River Notes Archive

• Shop at the Sierra South River Store! • Check which New Kayaks are on Sale! • Browse New & Used Kayaks, Rafts & Gear! • Kayak Comparison Chart • 2009 Raft Guide School Info • 2009 Class Info • 2009 Event Calendar • Kern Festival 2008 Photos & Results • "Around the Kern" Resource Guide • Employment Information • News from the Past...

Updated 3/31/09 o President Obama has signed the Omnibus Public Lands Act into law, extending federal protection to more than 2 million acres and 86 rivers in nine states. Included in the Act are provisions to extend Wild & Scenic protection to eight rivers in California, including 7.25 miles of Piru Creek downstream of Pyramid Lake. More. o The first serious cloud seeding program in California began in 1948 on Bishop Creek in the Owens River basin for California Electric Power Co. Precipitation enhancement in the form of cloud seeding has been practiced continuously in several California river basins since the early 1950s. Most projects are along the central and southern Sierra Nevada with some in the coast ranges. More. o From farmers to fishermen, from the feds to the Yurok nation, all sides spent the past two years hammering out a deal that hinges on the destruction of four hydroelectric dams along the Klamath River. If those four dams come down, it would be the largest dam removal in U.S. history. More. o The Roadless Areas Conservation Rule is an administrative rule adopted by the U.S. Forest Service in January 2001 to protect the last remaining wildlands in our national forest system. It places about one-third of the national forest system's total acreage off-limits to virtually all road building and logging. (More than half of our national forest land is already open to such activity.) This protection is the only way to spare roadless areas from the severe damage that roads and intense development like clearcut logging have done to other parts of our national forests. More. o One of the most hotly debated topics on Earth is the issue of climate change, and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) data centers are central to answering some of the most pressing global change questions that remain unresolved. The National Climatic Data Center contains the instrumental records that can precisely define the nature of climatic fluctuations at time scales of a up to a century. Among the diverse kinds of data platforms whose data contribute to NCDC's armamentarium are: Ships, buoys, weather stations, balloons, satellites, and aircraft. More. o California is blessed with some of the most beautiful and diverse rivers in the world. From the steep creeks of the high Sierra to the broad and powerful rivers of the Central Valley, each river tells a personal story and provides a unique experience to the visitor. More. Splashes: Rolling - AW Safety Code - River Quotes - Foamies - Water Art

River Notes for Thursday, October 29, 2009

Important information about River Notes.

All the snow on the high peaks and passes of the Sierra has us looking forward to the Holidays, and we've already started stocking the Holiday Goodies section of the River Store, and putting selected paddling gear, apparel, and accessories on sale! To see what's on sale, use the Advanced Search page and click “Only Sale Items.” The Store is being updated for the Holidays, so check back frequently.

We also have a great selection of kayaks and inflatables in the Boat Barns. Need help? Our river guides, instructors, and store employees actually use the products we sell. Call 800-376-7303, and you'll talk to a knowledgeable person that can answer your gear questions.

NOAA has released their initial 2009-2010 Winter Outlook. According to NOAA, the outlook for December through February indicates a " slight tilt in the odds toward wetter-than-average conditions" for California. The IRI Multi Model Seasonal Forecast for Dec-Jan-Feb also indicates above average precipitation is somewhat more likely in California.

We've already had our first big Sierra storm, and in addition to dumping snow at the higher elevations, it soaked the ground, priming it for the Spring 2010 runoff! Here's a Brett Duxbury video of Liz Brackbill, Geno Hacker, Marc Vernon, and Rebecca & Eric Giddens paddling a sudsy Brush Creek earlier this month. (Some browser/plug-in/connection combinations are slow to start.)

Experts say that the El Nino is expected to strengthen and last through Winter. Recently Central Pacific equatorial SSTs have warmed significantly. The developing El Nino has us super excited about the 2010 season! Book now and save 15%! Our 2010 Rafting Trips are now available online. Make your Lickey-Split, Lickety Blaster, Combo, Thunder Run, Upper Kern, Forks, and Half day Inflatable Kayak trip reservation by November 7, 2009 and you'll save 15%. Enter Coupon Code: 2010EEBA1. A 50% deposit is required at time of booking. Not valid with any other discounts.

Please join the Kern River Fly Fishing shop and Sierra South on our annual upper Kern River cleanup. It will be on Saturday, Nov. 14th from 10am until 1pm. We'll meet at Kern River Fly Shop, 11301 Kernville Rd. across from Sierra South, and head up river to pick up trash along the upper 20 mile section of river north of Kernville.

Want to check on the Kern snowpack and see where the snow sensors and snow courses are located? We've put together a Kern River Basin Snow Courses & Sensors Google Earth KMZ file mashup that shows the station locations in Google Earth and links to the California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) data page for each station.

The ICF Freestyle World Championships were held in Thun, Switzerland in September, capping a great freestyle paddling season with our good friends at “Team Jackson” mopping up in nearly all categories.

The new Jackson All-Star 2010 was “the” boat of the competition, that’s for sure. Eric Jackson and the “family” were medalist in nearly every category. Nick Troutman, Eric’s son-in-law, (married to daughter Emily Jackson) took the gold, dethroning EJ who came in second. Bronze went to Steve Wright, aka, Stevo, and/or the Hobbit, who also works for Jackson. All-Stars were paddled by every boater in the top five. Jason Craig of Reno, NV, and eldest son Dane Jackson placed 1-2 in the Junior Men’s category. They paddled a new All-Star and Star respectively.

In the women’s, it was Emily who matched her hubby’s gold with a gold of her own, followed by Ruthie Gordon (Can) and Tanya Faux (Aus) silver and bronze respectively. Emily and Ruthie both paddled new Jackson Stars. For some fun reading , check out EJ’s blog for his insights about the World Championship.

Now is a great time to order the 2010 Jackson Star of your choice: The Star, All-Star, Super-Star, and the new Mon-Star. The Mon-Star is the 1st truly playful big guy’s play boat for paddlers over 200lbs. If we don’t have a boat in stock, Jackson is not only fast on the water, they are fast in shipping and production.

With the excellent flows on the Lower Kern this August, Evan Moore and Spencer Josif gave their new 2010 All Stars a good workout at the KRT and Royal Flush playspots. Check out their Lower Kern Playboating video on YouTube.

Our world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River. Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone from young tikes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin? Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Download our Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (PDF) for more information! Reserve your 2010 trip now!

Learn to kayak! Our proven teaching method takes you through a gradual progression that maximizes the fun. We've designed our beginning class for those who have never river kayaked before, or who have played around with kayaking some, but have not had formal instruction in the fundamentals of river kayaking. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!

Describing the numerous on-river and off-river recreation options, the July/August 2008 issue of Paddler Magazine selected Kernville as one of the 'Best Paddling Towns' in the U.S. The article rated Kernville a 5-star weekend destination and a 5-star 'Near Home' vacation destination. The 2009 Kern River Festival is April 18-19, make your plans now!

Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2010 season will mark our 25th year on the Kern River!

We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data, based on reports from the Corps of Engineers (COE) and Southern California Edison (SCE). Click on "Current" to get the latest COE info. For SCE flow information, call the flow phone at 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE, the flow phone values reported for Above & Below Fairview, and Below Democrat Dam are updated every 5-10 seconds. All other flow phone data is manually updated twice a day (7am & 2pm) when an operator is on duty.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Friday, October 23, 2009

Important information about River Notes.

NOAA has released their initial 2009-2010 Winter Outlook. According to NOAA, the outlook for December through February indicates a " slight tilt in the odds toward wetter-than-average conditions" for California. The IRI Multi Model Seasonal Forecast for Dec-Jan-Feb also indicates above average precipitation is somewhat more likely in California.

We've already had our first big Sierra storm, and in addition to dumping snow at the higher elevations, it soaked the ground, priming it for the Spring 2010 runoff! Experts say that the El Nino is expected to strengthen and last through Winter. Recently Central Pacific equatorial SSTs have warmed significantly.

The developing El Nino has us super excited about the 2010 season! Book now and save 15%! Our 2010 Rafting Trips are now available online. Make your Lickey-Split, Lickety Blaster, Combo, Thunder Run, Upper Kern, Forks, and Half day Inflatable Kayak trip reservation by November 7, 2009 and you'll save 15%. Enter Coupon Code: 2010EEBA1. A 50% deposit is required at time of booking. Not valid with any other discounts.

Please join the Kern River Fly Fishing shop and Sierra South on our annual upper Kern River cleanup. It will be on Saturday, Nov. 14th from 10am until 1pm. We'll meet at Kern River Fly Shop, 11301 Kernville Rd. across from Sierra South, and head up river to pick up trash along the upper 20 mile section of river north of Kernville.

All the snow on the high peaks and passes of the Sierra has us looking forward to the Holidays, and we've already started stocking the Holiday Goodies section of the River Store, and putting selected paddling gear, apparel, and accessories on sale! To see what's on sale, use the Advanced Search page and click “Only Sale Items.” The Store is being updated for the Holidays, so check back frequently.

We also have a great selection of kayaks and inflatables in the Boat Barns. Need help? Our river guides, instructors, and store employees actually use the products we sell. Call 800-376-7303, and you'll talk to a knowledgeable person that can answer your gear questions.

Want to check on the Kern snowpack and see where the snow sensors and snow courses are located? We've put together a Kern River Basin Snow Courses & Sensors Google Earth KMZ file mashup that shows the station locations in Google Earth and links to the California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) data page for each station.

The ICF Freestyle World Championships were held in Thun, Switzerland in September, capping a great freestyle paddling season with our good friends at “Team Jackson” mopping up in nearly all categories.

The new Jackson All-Star 2010 was “the” boat of the competition, that’s for sure. Eric Jackson and the “family” were medalist in nearly every category. Nick Troutman, Eric’s son-in-law, (married to daughter Emily Jackson) took the gold, dethroning EJ who came in second. Bronze went to Steve Wright, aka, Stevo, and/or the Hobbit, who also works for Jackson. All-Stars were paddled by every boater in the top five. Jason Craig of Reno, NV, and eldest son Dane Jackson placed 1-2 in the Junior Men’s category. They paddled a new All-Star and Star respectively.

In the women’s, it was Emily who matched her hubby’s gold with a gold of her own, followed by Ruthie Gordon (Can) and Tanya Faux (Aus) silver and bronze respectively. Emily and Ruthie both paddled new Jackson Stars. For some fun reading , check out EJ’s blog for his insights about the World Championship.

Now is a great time to order the 2010 Jackson Star of your choice: The Star, All-Star, Super-Star, and the new Mon-Star. The Mon-Star is the 1st truly playful big guy’s play boat for paddlers over 200lbs. If we don’t have a boat in stock, Jackson is not only fast on the water, they are fast in shipping and production.

With the excellent flows on the Lower Kern this August, Evan Moore and Spencer Josif gave their new 2010 All Stars a good workout at the KRT and Royal Flush playspots. Check out their Lower Kern Playboating video on YouTube.

Our world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River. Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone from young tikes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin? Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Download our Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (PDF) for more information! Reserve your 2010 trip now!

Learn to kayak! Our proven teaching method takes you through a gradual progression that maximizes the fun. We've designed our beginning class for those who have never river kayaked before, or who have played around with kayaking some, but have not had formal instruction in the fundamentals of river kayaking. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!

Describing the numerous on-river and off-river recreation options, the July/August 2008 issue of Paddler Magazine selected Kernville as one of the 'Best Paddling Towns' in the U.S. The article rated Kernville a 5-star weekend destination and a 5-star 'Near Home' vacation destination. The 2009 Kern River Festival is April 18-19, make your plans now!

Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2010 season will mark our 25th year on the Kern River!

We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data, based on reports from the Corps of Engineers (COE) and Southern California Edison (SCE). Click on "Current" to get the latest COE info. For SCE flow information, call the flow phone at 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE, the flow phone values reported for Above & Below Fairview, and Below Democrat Dam are updated every 5-10 seconds. All other flow phone data is manually updated twice a day (7am & 2pm) when an operator is on duty.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Thursday, October 15, 2009

Important information about River Notes.

Book now and save 15%! Our 2010 Rafting Trips are now available online. Make your Lickey-Split, Lickety Blaster, Combo, Thunder Run, Upper Kern, Forks, and Half day Inflatable Kayak trip reservation by November 7, 2009 and you'll save 15%. Enter Coupon Code: 2010EEBA1. A 50% deposit is required at time of booking. Not valid with any other discounts.

A potent early season Pacific storm carrying the remnants of West Pacific typhoon Melor has hammered California, setting numerous rainfall records, increasing river flows, and producing heavy snow at the higher elevations of the Sierra.

Several stations recorded precipitation totals exceeding 10 inches. Dinkey Creek in the Central Sierra recorded more than 14 inches of rain. Yesterday, the Kaweah River at Three Rivers peaked at over 20,000 cfs.

In the upper Kern River drainage, precipitation totals generally ranged from 3 to 5 inches. Johnsondale recorded over 4 inches. Snow levels were high. Chagoopa Plateau at 10,300' recorded 3.28" snow water equivalent (SWE), and some of that has melted. Upper Tyndall Creek at 11,400' recorded 3.5 inches SWE.

All the rain and snow popped the Upper Kern up to near 3000 cfs yesterday. At 9:00 this morning COE reported the Kern at Kernville at about 1200 cfs. The drainage is thoroughly saturated, and this should help boost the runoff next Spring. It looks like the Kern flow is going down at a little slower rate than is usual for rain runoff. It's possible that some high elevation snowmelt from yesterday is adding to the flow.

The Aug-Sep Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI), decreased from 0.978 to 0.754, however other El Niño signals appear to be rebounding. In the last two weeks low level equatorial westerly anomalies have increased significantly. The reduction in the strength of the trade winds, and a downwelling Kelvin wave resulting from a very strong westerly wind burst already appear to be increasing upper ocean heat content in the central equatorial Pacific. The 30 day moving Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) was positive, but has recently dropped to -1. However, total and relative AAM remain negative, and are lower than is generally the case during a developing El Niño.

Recurring equatorial westerly wind bursts and enhanced west-central Pacific convection has been slowly migrating eastward. The most recent round of enhanced convection was centered at about 160E. This is consistent with a developing El Niño, and may have helped to extend the Pacific jet. The extending jet captured moisture from dissipating typhoon Melor, leading to the development of the atmospheric river that impacted California this week.

The ICF Freestyle World Championships were held in Thun, Switzerland last month capping a great freestyle paddling season with our good friends at “Team Jackson” mopping up in nearly all categories.

The new Jackson All-Star 2010 was “the” boat of the competition, that’s for sure. Eric Jackson and the “family” were medalist in nearly every category. Nick Troutman, Eric’s son-in-law, (married to daughter Emily Jackson) took the gold, dethroning EJ who came in second. Bronze went to Steve Wright, aka, Stevo, and/or the Hobbit, who also works for Jackson. All-Stars were paddled by every boater in the top five. Jason Craig of Reno, NV, and eldest son Dane Jackson placed 1-2 in the Junior Men’s category. They paddled a new All-Star and Star respectively.

In the women’s, it was Emily who matched her hubby’s gold with a gold of her own, followed by Ruthie Gordon (Can) and Tanya Faux (Aus) silver and bronze respectively. Emily and Ruthie both paddled new Jackson Stars. For some fun reading , check out EJ’s blog for his insights about the World Championship.

Now is a great time to order the 2010 Jackson Star of your choice: The Star, All-Star, Super-Star, and the new Mon-Star. The Mon-Star is the 1st truly playful big guy’s play boat for paddlers over 200lbs. If we don’t have a boat in stock, Jackson is not only fast on the water, they are fast in shipping and production.

Thanks to everyone for a great end of the season sale and a great paddling year on the Wild & Scenic Kern River. Although we had a lower than normal snowpack, an extremely cool June allowed us to run well into August on the Upper. The Lower ran higher than expected for the entire summer. We expect fall flows on the Lower to be starting in the next 2 weeks. Look for them to be in the 600 cfs range, which is still boatable in creekers, inflatable kayaks, and small rafts. Remember, we never really know what the Watermaster wants in terms of irrigation needs in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.

For those of you, who missed out on the sale, don’t despair as there are still some killer deals to be had on boats and accessories. Check out our New Boat Barn and Used Boat Barn! Our boat inventory changes daily so give us a call at 800-376-7303 or email 'paddle at sierrasouth.com' with any boat questions. We also seem to get a number of trade-in boats during this time so if you don’t see a particular model in the Boat Barn, ask for it by name as we may have just gotten a trade boat in stock. Check the web site frequently and don’t hesitate to email or call. We like to talk boats!

There are still good deals to be had on paddling apparel and used fleet gear — check out the items in the Sierra South River Store. To see what's on sale, use the Advanced Search page and click “Only Sale Items.” The Store is being updated for the Holidays, so check back frequently.

With the excellent flows on the Lower Kern this August, Evan Moore and Spencer Josif gave their new 2010 All Stars a good workout at the KRT and Royal Flush playspots. Check out their Lower Kern Playboating video on YouTube.

Our world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River. Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone from young tikes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin? Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Download our Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (PDF) for more information! Reserve your 2010 trip now!

Learn to kayak! Our proven teaching method takes you through a gradual progression that maximizes the fun. We've designed our beginning class for those who have never river kayaked before, or who have played around with kayaking some, but have not had formal instruction in the fundamentals of river kayaking. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!

Describing the numerous on-river and off-river recreation options, the July/August 2008 issue of Paddler Magazine selected Kernville as one of the 'Best Paddling Towns' in the U.S. The article rated Kernville a 5-star weekend destination and a 5-star 'Near Home' vacation destination. The 2009 Kern River Festival is April 18-19, make your plans now!

Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2010 season will mark our 25th year on the Kern River!

We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data, based on reports from the Corps of Engineers (COE) and Southern California Edison (SCE). Click on "Current" to get the latest COE info. For SCE flow information, call the flow phone at 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE, the flow phone values reported for Above & Below Fairview, and Below Democrat Dam are updated every 5-10 seconds. All other flow phone data is manually updated twice a day (7am & 2pm) when an operator is on duty.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Monday, October 12, 2009

Important information about River Notes.

Book now and save 15%! Our 2010 Rafting Trips are now available online. Make your Lickey-Split, Lickety Blaster, Combo, Thunder Run, Upper Kern, Forks, and Half day Inflatable Kayak trip reservation by November 7, 2009 and you'll save 15%. Enter Coupon Code: 2010EEBA1. A 50% deposit is required at time of booking. Not valid with any other discounts.

An atmospheric river aimed at California and embedded with the remnants of West Pacific typhoon Melor is forecast to produce copious rainfall and runoff in the Sierra Nevada. Rain and snow is forecast to begin this evening, and continue into Wednesday. Forecast guidance suggests precipitation totals generally ranging from 3 to 5 inches in the Sierra, with the possibility of some favored locations exceeding 6 inches.

Because of the tropical nature of the embedded air mass, the snow level in the Sierra is expected to start high, around 8000'-9000' in the Southern Sierra, and then increase to above 9000' Tuesday evening. Most Sierra rivers should see significant increases in flow.

A BUFKIT analysis of 12z NAM data for C01, at an elevation of about 8500' near Goddard Canyon, projects about 5 inches water equivalent of snow. An ARL analysis for a location near Kern Point, in the Kern River drainage, generates 2.6 inches water equivalent based on 12z GFS data, and 3.9 inches using 12z NAM 40km data. RFC guidance for Giant Forest indicates about 4.5 inches of rain for the 24 hour period beginning Tuesday at 5:00 a.m. We'll see -- with such high precipitable water values, strong jet dynamics, warm air advection, and strong westerly flow across the mountains, there is the potential for unusually high precipitation totals.

The Aug-Sep Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI), decreased from 0.978 to 0.754, however other El Niño signals appear to be rebounding. In the last two weeks low level equatorial westerly anomalies have increased significantly. The reduction in the strength of the trade winds, and a downwelling Kelvin wave resulting from a very strong westerly wind burst already appear to be increasing upper ocean heat content in the central equatorial Pacific. The 30 day moving Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) is still positive, but is dropping, and should return to negative territory over the next week or so.

Recurring equatorial westerly wind bursts and enhanced west-central Pacific convection has been slowly migrating eastward. The most recent round of enhanced convection was centered at about 160E. This is consistent with a developing El Niño, and may have helped to extend the current Pacific jet following an East Asian mountain torque event. However, total and relative AAM remain negative, and are lower than is generally the case during a developing El Niño.

The ICF Freestyle World Championships were held in Thun, Switzerland last month capping a great freestyle paddling season with our good friends at “Team Jackson” mopping up in nearly all categories.

The new Jackson All-Star 2010 was “the” boat of the competition, that’s for sure. Eric Jackson and the “family” were medalist in nearly every category. Nick Troutman, Eric’s son-in-law, (married to daughter Emily Jackson) took the gold, dethroning EJ who came in second. Bronze went to Steve Wright, aka, Stevo, and/or the Hobbit, who also works for Jackson. All-Stars were paddled by every boater in the top five. Jason Craig of Reno, NV, and eldest son Dane Jackson placed 1-2 in the Junior Men’s category. They paddled a new All-Star and Star respectively.

In the women’s, it was Emily who matched her hubby’s gold with a gold of her own, followed by Ruthie Gordon (Can) and Tanya Faux (Aus) silver and bronze respectively. Emily and Ruthie both paddled new Jackson Stars. For some fun reading , check out EJ’s blog for his insights about the World Championship.

Now is a great time to order the 2010 Jackson Star of your choice: The Star, All-Star, Super-Star, and the new Mon-Star. The Mon-Star is the 1st truly playful big guy’s play boat for paddlers over 200lbs. If we don’t have a boat in stock, Jackson is not only fast on the water, they are fast in shipping and production.

Thanks to everyone for a great end of the season sale and a great paddling year on the Wild & Scenic Kern River. Although we had a lower than normal snowpack, an extremely cool June allowed us to run well into August on the Upper. The Lower ran higher than expected for the entire summer. We expect fall flows on the Lower to be starting in the next 2 weeks. Look for them to be in the 600 cfs range, which is still boatable in creekers, inflatable kayaks, and small rafts. Remember, we never really know what the Watermaster wants in terms of irrigation needs in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.

For those of you, who missed out on the sale, don’t despair as there are still some killer deals to be had on boats and accessories. Check out our New Boat Barn and Used Boat Barn! Our boat inventory changes daily so give us a call at 800-376-7303 or email 'paddle at sierrasouth.com' with any boat questions. We also seem to get a number of trade-in boats during this time so if you don’t see a particular model in the Boat Barn, ask for it by name as we may have just gotten a trade boat in stock. Check the web site frequently and don’t hesitate to email or call. We like to talk boats!

There are still good deals to be had on paddling apparel and used fleet gear — check out the items in the Sierra South River Store. To see what's on sale, use the Advanced Search page and click “Only Sale Items.” The Store is being updated for the Holidays, so check back frequently.

With the excellent flows on the Lower Kern this August, Evan Moore and Spencer Josif gave their new 2010 All Stars a good workout at the KRT and Royal Flush playspots. Check out their Lower Kern Playboating video on YouTube.

Our world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River. Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone from young tikes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin? Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Download our Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (PDF) for more information! Reserve your 2010 trip now!

Learn to kayak! Our proven teaching method takes you through a gradual progression that maximizes the fun. We've designed our beginning class for those who have never river kayaked before, or who have played around with kayaking some, but have not had formal instruction in the fundamentals of river kayaking. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!

Describing the numerous on-river and off-river recreation options, the July/August 2008 issue of Paddler Magazine selected Kernville as one of the 'Best Paddling Towns' in the U.S. The article rated Kernville a 5-star weekend destination and a 5-star 'Near Home' vacation destination. The 2009 Kern River Festival is April 18-19, make your plans now!

Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2010 season will mark our 25th year on the Kern River!

We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data, based on reports from the Corps of Engineers (COE) and Southern California Edison (SCE). Click on "Current" to get the latest COE info. For SCE flow information, call the flow phone at 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE, the flow phone values reported for Above & Below Fairview, and Below Democrat Dam are updated every 5-10 seconds. All other flow phone data is manually updated twice a day (7am & 2pm) when an operator is on duty.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

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