Back in the early to mid 90s I used to River guide the South and middle forks of the American River out of Placerville (Specifically Coloma) CA. We (My family) owned 100 acres on the river that had 3 River rafting joints on the property, I worked for South Bay.... North fork was like class3+ stuff, Middle was 4+-5 in a copuple places... Tunnel shoot was the SHIT!!!!
LA companies would ship LA people to the Sierra foothills... We would take them rafting, then take their women out to the local roadhouses get them drunk, fuck them ... Then take them back to their poor unsuspecting significant others... 4 or 5 of the bet years of my life......
We ran HYSIDE selfbailers mostly
I never got into Kayaking.... Lots of friends did, not my thing....
The river isd a dynamic thing... TOTALLY dynamic depending on Flow.... Eddys, hydraulics and such can do really weird shit to a boat.
Ive helped "unwrap" a few boats in my time, and having had taken swift water rescue courses... Ive saved a few people from fucking drowning.
Tunel Chute (You cant tell but that fuckers at about a 60 degree angle, AT LEAST)
Troublemaker:
MEAT GRINDER:
at above 4500 CFS..... The bottom two are fucking nuts (In the pic, about a class 3), depends on how long they open the dams for, and where you are on the "bubble". The chute at above 4500 CFS, if youre not on it, people got hurt.