Getting a Little Dinkey

When my wrist finally recovered from tendinitis I was pretty fired up to finally go kayaking. I got a couple of runs in on the South Yuba and South Silver and I was beginning to feel good in my boat again.

Me on South Silver’s Skyscraper – Photo Dee Harrington

So when Laura said that she was heading to Dinkey Creek I was pretty stoked to go too. Dinkey Creek is one of California’s many multi day trips and is done over two days. Getting to the put in for Dinkey can be a bit of a mission with a maze of dirt roads to find your way through followed by a relatively short but scratchy walk down to the river.

Gareth Tate making his way to the river

However it is well worth the effort. Dinkey may only be six miles long but it is packed with some amazing rapids.

Adam Bixby dropping into Willie Kerns.

Photo – Laura Farrell

One of the only two portages on Dinkey followed by more sweet rapids. Photo – Laura Farrell

The Fourth of July  weekend (United States independence day) proved to be a busy weekend on Dinkey Creek. In a place that you can only get to by paddling class five, on a river that only flows for about a week every year, there were 35 people camping on the same night. Everyone ended up camping pretty close and the late arrivals into camp were given plenty of encouragement as they dropped into the last rapid. There were even some fireworks that night!

Ben Blake Boofin’ Photo – Laura Farrell

 

Me on yet another fun rapid – Photo Laura Farrell

After Dinkey I headed south down to the town of Three Rivers. Three Rivers is unbearably hot but is home to the Kaweah Drainage. The Kaweah Drainage has  a number of great creeking runs and is an awesome place to hang out, relax and of course kayak. While I was down there I paddled the Hospital Rock section on the main Kaweah and the Upper and Lower Section of the East Fork of the Kaweah. 

Gareth Tate entering Triple Drop on the Lower East Fork of Kaweah

Photo – Laura Farrell

Nick Urquhart about to go deep. Photo – Laura Farrell