|
California Dreaming California is one of the top kayak destinations and it was high on my list of must do countries. Time ago when I saw the first pictures and videos from Californian kayaking it was not a question of if I go there but when I will go. After too many years talking about going, I finally teamed with my friends Igor Mlekuz and Luka Rebersak. After a few meetings we planned a trip, bought plane tickets, and June 1 was the day zero!
Normally June is the best month for Cali, this year, because of the abnormal snow pack over all Sierra Nevada, we were afraid that only thing that we will able to do there is skiing. Our plane tickets were already paid and few days before our flight to Cali, snow was still up on the Sierras. lots of snow.
Day zero finally came and 14 h later we ware in San Francisco with no slipping and a nice jet leg. For sure the part that I hate the most on trips is going to the rental service, pick up the car, buy food and camping equipment... waiting for the first rivers and being a tourist. It took us two days to arrange everything and drove to Auburn to Roks Sribars place. Rok was our contact in Cali, the funny thing is that we met with Rok personally for the first time there. He was just amazing from the start, he invited us in his house and had us there like his sons the whole 5 weeks. The really interesting thing is that he paddled with as 4 weeks, day after day on class 5, not bad for a 47 years old man.
One of the main reasons, that we did around 300 km on 19 rivers in 4 weeks and countless piton boats, 4 broken paddles and one swim was Rok. He is just a guy to have in Cali!
It is almost impossible to describe every adventure on each river but for shore the high lights like Yuba Gap, Kimshew, South branch, Tule, S Kaweah, UM Consumnes, Lovels falls, 2 day on Clavey, Rubicon and S Merced were the rivers that will be in my mind forever. Unfortunately we were not able to paddle the big multi day runs but my kayaking is not all about big rivers, having good friends, seeing new places, meet with new people is what counts. Cultural adventure is what makes kayaking special in all it's ways. Paddling with Shanon Carol, Tyler Gavin, Rok Sribar and lots of other guys that we met there, was what make a big impression to me!
Talking from the kayaking aspect Californian, bedrock, big granite slides and countless boulder gardens are the Mecca there and reason to go beck!
Andrej Bijuklic
 (Posted on the 21st Jul 2011 by Pete) |
RSS 2.0