First Lower Kern rafting trip slated for May 1st

For the past two weeks flows on the Lower Kern River have been at great levels for whitewater rafting. We've held our breaths and waited to see if flows would hold or fall and it's become apparent that the great water levels are here to stay.

We are now officially opening the Lower Kern River to rafting on May 1st. This is the earliest date we have ever offered California's most popular two-day rafting trip. Be part of rafting history on the Kern River by joining us for our earliest Lower Kern opening day trip ever.

The Lower Kern River features the best class III and IV whitewater rafting in California. Our two-day trips spend the night at the best and most luxurious private camp (see photos here) on the river. It is located approximately half-way through the 20 mile run which gives our customers two 10 mile days of excellent rafting.

Give us a call today to reserve space on our May 1st/2nd two-day Lower Kern rafting trip at 1-800-323-4234.

Welcome to Arctic Blast: April, 2010

The Kern River drainage is being hit with a storm that tastes like December and is dropping a reported two feet of snow high in the mountains. It started yesterday around noon, about 30 minutes after our whitewater school pushed off onto the Lower Kern River, and has continued through the night and into this morning.

Welcome to Arctic Blast 2010 - natures way of telling us that winter really "ain't over 'til it's over" and that we are now destined for one of the most memorable seasons of Kern River rafting we've seen in a long, long, long time ("icing" on the cake you might say).

But don't let this gorilla of a storm fool you; current predictions show great rafting weather from here on out.

Lower Kern River reaches milestone levels - highest since 1998.

Releases from Lake Isabella went up and over 1,000 cubic feet per second yesterday - earlier than the milestone has been reached in the past decade.

The Lower Kern River, fed by releases out of Lake Isabella, reached flows of over 1,000 cubic feet per second yesterday morning. Yesterday’s abnormally high release for this time of year capped-off a two-week span in which the outflow of Lake Isabella has increased daily. It also marked the first time in 12 years that the Lower Kern has reached the milestone this early in the year.

Cubic feet per second (CFS) is a common way of measuring water volume in a river. It refers to the amount of water flowing past any particular river point for every second. The Lower Kern River is considered "runnable" in a raft at flows above 500 CFS.

Whitewater rafting outfitters rely on the outflow from Lake Isabella for their Lower Kern rafting trips. “It pretty much dictates our season,” said Keith “Luther” Stephens, general manager for Kern River Outfitters. For the Lower Kern to see releases in excess of 1,000 CFS this early in the season indicates a very good rafting season ahead. “We’ve pushed our opening day trip nearly three weeks ahead of when it launched last year,” noted Stephens – “and with the snow pack we have, the season should go into September.”

Kern River Outfitters has been rafting on the Kern River since 1980. With a staff of over 50 professional river guides and support personnel, the company and its affiliate, Idaho & Oregon River Journeys, run one- to six-day river trips in California, Oregon and Idaho. For more information, visit http://www.KernRafting.com or call 1-800-323-4234.

Kern River Festival

This past weekend was the Kern River Festival and the town of Kernville came to life with kayakers, spectators, vendors, and locals all having a great time. The river was spotted with kayaks and other lesser-known crafts, especially during the first ever "Hooligan Race". Contestants in the Hooligan Race were to make a craft that could float built out of anything but a boat. As you might guess, the Hooligan Race was great to watch as a spectator but maybe even more fun to participate in.

Here are some of our favorite photos from the Kern River Festival. We hope to see everyone back next year!

Opening day for Upper Kern River rafting set for April 26th

The closest rafting to Los Angeles is going to have great water in 2010.

April 26th marks the opening day for Kern River Outfitters on Southern California’s Upper Kern River. Fed by snow melt off the Southern Sierra Mountains, the Upper Kern River is one of the most popular one-day whitewater rafting stretches in California and is the closest class II to class V run to Los Angeles.

The Upper Kern’s water supply comes from natural run-off – not dam release – so flows fluctuate more widely than its downstream counterpart, the Lower Kern, which is fed by Lake Isabella. As temperatures rise in the early Spring, the Upper Kern turns from a calm trickle to a raging river.

Gary Thornbrugh, a guide of 21 years on the Kern River, knows that this coming season is going to be outstanding. “2010 has potential to be a season to remember. Current snow pack in the Kern River drainage is up and over 100% of normal,” said Thornbrugh. When asked why he returns year after year, Thornbrugh said, “The whitewater on the Upper Kern River is a river-runners dream. Over the course of a season the river constantly changes flow, which makes it a different ride every time. It’s always new and exciting and never grows old.”

Thornbrugh guides for Kern River Outfitters, an outfit that offers daily launches on the Upper Kern River. Their schedule for the Upper Kern goes into mid-July this year, which, according to Keith “Luther” Stephens, their General Manager, was not even a possibility last year because of the lower snow-pack.

The Kern River is often touted as the best whitewater rafting river in California. Kern River Outfitters offers rafting trips from two hours to three days in length, with class II to class V rapids on the Lower, Upper, and Forks of the Kern. For additional information on rafting the Kern River, contact Kern River Outfitters at 1-800-323-4234 or visit http://www.KernRafting.com.

Luth's First Tweet

Big changes are happening here at Kern River Outfitters. We've got all new lifejackets en route, a freshly painted flag pole, and moved our freezer from one end of the warehouse to the other. And, as if these changes weren't big enough on their own, our General Manager, Keith "Luther" Stephens, made his first "tweet" today.

With Dawn and Will by his side, Luth typed out his first words and proudly hit "tweet".

That's right: you can now follow the pulse of KRO via the social media giant Twitter. We'll be tweeting daily right from the heart of our office.

Luth, proudly dropping into the Twitter world:

Most recent Sierra storms further boost rafting outlook

Spring snowfall bodes well for 2010 rafting season.

Weather systems that came through the Southern Sierra mountains on Monday dumped four to six inches of new snow making the outlook for the 2010 whitewater rafting season even better than projected. Precipitation above the Kern River, the most popular Southern California rafting destination, was significant and another storm system is expected late this week.

“We’re looking great”, said Luther Stephens, General Manager at Kern River Outfitters. “We were already expecting a good year and these storms will definitely make for an outstanding season.”

The Kern River is the furthest south of any Sierra river and is known for a wide variety of rafting runs and trip lengths. Typically, outfitters offer one to three day trips on various segments of the Kern. The season runs from mid-April through September.

When asked about the impact of the recession on rafting bookings, Stephens said, “Great water always trumps the economy. It is going to be a fabulous year.”