Hi

A couple of buddies and I have wanted to backpack up a river valley and then descend the river. We've backpacked before and rafted/kayaked, but never combined both. Does anyone have suggestions for a trip in California that would be a couple day backpacking journey followd by a class III+ descend?

Thanks

Mark

The Upper Upper E.F. Carson is a fine 9 mile easy walk from a packer's roadhead above Walker, CA, down to the river. 20 mile run down to the normal "upper EF carson" put in. Use brain to find put in details.

The creek starts small, but within 8 miles or so, it picks up some steam. One portage around a class 5 drop, about 6 miles below the put in, but the rest is class 3, with an occasional 3+/4- drop. The issue: only runs for a month or so in the spring. You'd like 150 cfs at putin, which equates to about the 1000 cfs level at the Markleeville gage.

2 Caveat Emptors; 1) barbed wire fences here and there, pay attention.
2) you'll need to find the exact details of the put in using maps and your own brain. Great run, damn near never done.

Another one to consider is the upper upper Chetco in So Oregon. But that's a little more "adult" boating.