Forks of the Kern Season is Now Open

Most years, our Forks of the Kern trips are just about wrapped up by July. This year, the Forks season isn’t even opening until July. The huge 2011 snow pack and early season high flows have allowed us to postpone these trips to take advantage of the long backslide of the peak runoff. What does that mean to our Class 5 enthusiasts? Simply put: the best Forks of the Kern season since 1998. Forks guest joining us in July and August can expect crystal clear water, toasty weather, and the same action and high adventure the Forks is world famous for. We have two and three day trips departing on July 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th and 30th and August 4th, 9th, and 14th. Don’t miss this once-in-a-decade opportunity to experience this pristine stretch of river at its best. Call our reservations office at 1-800-323-4234 for more details.

Join Us on the Lower Kern this Labor Day Weekend

Here is a photo of a some happy folks who just came off our Lower Kern trip this afternoon. We still have a few spaces for one and two day trips this weekend. Our last half day Lower on Labor Day also has 10 spaces available. Summer is not over yet. You still have an opportunity to get your whitewater fix before fall sets in. If you would like more information on our trips, feel free to give our reservations office a call at 1-800-323-4234 and we'll save a seat for you and your family.

Opening Day Flag Flies

Every summer, we pick a day to celebrate the opening day of our Kern River rafting season. This year, we have a lot to celebrate: the remodel of our Rafting Center, the abundant snow pack, and the return of our talented guides and smiling guests for the season. With a fresh coat of paint on the pole, we raised our flag this morning in honor of the fabulous summer of rafting that lies ahead of us. Look for it when you arrive into Wofford Heights. It is not only a harbinger of the great time you'll have on the water with us, it also marks the meeting place (6643 Wofford Blvd) for your Upper, Lower and Forks of the Kern trips.

Forks Road Currently Closed Due to Big Snow

Access to the trail head for the Forks of the Kern will be delayed this year. Due to the high volume of snow this winter and spring (the storms still haven't released their grasp on the Southern Sierra), Lloyd Meadow Road is still closed and will remain so for up to two weeks. The photo above shows a portion of the occluded road. Word on the street is that there are drifts as high as 8 feet high blocking access. We suppose this is a small price to pay for a promising season ahead. We'll keep you posted as to the road's condition and expected opening day.

Friend of KRO: Dave Derr

This is a time of transition for Dave. On Monday after 30 years of service he retired from the fire department. Dave is married to Dawn Jordan, KRO’s top notch Office Manager.

Dave was 21 years old and working as a union carpenter in Los Angeles when his family moved to the Kern Valley. He’d come up and visit them on weekends and enjoy the outdoor activities and natural beauty of the area. When the weekends kept getting longer, he realized it was time to get a job in the area and move to the Kern River. Firefighting appealed to him because you have the opportunity on your calls to make a bad situation better for people.

Over the years Dave has boated the different sections of the Kern River many times. His favorite trip is the 2 -Day Lower Kern because it has a little bit of everything. As Dave says "You have your “woohoo time” interspersed with quiet sections. And then of course there is the KRO Lower Camp which is set up with a buffed out river kitchen." And it is tough to keep Dave out of the kitchen.

After seeing him at work in the kitchen and tasting his dishes at a couple of bbq’s he was recruited to make the ribs for our Annual Pub & Grub trip. These mouthwatering morsels have just the right combo of heat and sweet and unbelievably he has offered to share the recipe with us. Of course if you’d like to stay out of the kitchen just sign up for next year’s Pub & Grub on July 8-9, 2010 where Dave’s Ribs are paired with cold steins of frosty brew!

In a recent intra-company Rib Cookoff, Dave’s ribs were the clear winner over Jim Ritter of Rogue River Journeys. While accepting his 1st Place Ribbon, Dave graciously commented “I just want to say that Jim’s recipe was excellent. It’s too bad that his long drive to the cook-off put time constraints on his preparation and he had to use canned sauce.” Dawn, Dave’s assistant rib maker, sighed and added “Jim had to use Larrapins”.

Dave’s summary of life:

Favorite rapid on the Kern River: “Pinball, I enjoy its technical aspects”.
Favorite part of the rafting company: “Socializing and meeting new people”
Dave’s favorite person in the world: “ I am married to her, Dawn Jordan”.
Quote from Dave: “When Dawn is happy, I am happy.”

Everyone at KRO congratulates Dave on his retirement!



Dave's Ribs

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash ribs and pat dry. Season well with black pepper and garlic powder. Roast uncovered for 1 hour.
Remove from oven. Mix 2 parts soy to 1 part worcestershire sauce and pour liberally all over ribs, making sure that liquid comes up at least _” on sides of roasting pan. Seal pan with aluminum foil and return to oven for 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and cut into chunks of 2 or 3 ribs. Brush on your favorite sauce and finish on the barbecue.

2009 Guide Training is Fast Approaching

Kern River Outfitters 2009 Guide Training is scheduled to launch on April 18th and run consecutively through April 23rd this year. With California rafting summer outings becoming more and more popular every year, increasing numbers of intrepid folks look to our guide training course to either improve their existing skills, or develop new ones from scratch. If you have an inclination to become a competent Southern California rafting guide, you still have an opportunity to sign up. In short order, you’ll be rafting the Kern River in style. Learn about Kern River rafting on the Lower Kern, Upper Kern and Forks of the Kern with the best in the business. Give our office a call at 1-800-323-4234 if you have any questions or would like more information.

Spring has Sprung in the Kern River Valley

The Kern River Valley hosts one of the most beautiful wildflower shows every year.  Thanks to the heavy rainfall we received in late February, all sorts of wildflowers are beginning to pop up all over the surrounding hills.  A prime viewing location for these flowers is the scenic drive up the Kern River canyon on highway 178 heading east out of Bakersfield.  Several of the Kern River Outfitters' staff members have been hiking and mountain biking the popular Kern Canyon trail to see the hills covered in almost every color of the rainbow.  California Poppies, Goldfields, Indian Paintbrush, Baby Blue Eyes, Fiddlenecks, and Lupine have made their way into thousands of acres along the banks and mountainsides of the Upper and Lower Kern River.  The mass spectacle of the wildflowers is a sure sign that the southern Californian whitewater rafting season on the Kern River will be one for the books.  As the low elevation snow starts to melt with the upcoming warm weather, be sure to check out a second wildflower show in the high sierra gateway to the Forks of the Kern.

Fun in the Sun in 2009

Summer of 2009 could be an adventure of a lifetime if you are selected to join us for our annual Guide Training scheduled for the latter part of April.

Guiding on the Kern River is one of the most rewarding jobs you will ever have. The summer of 2009 is sure to provide more whitewater adventures than you could possibly imagine. Seemingly endless balmy days filled with frothing excitement and beautiful, star filled evenings await those who are chosen to fill the ranks of our Kern guide staff.

If you think you might have what it takes, give our office a call at 1-800-323-4234 and we will be happy to talk about guiding opportunities this summer. Check out our informative Whitewater School page for more details.

Kern River rafting on the Lower, Upper, and Forks of the Kern offers everything a guide could ever ask for so give us a call and we will see if we can put you in the drivers seat on the Kern in 2009.

2008 Green Bag Sighting Winners!

Emmy and Steve Scarano at Ellis Island National Monument

Our August 2008 eNewsletter might have prematurely named a bunch of give-away green bag sightings in Idaho as "Winners".

Prematurely, because Steve and Emmy Scarano recently submitted these two photos of the happy couple posing at the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

Steve and Emmy usually bring a large group of friends every year and run a two day trip on the Lower Kern. Their last trip was this past June. We look forward to hosting them again in 2009 for another celebration of fun and whitewater on the mighty Kern River.

Steve advises that he may soon have more photos from Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. Those photos could be really cool.

Thanks Steve and Emmy. Safe Travels!


























Emmy at the Statue of Liberty

Stay tuned not only for more shots of the "Travels of the Green Bag", but of tempting tidbits of photographic memories from our 2008 photo archive.

Kern River Outfitters' Boatman's Holiday on Idaho's Middle Fork of the Salmon

On August 29th, long time Middle Fork and Kern River guide Scooter Carling and a group of his fellow Kern guides launched a 100 mile odyssey on Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon River. After a great season escorting thousands of our guests through the Kern’s whitewater maze, everyone decided they needed some well deserved R and R. Is there a better way for a guide to relax than to explore yet another exceptional whitewater paradise?

Following Scooter's lead, trip participants included: Chris Brown, Chandra Anderson, Jason Schneider, Justine Stewart, Ryan Guy, Chase McGregor, Rabbit, Chuck Richards, Mike Spradlin, Tom Peltier, Darby Vreven and, of course, Betty Bigwater.

During their week-long trip, they relaxed at six camps including: Sheepeater, Little Soldier, Shelf, Funston, Wilson Creek and Cradle Creek. The guides soothed their weary bones in several natural hot springs, enjoyed the world class trout fishery and even got a glimpse of a bear with her two cubs. Numerous sightings of river otters and bighorn sheep along the river and several ospreys hunting from above were also enjoyed by all.

At the conclusion of the trip, the crew stopped in Salmon, Idaho and were treated to a wonderful dinner complements of Bob, Mary, and their sister crew at Idaho River Journeys’ Center of Operations. Although they missed the feast in Salmon, Jason and Justine were lucky enough to “Turn the Corner” and continue on to run the Main Salmon.

An outstanding and totally rejuvenating time was had by all!

For more information on river trips on the Main and Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho, check out Idaho River Journeys' informative website or feel free to give Bob or Mary a call @ 1-888-997-8399.

Here are some cool photos Mike Spradlin and Scooter shared of their adventure:

The Intrepid Boaters


The Ramp at Put-In


Shadows on the Wall


Waterfall


Arrowhead


Perfect Day for Fishing


Veil Falls


Another Beautiful Day


Headin' Downstream


Pictographs


Chandra Consulting the River Map


Osprey Scanning the River


Scooter Scanning the Camera


Couple o' Baby Bears


Splashyak Paradise


Darby and Solar


Betty


Loon Creek Hot Springs


The Crew at the IRJ Center of Operations

The 2008 Season Comes to a Close

All of us here at Kern River Outfitters want to offer a great big "Thanks!" to each of our guests who joined us this past season. From the middle of April through this past weekend, we were able to share the Lower, Upper, and Forks of the Kern with over 4,000 happy guests.

We hope all of you treasure your time with us throughout the off-season and look forward to joining us next year for another wonderful whitewater adventure here on the mighty Kern River.

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 

Fun on the Forks

The Upper Kern is already running at nearly 1000cfs, we have 100% of normal snowpack waiting in the mountains, and we are excited about the upcoming Forks season. We will start running in early May, and should have enough great water to last us through the third week of July. If you haven't had a chance to experience the unbeatable combination of Class V whitewater, fun, friends, and spectacular scenery, now is your chance. Here are the 2008 start dates:

May 6, 11, 16, 21, 27, 31
June 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30
July 5, 10, 15

May 31 and June 5 are priority dates, with a special price of $798/person. Additionally, we will extend priority pricing to any of the other dates for groups of 8 or more.


We look forward to seeing you on the river!

Attention Wayfaring Guides

We know some of you are in far flung places like Spain, Hawaii, and Baja California. Check in and let us know what and how you are doing. Send us some cool photos or video of your travels, festivities, and any other fun stuff you might be up to.

Spring has sprung, the full moon is slated to preside over the Kern Valley this evening and, we would love to hear from you.