Placerville or El Dorado??

Are there any lakes to ride near Placerville or El Dorado other than Folsom? Looking into moving up there with the family. I have been trying to find info on that area but haven't had much luck.
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J$

east of p'ville is sly park lake. usually pretty cold though. usually pretty quiet though

There are some great spots on the Sacramento River.

I live in Placerville... Folsom sucks during the summer even during the week,
Sly park (jenkinson) Lake is a cool place to ride but gets blown out in the afternoon.. It's a small lake but not many people out during the week..
Also just a ways further is Union Valley, It's a great place to ride and the water is super clean..
It also gets blown out after about 12 or so, but is my favorite place to go.
e-mail me if you have any specific questions..
El dorado county is a cool place to live.

hit up the river at the veron launch head north its almost like the delta but just not as big.

Tom hit it perfectly I live 5 minutes from Jenkinson lake. During the week I Average 3 to 5 days a week and a lot of those days the lake is empty until 6 p.m. or so. Awesome place to live!

Tom hit it perfectly I live 5 minutes from Jenkinson lake. During the week I Average 3 to 5 days a week and alot of those days the lake is empty untill 6 p.m. or so. Awesome place to live!

woops!

Where is Veron Launch? I usually launch either at discovery park or out of W.Sac

What are the launch fees at veron?

Thanks

hit the levee road towards the airport, either use the airport shortcut or jump on it like your going to crawdads, keep going away from downtown, its a small one boat lauch on the left , fee's are 5 bucks a day, and when you launch go north bout 30 yards and the river splits, take it to the left and you will have glass on the windiest of days. I would recommend before you board to drive it once cause you need to watch the first hairpin turn to the left where people beach thier boats for the day cause there are underwater debrie. I have never seen it blown out when in doubt we would always go there plus only the most hardcore boarders know bout it so there are no tubers, and very little traffic, I mean you can go a full day and only see 1 or 2 of the same boats. hope this helps, oh ya it was a secret spot of mine, but since I have now transfered I can share it with you.....

by the way its past the launch under the I-5 bridge

JBH,
Wakesurfing is always good even on Folsom.

Verona Village Resort
6995 Garden Highway, Nicolaus 95659. On the Sacramento River. (530) 656-1321. Amenities include: Dock, RV campgrounds, general store and adjacent restaurant.

I second Verona.

Attila, Discovery already charges, but Miller Park is going to start charging this summer. I-5 launch (Swabbies) charges too.

I third Verona. It's one of the best spots on the river. Make sure you take the left fork like Kenny (ghostrider_2) said.

"oh ya it was a secret spot of mine, but since I have now transfered I can share it with you....." HaHa. I was thinking the same thing. I just recently moved to Austin Tx, so I can now let the secret out about Verona. Don't ever go to Discovery Park, what a cluster F***....


(Message edited by pureliquid on April 24, 2006)

Discovery park a cluster f---, thats putting it nicely!

Just to keep you from my secret spot...A little advice careful going through there.It is where the Feather river and Sac river merge I believe anyways watch out it gets really shallow really quick in the middle of the merge.STAY FAR LEFT and you should be fine..

Folsom is good during the week. I have gone out mid week, and boarded from the bouy line at Brown's Ravine. ... If it is a little rough, go up south fork till one turn before the 5 mph zone. There is a spot that is always smooth. Don't understand it, but sometimes there will be tubers there????????

On weekends, it's only good for hanging out with friends, tying up to other boats and if you feel inclined.... drinking a couple beers.

I heard of a story back in the late 70's that a girl went down skiing on Sly park lake and grabbed hold of a floting piece of driftwood and it was filled with rattlesnakes and killed her. False or true? Long time ago.Curious to know now.

False, never heard it. but I guess it could happen.

Thanks for the info, what is launch just before I-5 called? I have launched there before. I too avoid discovery park, I usually launch in W.Sac since it is free but the current can be kind of strong.

I heard that someone in Pollock Pines let a school of Pygocentrus piraya loose in Sly Park too. They supposedly adapted to the water temp and randomly eat people.

I would steer very clear of Sly Park this Summer, particularly in the months of June - Aug.




(Message edited by wakestyle on April 26, 2006)

Attila, I can't remember. However, you get off the freeway at the airport exit. Go to the Arco, and get off the road. Take that exit up and around and over the airpport road. Go about 200-300 yards. The road dead ends, and then only goes left. Take that road (North Bayou Rd) about 2 miles. You will see the I-5 bridge. You will then come up on the road to Verona(Garden Highway..if you go right here, it takes you to Verona). If you go straight up and over that road, you will be at the I-5 launch. The building off to your right is Swabbies.

http://www.google.com/maphp?hl=en&q=&ll=38.680016,-121.60758&spn=0.027471,0.038109&om=1

It is called Elkhorn Boat launch.

http://www.sacramentoriver.org/access_site.php?access_site_id=177

For anybody planning on hitting the Sacramento River, be very careful. It's not like a lake, where you may see one or two floating logs over the course of a day. There's significantly more floating debris, and because of the current in the corners, sometimes a 4 or 6 inch diameter hunk of driftwood will just pop up out of nowhere.

The threat posed by driftwood is pretty minor compared to the stuff that's hiding underwater. There are some very dangerous snags hidden underwater, and they move every year. With the river being at such a high level for so much longer than normal, I'm pretty scared to see what's out there this year.

The Downtown Sac/Elkhorn area is pretty legit, because it's after the Feather River meets up with Sac. After the two rivers meet the water is deeper and wider. If you go up river from Verona, the water is narrow and shallow. 8-14 feet in mid summer. It's not a question of IF you'll damage your boat, it's only a matter of WHEN. Personally I've only been through two props in the last two years. Last year a friend of mine destroyed the rudder, prop, shaft, and transmission in his 03 X2, and he wasn't even 1 mile from the boat launch. I've also seen a SAN 210 with the rudder knocked clean off. These are just some of the incidents I remember off the top of my head that happened to people I know.

If you insist on going up river from Verona, STAY AWAY FROM THE TREES/SHORE. For every huge beautiful tree you see on the shore, there's at least two more hidden underwater that fell sometime in the last 15 years. This area of the river has not been dredged, or had any sort of maintenance performed in many, many years.

Here's some fun info from the Sacramento River website. I love the way they word it, like underwater piles and wingdams are no big deal:

"
Boating Hazards
Along the entire length of the river there are natural and man-made underwater obstructions. Those described below are emphasized because they are responsible for a large number of boating accidents on the river.
Piling In some areas the remains of old piers extend from the river bank. Some piles are exposed and others are broken off just under the surface. Their presence is sometimes indicated on the surface by swirls or eddies.


Wing Dams A wing dam is an underwater wall of piling or rock extending from the bank into the river. Its purpose is to prevent bank erosion. Although many of the wing dams have been removed from the Sacramento River, about 40 still remain between the American River and Verona. They are usually visible only when the river is low. The boater can avoid wing dams by following the main channel. The presence of wing dams, like other underwater obstructions, may be indicated by ripples, eddies, or swirls. Some wing dams are marked by seasonal buoys. "

For as long as it's existed, the Sacramento River has also been a dumping grounds for old cars, refrigerators, tractor wheels, washers, dryers, concrete blocks with protruding rebar, and just about anything else that you don't want to run into with you boat (or your face).

I second the danger. Last year I was upriver from Samurai on the river (aka sushi on the river). And an old barge/house boat got loose from its dock and was floating down river. Someone in a small boat was trying to direct it to the shore with a sherrif jet boat. well they didn't see the small branch sticking up in the middle of the river. well they hit this branch which was attached to a very large tree trunk which ripped the house boat in two. It was pretty crazy. So always be on the look out.

What you have to do is explore with somebody else's boat first!

Tate, Robb, can we take your boat to the river to make sure it is safe!

Sure. I know some of the underwater logs. I almost face planted on one. Boat didn't even see it. I was coming down from a TS W2W. Saw it, and crashed, just so I could miss it. Scared the cr@p out of me. Down south though, I have never seen a problem. Launching at Miller/ Discovery, and going South to Garcia Bend.

Boarder_x. How is the water down that way? I have always gone north or farther south( steamboat slough) Is it as busy as the 80 - I5 loop?

Tom,
I e-mail you with some Q's about Placerville. What about HWY 49 from Placerville to Tulloch. Doesn't look that far on the map?
Board More/Work Less!
J$

80 - I5 loop is a ZOO! The only cool thing about it, is the short trip to Chevy's or Crawdad's, or Virgin Sturgin. Tie up, and get some food.

The only reason I used it, is because I didn't know how to get to Garcia Bend via the road. I do now.

I would stay south, or go north. Avoid the zoo ... Unless you are looking to go for lunch/ dinner.

John,
I travel 49 to Hogan weekly to ride with Jeff Walker. It takes about 1 hour and 20 min without a boat. Took me about 1 hour and 45 mins to Tullock last weekend.

Joe is it warm enough for you to start taking out your boat? I offerd a drysuit to Tanner and you to use but he said you like it warm....HAHA....By now Berryessa should be about 60 somthing shouldn't it?

We were on the river yesterday. The current is so fast that the wake gets a little funky. Not to mention it takes 30 minutes to idle upstream through all of the no wake zones.

It's still better than a lake though. I've been to Berryessa 4 times so far this year, and that's 3 times too many.



(Message edited by Joe 788 on April 29, 2006)