Hi Paddlers,

Based on some of the survey feedback I am going to try and put the shuttle news first then the fun fact or story below as it may relate to the shuttle. If you like it this new way or if you prefer the old way please let me know. Only a few people requested this and I am just trying it out. 

Onto shuttle news.

We are still here shuttling paddlers back and forth. Even on the rainy weekends you have not let me down. This coming weekend is looking pretty good with temps as of now predicted in the low 70’s and sunny.

So, here we are in November 2016 and our shuttles will be offered on Saturday & Sundays. Currently we have our 9:00 Chili Bar run & 11:30 Gorge run up online for you to book your seats. Please remember we need a minimum of 4 riders by 5pm the day before to make sure the shuttle is a go. Sign up early – lets say by Thursday –  then both you & I won’t wonder if it is happening or not.

To book your seats online visit https://colomashuttle.com/reservations/

To see what is currently being offered head on over to https://colomashuttle.com/weekly-update/

So far for 2016 we have shuttled 3600+ riders along our little river valley. Thank you to each and everyone of you who help to reduce our carbon footprint. You are all AWESOME. I am getting closer to my goal for 2016 of 4000+ riders but I think we will be shy of that number. So why not jump on the shuttle and get me closer. Although we are happy with our numbers for this year I would love to see it with more. 

We are now back down to 1 van till the spring so we can only shuttle 14 folks on each shuttle. If you are looking for something outside of what is listed on our website give me a call or shoot me an email and lets see what I can do for you.Thank you to all who are still keeping me busy this fall. Hope to see you soon.

I love this time of year! Did you have the chance to see all the pumpkins on the Hwy 49 bridge? The Coloma Lotus Community for the last 5 years have decorated the bridge with carved pumpkins. We place them out the night before Halloween (10/30) light them up and have a small gathering. Last year the count was over 200. If you would like to see photos of this, send me an email & I will send you some photos.

Is it true that the queen of England isn’t required to have a passport when she visits other countries?

As the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, the commonwealth, and certain other countries that have since declared independence but decided they kind of like having the Queen on their money, Queen Elizabeth II enjoys a number of unique perks not bestowed on any of her subjects. These include being immune from prosecution from any crime she may happen to commit (justice is served in her name); she cannot be compelled to give evidence in court; she owns all of the dolphins, sturgeons and whales found in British waters (she also technically owns all mute swans found on open waters in Britain); she has the ability to declare war on any other nation if she so desires it; and, most pertinent to the present conversation, she doesn’t need a passport to travel abroad. So why not?

The answer lies in the fact that all British passports are issued in the Queen’s name. In fact, if you open up a British passport and turn to the first page, you will find a message that reads:

Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.

In a nutshell, because a British passport is partially just a request from the Queen to allow one of her subjects to travel freely beyond the borders of her country, she doesn’t need one- she can just ask that in person.

We here at the Coloma Shuttle do not require you to present your passport or any other identifying papers. We feel that riding the shuttle is a privilege that ALL should have the opportunity to relish in. So don’t worry we won’t be turning you away because you don’t process the proper documents. But you should be advised that if you don’t book your seat on time we may have to turn you away due to the fact that there is no room in the shuttle for you.

And here we are in the middle of August. And yes we are still selling out on the weekends. We are getting a lot of questions like when are we shutting down for the season? Well here at the Coloma Shuttle we will continue to run on days that there is a guaranteed flow and when we have 4 or more riders booked per shuttle. Here is the current release schedule on Dreamflows.

We may not have flying cars quite yet, but the ground-bound automobile is the world’s second most popular mode of transportation (behind the bicycle). Many think Henry Ford invented the car, but that isn’t correct. While Ford certainly made the automobile affordable for the middle-class, it was actually a German engineer with a familiar name that invented the first commercially available petrol-powered motor vehicle. In 1885, Karl Benz created what he later would call the “Motorwagen.” However, this wasn’t an invention of a single man. He had help from someone else – his wife, Bertha Benz. Credited as the first person ever to take a so-called automobile “road trip,” she also discovered various issues with her husband’s invention during the drive, coming up with some very innovative ideas in the process, such as inventing the brake pad mid-trip. So that’s the story behind the husband and wife team that gave the world the first commercially available petrol automobile.

So what does Ford have in common with the Coloma Shuttle? Just like Ford not being the inventor of the car, we are not the inventor of the shuttle program. The River Store started the shuttle program with AQMD back in the early 2000’s. Dan started the program from scratch and ran it for several years. I feel that we (the American River Recreation Assoc.) has just enhanced the program to today’s service. You our customers have help mold and make it what it is today. I always love getting feedback (good or bad) it helps us to grow and become even better. So thank you for emailing me or calling me to make your comments.

Some of you have noticed that we are doing some refurb on the trailers. On Trailer #1 we have a new top deck’s and a roller to help get those hefty rafts up without straining our back. On Trailer #2 we will have the lower bin removed this week and a new door put on the back for your paddles along with the top deck getting replaced and a roller bar on it too. All of these improvements and repairs are to make not just our day easier but yours the rider.

Davide S. write:

Thanks for accommodating us.

We are still fairly new to river paddling and definitely new to the SFA, and I just want you to know how much we appreciate your service to the paddling community. Looking ahead at the scheduled weekend releases through the winter we are very excited at the opportunities we will have to get on the river!

Beth R says: Liz and Coloma Shuttle provide an amazing service for rafters and kayakers on the South Fork American River. Liz is very responsive to requests, and does her best to accommodate last minute changes. The addition of the Coloma Shuttle to the valley has completely changed the nature of paddling on the SFA as now the shuttle is a breeze! Thanks

Susan C comments:

Thanks for the great service you provided for our group. Punctual and professional! We will see you next year.

 Laurel H says:

Thanks so much for the shuttle service, it definitely makes it possible for us to get out on the water together as a family. Such a great day on the river!! Here is a photo of my kids that came along yesterday, their first time down The Gorge! They did amazing, a couple of combat rolls, and tons of smiles and hugs.

Conflict between the colonies and England was already a year old when the colonies convened a Continental Congress in Philadelphia in the summer of 1776. In a June 7 session in the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall), Richard Henry Lee of Virginia presented a resolution with the famous words: “Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

On July 1, 1776, the Continental Congress reconvened, and on the following day, the Lee Resolution for independence was adopted by 12 of the 13 colonies, New York not voting. Discussions of Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence resulted in some minor changes, but the spirit of the document was unchanged. The process of revision continued through all of July 3 and into the late afternoon of July 4, when the Declaration was officially adopted. Of the 13 colonies, nine voted in favor of the Declaration, two — Pennsylvania and South Carolina — voted No, Delaware was undecided and New York abstained. John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence. It is said that John Hancock’s signed his name “with a great flourish” so England’s “King George can read that without spectacles!”

They say (by the way who is They?) that typically the July 4th weekend is the busiest weekend on the water. So why get stuck in traffic in your car? Why not book your seat on the shuttle, sit back relax and enjoy the company of other boaters.

Let’s celebrate our independence by riding the shuttle. Not wasting those fossil fuels and not creating more CO2 in our little river valley.

Please be advised as the summer progresses we tend to sell out of our shuttles quickly. So don’t delay make your reservation today. If the shuttle you are looking for is not listed or is SOLD OUT contact me here at the office 530-303-2404 and lets see what we can do to make your day on the water easier.

Check out our current shuttles here https://colomashuttle.com/weekly-update/

And to book your seat on our air-conditioned van click here https://colomashuttle.com/reservations/

As usual, Tim, Jeremy, myself and the 100’s of locals here in our little valley THANK YOU for helping to keep our air cleaner by using the shuttle and reducing the amount of traffic on the roads. Have a wonderful 4th of July.

Liz

Hi, this is just a quick note from your webmaster.

We converted the reservation system from PayPal to Stripe tonight. This means that instead of going to PayPal to pay for your reservation, you’ll stay on this site and enter your credit card information here. The site is now protected with SSL so that your credit card and other information is encrypted as it travels through the Internet. We don’t store your credit card information; it travels securely directly to Stripe for processing. No more time-outs, as the availability is checked when you make the payment.

We also did a lot of under-the-hood restructuring to make it easier to add other features as we go forward.

I’m sure Liz will fill you in on the details, and please contact her if you have any questions or run into trouble.

Thanks for riding the Shuttle!

— Donna

June 15, 1948 – Soviet authorities announced that the Autobahn would be closed indefinitely “for repairs.”

Some of you have heard and some of you have not. If you have not heard it yet I am here to tell you. This summer Salmon Falls Rd will have construction on it Monday – Friday. We have been advised to expect long delays as the road will be down to one lane.

So why not jump on the shuttle for your midweek runs? Our vans are air condition and comfortable. Just sit back, relax and have stimulating conversations with each other.

I am pretty sure that the Autobahn has reopened and all is going well there.

To see what is currently available visit our Weekly Update page. If you don’t see the shuttle you are looking for give us a call.

To book your personal seat on our vans make an online reservation.

Ice House will have recreational releases this weekend June 18th & 19th. We will be offering a 4:00 & 5:30 pick up at the bridge to take you back to your car. Cost is $15.00 per person. To book a seat on one of these shuttles visit our Ice House / Slab Creek reservations page.

Remember walk on are always welcome if we have seats available. And this last weekend we sold out on 5 shuttles by Wednesday evening and on Saturday we had 2 shuttles that only had 1-2 seats available. So don’t get left out there trying to figure out what you are going to do. Pre-book your seat and know that all is right in the world.

We are also running a mid-day loop around town for tubers and such. Just want to run Marshall Gold to Henningsen Lotus park? Jump on the shuttle for $4.00 per person from Noon to ??  Call our office for details 530-303-2404.

Thanks Thanks Thanks and have a wonderful day.
The Coloma Shuttle Crew

If you are planning on doing the Ice House run in June please read the following post by Theresa Simsiman of AWA.

https://boof.com/t/ice-house-flow-lwd-warning/11924

On the weekends of June 18-19 & June 25-26 the Coloma Shuttle will be offering 2 afternoon shuttles (4:00 & 5:30) from the take out to the put in.

Cost is $15.00 per person. Click here to make your reservation.

LAST CALL for all interested Class IV-V boaters this weekend is the last weekend for the Slab Creek run. We have available for your needs an 8:30 & 10:30 departure from the take out at Rock Creek. To book your seats on these shuttles click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for the reservation button.

FIRST CALL for all interested Class IV boaters we will be offering shuttles on the Ice House run on May 21-22, June 18-19 & 25-26. To book your seats on these runs click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for the reservation button.

Our Summer schedule will be posted online mid-May.

Do you know the history of Cinco de Mayo?

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War that took place from 1861-1867. Specifically, it marks the day when General Ignacio Zaragoza and a group of 2,000 ill-supplied Mexican soldiers defeated Charles Ferdinand Latrille, Comte de Lorence after French forces attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. Five hundred French soldiers were killed in the battle; fewer than 100 Mexican soldiers were killed.

The victory became a rallying cry for Mexican forces.

The celebration later spread to California as Mexican immigrants arrived in the state. It grew from there to the rest of the country in the 1940s. In Mexico, it is most often called “El Día de la Batalla de Puebla” or the Day of the Battle of Puebla. Puebla still celebrates the day with a reenactment of the battle.

Today, the holiday is celebrated more in America than Mexico, complete with traditional foods, music and festivals. Many Americans, however, confuse May 5 with Mexican Independence Day though in fact Mexican independence was declared 50 years before the Battle of Puebla. Mexican Independence Day is commemorated on Sept. 16.

The largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the U.S. is held in Los Angeles.

This year the Coloma Shuttle is celebrating it’s 4th year of shuttling boaters thru the valley. And this year we are also celebrating the 1st year of Shuttle service for Slab Creek & Ice House runs.

Slab Creek – Class IV+

Only one weekend left to get on this run May 14-15. The Coloma Shuttle will be offering shuttle service from the take out at Rock Creek going to Slab Creek put in at 8:30 & 10:30 am. Advanced reservations are highly recommended.

Ice House – Class III-IV

Limited release dates for 2016: May 18-19-20-21-22, June 25-26. We will be offering shuttle service on May 21-22 and June 25-26. With shuttles from the take out to the put in durning the morning hours. Advanced reservations are highly recommended. If you are looking for a mid-week shuttle on May 18-19-20 please contact our office at 530-303-2404.