Paul and I continued down below Castle Crags (see previous Trip Report) for another 9 miles of whitewater.  The run picks up a little bit below the Crags, with more continuous Class III water and some fun rapids.  The first notable rapid is identifiable with power lines overhead and a manmade rock wall downstream on the right side.  This has a large flat rock at the top that created channels at 1500cfs.  The right was scrapy down over the rock, and the left had a nice, but kind of sticky, hole below it.  There were also a few other small surf waves here.

Shortly below there was a good surf wave where the river bends right.  The wave was trashy and surging, but was really fast.  There isn’t really eddy service, but you can pull out and easily walk up the right bank for more play.

Author surfs a fast one on the Sac.

Bounching on the wave.

Down below there were a few good ledge holes and smaller rapids; all read and run.  There were a few a good waves for wheels, but mostly it was too shallow for throwing ends.  There was another really good wave directly above a train trestle bridge.

Paul in the hole below the train bridge.

The two hardest rapids on the run are near the end.  The first is where the river splits around a large rock in the middle, Triple Drop.  We ran right and followed the chute down through a few larger holes.  No problems if you stay upright, but there were definitely some shallow rocks in there.  You could probably run left, but it was questionable at the lower flow.

The other notable rapid, Maers Falls, comes up fast as the river drops quickly into a tight drop.  There are a few entry waves and holes before the big drop.  The 10 footer has a really soft landing and could be successfully run left, right, backwards, or upside-down.  The preferred line is boofing off the tongue right to center. 

Maers Falls from below.

From Triple Drop down it is only another mile or so before the Sims Flat Campground.  An interesting fact about Sims is that the bridge was the first project completed by the California Conservation Core, founded by Roosevelt’s New Deal after the great depression.  Takeout on the left at the second bridge.

Sacramento river canyon below Maers Falls.

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