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South Fork of the American River

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Until today, it had been quite a while since I made the journey down to Coloma to paddle the South Fork of the American. When I first moved to Lake Tahoe almost 10 years ago I used to go there all the time.

But gas prices kept rising and my motivation kept waning. Plus, the addition of the Reno Whitewater Park kept me fairly satisfied as long as it was above 800 cfs.

But this paddling season has been short lived due to poor precipitation this past winter. Many of us boaters are left feeling a little unsatisfied, and the only river that has any decent amount of water in it within a 2 hour drive of Reno is the South Fork.

The Gorge section is good fun, but if you are serious about playboating then the Chili Bar section is the way to go. The wave at Maya is a blast, and what is even better is the play hole at First Threat.

 First Threat has changed for the better. It used to be a bit disorganized and a little thrashy, but now it is much cleaner and offers a lot of opportunity for some powerful moves and tricks.

The other notable rapid that offers some fun is Troublemaker. If you want to make the rapid a lot more interesting try running the far left side. Be advised that if you do, you will definitely want to throw a strong boof stroke at the horizon line.

It was good to be back down there on the South Fork even if it was so hot and dry that it burst into flames.

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Meeks Bay, Lake Tahoe

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Tis the season for weddings, and this past weekend I found myself right smack dab in the middle of one being held at Meeks Bay Resort on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. Suffice to say, it was a good wedding. The bride and groom love each other, and friends from all over gathered to celebrate their union with plenty of dancing, drinking, and walking down memory lane. I won’t bore you with the details, however, because I assume you would prefer to hear about Meeks Bay and Lake Tahoe instead.

There are quite a few cabins lining the beach front at Meeks Bay, and at the very end of the road there is also the Kehlet Mansion, which is where the wedding was held and where Julia and I stayed. The property is run by the Washoe Tribe, and let’s just say that hotel management is probably not there favorite thing to do. Nevertheless, the rustic vibe has a certain charm, and it is positioned right alongside a beautiful bay complete with white sand, granite boulders, and mountain views. If you stay in the Kehlet Mansion, recognize that there are creaking doors and floors, thin walls, and shared bathrooms. It is really best to rent out the whole place with a group of close friends.

Meeks Bay was known by the Washoe as magulu watah. It was where they came in the summer to fish, hunt, and harvest wild plants. As the story generally goes, there were superseded by whites, but because of their peaceful nature they persisted, and as reciprocity would have it they eventually acquired the land back. But before that could happen Meeks Bay would go through an era of white control. Talk about a screaming deal, in 1884 the Murphys family bought the Meeks Bay land for $250 in gold eagles.

If you plan to hike in Desolation Wilderness, play in Lake Tahoe, and relax on the beach, Meeks Bay is definitely in a good location. However, if you are price conscious, like privacy, and don’t necessarily mind giving up being right on the Lake, then there are plenty of other accommodations to consider.

I posterized the above picture to protect the innocent. Needless to say, it was nice waking up to that beautiful view of the, umm, lake.

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Truckee River Canyon

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Every once in a while there is something in the news that makes me smile; and on a Friday no less!

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Voracious Vegas

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Back from a weekend in Vegas, and needless to say I am feeling a little rough around the edges. The primary motivation for the trip was to catch The Police at the MGM Grand. They ripped it up, and I just hope that I am still kicking that much ass when I am their age.

Also hit Pure, Rain, the Ghost Bar and various other locales that serve up beats with bountiful amounts of alcohol. Stayed at the Flamingo because of the central location, pool size, and affordability. The place is getting a little old, but it did the trick.

Vegas is still experiencing mad construction. I am amazed at the sheer velocity of growth. I think the population is around 1.9 million, and flying in to the airport, looking down at the development, I would believe it. How is this growth sustainable? I don’t know, for the Stakes are High for Las Vegas Water. 

 

Vegas has great entertainment, shopping, and restaurants, but I prefer Reno’s sense of community, size, and open space. The other huge differentiator – Reno’s got water. I hope the Biggest Little City will continue to make those attributes a priority. The other positive aspects of Vegas we can continue to integrate. Until then, it is just a short flight away.

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Reno, Nevada: The Biggest Little City in the World

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There has been some recent chatter in the local blogosphere regarding Reno and how much it kicks ass. For the most part I agree. The city has evolved tremendously over the past few years, and the renaissance that is going on in downtown Reno is fantastic.

I have a graduate degree from the University of Nevada, and I have lived and owned a home in Reno for three years now. I’m digging it. But if you took away Lake Tahoe? Hmmmm. That would make things a little tough. Of course, that is not the case, but it is certainly one of the reasons why entities like the RSCVA refer to the region as Reno-Tahoe. Its close proximity is a major asset to living here; and there are many more. Still, negative perceptions regarding Reno persist.

A friend of mine flew down to San Jose yesterday for business, and he headed into the hotel bar to wind down from a long day. He sat next to a rather large ad exec, and they struck up a conversation. The man asked, “Where are you from?” My friend replied, “Reno,” and the man immediately countered with, “I’m sorry to hear that.” Without hesitation my friend sarcastically replied, “Yeah, it sucks, you should definitely not go there.”

My friend’s response amuses me because it says so much with so little. I know so many people from Reno that would have immediately dove in to some long laundry list for why Reno is actually a great place to live. In part, they would have felt that it was their citizenry duty to stand up for the place they live, but the comment would have also triggered a certain amount of self-consciousness for which they would have felt compelled to defend.

My friend was not self conscious about the man’s comment, and he instead probably did more for the Reno brand than any long diatribe about its benefits. I have a suggestion for anyone here in Reno encountering this kind of negativity. Politely give the individual directions to the nearest I-80 onramp.

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Bocce on the Beach

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Summer in Lake Tahoe is here. While there is still snow in the upper elevations, around the rim of the lake the setting is almost tropical. The white sand and decomposed granite, coupled with varying terrain and interesting obstacles, make Lake Tahoe a great place for bocce.

If you have never played the game of bocce you are missing out. Whether it is grass, sand, dirt, forest floor, or a combination of each, you can have a lot of fun coming up with creative shots to play.

Some people prefer the structured course, but I find it much more fun when it is free form. What’s better? The game goes quite well with your favorite beer. You can only throw with one arm anyway, so you might as well give the other arm a strict regiment of 12 ounce curls to keep it in shape.

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Video of Wild Plum, North Fork of the Yuba

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Situated at the base of the Sierra Buttes and in close proximity to Sierra City, California, the Wild Plum section of the North Fork of the Yuba is a wonderfully consistent class IV run.

Roughly eleven miles in length, this section can actually be combined with Moss and Rosasco Canyons to make it even longer. However, I suspect that you will have your fill by the end of the day.

There are a plethora of fun rapids, all of which are very runnable, and if you are a solid boater your only primary concern should be several downed trees in the river. There are some significant holes, including the one at the bottom of the blown out dam, and obviously the run gets harder the higher the water level gets.

The way the North Fork of the Yuba drainage works, flows are actually highest in the afternoon. The Dreamflows’ gauge for Sierra City is off by 12 hours, and regardless, it is just an estimate. The day I ran it the flows were at the high end of their projection at around 650 cfs.

Hopefully this video provides a good depiction of the run. This time I went with a classic and often used song that I like nonetheless because it always reminds me to appreciate each day, especially on the river, that I have. One of these days I’ll get a camera with better stabilization. Until then, I’ll keep trying. Thanks to Kevin Drake for the photos. Where are we going next?

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49 MEGAWATTS

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Bryan Smith from The Range Life and Reel Water Production produced a fantastic video that focuses on the controversy surrounding the damming of the Ashlu in British Columbia. If you care at all about rivers, conservation, and the policies surrounding our public lands it is well worth watching.

Click here to watch.

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Giant Gap, North Fork of the American Part 2

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This past Sunday I made it down Giant Gap on the North Fork of the American for my second time this season. The flow was somewhat lower at around 850 cfs, but it is still a quality run even at that flow. The scenery alone is spectacular.

The video does includes a couple of scenes from my first trip, but I felt important to include them in order to give a more comprehensive picture of the entire run.

It is difficult to capture many sections of the roughly 14.5 miles simply because the canyon walls are quite steep, friends are often impatient about waiting while I set up, and I have a hard time stopping to film when I really just want to run the rapids. Despite a certain amount of diligence, there are still many other fun class IV rapids that are not featured in this video.

On another note, I still struggle with the public release of information regarding special places like Giant Gap. But my firm belief is that knowledge is power, and the more people that appreciate the beauty and remoteness of places like Giant Gap, the more chances we have to continue to protect and preserve places like them.

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Patagonia

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It has been almost ten years since I worked at Patagonia, but to this day I continue to take great interest in their business and environmental practices.

Recently, Patagonia’s Reno Service Center became the first private company in the nation to receive incentives for its recent Gold level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

According to the press release, “the company received real property tax abatements from the Nevada Commission on Economic Development of 50 percent over the next 10 years for the expansion of its distribution center.”

It is pretty darn cool that this is happening right here in Reno, Nevada.

This video does a great job of illustrating the measures Patagonia has taken to diminish their environmental impact as much as possible. Thanks David for pointing me to it!

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