Rock-n-Roll: Wild water awaits in the Sierra Nevadas (Artville)
The North, Middle, and South forks of the Yuba River system churn up enough froth to keep the boating crowd in Nevada City, California, playing in Class III and higher waves, holes, and rapids for years. Furthermore, each of these forks has enough tributaries kicking up waterfalls, slides, and drops to give you paddling challenges until your dying day. And all this considering the Yuba is but one of the area's signature rivers: you've still got the American and the Bear rivers feeding the watershed of this paddler's dream destination.
Nevada City, about three hours northeast of San Fran and half that from Sacramento, hugs the fringe of the rugged Sierra Nevadas and is ground zero for outdoor recreation in the enormous 1.2-million-acre Tahoe National Forest. The Sierras are a big range of granite, the bedrock that makes for the best paddling features on the planet. Hop on Route 49 and drive north or south out of town and you could tick off hundreds of classic runs. The mountains here collect enormous amounts of moisture (remember the 19-foot snowstorm that hit Tahoe in January '05?), meaning rivers swell with runoff from as early as late February all the way into the fall. With props like that, it's no wonder pros like Scott Lindgren and Shannon Carrol hang out here.
Now of course, Nevada City and its feisty rivers are no recreational secret. Some half a million paddlers, rafters, playboaters, and swimmers come each year to make the most of the rapids, pools, and alpine scenery. That means you should pick your poison according to your watery needs: crave the gauntlet of five miles of steady, fearsome Class IVs? Tackle the North Fork of the American and big chutes like Zig-Zag and Achilles Heel; looking for something a little more leisurely? The North Fork of the Yuba combines pulse-quickening Class III-V rapids with some majestic scenery and glimpses of California's Gold Rush past.
Outfitters are like those erstwhile gold prospectors in these parts, too. Wolf Creek Wilderness (530-477-2722, www.wolfcreekwilderness.com) in nearby Grass Valley runs a number of beginner whitewater-kayaking courses, ranging from multi-day classes to private instruction, that will have you rolling and running the Yuba's Class II eddies in no time. California-based O.A.R.S. (800-346-6277, www.oars.com) and Whitewater Voyages (800-400-7238, www.whitewatervoyages.com) organize a variety of multi-day rafting trips on various stretches of the American River.
If all that raging water gets too much? Nevada City's dry-land options include world-class mountain-biking just up the road in Downieville, plus untold acres of backcountry hiking, rock climbing, fishing, and more. Then there's always gold-panning if you're feeling extra lucky.
