Southern California Whitewater

[kellymoe]

I started a Yahoo group a few years ago dedicated to kayaking creeks in Southern California, basicly stuff South of the Kern River and creeks in the mountains around Los Angeles such as Sespe Creek, Piru, East and West Fork of the San Gabriel River, Upper Big Tujunga Creek etc...

Here is the link

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/socalcreeking/

 

[grahamfitter]

I started a Yahoo group a few years ago dedicated to kayaking creeks in Southern California, basicly stuff South of the Kern River and creeks in the mountains around Los Angeles such as Sespe Creek, Piru, East and West Fork of the San Gabriel River, Upper Big Tujunga Creek etc...

Here is the link

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/socalcreeking/

Cool What's the character of the creeks in this area and what does it take for them to run?

Except for a new years day publicity stunt we hold on the Winnipesaukee River in New Hampshire, our paddling has pretty much stopped until the snow melts. Until then, all that frozen water is good for climbing. Fingers are still tingling though...

Cheers,
Graham

 

[kellymoe]

Graham,
The character varies from constant gradient gravel bar affairs like the East Fork of the San Gabriel to the pool drop caharacter of the West Fork of the San Gabriel. Sespe Creek is sandstone bedrock drops with sections that have boulder as large as houses. The long and short of it is that there is a little of everything. One run that is about 45 minutes from downtown Los Angeles has a gradient of close to 400 feet per mile. All the runs except for one are runnable only in the Winter and early Spring of a good snow year or after a good rainfall. The exception being lower Piru Creek which gets a scheduled release every October. The typical flows on these creeks are generaly in the 150-400cfs range but some like the lower San Gabriel I have run as high as 10kcfs.

Nobody thinks of kayaking when they think of Los Angeles but there is really some great whitewater. Sespe Creek in is probably the best river I have ever run. It's 35 miles of pure wilderness with not a single road the entire way and only one trail that follows the first 15 miles before the river drops off the edge of the world, as those who have paddled it call the last 17-18 miles.

Here are just a few shots of Piru and Sespe.

Cool What's the character of the creeks in this area and what does it take for them to run?

Except for a new years day publicity stunt we hold on the Winnipesaukee River in New Hampshire, our paddling has pretty much stopped until the snow melts. Until then, all that frozen water is good for climbing. Fingers are still tingling though...

Cheers,
Graham

 

[grahamfitter]

Graham,
The character varies from constant gradient gravel bar affairs like the East Fork of the San Gabriel to the pool drop caharacter of the West Fork of the San Gabriel. Sespe Creek is sandstone bedrock drops with sections that have boulder as large as houses. The long and short of it is that there is a little of everything. One run that is about 45 minutes from downtown Los Angeles has a gradient of close to 400 feet per mile. All the runs except for one are runnable only in the Winter and early Spring of a good snow year or after a good rainfall. The exception being lower Piru Creek which gets a scheduled release every October. The typical flows on these creeks are generaly in the 150-400cfs range but some like the lower San Gabriel I have run as high as 10kcfs.

Nobody thinks of kayaking when they think of Los Angeles but there is really some great whitewater. Sespe Creek in is probably the best river I have ever run. It's 35 miles of pure wilderness with not a single road the entire way and only one trail that follows the first 15 miles before the river drops off the edge of the world, as those who have paddled it call the last 17-18 miles.

Here are just a few shots of Piru and Sespe.

Wow, who'd've thunk it! I was expecting LA paddling to be shallow drainage ditches full of stolen cars and dead bodies.

Cheers,
Graham

 

[Fireman78]

Packrafts

I couldn't resist guys! I cut my teeth on Cali whitewater starting at 10 years old. Anyone on this thread sooo needs to check out these...... www.alpackaraft.com
or (my site) www.packraftnewmexico.com These are packable, wilderness boats weighing around 4 pounds.

BTW--100 bucks any decked boat off till dec 15th!!

 

[kellymoe]

I couldn't resist guys! I cut my teeth on Cali whitewater starting at 10 years old. Anyone on this thread sooo needs to check out these...... www.alpackaraft.com
or (my site) www.packraftnewmexico.com These are packable, wilderness boats weighing around 4 pounds.

BTW--100 bucks any decked boat off till dec 15th!!

I plan on making an Alpacka Raft my next craft of choice for many of these creeks and rivers. Especialy Sespe Creek.

Also check out www.sierraphotography.com and click on the link to Southern California Creeking
www.ptone.com also has some good trip reports. Click on the Ptone vault for some great stories.

 

[sinuhexavier]

I like the idea of the Alpaca raft...

A seed has been planted.

 

[Fireman78]

Imagine being able to pack a raft capable of serious whitewater in your carry on luggage!! I'm heading up to Minnesota in July, I'm not sure what kind of water they have up there, but I can garantee I will have my Yukon Yak with me.

 

[blupaddler]

Do you have to run a kayak on both the Sespe and Piru?
Or could you use a raft? How about a river board?

The pictures made it look kinda tight.

Also, this maybe silly, but I am assuming this is a dry-suit type run. Or?

I am new to this whole river thing. I have taken some, ummm, classes. And want to get more involved.


Thanks.
:clapsmile

 

[kellymoe]

Check out the link below for the most recent trip that has been done on Sespe. These guys contacted me last week looking for info. Even though the water level was low I urged them to give it a go anyway. I don't think they were too disappointed.

I have done Sespe and Piru in both a kayak and raft. We used a 10 foot self bailing raft and it was a little tight in spots and also made for tough portages. I think the next craft I use will be the Alpacaraft mentioned above, small light, maneuverable and tough.

I have also thought of using a river board on Sespe and approaching it like a canyoneering/backpacking trip. The Spring would be the optimum time for a river board.

Also check out www.sierraphotography.com and go to the kayaking link.



http://kineticinstasis.blogspot.com/2008/02/sespe-creek-v.html

 

[STUCKINLA]

What Months are best for these rivers? Does anyone know of FLOW websites for these rivers?

 

[kellymoe]

Winter and Spring are the best months for LA creeks. The only rivers that have online gauges are Piru and Sespe. Piru can be run in several short sections but Sespe is a commiting multi day run. East and West Forks of the San Gabriel are fun afternoon runs that rely on snowmelt.

What Months are best for these rivers? Does anyone know of FLOW websites for these rivers?