Rubicon

Summary:

The Rubicon is a World Class Overnight Wilderness Run. It only runs in high water years when Hell Hole dam spills water (AW currently in negotiations w/ PCWA Relicensing).   This doesn’t happen often so when it does, prioritize it -- it’s worth it. There is a bit of warm up but then the action doesn’t stop until the take-out, 20 miles of wilderness later.

Character:

Miles upon miles of countless IV+/V multi-move boulder gardens, interspersed with some quality bedrock. Most all of the rapids are long and continuous but most can be boat scouted and do have decent recovery pools.

If you would be comfortable leading yourself down 49-bridgeport on the S Yuba at or Middle Fork Feather for the very first time (No one showing you the lines) at similar difficulty flows, you should like the Rubicon. It is a notch easier than SF Merced.

Average gradient of 108 FPM, Max of 150 -- Surprisingly and pleasantly consistent.

A solid crew of class V boaters should budget ~6-8 hours of moving time on the water.

Flows: (see guage description for great detail)

The Rubicon seldom has boatable flows because there are several different reservoirs belonging to different projects that each take water out of the Rubicon basin and send it to the SF or MF American rivers.

As estimated at takeout:

600-1000: V-. Optimum flows for V- boaters = 800

1000-1500: V. Optimum flows for V boaters =1100

1500+: V+

Note 1: Two significant tributaries (Pilot Creek and Longs Creek) join the Rubicon ~4-5 miles upstream of the takeout and can significantly add to flow in the early season.

Note 2: There is a stick gauge up stream of the Elcotts bridge (Put-in). Find the obvious eddy from the dirt road on river right. 3.25 = ~350 cfs. 4.7 = ~950 cfs. Accretion will add to this flow (see note 1)

Hazards:

5 common portages. (all distances VERY

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