North Kings

Following our third Fantasy trip, we headed back to Sacramento for some R&R (interrupted when a car was stolen outside a party at a friend's house) and some day trips on South Silver and Golden Gate.  A few days later, it was time to hop back on the horse, so we headed down to the North Kings hoping it hadn't dropped out.  After grabbing some groceries at a marginal grocery store in the central valley, Tom and I headed up into the mountains towards Wishon Reservoir. We pulled off and made camp somewhere near McKinley Grove, vowing to wake up early so that we could hike in to check the level before hiking in. We were up early, but the drive to the hike in point took longer than expected, and it was nearly 8 by the time we started hiking. When we got out to the ridge, we couldn't see the river so we traversed downstream until we got a view. From about a mile away, assessing flows was tricky. The river looked low but boatable as best we could tell, so we headed back up to the Jeep to set bike shuttle and start hiking.

TJ dropping in on South Silver.  Photo: JJ

It was close to 10 when we started heading down to Wishon Reservoir, but only a few minutes into the drive we ran into local Cali boaters Taylor Cavin and Alex Wolfgram, out for stage 1 of the Taylor Cavin bachelor party tour. Taylor and I hadn't paddled together in about 8 years (back when he was living the dream out of his Subaru), so it was good to run into him and get some numbers and a real shuttle for the North Kings. So, we quickly reversed course and headed back to the trailhead near Courtwright Reservoir to drop our gear off before running shuttle. We had about an hour packing session in the parking lot before Taylor and Tom took off to run shuttle.

About 10 minutes later a guy in a serious Jeep rolls up and asks if we have a map with any of the Jeep trails. We pulled out the trail map Taylor had grabbed and showed him that the Jeep road he wanted paralleled the trail we were going to be hiking on for a few miles. I think Alex and I connected the dots at the same time, but I spoke up first, asking our new buddy if he'd ever had kayaks on his roof rack, and following with asking him if he minded if we tied them on for a couple miles. He was all about helping us out, so in about 5 minutes Alex and I tied on 4 boats and most of the gear. Not wanting to hold him up, Alex and I start walking up the Jeep trail while spotting him through the burlier sections. Despite the rushed tie down job and brushing a few trees everything held together on the rough road and eventually we arrived where the trail departed from the Jeep road. We thanked him for cutting our hike to under 10 miles while we unloaded. I jogged back to find Taylor and Tom, who were a bit confused about where all the gear had gone until a hiker informed them of a Jeep heading down the road stacked with boats. Reunited, we head back to the boats with high spirits from our hike reducing stroke of luck.

After a little bit of boat backpack set up, we're off looking for where the trail leaves our new trailhead. Eventually, we figure it out and crank up the first hour to a small pass and the high point of our hike. From here out it will be downhill and relatively easy, but carrying a loaded boat can only be so easy. After about 5 hours of hiking with a few great meadow views but mostly just high elevation forest walking we hit one more small uphill before the final drop down to the North Kings. About 6 hours after we departed, we arrive at our campsite next to the river, surrounded by a granite wonderland and excited by the slides above and below us. A quick dinner and a few celebratory tequila shots and we're dozing off.

Tom hiking through a beautiful meadow.  Photo: JJ.

Morning is a bit cold so we laze in our sleeping bags waiting for the California sun to raise us. Tom and I scarf our oatmeal while Alex and Taylor opt for more extravagant toasted bagel, cream cheese, veggies, and avocado. We finally get geared up and carry our boat up the slide above camp, which resembles a brainless Upper Cherry slide. Still sliding down granite at high speeds is good fun. After a quick portage around an ugly hit just below camp we start bombing down great class IV slides. Unfortunately, the good clean fun is soon interrupted by the Wyoming section. Dechannelized boulder gardens separated by big ugly cascades with a few good ones mixed in, just like Wyoming. After lots of portaging, we finally make it to the first gorge.

Taylor on the put in slide.  Photo: TJ

I get out to scout and am relieved to see some good boating ahead of us. A few small drops lead into a great slide which banks off the right wall before going over a small but sticky ledge. I send the boys down on verbal leading to some good hollering for the good action. Unfortunately the gorge doesn't hold it's quality and we are forced to portage a few times before coming to the great exit drop. Three linked ledges followed by a pinch with the water banking off the right wall. I send everyone blind as the consequence is minimal. They all have great lines before I ruin the parade by getting eddied out above the pinch and dropping into slow for a little beating.

Taylor dropping into the first gorge.  Photo: JJ.

JJ early in the first gorge.  Photo: TJ

We continue on with more ugly cascades mixed in when all the sudden the riverbed gets smooth and runnable for as far as we can. Instead of savoring the rapids, we rally down linking the beautiful slides. This bombing continued for quite a while before we're forced to scout, and decide to take a break and eat lunch. The fun continues after lunch with a few teacups before the highlight of the run, a hundred yard long slide that roosts off a 20 footer. This thing is beautiful and oh so sweet left of center. Lots of hooping and hollering ensure.

TJ on some post lunch granite goodness.  Photo: JJ

Taylor early in the hundred yard long slide.  Photo: TJ

And stomping the 20 footer at the end of the slide.  Photo: JJ

Leaving the pool, we encounter some more portaging around Wyoming style cascades before arriving at the head of a gorge. It's nestled between two domes and portaging options look minimal for at least a few drops. The first rapid drops into a gnarly crack on the left but we portage right, getting into a large pool ending in an unfriendly looking rapid. After crossing the pool and checking out the rapid, I determine that it's both runnable and portageable. Tom and I help Alex and Taylor portage before driving hard left to avoid sieves but driving back right to boof the hole. Two successful lines and we're now fully walled out. We get out on both sides at the next ugly crack drop and decide that it doesn't go and is best portaged on the left. We traverse a small ledge before lowering boats to a river level ledge. Below here, the gorge opens up and we arrive at the drop we saw while scouting the water level from high up.

Portaging into the walled out pool.  Photo: JJ

At water level, the drop actually looks full of flow bouncing into an ugly pocket on the right. I decide right driving left will do the trick, but don't get enough left momentum and spend an uncomfortable amount of time battling in the pocket before earning my freedom, prompting the others to portage. The next set of slides look great but feature some terrible pocket holes. Given my recent pocket beat down, I join the others in portaging the pockets and seal launching into the super fun exit slide. Another mini-gorge greets us around the corner and its four ledges treat us all nicely. Another pool and we recognize the last drop above the lake from older trip reports, except with higher flow it looks terrible, leading to another portage. Due to the recent drought years, Wishon Reservoir is low, forcing us to paddle down some scrapey and junky class II into the reservoir, where a short lake paddle brings us to the shuttle vehicle.

North Kings is a great little adventure run in a beautiful canyon and features some super fun, low stress boating. Unfortunately the good stuff is separated by dechannelized boulder gardens which don't have enough water and huge ugly cascades (many of which have been run but aren't appealing). The hike in is easier than any of the major high sierra hikes, but it's still over 10 miles with a loaded boat (9 if you get a jeep ride). While it's certainly worth doing once (and maybe a few more times), the North Kings just doesn't stack up as classic against the true classics of the high sierra.

Living the Fantasy

After waiting out some cold early season weather down on the Kaweah, it was time to get going on the high sierra season.  Fantasy Falls of the North Fork of the Mokelumne was first on the list, and Jason Stingl drove out from Colorado to round out our group.  Tom and I finally made it into Salt Springs reservoir at some point way too late in the night and found Jason setting up camp.  We slept in a little too and finally made it up to the put in on Hwy 4 about 1.  We lazed around in the sun for another hour, slowly getting packed for the 3 day return trip to Salt Springs.

By the time we pushed off, it was well after 2, but we were under the impression that the first day was short and relatively easy, even with no previous trips for our group of 3, so we were in no rush.  The beginning of Fantasy is anything but, as steep, sharp, and dechannelized rapids fill the first few miles.  Even with a good medium-high flow, the boating is not enjoyable, but we made it through after a few hours, a few pitons, and a few pins.  A few miles of beautiful meadow paddling separates the mank from the beginning of good stuff: where gorges and bedrock come together to make some of the best rapids in the world.

After a few more hours of good stuff the river started to form longer gorges which required long, time consuming scouts.  The whitewater was good in the gorges but with the hour getting late the water was getting higher by the minute, as the North Fork of the Mokelumne has an enormous diurnal oscillation to it's flow.  The high flow was leading to more conservatism in scouting as rapids were linking together, which in turn was making things take longer as the water continued to rise.  After some serious hole bashing and a spicy eddy catch to portage an extremely unfriendly looking ledge we finally found a gorge with a drop we were looking forward to: the watermelon seed pinch which is immediately followed by camp.

The first big drop doesn't always go as planned...  Photo: TJ

 Sam Grafton gets it right.  Photo: TJ

Joe Keck on another good early one.  Photo: TJ

Jason and I elected to run the gorge while Tom portaged due to the high water.  From the head of the gorge to the pool above the watermelon seed there was no stopping.  Jason and I blue angeled through the beginning, but as I came into the last drop into the pool, I could see something was awry.  In turning around to watch my line, Jason was stuffed into an awkward crack blocked by a log.  After a little too much adrenaline and panic we had a line on Jason and his boat so he could step out safely without risking any loss of gear.  Now we only had the watermelon seed between us and camp.  The normal funky pinch hole was just a wave train but the hole below the subsequent angled ledge was enormous.  Fortunately, we both made it far enough right to avoid the meat, cruising into the eddy at camp just as the sun was going down.

Sam Chesley early in the watermelon seed gorge at much lower flows.  Photo: JJ

Night 1 camp with much more light than the first time we arrived.  Photo: TJ

We awoke to another bluebird California day, taking our time before getting on the water.  No one was feeling the twisting slide right below camp, so our day started with a portage.  Fortunately, just around the corner was the total reality vortex gorge, which definitely is the best named and might be the finest paddling gorge in all of California.  Slide after clean slide, some big and some small, but all good and clean all contained in a glorious granite gorge.  It just doesn't get any better.

Tyson Titensor just below camp.  Photo:TJ

Sam Grafton on the same.  Photo: TJ

 Big crew heading into TRV Gorge.  Photo: TJ

More classic whitewater, including the mushroom boof, continues as the river alternates between boulders, bedrock, and meadows.  Then, the jedi mind melt gorge appeared.  Going on beta that we could work through it at river level, we dropped in.  A little bit of tenuous scouting and eddy catching took us to the lip of the mind melt.  None of us had the head space to consider the mind melt at that point, so we opted for the quick portage on the right to the end of the gorge. 

Grafton above the mushroom on a subsequent trip.  Photo: TJ

Grafton on the mushroom.  Photo: TJ

 Sam Chesley on the same.  Photo: TJ

A little more quality boogie and we arrived at the next gorge: riflemans.  The entrance was complicated by a few logs and the bottom is always intimidating as a pinch throws you onto right wall and into a big boxed in hole.  We all dodged the logs and fired into the bottom.  It wasn't pretty but we all battled through one way or the other.  The gorge opened up a bit and some great fluffy run out rapids delivered us to more scenic meadow paddling.

 TJ dropping into the main event of rifleman's gorge on a subsequent trip.  Photo: JJ

Sam Chesley catching air in the rifleman's runout.  Photo: TJ

Soon enough, we arrived at a waterfall in the meadows.  It's a super fun boof and also marks the start of the typical portage around the good to go gorge.  We took a quick peak at the whitewater to make sure we had the portage right, and we saw a few things we didn't want to deal with, so it was up an over for us.  The portage isn't too bad on the open granite and soon enough we arrived at the meadow following the gorge.  At this point we knew we had covered good distance for the day and decided to camp on a huge flat in the meadow section.  The mosquitoes were thick but we enjoyed a relaxing evening thanks to a little DEET.

TJ on the meadow waterfall above Good to Go Gorge.  Photo: JJ

Grafton on the same.  Photo: TJ

Chesley on the same.  Photo: TJ

Again, we had a nice relaxing start, waiting for the sun to arrive in camp and greet us.  After a little meadow cruising we arrived at a great waterfall with a nasty log.  Luckily it was pretty easy to get right and avoid collision with the monster.  A few more minutes downstream brought us to the untouchables, which didn't take us more than 10 seconds of looking to send the boats to the shoulders.  Just downstream we found the bear trap which had a similar effect.  As you can tell, we were portaging quite a bit, which is just the way things go on Fantasy unless you're really feeling the fire.

TJ on the good morning falls.  Photo: JJ

JJ on the same.  Photo: TJ

 

Grafton avoiding the sketchy log.  Photo: TJ

Hanzel on the bear trap lead in hole.  Photo: TJ

And busting the curler in less than desired location.  Photo: TJ

 JJ on the lead in.  Photo: TJ

And lining up the curler in slightly better position.  Photo: TJ

And the whiteout.  Photo: TJ

More tranquility in the meadows.  Photo: TJ

Again, the huge rapids were followed by mellow meadow paddling.  This time though, the meadows gradually build to a continuous class V read and run boulder garden.  This goes on for a mile or two, only to be interrupted by the runs namesake, the iconic Fantasy Falls, which consists of a 30 ft. sloping falls followed by a 15 ft. falls in the grandest of settings.  This set is great fun and is followed by more boulders and slides leading to the Island Slide.  It's long, complex and looked rowdy with our good flow, so chalk up another portage.  More boogie brought us to swim like a carp, where the river pours over a powerful ledge with a beautiful curler for launching.  Tom launched beautifully while I launched just well enough to not receive a beating.

 Double T on THE Fantasy Falls.  Photo: JJ

 

 

The same moment but taking it all in.  Photo: TJ

Sam Chesley on the same.  Photo: JJ

JJ on the second falls.  Photo: TJ

 TJ finishing off Fantasy Falls.  Photo: JJ

What follows is perhaps the most famous rapid in California, a beast of a slide known as show me your tits for some ancient graffiti which used to be visible at the base.  I'll be honest, if I had never seen pictures or videos of this chaos on a slab drop or heard countless stories of people running it, I would never run this slide.  But this is the internet age, and we had, so after a good bit of hemming and hawing I dropped in, hoping to make it to the bottom upright, and preferably forward.  I accomplished both of those goals, but it didn't stop the hole at the bottom from latching me into the spin cycle.  After 10 or 15 seconds I had enough, and eventually I was able to find the pull chord and end the violence.  Just like in the movies, I went deep before popping up in the huge eddy along with all my gear.  Big fun!  Tom came next with similar results except his gear didn't eddy out, but Jason, who had portaged, tracked it down easily.

TJ dropping into the big one on a subsequent trip.  Photo: TT

TJ riding switch into the bottom hole.  Guess what happened next?  Photo: TT

Even though the Salt Springs Reservoir is only half a mile down, numerous ledges follow at low pool levels, including a pinch into an undercut which isn't dangerous but is good at separating kayakers from their boats.  We had already had enough swimming so we portaged and enjoyed the rest of the goodness into the reservoir.  Despite the big walls and eagles soaring above, the lake was anything but fun as a headwind and occasional whitecaps upped the effort to cross the 5 miles to the boat ramp.

Over the next few weeks we completed two more trips down Fantasy Falls at successively lower flows.  With each trip we ran a few more rapids, but there was always plenty of portaging.  Despite the portaging, this run is becoming one of the most popular high sierra runs, and for good reason.  Great camping, great scenery, and great whiewater are everywhere.  Plus this run probably has the best ratio of good kayaking to effort of any California overnight trip.

With our last trip on Fantasy our brotherly tour is about a month old, which is by far the longest kayaking trip I've ever been on.  It's been an interesting adjustment from our normally rushed California agendas.  I'm really not good at laying low and taking rest days, but they're a necessity on a 7.5 month long kayaking binge.  Still it's a blast to be out here kayaking (nearly) every day with my brother.  Life is good!