Proposal:  The traffic congestion on 101 on Friday afternoon is prohibitive.  Starting around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday guarantees clear highways, and that will get us to the put-in for Rancheria Creek by 9:30 a.m..  For the few who can leave at noon Friday, driving conditions are O.K.

Possible canoe trips:   (choices depend on who signs up to go)
Class 1+  Upper Navarro River from Greenwood Road Bridge to Dimmick State Park.  13 miles of true wilderness beauty.  However 13 miles in slower water makes this a long day.  This run therefore requires an early start and would be out of the question for Saturday (if we are driving on Saturday morning.)  But it is quite possible for Sunday.

Class 1  The lower Navarro River has a 10 mile run from Dimmick Park to the sea.  We would have to secure information about tides for this one - if there is sufficient interest in doing this on Saturday

Class 2  With one short 2 1/2 rapid that is easily portaged.  Lower Rancheria Creek wilderness run, with several small gorges, Redwoods and oaks along the entire lenght.  12 miles to the take-out at Wellspring, which will be our lodging site.

Saturday directions:  at Boonville, turn west onto Mountain View Road.  Drive 4-5 miles over the winding mountain road and drop canoe and gear at the bridge.  To save time at the put-in, please prepare for the river on Thursday or Friday night at home.  There is not much parking space, so most of the cars will be shuttled to Wellspring.  This may take an hour.

Lodging:  Saturday night at Wellspring Renewal Center, Philo, California (707) 895-3893, $35.00 per person per night.  Some may prefer to drive home Sunday night, others to sleep at Wellspring and drive home on Monday morning.  Bring food for potluck dinner together Saturday night.   (Sunday night we will eat at a restaurant.)  Park in upper parking lot, carry gear to cabin.  Cabins are heated by fireplace & wood burners.  Bring towels, pillows, sleeping bags, or blankets and linen.  We are responsible for washing dishes and cleaning cabins before departure.  (Nearby Anderson Valley Inn has one room for two couples for $90.00)

Be prepared for cold weather and cold water (though water is not snow-fed along the coast range so it is not ice water.)  Bring head protection and gloves or mittens in addition to your full wet or dry suit.  Rain gear may be needed.  These are wilderness runs so some additional preparation is needed.  Bring lunch food, breakfast food and snacks with you from home.

Directions to Wellspring:   Wellspring is approximately a three hour drive northwest of San Francisco.   Travellilng north from the Bay Area take Route 101 to Route 128 west, just north of Cloverdale.

Philo is a very small town 5 miles west of Boonville on Route 128.  Lemons Market and Janie's Restaurant are on the right and a BP gas station is on the left.  Turn left on Ray's Road immediately after the gas station.  Bear right at the fork in the road.  Wellspring is at the end of the road, just under a mile from Rte. 128.

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Trivia, provided by the guidebook:   "the word rancheria - common throughout California - is the Spanish term for a collection of Indian dwellings."