Oftentimes while panning for gold at my favorite spot on the North Fork American River, I've looked downstream and wondered what lies in the one-third mile stretch to where the North Fork North Fork enters. Access is difficult, and few people go into this place, I'm certain. Indeed, few who hike Euchre Bar Trail from Iron Point venture far beyond the footbridge.
Going there in the springtime is out of the question. The gorge is swollen with runoff from the snowmelt. Getting caught in the current is death.
A solo visit this time of the year would be foolish. While the river is at its lowest, the algae on the smooth river rock makes walking difficult. Google Earth shows some pools where a short swim might be required, and the water temperature is cold. Little sunlight reaches the river. Should trouble come, nighttime temperatures are cold, and the narrow canyon walls might block the signal from a personal locator beacon. A night spent on the river could mean exposure.
My guess is that the best time to enter the stretch alone is late summer. The river will be a bit higher than in early autumn, and algae could make walking on the river rocks difficult, but the water temperature would be tolerable. Swimming through the small pools would not be uncomfortable. If trouble came, nighttime temperatures would be tolerable, and a night could be passed without danger of exposure.
Gold is where you find it, and Google Earth shows some promising spots for gold. I'm sure it's been a long time since many of these spots have been touched. Hopefully, next summer I'll have a chance to visit this stretch of river myself.
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