Low water run on the North Fork American

Well the long, dry winter is finally getting broken up with some snow and rain. It seemed like everyone was eager to take advantage of the water and get out boating, even if most of the moisture is being held in snow and just more than a trickle is flowing down the river canyons. So 14 people showed up on Valentine's Day to run Chamberlain's on the North Fork American River just outside Auburn, CA. With a flow of 550 cfs at the guage downstream, and clearly less than that on the run itself, the class IV river was a mellow affair and more of a social gathering than a serious sporting endeavor. I personally spent almost as much time stuck in traffic on Hwy. 80 as I did on the water. But this is just the start to a series of storms and perhaps the true beginning of the winter boating season.