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Difficulty: Class IV

Length: 1 day

Miles: 17

Minimum Age:

Before July 1 - 14
After July 1 - 12

 

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Trip Details - Merced River

Meeting Time and Place:

All trip members will meet the ARTA lead guide in the parking area immediately adjacent to and on the south side of Highway 140 at 9:30 am on the morning of the trip departure date. The parking area is a large, dirt/sand/gravel spot visible from Highway 140. Coming from Yosemite, the parking area is on the left, 3.4 miles beyond the El Portal Market and 1.1 miles beyond the Red Bud Picnic Area and Foresta Bridge. Coming from Mariposa, the parking area is on the right, 25.1 miles beyond the Highway 49 junction in Mariposa and 1.5 miles beyond Cedar Lodge. You can't miss it, (at least not twice!)

ARTA provides the following:

  • Shuttle service from the meeting place to the river and from the take-out point back to the meeting place..
  • Lunch
  • Rafts (see below)
  • Lifejackets
  • Waterproof bags for personal gear
  • River touring equipment, guides, helpers and cooks

You are responsible for:

  • Meals and lodging before and after your trip
  • Personal clothing and other miscellaneous items (see equipment list)
  • Guides gratuities (see below)

Where to Stay:

Motels in the El Portal area include Cedar Lodge 209-379-2612, Yosemite View Lodge 209-379-2681, and the Red Bud Lodge, 209-379-2301. Camping is available along the river at "first-come, first-served" Forest Service and BLM campgrounds, (check Briceburg Visitor Center for map), and at Indian Flat RV Campground 209-379-2339. Camping inside Yosemite National Park can be reserved in advance 209-372-0200. In the town of Midpines there is Yosemite Bug Lodge 209-966-6666.

How to Get There:

Most trip members drive to El Portal. Driving time from San Francisco is about 3½ hours, via 120 through the Park or via 140 through Merced. From Los Angeles it is about 5½ hours via 99 and 140.

Trip members who wish to fly, may fly into Modesto or Fresno on United Express and then rent a car for the drive to El Portal (1½ hours).

Full or "Farmer-John" type wetsuit* (required)
Waterproof (not repellant) rainshell* (required)
Polypropylene pile or fleece pullover or jacket
(Polartec, Polarfleece, etc.) (required)
Sandals (Chaco, Teva, Keen) with heel strap
or tennis shoes & fleece socks. NO FLIP FLOPS
OR SLIP-ONS.

Swimsuit or shorts (nylon quick-drying are
best, for under wetsuit)
Second pair of shorts for over wetsuit.
Hat for under helmet (baseball style is best)
Waterproof sunscreen/block (SPF 15), lip balm
Sunglasses with strap, (maybe not your best)
Small water bottle, 1 quart, (essential -even if its
just an empty plastic Gatorade bottle)

During the spring months, when we offer our one-day trips, the Merced is full with snowmelt and is quite cold. Therefore, we require that all trip members have wetsuits, waterproof rainshells and fleece jackets. 3mm or 1/8 inch Farmer-John wetsuits work best - they cover your legs and torso but leave your arms and shoulders free to move. For your upper body, a polypropylene pile or fleece sweater, NOT COTTON, under a waterproof rainshell will also help to keep you warm and comfortable.

Rental Equipment:

ARTA has 3mm Farmer-John wetsuits with Kokatat waterproof paddling jackets available for rent. The cost is $10.00 per day. Our supply is limited and we cannot always accommodate late requests. Please reserve well in advance using your Guest Information Sheet.

Additional Information:

About the River:

The Merced River originates on the slopes of some of the highest peaks in Yosemite National Park and flows free and undammed until it reaches Lake McClure on the edge of the San Joaquin Valley. Our encounter with the river begins about 10 miles outside of the Park and continues for 14 miles through the Sierra foothills. Since the river is only runnable during the Spring runoff period, the canyon hillsides are green and often covered with wildflowers, making a lovely back-drop for our trips.

The Merced is a powerful river. Dropping at nearly 30 feet per mile with wide fluctuations in its flow, it presents a difficult array of exciting and challenging rapids. While the Tuolumne is known for its rocky, technical drops, the Merced is famous for large, roller-coaster waves and big crashing swells, perfect for veterans of the American and adventurous newcomers.

Itinerary:

The Merced is an uncontrolled and unpredictable river, so our itinerary varies to take advantage of the best whitewater on any given day. We will meet in the El Portal area, then take a short van or bus ride to the actual launching point. When the water is very high, we will all practice swimming at the launch site. We will get an early start on the river, and will raft between 12 and 15 miles, running numerous rapids including the famous "Ned's Gulch". During the day we will have time to enjoy a wonderful picnic lunch along the river and savor the historical sites, scenery, and spring wildflowers along the Merced. We will return to the meeting place around 5:00 PM.

Types of boats:

Paddle rafts are our primary means of transport on the Merced River. These small, dynamic rafts carry four to six paddlers plus a guide. The paddle team actively propels the raft down the river and through the rapids using canoe-type paddles and following the commands given by the guide. At very high water levels, we use oar/paddle combination rafts, in which the boat is steered by a guide using oars, and a paddle team assists with paddles from the front of the raft, making for a highly maneuverable and powerful craft.

Travel Insurance:

We recommend that you purchase short-term travel insurance that provides trip cancellation and medical coverage for you and your family. Please request a Travel Insurance packet from ARTA if you have not already received one.

Gratuities:

We want you to feel like a guest in our home and tipping is never expected. It is certainly appreciated, however, and is accepted as recognition of an outstanding trip or exemplary service. Normal tips range from 5% to 10% of the trip cost and are usually given to the Lead Guide who splits them equally among the entire crew.

Whether and how much you tip should depend on your satisfaction with the guide service, your financial means, and your feelings about tipping in general.

More Information

If there are any questions we haven't answered, please feel free to contact us. Our office staff enjoys telling folks about our trips, so don't hesitate to call 800-323-2782.

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ARTA RIVER TRIPS - 800/323-2782 or 209/962-7873 - arta@arta.org

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