Join us for a truly unique and special event as we reacquaint ourselves with a Northern California gem – the California Salmon (Cal-Salmon). The Cal-Salmon offers one of the most exciting whitewater rafting runs in the west — and some say the world.
Its sources run from magical places with mystical names – The Trinity Alps, The Russian Wilderness, The Marble Mountains. Its canyons are deep — its waters sparkling clear and the color of emeralds — its whitewater legendary.
Prepare for challenging runs. You’ll hit big drops, long steep gradients, violent currents, big waves and holes big enough to hold or flip a raft.
A good fitness level, swimming skills and a practiced spirit of adventure are a must.
Experiencing this river goes beyond the whitewater. It is spending time with old and new friends, sharing stories, laughing, sitting around a roaring campfire, listening to a guitar, and taking in the rugged and remote scenery of the surrounding mountains. We’ll be back in time each day to relax, get warm, enjoy appetizers and an amazing riverside dinner. Bring a book or a bike and enjoy the river canyon from a camp chair or meandering on its untraveled roads and trails.
We hope that locals will join us, as well as new friends that have whitewater experience and a sense for adventure. Those that bring their own boats and paddlers are welcome to sleep in our campground and share gourmet meals with us each day.
Trip Itinerary
- Night 1: Arrive by 3 p.m. Set up camp, enjoy appetizers, eat a gourmet dinner around a campfire. Get to know your guides and fellow boaters. Learn more about the weekend ahead.
- Day 1: Awake to a hearty breakfast and your favorite morning drink. We are on river time at this point so there will be no feeling of being rushed. Once we are ready, we’ll hit the lower section of the Cal-Salmon for a warm up run. This is a class III/IV section and will have plenty of action that will get us ready for Day 2.
- Day 2: After breakfast, we’ll get ready for one of the most exciting whitewater runs in the world: the Nordheimer Run. With rapids called Airplane, Cascade Falls, Achilles (Screaming Left Hand Turn), and Freight Train, you will not be disappointed.
- Day 3: In the words of Mickey Mouse, this is an “Anything Can Happen Day”. Depending on the group, weather, and water levels, we might do Nordheimer again, do a lower or upper section, or travel over to the next river shed and run the less traveled and local favorite — the Scott River. This is a IV/V run that rivals Nordheimer.
Note that itineraries can change from day to day depending on weather, water levels, and abilities of paddlers. Whatever runs we do, we can guarantee you’ll have a weekend to remember.
Adventure infuses magic into our lives and feeds our souls. It lifts us out of our daily routines into the unexpected. It deepens and expands our horizons and, by connecting us with something far greater than our own selves, it makes us wiser.