Arabic numerals with a decimal point (i.e. Class 5.2).  However, the general class descriptions are roughly the same on both scales.  (A number of other nations also have their own scales, but since the readership for this site probably doesn't extend to India or New Zealand, they're not included here.

The following descriptions are drawn mainly from http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/safety:start.

• Class A:  No perceptible water movement.  Not all versions of the International and US Scales include this class, but it is occasionally cited to describe lakes and ponds separating stretches of river.

• Class I:  Fast moving water with riffles and small waves. Few obstructions, all obvious and easily missed with little training. Risk to swimmers is slight; self-rescue is easy.

• Class II:  Straightforward rapids with wide, clear channels which are evident without scouting. Occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks and medium-sized waves are easily missed by trained paddlers. Swimmers are seldom injured and group assistance, while helpful, is seldom needed. Rapids that are at the upper end of this difficulty range are designated “Class II+”.

• Class III:  Rapids with moderate, irregular waves which may be difficult to avoid and which can swamp an open canoe. Complex maneuvers in fast current and good boat control in tight passages or around ledges are often required; large waves or strainers may be present but are easily avoided. Strong eddies and powerful current effects can be found, particularly on large-volume rivers. scouting is advisable for inexperienced parties. Injuries while swimming are rare; self-rescue is usually easy but group assistance may be required to avoid long swims. Rapids that are at the lower or upper end of this difficulty range are designated “Class III-” or “Class III+” respectively.

• Class IV:  Intense, powerful but predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water. Depending on the character of the river, it may feature large, unavoidable waves and holes or constricted passages demanding fast maneuvers under pressure. A fast, reliable eddy turn may be needed to initiate maneuvers, scout rapids, or rest. Rapids may require “must” moves above dangerous hazards. Scouting may be necessary the first time down. Risk of injury to swimmers is moderate to high, and water conditions may make self-rescue difficult. Group assistance for rescue is often essential but requires practiced skills. A strong eskimo roll is highly recommended. Rapids that are at the lower or upper end of this difficulty range are designated “Class IV-” or “Class IV+” respectively.

• Class V:  Extremely long, obstructed, or very violent rapids which expose a paddler to added risk. Drops may contain** large, unavoidable waves and holes or steep, congested chutes with complex, demanding routes. Rapids may continue for long distances between pools, demanding a high level of fitness. What eddies exist may be small, turbulent, or difficult to reach. At the high end of the scale, several of these factors may be combined. Scouting is recommended but may be difficult. Swims are dangerous, and rescue is often difficult even for experts. A very reliable eskimo roll, proper equipment, extensive experience, and practiced rescue skills are essential. Because of the large range of difficulty that exists beyond Class IV, Class 5 is an open-ended, multiple-level scale designated by class 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, etc... each of these levels is an order of magnitude more difficult than the last. Example: increasing difficulty from Class 5.0 to Class 5.1 is a similar order of magnitude as increasing from Class IV to Class 5.0.

• Class VI (sometimes referred to as "Class U"):  These runs have almost never been attempted and often exemplify the extremes of difficulty, unpredictability and danger. The consequences of errors are very severe and rescue may be impossible. For teams of experts only, at favorable water levels, after close personal inspection and taking all precautions. After a Class VI rapids has been run many times, its rating may be changed to an apppropriate Class 5.x rating.

American River Recreation

Description:  Five major runs, ranging from class III to Class VI+.  Depending on the run, trips length can be half day, one day, or two day.  Combinations lasting 3 days or more are also available, as are occasional special runs in other rivers.  In order of difficulty, the regular runs are:

• South Fork American - Class III; half day, one day, and two day trips; miinimum age 7 years; open April through September

• Merced - Class IV; one day and two day trips; minimum age 12 years; April through July

• Middle Fork American - Class IV; one day and two day trips; minimum age 13 years; open April through October

• North Fork American - Class IV; one day trips; minimum age 16 years; open April through June

• Kaweah - Class IV (prior experience REQUIRED); one day trips; minimum age 16 years; open April through July

Web Site:  http://www.arrafting.com

Location:  offices in Lotus, CA

Drive Time from Ames (per Google maps):  Indeterminate; contact the business for driving directions and distances.  However, the American River is east of Sacramento, which is 2 hours and 4 minutes away; the Merced is near Mariposa, which is 3 hours and 1 minute away; and the Kaweah is near Visalia, which is 3 hours and 30 minutes away.

Public Transit: 

Hours: Start times vary by river, trip length, and season, so contact the business for specifics.

Cost:  Prices vary depending on the river, the day of the week, and the trip length.  Weekend trips are usually more expensive, but the price doesn't change much with difficulty.  Details are at http://www.arrafting.com/schedule.html.  For comparison, 1-day runs on each of the rivers range as follows:

• South Fork American:  $89 to $159

• Merced:  $129 to $159

• Middle Fork American:  $129 to $159

• North Fork American:  $119 to $149

• Kaweah:  $139 to $159

Cache Canyon River Trips

Description:  Organizes runs on the Upper Cache Creek, rated at Class III.  The Upper Cache runs through a volcanic canyon, which is only accessable by water.  Trips range from half a day to two days or more, and most include at least some meals.  Minimum age is 12 years.

Web Site:  http://www.cachecanyon.com/

Location:  offices in Rumsey, CA

Drive Time from Ames (per Google maps):  Indeterminate; the web site either doesn't give a location or it hides the information well.  Contact the business for driving directions and distances.  However, Rumsey is 2 hours and 28 minutes away.

Public Transit: 

Hours:  Start times vary by river, trip length, and season, so contact the business for specifics.

Cost:  Prices vary by day of the week and trip length.  One day trips range from about $30 to $45, with two-day trips in the range of about $115 to $160.

Whitewater Adventures

Description:  Organizes runs on the Upper Cache Creek, rated at Class III.  The Upper Cache runs through a volcanic canyon, which is only accessable by water.  Trips range from half a day to two days or more, and most include at least some meals.  Minimum age is 12 years.

Web Site:  http://www.gotwhitewater.com/

Location:  offices in Sacramento, CA

Drive Time from Ames (per Google maps):  Indeterminate; the web site either doesn't give a location or it hides the information well.  Contact the business for driving directions and distances.  However, Sacramento is 2 hours and 4 minutes away, and the web site indicates that the Upper Cache Creek is 2 hours north of San Francisco.

Public Transit: 

Hours:  Start times vary by river, trip length, and season, so contact the business for specifics.

Cost:  Prices vary by day of the week and trip length.  The minimum cost found on their web site is $55 for a one-day trip, with two-day trips in the range of about $99 to $145.