The Triple Crown debuted last spring. W.E.T. River Trips established the standard by rafting all three Forks of the American River in under 12 hours. The day started off on the North Fork American at 6am, comntinued on to the Middle Fork, and then finished on the Gorge section of the South Fork American.

This year the Triple crown returns as a competitive race with teams competing for bragging rights and a perpetual plaque.

Triple Crown Race Information:

The Triple Crown Race: three forks of the American River in under 12 hours...will happen: 1. NFA: Iowa Hill Bridge to Ponderosa Bridge 2. MFA: Oxbow to Greenwood 3. SFA: Camp Lotus to Skunk Hollow (no tow-in!) Start: Monday 6am, April 6th @Mineral Bar (Iowa Hill Bridge) Registration: (If you do not register...YOU DON'T RACE.) 6pm @ Nugget Market in Cool SUNDAY April 5th. Fee: $50. per raft.

Only river times will count and every team is responsible for their own shuttle!

Hey Ho, Let's go!

The after-party at Camp Lotus for all teams!

Snow in Spring is a Beautiful Thing!

The first two days of Spring in California brought us a new rush of Alaskan air and with it: rain, snow, and a batch of awesome whitewater on the North Fork and South Fork American Rivers.

We've been out 8 of the last 9 days...and we're lovin it.

Next weekend, we've got a new group for Guide School and we might hit the Middle Fork American too.

Let's go!

Springtime in California

All right now...it is becoming Spring and California Springtime is like no other time...

Take a long 3 day weekend and make it happen: Friday the 13th...go snowboarding at

Sugar Bowl and beat the crowds: go up earlier and hit the lifts when they open, skip lunch and ride until the warming snow gets grabby at about 2pm and come back down the hill...get home by 4 and get on the motorcycle for a quick dual-sport ride on Michigan Bar Road...cross the Consumnes River and ride to Salmon Falls Rd. for a crossing of the South Fork American River and roll into Camp Lotus (oh yeah: you brought your whitewater gear and sleeping bag)...sleep...get up and meet the crew at the warehouse and run the full South Fork American (Chili Bar to Salmon Falls) and head back to camp...party, tell stories about winter and trips from the past, and just catch-up...get up a little bit late and head to the North Fork American.... rip it up!...but, take dome time to take pics of those amazing green hills, poppies, and redbud!...back to a waiting KLR 650 and a quick ride home to Sacramento. Snowboarding, Dual-sport motorcycling, and 30 miles of Class 3 and 4 whitewater rafting....Only in California...Only in the Spring!

Amgen Bike Race goes big in Sacramento

The biggest-ever public event in Sacramento's History is predicted to be the Amgen California Bicycle Race. The City of Sacramento is gearing up...really. Lance Armstrong will be in town and everyone that has ever pulled on lycra will be there. Leacve the car at home and hop on Light Rail or a bus ...and bring your bike! It's going to rain...but remember that means Whitewater!

American Rver Trip in February

Bird, Alex H., & Chad on floating the Middle Fork American River on a 2 day wilderness trip the first week of Febraury! GoodOn'Em! I'll post up their progress and photos as they come! California is amazing! The whitewater season is rolling! The guides are off the coach and looking forward to Spring Guide Training!

Kirkwood is steep and deep

The origin of the South Fork American is the backside of Kirkwood Resort. We'll have some solid run-off and a nice season with news that there is a fresh 3 feet of snow! Rafting trips will be awesome. California River Trips are on for 2009.

New York has the Ball....Sacramento now has The Cube!

On a foggy New Year's eve Sacramento entered the Big Time and the ranks of "World Class" cities (at-least by the estimation of our new mayor, Kevin Johnson. With two fireworks displays (one early at 9pm and the other at midnight) over Old Sacramento, the river, and the Tower Bridge (so prized that the city painted it gold!)...the foggy night was lit-up like a gauze curtain over a Christmas tree!...it was actually surreal and oddly cool. A crowd of over 15k people looked on while I was on hand for the early show.

I then hopped on the KLR and split the traffic for a close look at the "Cube" that would descend from a rooftop at 12th and K Streets dolled-up with colorful lights and an outdoor stage and sound-system for performances by the Broadway cast of "Stomp" and a U2 cover band (yes, it is Sacramento.) The Cube was a high-tech collection of LED's capable of being programmed with over seven million color and pattern combinations while it descended from the dizzying height of 40 feet...

The organizers had planned for a crowd of three thousand; however, twelve thousand actually showed up! All in all... a nice first attempt and definitely a new tradition for Sacramento. Long-live the Cube!...just take it to a "higher level"!

Here's a link to my photos...without a fast lens, I turned to "art" for my image preservation!
http://picasaweb.google.com/liles.stephen/SacramentoBlackAndWhite02#

Happy New Year!

New Year...It better be!

Gong Xi Fa Cai! and Let Change Begin!!!!

The Western World will celebrate the New Year (yes, 2009) in a few short days and we will all have a chance to celebrate the end of one of the most problematic 12 months in recent history. Additionally, we will soon have the opportunity to celebrate the end of a horrific 8 year reign of foolishness presided over by W.

A New Year is what we get....a new president and new National Leadership Team is what we need...

So let the celebration begin 12/31....fire it up for 1/20....and top it off with a celebration a huge population of the World enjoys on 1/27: the Lunar (or "Chinese" New Year (4707) which fires up right after Barack Obama takes office....January 20th!!!!!!... (host your own Inauguration Party!)... Join the world and welcome the New Year with the classic wish of Gong Xi Fa Cai! and accept the wish for Health, Happiness, and PROSPERITY!!!!...and the celebration can last 7 days or more!

So if you need to take some time for early Kayaking, group whitewater rafting trips or some snowboarding in late January...you have a real-deal reason: New Years!!!!! (yes, celebrate it all).

The new year will be 2009/4707 and after January 20th...it will be a new day!

International Motorcycle Show comes to Nor Cal

The International Motorcycle Show comes to San Mateo in Northern California on December 19th-21st. The latest and greatest machines from the international motorcycle community will be represented. Visitors will have the opportunity to take test rides, smudge chrome, and kick tires. There will also be stunt shows by Jason Britton and the No-limits crew as well as the opportunity to meet and greet pro racers, and custom builders. With Motorcycles becoming more "Green " than ever with an industry wide MPG average of over 50 mpg, motorcycles are the last bastion of guiltless performance and cutting edge technologies (diesel, Bio-Diesel, and electricity now power experimental and production bikes). So save some money and use the extra cash for the ultimate "Green" thrill of group rafting on California's whitewater rivers and ride your motorcycle (By the way, W.E.T. River Trips has been using a KLR 650 to shuttle vans and trucks on the Middle Fork American and North Fork of the American Rivers for three years and hopes to expand the practice in coming seasons. So ride your motorcycle to the river this spring and summer!

Thanksgiving

Family Schmamaly

Wah…we lost the concept of family…snivel…the American family has been shattered….and with pious indignation…we’ve lost “our” traditions!

What idiocy….

The American family has never been stronger, more diverse, and more inclusive with expansive values, new traditions, and generosity, giving, and love.

By mingling cultures and beliefs from our new World, the very core values of holidays such as Thanksgiving (the over-arching theme of simply Giving Thanks) are solidified, edified, and celebrated. We are thankful…we’re here and we those that we share the day with. We are no longer restricted to our nuclear families of in-laws, long-forgotten aunts and uncles, and dysfunctional siblings. We’re free to celebrate with friends, those in need, and people we just want to hang out with. We are also free to shake up the menu with Tamales, Seafood, Tofu, Pasta, Bok Choy, Pot Stickers, Chard, Green Papaya Salad, and whatever you choose that (can or cannot) include those classics of turkey (fired! too), ham, yams, and mashed potatoes….and Beer is ok too!

Give thanks the way that works for you and celebrate your global family!

Some people even go rafting or kayaking on Thanksgiving…and the snow resort liftlines are always thin on Thanksgiving.

Enjoy and thank those that you love….and care for.

BigPoppa is going to do a Run-to-Feed-The Hungry (hopefully), cook turkey, a Vegan loaf, Vegan Garlic Potatoes and take it to the Fun Castle to chow down and enjoy the day with 15-20 hipsters, artists, musicians, moms, dads, wives, husbands, daughters, sons, cousins, in-laws, and a batch of new friends….Change happens…just save me a drumstick (that’s my tradition!).

Happy thanksgiving and Holidays to all

Burning Man Movie/slide show

First Real snow has HIT!!!!!! Check out the live cam of the Sierra's at Kirkwood!
Rain and snow will be hanging out in the Sierra's getting us ready for next season's
whitewater rafting trips!

Another Imix for the drive!

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=294655033
This is a very random mix that will keep you moving...a "twitch" is a movement, eh?

new IMIX

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=292461264

Alt. Country-Folk-ish Playlist Notes: Alt...Folk-Country After seeing the re-united X...I hit Itunes and then dropped into the Knitters and the current offerings in alt-country, and antecedents of the country-ish ANGST... Lot's of drinking songs. X to Gram Parsons to Kitty Wells....good driving music. Just a little bit of Americana....Hit the link above.