White water rafting prospecting

[infotraker]

I have a chance to go white water rafting on the south fork of the American river with a experienced rafter. We want to stop numerous places and prospect. Should we launch at chili bar, camp lotus or other and take out at the salmon Falls bridge area ? Has anyone else prospecting like this ? Sounds like we may find some better gold in inaccessible areas for most people.

 

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[63bkpkr]

The gorge between Euchre and Green Valley is not bad unless there are trees lodged in there. At high water many of the boulders are underwater but then it is "high Water" and it does not make any allowances for mistakes, and it is cold!! From Green Valley to Pickering the river is a bit steeper, narrower and requires more attention to the sounds you are approaching and again the high water does not allow for mistakes. This morning the NFAR is running ~ 2200 cfs. That amount of water will easily pin a raft or a person to a rock where either will stay till the water level lowers over the next few months, I believe that is called Warping.

There are many 'suck holes', spaces between rocks, that can trap a person. Wearing a strapped on helmet really helps to avoid head injuries, the strongest of oars are required as they are used to push off from the rocks, the flimsy 2 piece aluminium oars become knife blades after going but a short distance down the river. Raft's need to be stiffened to make them a little more steerable and even then they have little agility in a river as tight as the NFAR so this requires one to carry a really good sewing and patching kit along with a can of industrial grade rubber glue. A four man raft with additional air bladders in it, inner tubes strapped to the floor and inner sides of the raft, is what I've used, the two man raft was just too small. Really waterproof gear bags are a MUST!

Even at 2200 cfs a raft trip would be all about staying alive.................63bkpkr

 

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[infotraker]

I have not taken the trip yet. My friend with the raft is waiting for lower flows and then will do a test run with his older experienced son before I join them.
Currently we are kayaking up the south fork American river from Folsom lake to where the rapids begin. The problem is that there is not much ground to explore because the river is still to high on the banks.

 

[beekbuster]

i have done best in feeder creeks anyway. i can get to the bottom of them. now if i could only get to the bottom of clear creek. still some slugs down there im sure. a reputable source told me a couple scuba divers picked up 6 oz of gold in an afternoon at the bottom of keswick. i dont care if theres a 100lber down there, ill pass