The River Touring Section explores the wet side of the wild

In the old days we would all squeeze into the Lake Merritt Boathouse in Oakland to plan kayak trips and parties. Boats were made of canvas or fiberglass from Sierra Club molds. (I learned to kayak in one of these boats.)

Times have changed, but the River Touring Section (RTS) is still here. Due to liability and insurance regulations, the section no longer owns molds or boats, and our meetings are rare (the Internet is more efficient for trip planning). Kayaks are now plastic and of various sizes. The section now also includes canoes and inflatables and still has lots to offer for both flatwater and whitewater paddlers.

Our monthly Paddlers' News Bulletin features exciting stories about river touring across the west, river problems or lessons learned, trips available in California, items for sale, and conservation.

The race

The "Cache Creek Canoe and Kayak Downriver and Slalom Race" is RTS' big annual event. Through challenging gate placements, we invigorate a class II rapid, creating many moves similar to those required for competent class IV - V paddling. Up to 40 boaters participate, at all skill levels from beginner to expert, some choosing to do up to four different events, others settling for only one. While expert paddlers must negotiate all of the gates to have any chance of placing, novice boaters can miss several and still be competitive. Novices can often be seen discussing strategies on which gates to intentionally miss to maximize their chances of making the rest and optimizing their scores. Theoretical discussions about little troughs and eddy lines are soon put to test on the course.

Each year we worry about having enough water, enough boaters, and good weather! In 2003 the river was at extremely high flow, and we had to significantly simplify the course. This year everything was perfect!

Most of the event is based at the Cache Creek Campground in Yolo County. We reserve a group campground to allow the boating community to relax and spend time together. No other race in our area allows for this togetherness.

For Saturday's three-mile downriver race, the boaters are spaced one minute apart and must paddle as fast as possible to the finish. Raw time wins.

Those not racing can spend Saturday practicing the slalom course. This year's course, the brainchild of Keith Kishiyama, was called "sporty" by some, "extremely difficult" or "fun" by others, but not once "easy". At normal flows this race is probably the most difficult such race in California.

Conservation

RTS and its participants are active in protecting the rivers we love. We donate time and money to river-protection organizations such as Friends of the River, American Whitewater, and American Rivers. Efforts by these organizations and the Sierra Club have blocked plans to build Auburn Dam, which would flood the beautiful North Fork of the American River. Other successes are acquiring releases from dams for environmental and pleasure purposes. For example, releases beginning a year ago from Rock Creek and Cresta Dams on the North Fork of the Feather River were the result of hard work for many years by American Whitewater and local kayakers.

RTS people also participate in experimental kayak runs on rivers long unboatable because of lack of water. As part of dam relicensing processes, there are special releases for experimental runs to determine their recreational value. For example, last fall some of us took part in experimental releases on Piru Creek near Ventura.

Some of us even remember the fight to protect the most wonderful white-water stretch in California, the Stanislaus River at Camp 9.

For updates on RTS, including next year's Cache Creek Race, see our website at: http://sanfranciscobay.sierraclub.org/rivertouring/ or contact Bruce and Sharon Schumacher at: or (925) 447-3110.

To subscribe to Paddlers' News Bulletin, send $14, payable to "Sierra Club RTS" to:

Sierra Club RTS
5960 South Land Park Drive
PMB #117
Sacramento, CA 95822.

Sharon Schumacher