La Vida Verde

The Green Life.  This year, in addition to concentrating on running great river trips on the Forks, Upper, and Lower Kern, Kern River Outfitters is paying special attention to the environment and what we can do to improve it.  We figure it is high time for all of us to help Mother Nature out a bit.  so, for all of our guests this year, we have reserved a complementary green tote that we hope will remind you of all the little things you can do to help the environment as well.  In addition to being a great place to store your wet clothes and goodies when rafting, we hope these totes will allow you to use fewer disposable bags when shopping and always be a reminder not only of a fabulous rafting trip, but of our collective responsibility to this wonderful place we call Earth.   Kern River Rafting has never been more fun, and together, we can have a blast running the river and doing our part to care for the Earth.

Meet our Guides

Scooter – Ketchum, ID. Ever the entrepreneur, Scooter put himself through school at the University of Denver selling cosmetics to lonely housewives.  In the off-season, he manages a ski shop in Sun Valley with his constant companion, Betty Big Water.

Meet Our Guides

Kristen – Ventura, CA.  Kristen is a small town girl with a desire to travel the world.  Although she is currently pursuing a career in nursing, the lure of the Kern draws her back every summer for much needed stress release and a good adrenaline rush.

Meet Our Guides

Firestarter – Fontana, CA.  Starter has a degree in Economics and a love of the outdoors.  Having traded a lucrative teaching career for a life of zen on the Kern, he now enjoys charging through whitewater, relaxing in eddies, and howling at the moon.

Mike (aka Spradillac) - Lake Isabella, CA.  A CSU Bakersfield graduate, Mike is a Kern River Valley native.  Mike enjoys skiing the steeps, paddling the gnar, and shooting photos and videos of extreme adrenaline action.

Forks of the Kern

The big water years of 2005-06 gave us the opportunity to test our experience and skills on our 3-day Forks of the Kern trip.  Forks season is generally May through July (water level permitting) so consider planning this trip soon.  Enjoy this video action of rafting the Forks of the Kern.  

Filmed and edited by Mike Spradlin, KRO guide staff 

First Trip of the Season

The 2008 season is officially underway. Our first trip put-in Saturday morning to kick off the season. With unseasonably warm weather, it was a perfect day on the water. The Upper Kern has started it's spring melt, and the warm weather made for a good flow that will only get better in the coming months. We expect that our Upper season will last well into July, with the best flows tumbling down the Sierra slopes between mid May and late June.


You can check out photos of this trip, and all our trips at Shutterfly.