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Mokolumne River, Middle Bar Run.

This portion of the river is an excellent addition to the Electra Run, extending it to over 5 miles.  Most runs seem to end roughly when they should, but the Electra run is certainly cut very short. The Middle Bar section of the Mokolumne has roughly the same character that the Electra Run has, but the road alongside is gone, and the scenery improves.  EBMUD has encouraged the Sheriffs to harass people who attempt this stretch of river in the past, and may still be doing so.  If you run this section of river, it is best to park on the Caleveras side of the river or arrange a Commando Shuttle.
 
Difficulty: II/II+, III at higher flows  Length: 2.4 miles
Season: Year-round power releases, Runoff in spring Flows: 700-4000 cfs,  Pardee Inflow Hourly Daily
Scenery: Great, and the Solitude is good too. Water: Very Clear and cold
Shuttle: Depends on route, about 15-20 minutes. Bike Shuttle: Very long, but possible, and maybe the best option in the summer to avoid advertising your presence.

To get there: Take either Rte. 88 or Rte. 49 to Jackson and head South until just before you come to the river. The put in is about 0.3 miles up where the road first comes close to the river (takeout for the shortened Electra Run).  Park carefully here. The put-in if you want to combine the run with the Electra run is about 3 miles up Electra Road at Electra Picnic Area. Park here, but keep your valuables out of sight.  To get to the Amador take-out, drive down Middle Bar Road off highway 49 (signed). It is near the top of the hill about 2.5 miles from the river as you head toward Jackson from the river. If the gate about 3/4 of the way to the river is open you can drive all the way to the bridge. Otherwise you will need to use the Caleveras Take-out. For this, after crossing the river going south, drive all the way up the hill to the intersection of 49 and 26 in Mokolumne Hill, then take 26 down and turn right onto Paloma Road. After a mile, you'll enter the little town of Paloma where you'll make a right onto Gwin Mine Road which will take you to the Caleveras side of the bridge.


2.6 S-Turn, II+. Carry up the road past the private property to run this rapid.  This is a challenging rapid for novices that they might want to scout.  The squirrly water at the bottom is notorious for flipping beginners.  A favorite training move is to paddle up the right eddy below the rapid, and ferry across the current into the high eddy on river left.  Just downstream on the right is the usual takeout.

2.7 Bridge Rapid, II. A right turn after whats left of an old bridge brings you to Bridge rapid. Watch for strainers on the right. A large segment of bridge used to add fun here, but the floods of '97 have rearranged the rapid a bit into a fun wave train.

3.1 The Devil's Toilet, III-.  The hardest rapid below Electra dam.  This is a steep chute, with some manouvering required.  Beware of rocks and strong waves.  Easy portage and scout on left.

3.3-4 There are about 4 decent rapids here, the first three are class II and the last maybe class II-.  There are playspots in these rapids.

~4.7  Slack water of Pardee  Reservoir begins around here when the reservoir is full.

~5.2 Take-out *Police Hazard* In order to minimize risk of contact with law enforcement who have been paid to patrol the bridge and harass boaters, it is best to use the Calevaras (south) side of the bridge.  If you do use the Amador (north) side of the bridge, climb up the bridge abutment from below the high water mark of the river which is probably legal (keeping in mind that I take no responsibility whatsoever for the accuracy this statement).  Do not attempt to walk around the abutment which EBMUD considers to be trespassing (whether or not it actually is).   Furthermore, the best thing is to arrange a commando shuttle or use a hidden bicycle to shuttle.

Additional Information:
Trip Report