South Fork Salmon

One of my last days living here in Northern California, I had the opportunity to get on the South Fork Gorge of the Cal Salmon River. The Cal Salmon drainage is one of the most beautiful places I have visited. It has some great kayaking too.

Just enjoy the photos taken by Ben York!

Beat down

Three days after I moved to Arcata in Northern California I paddled the Burnt Ranch Gorge on the Trinity River. Three days before I leave Arcata I paddled the Burnt Ranch Gorge again. In between this time BRG became my local run. I ran it so often I stopped counting. I ran it at all kind of flows - from 500cfs during late summer up to 10000cfs just a couple weeks ago. During fall I ran it about three times a week!

I never portage any rapid and I never swam until today. During my last run down the Gorge I got my ass kicked.
The rapid is called "Table Rock". I went for the mean-line on the river right. The hole down there was just waiting for me. According to my companion Damon I did a couple nice cartwheels and other tricks - but the hole didn't let me go. I was not able to control my ride very well and finally decided to go for the wet exit. I pulled my skirt, exit the boat but hold on to my paddle. I recirculed three times as a swimmer until I got out of that nasty hole. I did let my paddle go after a few recirculations and finally got out. My boat was already floating downstream.
Luckily my boat got pushed into an eddy. Damon went after my paddle while I was swimming to my boat.  We got all my stuff together and finished the run. Even I had my first swim this year in that nasty spot it was a great day. We had a level of 2800cfs which is a really great flow.
I love that run - especially at a little higher flows.

Today the Trinity punished me for going for taking the mean lines.

Here some pictures of BRG:

#2 at 3200cfs
photo by Mister Mullet aka Leif Anderson

in the meat of #3

Hennessy boof

Check out some Burnt Ranch Gorge videos:


at summer / fall flows


at 2700cfs


at 10000cfs

Hell or High Water

Here a link to my recent article on KANUmagazin.de - Be aware: it is in german!

For all the lazy germans and those who do not understand this language here a 5min video clip!




Nice write-up by Dan Menten in his blog "North Coast Paddleing" and more pictures than text by Mullet-Leif in his blog "the amazing exploits of Leif and Natalie"