San Joaquin

I just did an evening run on the Horseshoe Bend section of the San Joaquin River on 7/26/06 at 2400 cfs. I ran it with Dan and Evan, and I have to say they did a great job showing me the lines. I must also say I was quite nervous. I was happy to discover that all the holes that I encountered, or watched those guys try to punch through and then get flipped, were all washing out. There were a few really large and nasty holes, but they were easy to see and avoid as you paddled down the rapids. The bottoms of most of the rapids were made up of these crazy lateral waves that were bouncing off the sides of the canyon, along with some very strong boils. This all helped add to my excitement and nervousness. Once I got over my fears, I was able to enjoy this incredibly scenic river that included some beautiful granite gorge walls. We also saw three large owls near the put-in, a first for me, after living in the area for seven years. I uploaded pictures and videos for your enjoyment, and I hope it encourages you all to take a trip down this section of river.