Paddling Northern California (Regional Paddling Series) Review

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Paddling Northern California (Regional Paddling Series) ReviewIt goes without saying that the year 2001 will not be remembered as one of the best years on record for whitewater boating in Northern California. In fact, according to Bill Center at Camp Lotus, 2001 is the lowest water year since 1977. Other authorities on the subject seem to generally agree. Yet in the midst of all of this yawning and rock scraping, another new guidebook to paddling in this great state has arrived with very little fanfare. The new guidebook is titled Paddling Northern California, and it was written by long-time paddler, Charlie Pike. Charlie's new guidebook uses a fresh new approach to paddling and combines knowledge from several different disciplines of paddling, including sea kayaking, and describes paddling on both flatwater lakes and whitewater rivers, in both canoes and kayaks. The book was also written with an audience of novice and intermediate paddlers in mind. There is probably no better guidebook for the beginning paddler in Northern California. And while Charlie's new guidebook is not the most comprehensive book on the subject of whitewater runs in Northern California, it is quite informative, has a well-organized layout, and is extremely easy to read. In short, it is a joy to read and use this book as a reference. In fact, one of the most outstanding qualities of his book is the use of combined paddling disciplines. In his new guidebook, Charlie takes the reader on a paddling tour of Northern California, and shows you the joys of each discipline. I personally consider myself to be an advanced paddler in my own realm, but it seems that the more you know, the more there is to learn. While reading this book, I found myself getting really excited at the prospect of doing some other forms of paddling that I had never tried before, like paddling with the tides up and down coastal esteros and sloughs, sea kayaking across the bays, and canoeing across those beautiful and serene natural lakes in the High Sierra. In this book, I also found great information on some of those obscure paddling trips that I've never had the chance to take, like the continuous Class II nature of the Bear River near Colfax, the remote and stunningly beautiful Juniper Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park, those elusive runs on the Truckee River, the beautiful Albion River along the Pacific Coast, and paddling the Cosumnes River Preserve in Central Valley, where one can enjoy world-class bird-watching. Charlie's Northern California paddling tour begins in the Monterey Bay, sea kayaking amongst the marine mammals, while enjoying those great views of Cannery Row. And his paddling tour ends at the take-out of the East Fork Carson near Minden, Nevada. And the middle is filled with only the finest paddling runs in the state mentioned between Monterey and Minden. There are 65 wonderful paddle trips documented in all. Like I mentioned earlier, this is by no means a comprehensive guidebook to all of the rivers in Northern California - quite the contrary. For instance, I found it interesting that Charlie would document the Class IV Chamberlain Falls Run on the North Fork American, while never even mentioning any of the Class II or Class III runs in the over 100 miles of the Lower Klamath, which are much more within the abilities of novice and intermediate level paddlers. However, sometimes quality is better than quantity, and this is one of those times. Charlie only documents those paddle trips that are the very best in terms of quality of experiences. His book is a treasure trove of the best experiences to be had through paddling, and the information and the maps are presented in clear and concise terms, making it a joy to use this book. For instance, for certain rivers with which I am intimately familiar, I compared Charlie's information against my own knowledge and found that Charlie's information was not only completely correct, but it was also better explained than I could have explained it myself. Besides the obligatory International Scale of River Difficulty, with which we are all so familiar, Charlie explains the Sea Conditions Rating System (or SCRS), of which I must admit that I was totally unaware. I also appreciate his treatment of the subjects of environmental protection, low-impact camping, and water safety. One of the best parts of this book is the four Appendices, which explain how to get accurate information from a variety of sources, including the Internet. This information includes such specifics as dam release and river flow gauges, tide tables (something I know very little about), and other nice-to-know items, such as weather forecasts, wind velocities, and wave heights. He also has the addresses and telephone numbers for almost all of the managing agencies of the government, as well as popular commercial outfitters and local paddling clubs. Regardless of your specific paddling interests and skill level, Charlie Pike's book is a necessity for the bookshelf of every person who paddles in Northern California.Paddling Northern California (Regional Paddling Series) Overview

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