A team of Landmark employees enjoyed another successful trip down the American River!

American Whitewater Expeditions is located in Coloma, which is a quick 40-minute drive from Rocklin. Our group arrived at 8:30am to check-in and get our gear. Splash jackets, life jackets, helmets, ores and even wet suits, if desired, were provided. Despite the Mosquito Fire, the air in Coloma was clear and, although the day would only see a high of 79 degrees, the sun was shining and there were few clouds in the sky. Once we were geared up, we climbed onto a bus that took us on a quick 20-minute ride to Chili Bar, which is where the adventure begins.

The entire trip covered a total of 21 miles with rapids ranging from Class 1 to Class 3, appropriately named things like Meat Grinder, Troublemaker, Satan’s Cesspool, and Hospital Bar. Within the first minute you wish you had taken the wetsuit and jealous of those that did. Luckily, not all of the river is rapids, so there is time to take in the beautiful surroundings while listening to the guide tell you all about the rich mining history of the area. Halfway down the river, we stopped for lunch, which was also provided. We all grabbed a plate (a.k.a. tortilla) and loaded it up with meats, cheeses, and vegetables (or PB&J) and were served homemade cookies for dessert. With just enough time to dry off and use the restroom (a.k.a outhouse), we were back on the river…and almost immediately soaked once again.

By 3pm we had reached the take-out at Salmon Falls where, after a short climb up a hill, our land legs returned. We were then loaded into a bus once again for another quick 20-minute ride back to Coloma where we were all grateful to be changing into warm, dry clothes. While we relaxed over a beer/soda and snacks, we all said how much fun we had and how glad we were that no one (from our group, anyway) fell out of their raft.