It's Kayaking Time on Cache Creek

With the drought we had in the 2008-2009 rain year, there is only enough water for the District to release for about 6 weeks. Normally I'm used to a 4-month kayaking season, but given the drought I'm just happy to have ANY season at all. You can check the release flows here. If the combined flows are 500cfs or above, you are good to go on the Wilderness run, provided you have a minimum of 120cfs on the North Fork of Cache Creek.

Flows will be over the second week of July, so get out there!

Last Trail Building Date Finished First Trail Segment

We finished the first mile and a half of the trail at Yolo County's Otis Ranch! I posted photos online, so take a look.

Next fall we'll keep heading back into the hills...so until then, stay cool and enjoy the outdoors!

First Two Trailbuilding Dates Were Successful!

Volunteers came out to help build the first half of the Otis Ranch's first official trail on March 13th and 15th. I've posted photos online, so check them out and come out to build on our next two dates, March 27th and April 11th.

It's Trailbuilding Time

Working with Yolo County Parks, Tuleyome is working to build the first trail on Yolo County's Otis Ranch Open Space Area, located upstream from Rumsey!

We have posted work party dates online, so come out and help build trails on your public lands!

Trip report - Camping on Blue Ridge 12-12-08

The nice thing about camping in the inner Coast Range in the winter is that, well...you can actually camp in the winter. I love it. Sure, it's a little cold, but with a mylar tube tent (lightweight), mylar blanket, and sleeping bag, you can easily stay warm in 30 to 40 degree farenheight weather.

We were scouting an easement route for a new trail which will allow hiking up to Berryessa Peak. While it will take a couple years to get the trail completed and open, we need to start now by identifying the route before beginning the process to build it. So, this was the first trip.

The trip was pretty easy at the beginning, but the final hundred feet to the ridge was pretty steep with lots of chemise to bust through. The area had burned in the 2003 Rumsey fire so at least the brush was short. Once at the top, we continued south until we reached a nice clearing to set up camp. At that point we began scouting the easement route.

After finishing, we got dinner going, started a nice campfire, and enjoyed the sunset over Lake Berryessa. This is why we work so hard to protect the region.

You can see more photos from the trip, here.

Congressman Mike Thompson Should Be Secretary Of Interior

Mike Thompson is my Congressman. He became my Congressman when Davis was added to District 1, but his environmental record is what makes him MY Congressman, regardless of in what District I happen to live in the future. I guess that makes him my Congressman-for-life. Why? Because Mike fought for the Cache Creek Wilderness.

The Cache Creek Wilderness is one of my most favorite places on Earth. It's no understatement. It's fantastic and Mike protected it. He fought hard for it, he battled Richard Pombo to get a hearing in committee so it could get moved to the House to get voted on. He got the bill protecting Cache Creek signed by President Bush, which is no small feat considering Bush's dismal record on Wilderness issues. He spent years pushing the bill through, with a tireless resolve.

He's a hunter. He camps. He backpacks. So does his family. He knows what it means to be on the land, to be part of the land, and how to protect the land. He's smart, pragmatic, and gets things done.

Mike has given me, my children, and all those that come after us the greatest gift you can imagine; protected wild land for us to enjoy in perpetuity. That's the kind of person we need at the Interior Department.

He's my Congressman. He should be Secretary of Interior.

Protected, thanks to Mike!

Falls on Trout Creek, protected, thanks to Mike!

Video Clips of Cache Creek Kayaking and Wildlife

The last few seasons of adventure down the Cache Creek Wilderness kayak run have left me with some nice video clips. The first is running a rapid in the middle of the wilderness (with 'helpful' assistants willing to drench said boater).
The second is of a Killdeer egg hatching. This was pretty cool, since we just happened to land on the sandbar right when the egg started to hatch. Once it was hatched, we launched and let momma bird take over. She wasn't happy with us, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Very random, but very cool...