Saturday, the parking issues are tremendous and we ask ALL kayakers to please use the shuttle service located at the Cresta Powerhouse. Rafts need to use a separate put-in so ask at the American Whitewater booth for directions. The shuttle service is a paltry $5.00 donation, and makes life easier for everybody.
Sunday, we will also provide the shuttle but things are more flexible concerning parking. Furthermore, there are several runs available depending on your skill level. The section from Rock Creek Dam to the parking area at Tobin Vista is class III (4), The Tobin section from Tobin Vista to the Storrie Bridge is class V, and from Storrie Bridge to the Rock Creek Powerhouse is class IV.
On a cautionary note, Tobin IS class V. There are many undercuts and sieves in this section of river and should not be taken lightly. During the July release weekend, a father and his son drowned while swimming in this section at base flow levels. There was a previous drowning in June, and a near drowning later in July, all at base flow levels. Many of these sieves are covered during boating flows, yet can easily take your life! This is NOT a section of river to expand your boating horizons on. If you are not completely confident of your paddling ability, I’d strongly advise first testing the waters below Storrie Bridge to get a feel for the nature of the river. Keep in mind that Tobin is significantly more difficult than the Storrie Bridge section. If you are looking for that first class V experience, you might seek a safer section of river. ANY serious incident involving whitewater recreation may hamper our efforts in opening up additional sections of this wonderful river. Boat smart, Boat safe!
Finally, If you do come to the Feather, and enjoy the experience as much as I do, stop for a minute and reflect just how this all came about. The “flow fairy” didn’t just wave her magic wand and make this all happen. American Whitewater, Chico PaddleHeads, and Shasta Paddlers spent seven years, tens of thousands of dollars, and thousands of hours fighting for recreational releases on the North Fork Feather. Yet, when I scan the sign-up sheets, I find less than 40% of the boaters enjoying this river even belong to American Whitewater! Ask yourself “Do I really want to be part of the apathetic crowd?” Step up to the plate and do your part to ensure we can continue to work toward more flows and public access to rivers. If you don’t, who will?
– Kevin Lewis, AW Board Member