Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#31
![]() |
|||
|
|||
![]()
Last time I was at Disneyland, I wasn't asked to sign a waiver that
stated I understood that I might die which I had to do even on the South Fork American. Maybe I was good at picking companies (the now defunct Chili Bar Outdoor Company) but all the times I have been with them (5) we were given a good and serious safety talk and every guest's PFD was hand checked by a guide. We were told how to high side and the guide gave a couple of high side drills to make sure we were awake. In springtime water, a light boat or boat with dubious paddlers was given an extra guide (I assume a recent grad of guide school who hadn't solo'd yet. When I went on the North Fork American Chamberlain Falls (an honest IV?) The Safety talk was twice as long. As far as I know everyone had been on at least one other raft trip. Instead of just mentioning swimming for yourself, it was emphasized that we had to be ready look after ourselves if we were in the water and couldn't see the guide. Before we shoved, off the lead guide looked everyone in the eye to look for anyone who wasn't ready. In the water, before the real stuff came up (which happens pretty quick on the NF) we had to spin the boat and practice up and down ferrys until the guide was happy with the paddling. Even though I had been on the SF 3 times, my weak back paddle was addressed and corrected. I remember well his line when I queried him about how hard he worked us upstream, "In class three, there's places you don't want to swim. In class 4 there's places *I* don't want to swim." I still managed to fall out when we hit the eddy line at the bottom of Chamberlain Falls which I suppose is a lot better than falling out at the top. We did a raft surf at the last real rapid on that run--I want to remember it was called "staircase". We were bow upstream and I was a bow paddler. That was an amazing experience/feeling; one of the highlights of my outdoor life which includes many years of skiing and surfing. Aww, Damn! Now I'm starting to wish I hadn't let the summer get away without putting the daughter in the car and doing a American River trip. (eight hours each way) Kurt |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Anyone using Sponsons? | Touring | |||
Lower Gauley River in WV Whitewater Questions | General | |||
Lower Gauley shuttle? | General | |||
Lower Gauley shuttle? | Whitewater | |||
2003 GAULEY RIVER RELEASE INFORMATION | General |