High Season Rowing

[smcnearn]

Well I had a scary moment on the Gunnison this weekend. Coming down a narrow section in a Boulder Boat Works highside proguide with two quick turns and a strong eddy in between them, the current sure wants to push you into the riprap on the cut bank and that eddy will spin a boat putting you sideways into rough water below.

Well here I am lined up to slide down the middle, miss the eddy and be in position to pull off the riprap at the bottom of the second corner when a group of kayakers catches up with us attempting to pass underneath my oars. (No "hey we're coming down behind you, watch out!")

My oars did not stop working and I'd say those kayaker have the shoalcut shaped bruises to prove it.

I don't think these folks understood how quickly things can go badly and how much respect the power of water deserves. I'm certainly going to take an extra minute from now on to let people at the launch know we need a little more space to maneuver these driftboats compared to their kayaks.

Great river, great fishing, and an awesome local scene.

Edit:
I will also say I have found a flaw with the BBW, the yeti beer koozies included do not fit my tallboy eddyline cans.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pho_phizzat]

Crazy,

Way to keep your head up. It's always up a glance over your shoulder here and there to know who/ what is behind you.

First drift boat I have ever seen sunk was in that river. Right below the canyon. People in it were lucky to be alive.

 

[mcnerney]

I agree, crazy turn of events, good for you to keep your cool and keep yourself out of danger. The kayaks are more maneuverable, no need for them to be right on top of you like that.

 

[smcnearn]

Crazy,

Way to keep your head up. It's always up a glance over your shoulder here and there to know who/ what is behind you.

First drift boat I have ever seen sunk was in that river. Right below the canyon. People in it were lucky to be alive.

Yeah I should have had my head on a swivel more. Being newish to the oars I was intently plotting my maneuvers/line through the obstacles ahead.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JW51]

I had a close call in exactly the same boat. The Upper Madison was flowing very high, but rainbows were taking stoneflies as long as they were literally within 1 inch of the bank. We were on our third day of floating. There is a small, privately-maintained wooden bridge with pretty narrow margin of error shooting the gap between the uprights. When we got within a few feet, we saw there was a log trapped about a foot deep under the water blocking about half of the opening. I was able to spin the Boulder so that we hit it in a glancing fashion rather than head on, and the slickness of the polyethylene allowed us to slide right off. The surface was slightly dented but no major damage. Later that afternoon a fiberglass boat was breached against the log, and given the climbing ropes hanging from the bridge I'm guessing FWP et. al extracted them from above. Pretty scary given the high flows and cold water.

 

[fredaevans]

Young fellow, a local, wanted to become a 'Guide.' Trip 'one,' he had no clue how to handle the oars on my drift boat. I rowed the rest of the day! **

Took him to two river's (Chetco and Upper Rouge) after we'd been on the internet to 'explore' both rivers. The Chetco (upper) is 'child's play' unless you miss the last take out.

Then you're in deep do-do!

The Rogue, next take out can be 7 miles down stream; you miss the last one and more DO-DO.

** Took him to a local lake, let him just row, spin boat, etc. Shouting at him LEFT OAR!! PULL, PULL HARDER, RIGHT OAR!!! ROCK, PAY FUKING ATTENTION TO ME!

Next day I put him on the Rogue, bad water bit ... bit of fishing gear.

'Why were you shouting at me?'

'If you get it wrong some one's going to get seriously hurt.' He's been a Guide now for several years. :thumbsupu

 

[AzTrouter]

........dress to swim and rig to flip.

 

[alpobodog]

I had a close call in exactly the same boat. The Upper Madison was flowing very high, but rainbows were taking stoneflies as long as they were literally within 1 inch of the bank. We were on our third day of floating. There is a small, privately-maintained wooden bridge with pretty narrow margin of error shooting the gap between the uprights. When we got within a few feet, we saw there was a log trapped about a foot deep under the water blocking about half of the opening. I was able to spin the Boulder so that we hit it in a glancing fashion rather than head on, and the slickness of the polyethylene allowed us to slide right off. The surface was slightly dented but no major damage. Later that afternoon a fiberglass boat was breached against the log, and given the climbing ropes hanging from the bridge I'm guessing FWP et. al extracted them from above. Pretty scary given the high flows and cold water.

I’m pretty sure your talking about the Wolf Creek bridge on the Madison. Lots of boat wrecks - dangerous for sure. I think the railroad bridge on the Rio Grande above South Fork is worse, the locals call it death bridge. The guides pucker up going thru it.

 

[jsxtreme]

I've had similar experiences rowing. People in kayaks fail to realize there is bit more at stake for us, and that we aren't planned to, or meant to recover from a flip like they are. It's amazing that with an entire river they can find a way to crowd you.

 

[Car7x]

haha - Wolf Creek? That is a nightmare scenario, gets western in a hurry in that tight of spot. Sticks banging off the posts, downstream one spearing you in the jaw, with $800 rods knocking swallow **** into your moon eyes and mouth frozen open with little baby sounds coming out...That slot with the chain is the preferred, but others work if you are setup.

Never been caught there, but I have vast experience extricating myself from not just 'WHAAAA!!! moments, but the blatantly foreseeable challenges due to my chronic lack of attention / tendency to daydream. Lots to mind on a river.

The really stimulating moments in my life are usually preceded with, 'yeah, that'll go', then 'O Sh@.' If there are onlookers, their faces are a curious mix of horror, bemusement (or maybe that's slight disgust), some empathy, but just as often, belly laughs and pointing fingers.

If Wolf Creek Bridge was on the Lower during the Bikini Hatch no one would make it.

I'm reminded of a couple aphorisms - Lack of experience leads to bad decisions...bad decisions lead to more experience.
Training is to prevent surprises...but the learning comes with - and from - the surprises.

I run a BB too, and a big reason is that that plastic hull will slide over a lot of stuff that will break, scrape or stop another rig cold. Sometimes, especially on something organic like a log or in flattrock rivers, I've made 'er over obstacles like your surprise log, with a forward push and tuned up anglers moving aft to lighten the bow, throwing weight the right way, etc.

Remember the 'vortex' phenomenon, which as explained to me, describes the tendency of a fluid to accelerate as it passes into or thru a constriction. The early years created a lot of opportunity for personal growth, as I would get sucked into the exact thing I was sure I could clear.

No room for it under that bridge but on the Madison and the midwestern rivers I float, in most spots I'm not scared to do a half spin - go with the flow - and right back to heading, or a pirouette all the way around, situation dependent. Not advisable in technical, high gradient, pocket, whitewater water, above obstacles or blind bends obviously.

I go backwards, a lot - due to high winds, often with low gradient water - and that facility of getting into and out of reverse at will is great practice and training for boat management. On that stretch of the Madison going backwards once in awhile lets you keep track of those 70 guide boats out of West in the rear of your flotilla, too.