The final run of my California Spring Break road trip was the most epic.  The South Fork of the Yuba is the most awesome river I have ever been on.  As the river cascades down from the Class V Pordon's section, under the 49 Bridge and disappears around the corner, you can tell there is something special about this run.  For the full eight miles it rages.  The section has so many rapids that it is hard to remember any of them... only the awesome 10 foot boof that you hit 5 or 6 times, or the tight line in between the huge granite boulders.  It all runs together into one beautiful whitewater playground.  This run reminded me why I love boating so much.

Ben Hawthorne approaching the Hwy 49 bridge at the put-in.  The bridge was rebuilt in 1993 replacing the older bridge from 1920.

The first 4 rapid on this run are some of the hardest, but if they feel way over your head, this run isn't for you.  The first set has some stout drops among large boulders into big hydraulics.  There are many differnt lines in this first strech, but follow someone who knows to make sure you don't miss the first of two portages on the trip.

Alex (blue) and Ben (green) near the bottom of the first rapid.

The first portage is a huge chunky drop with gnarly piton rocks and undercut/ sieve/ tunnel.  It has been run, but is extremely hazardous.  Portage left.  There is a rocky side channel that drops into the bottom of the portage drop, but only a few ran that.  Most opted to climb up on the rock and chuck their boat into the pool below.

A paddler looks up at the first portage.  Everyone portaged on our trip.

Tossing boats off the 20 foot drop into the pool below for the portage.

Directly below the first portage is another Class V with some huge features.  There is a large hole/ rock/ sieve on the left side.  Start right, ride the compression wave off the first rock wall, skirt the huge hole and then dig deep to punch the next few hole.  A few people portaged this drop but it was good to go.

Boaters lining up for the next rapid after the portage.

Rapid below the portage.  Sweet drop, steep gradient.

From below, paddler unknown.

From this rapid down, the river all runs together in my mind.  There were at least 30-40 Class IV+ rapids, and about a dozen V's.  This ledge came up pretty fast.  It was a slide into boof off a flake.  It was awesome waiting for the delay before boofing off it.  Really sweet drop.

Alex runs the delay boof.

Eric in the same drop.

Ben boofs hard over one of many drops into large holes.

The river changes character a bit near the middle of the run, and has some granite sliding action.  There are two slides (about 20 feet each) before Eat the Meat, Class V.  This has a large pool above it on the left and a sloping granite wall.  The best line seemed to be starting right, skirting the top hole to the left and then riding the tongue down into the whiteness below.  Such a great rapid.

Paul styles Eat the Meat while Eric looks on.

There is a boater in there somewhere.

The next slide after Eat the Meat is really fun and skirts some big but shallow holes formed by the ledges.  The next slide is the second portage on the trip.  It is just visible around the corner in the picture above.  This rapid has a long lead in going into a riverwide ledge hole that swam one of the two boaters who ran it on the trip.  The rocks below the drop are undercut, and the hydraulic is very sticky.  We thought Ben was going to fight his way out of the hole, and he gave it a good shot, but swam in the end.  Set safety if you plan on running this one.

From below the portage down are more awesome rapids.  Ski Jump is a beautiful 12 foot boof, and there are too many others to remember.  The full run took our group 3 hours with a few people who knew all the lines.  This would be an all day adventure if you had to scout each drop.

This is truley epic California boating.  I can't wait to get back on the Yuba.  This run left me smiling for days.  Hope it does the same for you.

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