While mountain bikers may be waiting a while to access their favorite trails because of the snowpack this year, the North Yuba River is gushing; so rafters and kayakers are rushing to take advantage of what may be the best season in years to enjoy rafting on the North Yuba. In most years, there is only a two or three week window to raft the North Yuba. However, with all the rain and slow snowmelt, river enthusiasts will have much more time to get out there. According to Jenny Ward from Tributary Whitewater Tours, they likely plan to run the river until late June. Jenny says, "This is an extraordinary year. Everyone is stoked to get on the North Yuba this year". They have been running trips from Goodyears Bar to Indian Valley and plan to start running other stretches soon. The river currently flows at 1,790 cubic feet per second and looks to stay steady or rise in the coming weeks. While the water is chilly, they offer fullbody wetsuits for warmth, and temperatures will be in the high 70s next week. Plenty of trails for mountain bikers chomping at the bit are still open, thanks to the folks at Downieville Outfitters, the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, and other volunteers. The North Yuba Trail is open from Goodyears to Indian Valley. Fiddle Creek Trail and Halls Ranch from Hwy 49 to Fiddle Creek are available. The lower and upper First Divide has also been cleared. Everything above Goodyears is still closed, but they are making progress daily. The snow line remains around 5000' and Gold Lakes Road is still closed, so there won't be access to Packer Saddle for a while. According to Greg Long from Downieville Outfitters, it will likely be late June before they can start shuttling riders up to Packer Saddle. So if you can't jump on your favorite high mountain trail yet, consider taking a great ride down one of the most beautiful stretches of river canyon unseen by most people can. Indeed, this is a beautiful time to get outside in the mountains and Downieville's food and drinking establishements are open for business! For more information about how to book your seat on the next river flight, contact Tributary Whitewater at whitewatertours.com.