I never thought I'd be a cold weather boater. To me, rafting and kayaking were always spring and summer sports. So that's why I decided I'd change my outlook on what season is boating season. There was a group that was going on the North Fork of the Smith River in Northern California and it was December 9th, 2007. I had to force myself out of bed that early frigid morning but I was going to do it! I was prepared with plenty of layers...neoprene, dry pants and top, gloves, and my warmest booties. And yes...it was cold!
The North Fork of the Smith is really a must do river trip for rafters and kayakers. Its beauty is amazing. Scenic, wild, and remote. The water is a light turquoise color and you can see all the way to the bottom it's so clear. There is water everywhere here! Waterfalls pour in and side creeks join the main river channel everywhere. The NFS is completely rain dependent so it is only navigable in the late fall, winter, and spring when there is enough water coming from the sky to fill it.
The put-in is about 3.5 hours from Ashland near the town of Gasquet with the last 9 miles up a slow, windy dirt road. Our shuttle driver "Barefoot Brad" gave us the scenic tour as we drove up to the put-in. At a two different vantage points we could actually see the Pacific Ocean. That was really cool! It's rated Class 3+ with a few Class 4 rapids that offer a challenge for experienced kayakers and rafters. This is not a beginner run.
Our group was a mix of 5 of us rafting and 4 others in whitewater kayaks. None of us in the raft had ever seen the run before. But since we were all seasoned rafters we were not too worried, but we did have our game faces on. We had a pretty straightforward run except for one near wrap where we recovered quickly. We were mostly warm except for when we got hit head on with huge waves crashing over our heads. After lunch we got really cold after our bodies began to digest our food so we paddled non-stop and as fast as we could to the takeout. We reached the takeout after four hours on the water and almost at dark.
I left this day with a feeling of accomplishment, pride and satisfaction. I faced my fears that I had of winter boating. I will do it again, but I'll have to wait until it gets a little bit warmer out. What an amazing day!