Yuba SF (Kingvale to Eagle Lakes Rd, IV-V)

I ran SF Yuba from Kingvale exit of Hwy80 to Eagle Lakes Rd exit in mid May, 2009. The flow was 750 cfs. This run goes mostly along with Hwy80 except for Rainbow. The upper part of what we ran is called as Summit Run (8.7 miles, IV+) and lower part as Spalding run (IV+ - V [V+ or P] 5.5 miles. What we ran of the Spalding run was only first 3/4 ~ 1 mile between Cisco grove to Eagle lakes rd. Although I had run it two years prior to that, I felt nervous like a first timer, since we ran it by just two of us, Tyler Jose and myself. For more details about the Summit run, visit Wet State. For Spalding run, visit Darin McQuoid's blogsite and Dream Flows.

First Rapid (IV- to IV+) Tyler was being stuck in a hole.




There were still snow remained along the river in mid May.




The upper part of Cataract (V to V+), we portaged


The lower part of Cataract (V to V+)


a waterfall (IV) before Rainbow Rapid. There is a short recovery pool before entering Rainbow rapids. The whitewater in the bottom is the entrance of the Rainbow rapid.


The upper part of Rainbow Rapid (IV+ to V)


The upper~middle part of the Rainbow rapid. There is a hole in right front of Tyler.


The lower half of the Rainbow rapid


Double Drop (IV to IV+) My friend, Scott Amundson shot me in his his video
in 2007.


Three Blind Mice (V). When we portaged the main drop, we walked on the roadside of Hwy80 shortly, which should have surprised drivers on the hwy. While driving on the hwy, that main drop had always looked runnable for me, but it overwhelmed me standing beside it.


We reput-in below the main drop, but there was a huge hole at nearly end of this long rapid, which looks like as ugly as the main drop.


A narrow cascading ramp (V to V+). This is uglier than Three Blind Mice. For us, no question about portaging on the river right.


Ski Jump (IV) is the last rapid to take out at the Eagle lakes rd exit of Hwy80.