Spring Storms, Deep Sierra Snowpack Ensure Exciting California Rafting Season
Early spring storms have resulted in a deeply layered Sierra snowpack, promising an extended spring river runoff and perhaps what may be the longest season of whitewater rafting California has seen in a decade.
Walnut Creek, CA (PRWEB via PR Web
Direct) April 5, 2005 -- It doesn't happen often to the Sierra snowpack, but
when it does, you can be sure the rafting season will be one for the record
books. The phenomenon California rafting outfitters are so excited about is the
recent flurry of early spring storms—storms which guaranteed California’s
snowpack will result in raftable river flows well into the 2005 summer rafting
season.
Though it's been an above average wet season in general,
California rafting outfitters always hold their breath through the month of
March. They know an early spring can melt precious snow too early for rafters to
take advantage. This year however, recent late storms have thrown an insulating
blanket on an already heavy California snowpack.
"This isn’t a little
blanket either—it’s like five blankets," says Gregg Armstrong, co-owner of All-Outdoors California Whitewater
Rafting. "So when the weather gets warm, that’s the layer that melts first,
not the deep snowpack underneath. That’s how you get an extended rafting season
and exciting flows in May, June, and July."
A late-melting snowpack means
a lot to California whitewater rafters. When there's an ample Sierra snowpack
and it melts slowly, un-dammed rivers like the Kaweah, Merced, North Stanislaus,
and the North Fork American have longer seasons. This year's snowpack also means
higher water levels on dammed rivers like the South Fork of the American River.
The California
Department of Water Resources says this winter's storms produced the heaviest
Sierra Nevada snowpack in ten years. However, for whitewater rafters the only
numbers that matter are the snowpack water content totals. This year, they have
reason to rejoice—as of April 1st, statewide snow water content is 137% of
normal. Compare that with last year’s average of 80% on the same date. It seems
that anyone who had the pleasure of skiing on the California snowpack this
winter will also have the satisfaction of riding its waves well into the summer
months.
About All-Outdoors California Whitewater Rafting
One of
California's leading outfitters, with a "family" of more than 175 trained and
dedicated guides, offers trips for beginning, intermediate, and expert rafters
on ten of California's best rivers.
Contact Information:
Gregg
Armstrong
All-Outdoor California Whitewater Rafting
1-800-24-RAFTS,
ext.103
http://www.aorafting.com
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/4/prweb225457.htm