Archives: whitewater rafting

River of Doubt

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Recently we were visited by a women’s book club who had been inspired to try river rafting by their most recent read: “River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey”. This book has a gripping account of whitewater rapids encountered on Teddy’s legendary trip on the Amazon River. What better way to enhance their enjoyment of this harrowing account than to test their own limits on an exciting day of whitewater rafting with Mother Lode! They chose the Chili Bar Run on the American River which features such exciting rapids as Meatgrinder, Triple Threat and Troublemaker.

Unlike Teddy Roosevelt though, these folks had a great time and went home healthy. Rumor has it Roosevelt was not so lucky. Nevertheless, this is a great idea: “read about it, experience it, live to tell the tale.” We look forward to hosting other such groups seeking to enhance their reading adventures with real ones. Imagine the “Leap of Faith” on our Challenge Ropes Course as an aperitif to reading Jon Krakauer’s “Into Thin Air.”

Summer Camp Madness

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With the end of July approaching us, we have been getting a surge of summer camp visitors. Local camps from the area such as Shaffer High Sierra and Mountain Camp have been taking field trips to join us for a day on various runs of the South Fork of the American River. We have also recently been joined by Rein Teen Tours and American Trails West Tours, touring buses that take youth on month long road trips filled with adventurous and exciting stops across the West.

These groups allow our guides to bring out their whimsical and silly sides, as demonstrated above by or guide Lindsey as he sports his purple windsuit down the river reenacting popular 80′s workouts.

Peak Season on the American

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We have reached the busy part of the rafting season! Hoards of groups have been flocking to the water. It has been quite enjoyable rafting with all of the companies in full swing. More boats to splash around and converse with on the river. Lately we have had our rafts and customers out on all of the runs; Middle Fork, Chili Bar, and Gorge run of the American River. It’s been a perfect opportunity to cool off in the river and enjoy good times with family and friends.

Challenging the Boy Scouts

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leaping into the river

A group of Boy scouts from Antioch recently joined us at Mother Lode for 5 days of adventures! The boys started off with a unique day of some swift water rescue training provided by our guides Scottie and Kyle. They are still looking forward to a full day of team building and pushing their limits on our low and high ropes challenge course, followed by two exciting days on the river as they paddle the Chili Bar and Gorge runs on the South Fork of the American River!

scouting the American River cooling off with a swim

American River Rafters Support Solar Power

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Archer School Students Write Letters to their Legislators

What better way to conclude your freshman year in high school than by rafting, hiking and camping on the historic and beautiful South Fork of the American River in Coloma, California? For five days this week, the Mother Lode River Center and Santa Barbara Adventure Company played host to seventy members of the freshman class of the Archer School for Girls. These intrepid adventurers tent camped on our beach, rafted two days, hiked another day and generally had the time of their lives! Spending an extended period outdoors helped them encounter the natural world while learning about themselves, bonding with their classmates, and expanding their ability to accomplish team challenges such as navigating a raft through Class III whitewater rapids.

Seamlessly integrated into these activities were challenge course group games that heightened their awareness of their surroundings and also promoted connection to each other and the natural world. Campfires, facilitated sing-alongs, quiet time by the ever changing river- all these elements combined to make the experience something the students will remember fondly and benefit from for the rest of their lives.

This season the students also had the advantage of encountering the new Sustainable Practices Program at the River Center. For instance, each time they left the river center in Mother Lode’s new EcoBus, the fuel powering their journey was ecologically responsible 100% waste vegetable oil which reduced their carbon footprint by 80% when compared to the use of petrochemicals. The hot water they used in the kitchen was heated by our new solar panels. The Solar Energy Exploratorium was open for those interested and during their visit “PLUGRIN” the electric car made its debut demonstrating the potential for a true zero emissions vehicle.

On the their next to last day, blushing with the success of running “Troublemaker”, the largest rapid on the exciting Chili Bar Run, they had the opportunity to exercise their environmental muscle as well. One of their guides explained the importance of supporting the investment tax credit for solar power by writing a letter to their legislator. They enthusiastically wrote eloquent and well informed letters that Mother Lode will forward to Governor Schwarzenneger, President Bush, Senators Reid, Boxer and Feinstein and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as well as the three candidates for President. By requesting a reply, these letters will allow each of them to discover where their political leaders stand and make each of them aware of their power to change the world in positive ways.

Experience, Connection, Observation, Stewardship- this is “ECOS” and for over thirty years this has been the Mother Lode Way. These Archer School students had a great opportunity to encounter and complete the full circle. We are pleased to have been a part of their world and we look forward to collaborating with the Santa Barbara Adventure Company to bring similar experiences to other students from the Los Angeles area in the future.

Spring Boating on the American River

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Let’s Go Boating!

As winter turns to spring the reasons to go boating just keep increasing! One of my favorite reasons is all the green everywhere. On the North Fork of the American brilliant yellow poppies punctuate the intense green of the hills, and waterfalls tumble carelessly down the steep canyon walls. The Chili Bar run on the South Fork of the American is also famous for its poppy explosion. Drier years are particularly spectacular as they favor poppies over the beautiful purple lupine that share the slopes but predominate in wet years. Either way, April and May are the months to catch wildflowers!

When June rolls around the Middle Fork of the American has special appeal. Last season, in June, I saw a mountain lion cub dash back from the river’s edge and disappear into the brush. I wasn’t sure what it was until I replayed the image in my mind and realized nothing else disappears leaving a tail that long as its mental calling card. It was like a flourish at the end of ones signature.

Once the season gets going, there is just no wilderness river that lasts as long or offers more appeal than the Middle Fork. All the way through September one can enjoy plunging down the Tunnel Chute and disappearing in the foamy whitewater catcher’s mitt at the bottom of the rapid, then float serenely through the Tunnel to the other side of the mountain. Wow! I love to spend two days and camp overnight so I can smell breakfast cooking on an open fire in the morning. The native Brown Trout are huge, and I just bet I could meet one I released years ago to check out how it has grown.

Once again I’ve got myself all excited to enjoy another season of river running. Will I ever get tired of it? I don’t know, have I got a pulse?