Photos and rafting report from Kern River

June 26, 9:27 AMLA Adventure Travel ExaminerDana Nichols

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Photo: Mountain & River Adventures

I talked to Kern River Outfitters employee Will Volpert to get the current conditions from the Kern River. His update (June 24, 2009) matched up with other reports I've heard recently - that both the upper and lower sections of the southern California whitewater rafting hot-spot are having a most excellent summer.

• The Class III-IV Upper Kern, which could have been winding down about now, is expected to be excellent for paddling well into the first week of July. "We are still running the Upper Kern River, which has actually held water later than originally expected," said Volpert. "This year, we had an exceptionally cold late May and early June, which led to the snow melting slower than normal and - despite a weaker snow pack than we would normally hope - the season is still in full swing."
• The Lower Kern, usually done on a two-day trip (Class III), is expected to carry whitewater rafters through mid to late August. Running off a reservoir instead of snow-melt, the lower section "has been releasing between 1200 and 1500 CFS [cubic feet per second], which is a great window to run rafts on," said Volpert.

Cost: 1-day trips start at $158 per person with Kern River Outfitters and $152.44 with Mountain & River Adventures.

How to get there: The Kern River is approximately 3 hours from Los Angeles on the I-5 north (towards Bakersfield). Be sure to check out detailed directions to Kern River Outfitters and driving directions to Mountain & River Adventures.

• Paddle raft thrills on the lower Deschutes River (Eastern Oregon Adventure Travel Examiner, April 12, 2009)
• You too can raft the Russian River - with dogs and kids (Northern California Getaways Examiner, April 10, 2009)