American, N. Fork, California, US |
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| Usual Difficulty | IV (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 4.8 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient | 41 fpm |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NF AMERICAN R A NORTH FORK DAM CA | ||||
| usgs-11427000 | 400 - 3500 cfs | IV | 00h59m | 212 cfs (rc= -0.1 ) |
The North Fork Chamberlain run is a very popular run due to it's proximity to Sacramento, and great class IV white water. At 4.9 miles, it's a fairly short run, but it is stacked with rapids and flows typically December through June in an average year. If you are looking for fun class IV in the winter and sping, this run is perfect. It only takes a little rain to bring the levels up to a boatable level. 300-400 cfs is the bare-bones minimum, 1000-2500 the sweet spot for most boaters, and above 2500 increasingly pushy and difficult. It has been run as high as 20,000+cfs but this is the territory of big water class V boaters only. Be warned. Although this isn't a super hard class IV stretch, it has it's fair share of undercuts, and pin rocks and was the scene of several bad rafting accidents some years ago when rapids were in a somewhat different configuration than now. Due to the fact that it's run so often, it can be easy to underestimate the dangers. Boaters who use this run to jump from class III to IV, should be sure to go with an experienced group of boaters, and to scout and set up proper safety where needed.
For more information, also check out CA Creeks, and Wet State, Holbeck and Stanley, Cassidy and Calhoun.
The automated gauge is some miles downstream of the takeout and also includes the sometimes significant input of Shirttail creek after heavy rain and in winter months. Real-time flow information is also available from Dreamflows.com
A stck gauge can also be found under the putin bridge, river right, and readings are often shared on local online forums such as boof.com and dreamflows.com.
Historical data can be found by clicking on the level number above and following links to the usgs home page for this gauge. CDEC also provides information about the Snow water content
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NF AMERICAN R A NORTH FORK DAM CA | ||||||||||||
| usgs-11427000 | 400 - 3500 cfs | IV | 00h59m | 212 cfs (rc= -0.1 ) | ||||||||
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American, N. Fork3. Chamberlain Falls: Colfax-Iowa Hill Road to Yankee Jims Road [ ] |
Surf Wave
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n/a | Evan Lloyd | |
| 3y269d05h14m | American, N. Fork [CA] |
Yankee Jim Road Access
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1600 cfs | Thomas O'Keefe |
| 3y269d05h14m | American, N. Fork [CA] |
Slaughter's Sluice
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1600 cfs | Ryan Groth |
| 4y359d04h14m | NF American [CA] |
Keith Kishiyama, Bogus Thunder, NF American
|
1000 | Ian Buckley |
| 5y36d13h14m | American, N. Fork3. Chamberlain Falls: Colfax-Iowa Hill Road to Yankee Jims Road [ ] |
N. Fork American Put in
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850 cfs | Evan Lloyd |
| 7y279d05h14m | NF Amreican [CA] |
Wendy Laakmann, Staircase, NF American
|
1000 | Ian Buckley |
No Comments
Users can submit comments.| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 | Slaughter's Sluice | IV |  |
| 0.8 | Chamberlain Falls | IV | |
| 1.1 | Tongue and Groove | IV | |
| 1.6 | Zig Zag | III+ | |
| 2.4 | Achilles' Heel | III+ | |
| 2.7 | Bogus Thunder | IV | |
| 3.0 | Grand Slalom | IV | |
| 3.3 | Staircase | IV | |
| 3.6 | Nose Stand | III | |
| 4.9 | Yankee Jim Bridge |  |
Slaughter's Sluice
Chamberlain FallsLarge hole in the center. Most boaters take the tongue on the left.
Zig ZagBoulder garden
Keith Kishiyama, Bogus Thunder, NF AmericanThere is a large boulder in the middle of this run that makes the rapid challenging. One can run right down the middle, over a small hole, and down the tongue. You can also cut over to river left and catch a small channel down to the bottom. This rapid changes as the flows rise and fall. Be sure to scout this one.
StaircasePick your way through small drops and waves to set up for the exit chute.
Below Nose Stand
This rapid creates a great traditional spot to go for old school nose stands. It is the scene of many an icecream headache and missed roll in the dead of Winter.
Take Out BridgeTake out on the beach river left upstream of the bridge
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3. Chamberlain Falls: Colfax-Iowa Hill Road to Yankee Jims Road, American, N. Fork California, US (mobile)
