Another day trip up to the Kern River for some rafting!

This trip was structured and run just like our last trip from last month, but with a new batch of people from John’s work.

We took Joseph’s $300 van up to the river and back.

John told us about the last trip to the Kern he had; that trip I was not able to make:

It was John, Joseph and three or four rafting newbies – from where I don’t know.

But anyway, apparently this new batch of rafters let John and Joseph do all the work.

One guy was apparently so nervous he prayed before and after his turn down the river and ended up locking the keys in the chase vehicle.

I’m glad I missed that trip!

This trip was great!

The group from John’s work numbered, I would say, about ten people.

Instructor Ed came along with us, too.

While we were taking turns making the run down the section of river, John’s coworkers were barbecuing a gourmet Mexican meal – carne asada, chicken, tortillas.

Joseph and I took turns driving the chase vehicle to the launching trail and back down river to our picnic area.

I lost track, but I think we maybe made close to ten runs down the river; I made at least four of them.

At the end of the day, we packed up and took some group shots…

Ed and I were warned about Joseph’s $300 van; the fact that the thing doesn’t have air conditioning didn’t bother anybody since we’re all macho.

However, it wasn’t explained to me that when the headlights are turned on, the seat belt buzzer constantly rings.

Joseph blames it on a short circuit that he can’t find; but that’s what we listened to after dark, all the way back – beep, beep, beep, beep…

The Kern River has been flowing pretty well from snow this last Winter, so it’s time for us to do some local rafting.

Well, a three hour drive for John is “local;” he has been known to drive to Las Vegas just for lunch.

We checked the Kern River’s death count before going in to town.

From what I have been told, most of the deaths are attributed to drunk people without life jackets.

At least I would have a life jacket.

We had a slight problem with a valve that caused a delay of two hours.

But soon we were on the river…

This is the way the operation basically worked:

In shifts, we would take turns loading the raft on to the van…

The driver would drive the Guide (John) and the paddlers up the river just past “The Power Plant.”

The raft would launch from there.

The van would meet them down river at a park in Kernville.

The whole process would start over for the next trip.

The trip down river took about 40 minutes.

Ed and I are ready for our trip down the river.

I believe we got four trips in today, maybe as many as five.

On the way home, we scouted out potential new rapids for our next trip.