May On The Merced

On the heels of a low snow year, the Merced was in shape early season, for a third year in a row. With thin snow in the mountains above Yosemite it will likely just run for a few weeks so B-Mac, Crain & I enlisted Jordan, Maher and Harlan (a buddy from my epic Grand Canyon trip) + his lady, to head up for a weekend of splasy-fun whitewater and some epic riverside camping. 

Flow was on the low side of runable, so a bit boney, but fun none the less. With a likely ligament tear in my wrist I was signed up to join Brian as a passenger – critical deadweight, not as in the 'important' definition of the word – I’m sure he wasn’t looking forward to the commentary. Riding up front was definitely a different experience on the river. Nothing seemed quite as intense and I was afforded a lot more time to just look up and around and enjoy the beautiful spring weather just outside of Yosemite park – not to mention take buckets of 40 degree water to the face. The river is more of a technical one, lots of rock dodging vs big hits, so a very different experience when on the sticks as compared to lounging up front.

We were lucky enough to snag the last and best camp site at Railraod Flat. And enjoyed a debaucherous evening cooking and enjoying a sizable fire on a nice secluded beach down at river level. The big evening turned into a delayed and lazy morning in camp before we hit the river for an afternoon float from Redbud past Neds before heading home.

Just our second season on this river, I can definitely see how this visit could become a springtime tradition pretty easily. Need to heal up the hand then next on the hit list is The Mighty T.

Loading up in my bow princess position for the day

And we're off – B-Mac navigates the first boulder garden of the day

With Crain & his paddle guitar crew closely behind

Crain heading into Chipped Tooth 

Harlan lining up for a hit in Neds

And somehow gets a dry run of it

B-Mac in Neds

Crain playing a little bumper bowl in Neds

Three high and headed down river to camp

After a ruckus night we settle in for some fireside sleep, but our ability to find flat ground is lacking

Snoozing in after a bit of a rough night

Maher with some evidence 

Ran out of propane? No worries

Safety first fellas 

Master tinkerer getting dialed back in for Day 2

Shoving off

Crain making his way past Nightmare Island

And on down into Chipped Tooth

Getting buried here at an unnamed rapid

Beer:30 on the Merced

Maher's 5-man selfie

Gorgeous evening drive home

On day 1 we caught it coming off what could be right about the peak of the season