Delta Rivers Explorer 

September 7 – 9, 2024

The Delta Rivers Explorer is a three day Personal Water Craft ride to explore the maze of waterways just east of San Francisco called the Delta

This includes the Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, Mokelumne River, Sycamore Slough, White Slough, Middle River, Old River, Georgiana Slough, Steamboat Slough, Cache Slough, Wow and a bunch more.

This place it truly confusing and that is part of the fun

The Delta sun, a fiery orb bleeding into the horizon, painted the water in streaks of fire. Mist clung to the tule reeds, shrouding the labyrinthine channels in an ethereal glow. In this watery wilderness, two figures zipped across the glassy surface, their sleek machines leaving V-shaped wakes that shimmered like liquid gold.

Maya, her dark hair whipping in the wind, gripped the handlebars of her sapphire blue waverunner. Beside her, Finn, his sun-kissed skin gleaming with sweat, roared on his emerald green machine. They were Delta rats, born and bred on the brackish water, their souls woven into the reeds and whispers of the wind.

Today, they weren't just riding. They were chasing a legend – the tale of the Ghost Island, a sliver of land rumored to vanish and reappear with the tides. Some called it a figment of sunstroke and river fever, others swore it held the secrets of a forgotten tribe. Maya and Finn, fueled by youthful audacity and a thirst for adventure, were determined to find it.

The channels narrowed, twisting and turning like veins through the Delta's heart. Cypress knees, gnarled and ancient, reached out from the banks like skeletal fingers, and herons took flight with squawks of indignation. The air thrummed with the buzz of cicadas and the distant croaking of frogs, a primal symphony accompanying their high-speed chase.

Suddenly, the familiar landscape shifted. Levees gave way to dense willow thickets, their branches arching overhead like a verdant cathedral. The water mirrored the emerald canopy, creating a world of dappled light and cool shadows. This was it, the fabled threshold to the Ghost Island.

Their engines, once roaring testaments to their defiance, died down to whispers. They glided forward, senses straining for any sign of the elusive land. Then, as if conjured by their desire, it materialized. A sliver of emerald green, fringed with gold-dusted reeds, emerged from the mist.

Gasping, they cut their engines and let the current carry them closer. The island pulsed with an almost palpable energy, an ancient hum vibrating beneath their feet as they stepped onto the damp earth. They found remnants of a forgotten civilization – crumbling stone structures, overgrown with moss, and strange symbols etched into fallen logs.

As the sun dipped towards the horizon, bathing the island in an eerie rose glow, they stumbled upon a cave hidden within the willow thicket. Inside, painted on the cavern walls, were murals depicting a tribe living in harmony with the Delta, their lives intertwined with the ebb and flow of the water.

By the time they emerged, twilight had cloaked the land. The island, as if fulfilling its mythical destiny, began to fade, its edges blurring into the encroaching mist. With a final pang of regret, Maya and Finn climbed back onto their waverunners and roared away, leaving the Ghost Island to its secrets.

They returned to the familiar channels, forever changed by their brush with the legend. The Delta, once just a playground, now held a deeper meaning, a whisper of magic in the rustling reeds and the glint of moonlight on the water. They knew the Ghost Island might reappear, or it might remain a fleeting dream, but they carried its magic within them, a reminder of the mysteries that slumbered beneath the Delta's sun-drenched surface.

And so, they rode on, the Delta wind whipping through their hair, their waverunners leaving fiery trails on the water, chasing not just the setting sun, but the whispers of legends yet to be found.

 Signup info:

At this point the ride is being developed.  We have chosen the dates and have developed a draft plan of the routes and places to stay.  We are working on the logistics.   We have decided it is time to start a rider's interest list so if you are interested, you should add your name and info to the list.  We will contact you when we have our plans complete.

I am interested in this ride!  Add you name to the Rider's Interest List

Ride Yoda's

What are these Adventures like? These trips are designed along the theme of exploring the world.  Rides are a mix of waterways and sometimes some surprises due to weather conditions.  These trips are for experienced, well seasoned riders that are capable of turning a negative experience into just part of the day's fun.  Riders should be comfortable with turning around when necessary and finding an alternative route around unexpected obstacles. These trips are not for new riders. As an experienced traveler, the tough part of having a great adventure is the routing and logistics.  What routes do I take? Where do I stay? How do I find the best routes and places?

How does the ride navigation work?

This is a self-led GPS ride; all riding is on your own.  You are responsible for your own riding.  You will be given a GPS map file and instructions on how to use your Garmin GPS unit.  People will hook up in small groups of less than 6 riders and tend to ride together.  You are not encouraged to ride alone.  You are responsible for your own riding and yourself. 

 (see my ride Navigation Video)

Are you right for this ride?

When something goes wrong on a ride, would your riding friends say that you are more likely to need help or more likely to give help?  You should be in the more likely to offer help camp.  This ride is filled with riders that are more likely to give help, so most of the time the riders never need help.  Additionally there is all the normal stuff, come prepared to maintain your bike, fix your bike on the trail, repair flat tires, deal with bad weather and rain and make a joke or two.

How do I make the GPS stuff so easy?

I develop very high quality ride maps custom for our ride. They come from much of what I and others have ridden.  I take the best from all my rides and make new ones. 

(See my Custom Ride Maps Video)

Note from me, gpsKevin

My goal for this ride is simple:  great riding.  So you can count on great routes and places to ride.

But in addition, the ride is about discovering new places, meeting new friends, seeing new parts of the country.

Thanks

gpsKevin

FAQ's

Q; What do I do if I don't have a Garmin GPS?

A: Buy one, you need it, we will show you how to use it. You can get a great one for under $200 bucks. ( See gpsKevin's gps recommendations)

Q: Is the riding really on my own?

A: Yes, but almost everyone hooks up and rides with a friend, or a new friend or me.