Upper Middle Cosumnes V-V+

The UMC is a great high quality low Sierras run that has water for a short amount of time due to its low elevation and relatively small watershed. We ran this in late May on its way out, but caught it at a good flow, around 300 cfs on the gauge at Mt. Akum.

The hike in. Unfortunately we got lost and had to tromp our way through poison oak forests and down this little tributary creek to the put-in. 

Martin running one of the first quality drops that the UMC has to offer.

Jim running a sweet boof-to-melt that leads into a longer rapid.

Martin boofin into Lars Holbeck. This drop has a nasty little rock at the bottom that has caused more than one ankle injury, so get that bow up.

High Water Burnt Ranch Gorge

Crissler scoutin up Numero Uno.

Having paddled the BRG almost every weekend since September due to its proximity and reliable flows, we almost jumped out of our pants when the spring dam releases began, and our backyard run began spiking. Thursday afternoon found Crissler and myself standing at the put-in, staring into the chocolate milk that was the BRG. Rolling into the first rapid, China Slide, our hearts leapt with joy as we saw a surging wave train rolling as far as we could see, over what is normally a bumpy boulder garden. This style of blown out waves was standard until we reached the last rapid above the falls. As the gradient increased, and the gorge narrowed, the features became bigger and rowdier.  

Crissler running the bottom of Number 1.

Crissler in the run-out of the first falls. Big waves. Big eddy lines. Awesome!

Lead in to Falls 2. Just to the lookers right of the sieve pile is a nice whirl pool sucking down into the mess, just big enough for a boat. The hole on the right is much more stout than it appears as well.

Martin squirtin through the bottom of Number 2.

Falls 3 was one of the most fun big water rapids I have ever run, and the pace kept up below the falls. Rolling into Table Rock rapid, I heard Crissler comment from behind me, "shit, table rock is gone". Scrambling left, I attempted to skirt the huge hole that had formed on the right corner of where the rock normally would be. Unfortunately, I did not make the move in time, and found myself attempting to punch the beast. After getting beat down for around 25 - 30 seconds, I swam. I stayed deep for a good while and finally popped up next to Crissler, grabbed onto his stern, and started kickin my ass off for the eddy. Crissler was awesome and managed to get my boat once it came out of the hole, and we carried on downstream with no further carnage. 

Our flow on this day was around 3600 cfs and we both thought it was a sick flow. The rapids are long and pushy, and as I found, not a great place to swim. I would be stoked to run the BRG at this flow again and think that it is a great run for any solid paddler who is confident running big water.

Dry Meadow Creek (Teacups) IV-V

Melissa DeMarie running the nasty crack drop. This was the standard line, flying off sideways and backwards.

Dry Meadow creek is a tributary of the North Fork Kern, about 45 minutes outside the town of Kernville. The day starts with a pleasant two mile hike in to the creek through mostly open meadow, hence the name Dry Meadow creek. Our day started off nice and mellow with a lap through the Brush Creek waterpark. After meeting up with the rest of our group, 12 of us in all, we rallied to the trailhead for the Teacups. We made it to the creek and found a trickle of water flowing through bushes and over manky bed rock drops. After scraping and portaging through the first mile or so, we caught our first sight of the goods. Staring around the corner we saw creek make its way under a water level land bridge, and then fall off the face of the planet. Dry Meadow drops nearly 300 feet in .2 miles, over 1200 feet per mile, in its final plummet towards the NF Kern. There are 6 drops that are typically run, mostly in the 10-20 foot range. 

 

Martin watching while Kyle Hull runs the first drop.

Melissa boofin the second teacup.

Martin on the drop after the crack. This is a sweet 18ish foot ledge.

Dustin rollin into the pothole drop above a nice slide to vert. 

Our day, which had so far been running buttery smooth, turned slightly epic on us after Dustin's dad pitoned off the second drop and broke his lower back. This necessitated a helicopter evacuation that would last around 7 hours, and require everyone to be on their top game. Fortunately, Craig is recovering nicely, having sustained a broken vertebrae in his lower back. 

Dry Meadow Creek is a place of unparalleled beauty, and is definitely worth paddling for the experience. However, it is a fair amount of work for a relatively short section of good drops. The paddle out on the NF Kern has some fun class IV rapids, and also Carson Falls, a larger rapid with some consequence. The day before our run down Dry Meadow, Carson Falls was the site of a tragic drowning. My heart goes out to the family and friends of this man, and I hope his last day of paddling with friends was the best ever.