Trip 10: End of the
World, Middle Fork of the American River Canyon, Level 3 Overnighter.
This outing begins just below an impassable 15 foot waterfall. This is also an old mining site with an old wrecker which sits just above the river supporting a heavy cable anchored on the opposite canyon wall. Access of this site is by logging road and a short bushwhack down to the bottom of the canyon.
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Scrambling down the canyon from the wrecker
you are treated to many gorges possessing beautiful pools for swimming. The
water temperature is such that a lightweight wetsuit is a good idea to have
along.
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Day
one is a long day and it is slow going from the start of the trip to where we
will camp in the evening. Very slow scramblers may find themselves coming into
camp near dark. The only good campsite is called Three Cedars and is our
traditional camping place.
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Day
two is considerably shorter, and equally scenic. Just down stream from Three
Cedars is a stretch of the canyon maybe 300 yards in length that is a jumble of
truck-sized boulders that must be negotiated. We usually go down the canyon on
the far left side. For the rest of the distance to the exit point you are
treated to consistently good pools and gorges.
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The
last really great pool is within sight of the 230,000 volt transmission line
going up and out of the canyon from Interbay Power House which is our point for
exiting. On this particular trip we arrived at our vehicle about 2 PM leaving
plenty of time to complete the long shuttle back, then returning to
Sacramento.
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