Tuolumne River
GETTING THERE
The American River Touting Associa
(ion ARIA meets rafters at la Casa
loma General Mote, on California
Highway 120 seven miles east ol
Groveland and transports them to and
from the river
RUNNING
II you're a real daredevil, raft the
Tuolumne in early May when the wa
ter is high and flowing swiftly White
wafer wimps should wait until the end
of the summer.
ARTA sends rafters a list ol camping
eguipment and clothes to pack, and
rents sleeping bags and tents Contact
ARIA for reservations and information
at Star Rt 73. Groveland. LA 95321.
800 323 2782
SLEEP CHEAP
For accommodations before and alter
the ratting trip, try Yosemite National
Park Ihe park has cabins lor S38 75
lo S5I 25 a night at the Yosemite
lodge, and tent cabins in the luolu
mne Meadows lodge for S29 a night
For reservations and information on
park lodging call 209 252 4848
FEASI FOR IHE LEAST
Ihe Evergreen lodge an old log
building in Gtovelands woods, may be
secluded, but most everyone finds his
or her way there in the summer for
burgers rS5 95 > pasta steak about
S10) and other specialties Highway
120 off Evergreen Road
209 379 2606> Ihe Iron Door Grill,
on Highway 120 m Groveland has S4
to $5 burgers and an old fashioned
soda fountain that serves S3 50
shakes 209 962 6244
ACCESS
AFTER HOURS
Gtoveland is rather desolate, so the
Histone Iron Door Saloon downtown is
your best bet The bar. decorated with
stuffed foies bison heads, and other
Bon 6. Point Arena. CA 95468.
800 88? 7238 for cheap student
trips on California rivers 544 a
day call Outdoor Adventures at the
University ol California at Davis at
7 1 V- I Jl I 77J
Ihe five rivers below are
some of the best in Ihe coun
try, and you can raft each of
them tn three days or less in
the spring and summer
Ocoee River. Tennessee
((lass lll-IV)
Ruer Runner magazine
called the Ocoee which
flows through the rugged
Cherokee National forest of
creatures, claims to be the oldest sa
loon in California (est 18521 The live
music on weekends draws a rowdy
crowd ol locals and tourists
Other Rivers
Spring is usually the best time tor
while water ratling rivers aren't
crowded and the water is high It you
plan to go in the summer though,
make reservations at least two months
in advance And look tor a dam con
trolled river it the summer's been dry
lo find outfitters, write to these
associations lor tree regional ditec
tones The Eastern Professional River
Outfitters Association 531 S Gay St
Suite 600. Knoxville IN 37902
615 524 1045 and The Western
River Guides Association 360 S
Monroe Suite 300 Denver CO
80209 303 37 7 4811
Also the River Travel (enter is a
clearinghouse lor more than 100 op
erators Contact 15 Riverside Dr PO
tasT lennessee one ot me iu Dei!
while water stretches in the United
States Ihe river is lour and a hall
miles long, but the rapids are almost
continuous And since the lennessee
Valley Authority regulates the Ocoee's
flow you can count on wild rapids like
the Class IV Hell Hole all summer
trips average $20 to S32 a day
Rogue River. Oregon (Class III)
This national wild - and scenic river
known tor its salmon fishing and wiid
lile. Hows lot 33 miles through the
Siskiyou Mountains ol southwest Ore
gon Although rapids like Blossom Bar
make many a stomach lurch, calmer
stretches and warm swimming side
pools allow rafters a chance to catch
their breath At camp, rafters may see
deer grazing nearby or hear black
bears crashing through the lores!
Trips average StOO to St SO a day
Penobscot River, Maine (Class III-V)
Ihe west branch ol this river in north
central Maine tears through Ripo
genus Gorge and otters spectacular
views of Mount Katahdin. the state's
highest point this river has twice the
volume ol water and halt the crowds of
the Ocoee, and sometimes it seems as
if there's no letup between rapids. For
instance, right alter the Class V Crib
works rapid, rafters have to paddle
fiercely to maneuver through the rocks
and tunnels ol the Class V Extermina
lor No one stays dry. A one day
autumn trip is a great way to see fall
colors Trips average $75 a day
The Cataract Canyon Section of the
Colorado River, Utah (Class V)
this stretch ol the famous Colorado
River squeezes through the sandstone
spires and cliffs of Utah's deepest
canyon in Canyonlands National Park
Run this river in the spring, when high
flows result in the biggest white water
in the United States Big Drop II. the
largest rapid on the run. plunges
down a steep staircase of water be
tween 5,000 tool high canyon walls.
After navigating it, rafters must avoid
Satan s Gut one of the most treach
erous holes on the river trips average
S100 a day
Klamath River, California (Class III)
This section of the Klamath (the river
actually begins in Oregon) runs
through the forested canyon of the
Siskiyou Mountains in Northern Cali
torma It's protected Irom overuse un
der the state's wild-and-scenic-river
act, the Klamath has the reputation as
the most reliable summer river in the
state, even in a drought. Class III
rapids like Hamburg tails and Rattle
snake Creek rarely dry up And be
ware this is Bigtoot territory trips
average $70 to SI00 a day
—[Inabelh Bobbin
I .lilt. t| III.1 it I ).i\ Is Hut HIS I i la\ut M HI W as '•holt
liv«-iI !\.i11(I\ Minn .hummin « il tli.it t laws I alls
IM \t M\ lit .lit vt.utri! I . i ■ Ur. Sim « it ss.is l.ltr Mini
uni .uni tin ss .it r i w.imi t II* »v\ mu Ihj.1i I Impi .1 that
tin falls V* i Ml 111 II t \ M Ml til ai III I ' M | S Hut no
I lii s ii always uast\ Hanils sanl
In uhiti ssati i lattum lapuls an t l.issifu .1 u
i , mini J tu . iillh nlt\ 11 "in I ft \ I < i-m to uni mi
J l. 11 111 t |.1\ i S \ ilUls.lt 1 a S s \ I . 11 ' I> I tin Mils III
,<1, out flip In . .him no 111a111*l wli.it tin ss.itn
It-\ • I tin i hail- i s nt Miiuriiur iiOIHU ti»l a swim an
I, i -11 ami tin s\\ nil (lamiri < mis
shannon s Uii.it ssmij.i ■ • i 111 s t 11 it • 11 * i ui s t .... »il I
was .Jail hu tin » lianiv to vjft if o\ i i with \nt! I \\ as
-; 1. i, 1 I u.is III tin .iaiHn.it He. i U s< it li.ul ail lllti 'Mill
ti.(lilt it was hi as h i than tin* pailtUrHoat ami hail a
iin a11■ i ilianif nl pushing thmuwh tin holt mu
III.till w nr t \ Vm sir s\ In ii \ i Ml J.t i i >\ < i tile tails soil
li »' * 11«•' 1»nt n11 <it tin i.111 Non 111st li.ui'j, <hi ami hope
son < i him * »ut st i ami it ami a\ nnl tin In >|< ■ alt* * j. < ■ t lit i
\< t nall\ tin I loir (I kill t /roA all that trim lot is Hut
thru it I hail limit a stood as tin guides did til >|
tin ton t S that Uric plas iim Urmath tin sill tat . I
ssonidn t ha\ r run it at all
shannon shot tliiou.'li tiist \*» piohh in Now it
\\ as nil! till n I i lit i krd ills riiiht t»Hit niakl n smr it
w as st < nil 11 III tilt st I a poll tin -1 »ottom ot tin* I *nat Ms
I lain I s tirmhtil tin paddle tljjitls as \s t In-rail to
r torss ait I |ust ss 111 • 11 \s t Writ* pnisrt! at tin t d^r
1 *t tin tails Hands s r llrt I (.it tit >sv n I I ism mil I
sank to out knt t s i roiu hum in thr Imttnin ot thr In »at
uni hanmim; nil \s s\r sailed ova i tin tails ssatn
splaslird onto oin taits \s soon as \\r \\ri t ati \n
Ul i< hat k up paddlmu Hands s » oimnamh ssnr