Tuesdays in my Town - Buck's Bar on the Cosumnes River


Okay, not to turn this into "my favorite river spots" or anything...but it just hit 100 degrees here and i had the pleasure on saturday of going with some of my favorite people to one of our...yes indeed i can't resist....favorite river spots.  since i talk about the river a lot, all summer long, i figured i'd go ahead and show you all this particular spot for this week's "Tuesdays in my Town."
so, my town placerville (aka p-ville, peevs, and infamously "old hangtown") is actually located between two beautiful rivers coming out of the sierra nevada mountains: the american river to our north and the cosumnes river to our south. my friends and i have spots we prefer on both rivers, depending on the day, the kind of hike you want to do, and the month of the year.
on saturday we drove out toward somerset down buck's bar road to the bridge and hiked out to the perfect june swimming hole in the cosumnes river, which, by the way, i read is the last undammed river on the western slope of the sierras.
it was carolann's birthday - a super exciting one - she turned 30! a fact that she is thrilled about.
she chose to spend it at buck's bar because it's the perfect spot to hang out on the rocks and jump in.
here's c.a. and her man ezra in the water.
the hang out: zack, carolann, ezra, and darin:
it's kind of a long hike but lovely, through giant manzanita bushes and oaks and dandelions and wild sweetpea and poison oak, down through the rocks (lots of folks come here to do rock climbing) and down to the perfect green clear fresh water. soooo worth it!


the spot!
the girl!
the birthday!
one last note: i've realized that swimming in the river (especially if it's kind of a secluded spot and you hike a while too, and the water is deliciously cold and there are trees and rocks all massive around you) is the perfect antidote to feeling gloomy, hungover, or unhealthy.
it makes you feel so alive and spritely and warm and somehow just loved in the world and happy to be exactly who and where you are.

all this talk reminds me of that little campfire song:
the river she is flowing,
flowing and growing,
the river she is flowing down to the sea.
mother carry me,
child i will always be.
mother carry me down to the sea.


Comments

the Citizen Rosebud said…
That looks soooo refreshing! Oh it's been a couple of hot days. Thanks for sharing a tried but true way to cool days off.
June 29, 2010 at 8:13 AM
Missa said…
Wow, this place looks amazing! Those huge rocks and that fresh clear water and you... oh my goodness, you look like a mermaid in your pink suit, A REAL LIVE MERMAID! What a wonderful way to celebrate turning 30 and I'm loving Carolann's suit top!

We hung out along the Russian River on Saturday for a bit, some friends rented a house for the weekend (also for a birthday!) but as I'm sure you know, it sooooo pales in comparison to this. Sure the water is green, but clear, not so much! Haha :)
June 29, 2010 at 9:34 AM
Andrea said…
out of curiosity are there any scary creatures in your rivers? In Florida, we don't swim in rivers b/c of the pesky alligator problem we've got :) It's not really a problem for the gators, considering they're descendents of prehistoric creatures and have been there longer than us. We do have springs however, that are cold & lovely in the summer and that gators don't like.
June 29, 2010 at 12:06 PM
moonshinejunkyard said…
hi andrea, no actually we have no trouble with scary creatures! not even fish really, once in a while you see those water bugs or some type of tadpole or something, but for the most part it is serene and critter-free at both rivers i love. okay, alligators would be NUTS. when we were in new orleans shortly after hurricane katrina (well the next spring) we saw one crossing the freeway at an on-ramp. it was sooooo weird and trippy. it makes everything down there seem haunting and otherworldy. cold springs sound perfect though, and am i right that you said you're a freshwater girl? so that is probably your favorite place to swim? it's so funny, because i always think of "creekdipping" in the south but i guess that must happen in non-alligator areas! i totally forget that even exists. so rad and interesting.
June 29, 2010 at 4:15 PM
Andrea said…
Yes! You're so sweet, I am a freshwater girl and my first reaction to your post, was man I HAVE GOT TO VISIT CA!!! The river you live near looks amazing and no river creatures means I'm there like now.
June 30, 2010 at 7:12 AM
Cel said…
That place looks so amazing! I wish I knew places like that around here. I'm only just starting to explore the area around Ottawa because until now I'd never really had friends willing to do that sort of exploring.
June 30, 2010 at 7:41 AM
Anonymous said…
Hey just so you know, Please make a note that this swimming area is not open to the public by any means, it is private property, and we do not want anyone on our property. We own over 60 acres and " this swimming hole " is our property and the people who sneak on to our land ruined it for everyone as leaving trash and starting fires. We will not tolerate this anymore. Thanks
March 2, 2015 at 12:54 PM
moonshinejunkyard said…
Wow I am so sorry to hear this! I have since learned that it is private property and have not been there myself in quite a while. I don't think anyone could ever come close to finding this particular spot from my blog alone but I will make a note that it is not public. Again, I am so saddened and sickened to hear that people have been trashing your beautiful land!
March 2, 2015 at 10:23 PM
Unknown said…
I am so tired of people who "own" everything! You cant own the land! And you cant tell people where they can and cant go. Were all people and were only here for a fleeting moment and goddamn it im gonna enjoy myself in spite of other peoples hangups. So next time someones on "your" property and you want to tell them to leave, be prepared for some resistance cause it might be me.
June 22, 2018 at 10:27 AM
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