Kern River Photo Gallery

Jackson Kayak 2010 All Star

The new 2010 Jackson Kayak All-Star swept the Men's Freestyle class in its competition debut at the Teva Mountains Games in Vail, Colorado. Stephen Wright's tallied up a record freestyle score of 1310 points to take first, with Nick Troutman and Dustin Urban a close second and third.

Kern River Crew at Reno River Festival

Evan Moore (13), Spencer Josif (18), and Robert "Swanie" Swan (22) -- all Kern paddlers -- worked around school and jobs to travel up Hwy 395 on the East side of the Sierra to Reno to compete in the 6th annual Reno River Festival.

Marc Vernon - 2009 Kern River Festival
Brush Creek Downriver Race - Photo: John Simons

A selection of John Simons' Brush Creek Race photos have been posted on the web site.

Willis Nessle - 2009 Kern River Festival
Brush Creek Downriver Race - Photo: John Simons

Temps were in the eighties and the flow at Kernville about 750-800 cfs for the 45th Kern River Festival. Many thanks to the paddlers, spectators, sponsors and all the volunteers that help put on the event. An extra special "Thank You!" goes to Terry Valle who spearheads the organization of the Festival; and Eric & Rebecca Giddens who run the Brush Creek races and set the slalom course.

Nick Wilkening on the Nantahala Falls Slalom Course - 2009 U.S. Junior Trials Practice Session

Congratulations to Kern paddler Nick Wilkening who qualified for the 2009 U.S. Whitewater Slalom Junior National Team this past weekend at the Junior Trials at Nantahala Outdoor Center in western North Carolina. Nick paddled well on the Nantahala Falls course, qualifying second in K1. Nick's coach is Pam Hoyer, whose son Stein Beals qualified for the Junior Team in 2008.

Joe Jacobi with Evan Moore on Brush Creek. March 31, 2009.

Olympic Gold Medallist Joe Jacobi recently paddled Brush Creek with Evan Moore -- son of Sierra South's Tom Moore. Check out Joe's YouTube video Kayaking Quarterback.

Joe Jacobi - What Makes a Cool School. March 26, 2009.

Olympic Gold Medallist Joe Jacobi, Bob Campbell and the Gold Medal Connections crew are in town for the 2009 Kern Gold Medal Camps. Joe spent some time in Riverside Park yesterday speaking with students from Liberty High School about kayaking, and the value of resources such as the Kern River.

Jackson Kayak Dynamic Duo
March 11, 2009

We recently received our first shipment of two exciting new boats from Jackson, the Little Hero and the 2-person Dynamic Duo. The Little Hero is much smaller than the regular Hero, but bigger than the kid’s Side Kick. It will be a great boat for the 90 lb and up teenager, and adults who are too small for the regular Hero. The 2 person Dynamic Duo should be a gas to paddle! An experienced paddler could show a beginning paddler how to ferry, catch eddies, and other basic skills, or take Class II-III paddlers down some harder runs. It is easy to tandem roll and very forgiving.

View East from Sherman Peak Toward Bald Mountain.
March 5, 2009 12:10 p.m. PST

California Cooperative Snow Surveys has completed most of the March 1 Sierra snow course measurements. With 12 of 14 courses checked, the average snow water content in the Kern River basin is about 88% of normal for the date. This is up significantly from February's average of 65%.

Upper Brush Creek from Sherman Peak
February 26, 2009 8:50 a.m. PST

A Sherman Peak webcam view southwest over the upper Brush Creek drainage, past the Kern River, to Baker Peak, Baker Point, and Sunday Peak.

RAMDIS IR3 Water Vapor Image
February 18, 2009 6:30 a.m. PST

Since February 5th, a series of upper lows, troughs and shortwaves has produced several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada. The Wet Meadows snow sensor at 8950' in the Kern River basin has recorded more than 8 inches (snow water equivalent) of precipitation over the period. Additional snow is expected over the next two weeks, and the wet pattern may extend into March.

HPC 3-Day Precipitation Forecast
For period ending February 9, 2009 4:00 pm PST

The first of a series of upper lows, troughs and shortwaves expected to affect California and the Southern Sierra over the next several days has moved into the area, and the wet pattern could continue into the 8-14 day period and beyond. A wet February would help offset an unusually dry January, and would help improve a sub par Kern snowpack -- currently pegged at about 65% of normal.

Nick Wilkening on Miracle Slalom Course
January 17, 2009

Nick Wilkening, training on the Miracle Slalom Course on the Lower Kern in preparation for the USACK National Junior Team Trials in April.

Zoomed View from Sherman Pk Toward Kern Headwaters
January 13, 2009 9:00 am

A 200 kt Pacific jet stream is energizing a huge North Pacific low and pushing up a high amplitude ridge over the West Coast, resulting in dry conditions and record high temperatures. Daytime temperatures at 9000 ft. in the Kern River basin have reached nearly 60 degrees, but because of the low Winter sun, the snowpack remains intact with no loss of water content indicated by the Kern snow sensors.

View North from Sherman Peak Toward Kern Headwaters
January 5, 2009 9:50 am

The Pascoes snow sensor is back online today, and the station is reporting 11.3 inches snow water equivalent (SWE). This is about 150% of the 1970-2000 average for for the date. Casa Vieja Meadows and Beach Meadows are also reporting SWEs that are above normal. The Wet Meadows sensor is still offline, but is also likely to have above average snow water content. Perhaps because of cold, lower density snow, Upper Tyndall Creek (11,400') is reporting about 72% of the average for the date.

New Snow and Clearing Clouds in Kern Valley
December 16, 2008

An intense upper level low, fed in part by moisture from the subtropical mid-Pacific, generated heavy snow in the Southern Sierra Sunday into Monday, producing postcard views around the Kernville area. Snow sensors in the Kern River basin recorded about 2 to 3 inches water equivalent for the storm, or about 20 to 30 inches of snow.

Forecast 24 hr. Precipitation (18z NAM 12/12/08)
10 PM Sunday to 10 PM Monday

Abundant jet energy, advected sub-tropical moisture, and strong westerly flow could result in copious, orographically enhanced snowfall in the Southern Sierra.

New Kayak Design Spotted on Eel River
Photo: Charlie Albright

A new kayak design was spotted on the Eel River over the Thanksgiving holidays. The novel home-grown design has progressed to the prototype stage and initial tests have been encouraging. Superficially similar to some current playboats, the innovative design incorporates features not seen in previous kayaks. Kayaking guru Charlie Albright and team members Jerry and June Albright all gave a big thumbs up to the paddling characteristics of the new boat, commenting that it was "easy to balance, but a little slimy inside." Production is expected to begin next summer with boats available for delivery sometime in October. One color will be offered.

Google Earth KMZ - Kern River Basin Snow Courses & Sensors 11/26/08

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.

GOES-11 Water Vapor Satellite Image (UW-Madison)
October 31, 2008 9:30 a.m. PDT

Circulation around a deep low and associated trough is drawing moisture up from the subtropics into California and across the Sierra, producing some light rain and snow. Impulses associated with this system are forecast to produce heavy precipitation in the northern half of the state, with 5-day precipitation totals approaching 5 inches (liquid equivalent) in the Northern Sierra, and along the North Coast.

Early Season Sierra Snow
10/12/08 11:55 a.m. PDT

Halloween is only two weeks away, there's already snow in the Sierra, and we're gearing up for the Holidays! We've been busy putting SALE! tags on selected sports wear, paddling apparel, PFDs, helmets, paddles, rescue gear, Holiday goodies, and more in our River Store.

Forecast 48 hr. Cumulative Precipitation
12z NAM 10/03/08

Its good to see some greens, blues and reds on the precipitation forecast map again. The first major Pacific storm of the 2008-2009 rain season has moved onshore, and is producing some much needed rain in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Although the focus of the system is to the north, Central California should see some decent rainfall as well, and some snow is expected at the higher elevations of the Sierra.