View topic - the painter experience poll

Not to be too pedantic , but "flack" was my word , and I know how to cross eddylines . So you must mean that you can take a Jab .

PK

Similar to what some of the others have said, on day trips and playing, I have rescued others, and have only had to be pulled to shore once. I do occasionally swim, but usually manage to get myself and boat put back together without assistance.

As far as wilderness, most of my wilderness trips are either Northern BC, Yukon or NWT. They are usually very remote, enough so that help would easily be days or more away. Class III, I run, but cautiously, and never knowingly attempt anything above a III. I have yet to put my rescue skills such as Z drag to use in these remote circumstances.

While I consider a screw up and swim occasionally de rigor for WW day trips, a wrap or seriously pinned boat in these is still a big screw up. On my wilderness trips, even being in a situation where this has a fair chance of happening, I consider to be needlessly putting myself and others at serious risk. Could it happen? Certainly and I carry the whole range of rescue gear, just in case. But if it were to happen, the loss of a boat, and/or gear, would jeopardize lives. I hope I never have to use my rescue skills in these situations, either for my party, or someone else's.

No PK, remember... you weren't there. That was a return jab at me.

We never did test the planing theory. I was in a boat with another WW weenie and we tried to do as instructed. Later on, we went off on our own and did it our own way and we were fine.

But I seem to remember a certain dude counting fish for a very long time while we watched perplexed as we examined the bottom of his Zepher. Seemed not the time or place to try to learn to roll.

As for the PFD, I told the friends/instructors that I was nervous about the poor fit. I don't have what you'd call a typical body plan and am exceedingly hard to fit. They tugged hard on the shoulder straps and said it should be fine. Oh, well... I've since gotten a vest that can't slip up on me so I'm ready to rock and roll.

As far as technical rope advice, I'd hardly consider what I said to be "technical". I've been handling rope almost on a daily basis for twice as long as the young dude has been alive. You learn something along the way.

Besides, you can practice in a controlled situation until the cows come home. Who cares, really? When you are out in the real world, things happen differently every time. The guy I'd trust is someone who has an ability to instantly see lines and directions of pull and vectors and all that stuff.

Yes, I used a come-along to get my canoe out from underneath a log (why would I bring a knife to a gunfight?), but a lot more went into getting that boat out. Some rope was needed to get the pull at the exact angle, a large underwater branch had to be cut with a bow saw in water so cold I couldn't feel my hands. I had two very inexperienced helpers who seemed helplessly confused about my rigging, but when we cranked on that lever the boat popped out like a molar from an octogenarian's jaw.

I've been solving mechanical problems all my life and I have a high degree of confidence when encountering novel situations of any sort, whether it's raising a two ton machine at a friend's shop, pulling a car out of axle-deep mud (I do that several times each spring) or extracting a boat from behind a rock.

Dan, you ought to come down here in the spring and we can sit around the fire and play with rope. Maybe you can teach me a few things about it.

While you're here, I can introduce you to a few WW places that you will like. The West Branch of the Ausable has some nice rapids, then there's the Hudson River Gorge and a couple of miles on the Indian River. The Indian is kid's stuff, only rated Class III... but when you wipe out on it I'll be there on the sidelines to help you retrieve your boat.

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“We can have great disparities of wealth or we can have democracy. But we cannot have both.” - Former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

BK...serious question

gotta confirm my names
There is a section of river we saw on our way to Vermont
(after I missed the turn in Lake Placid)
....hubby has a spinervals (spin biking) tape with this section in it Jackson is going from Jay to Lake placid and the river is continuios class 3, moves everywhere...one or two spots we couldn't tell but anyways..... is this the West Ausable?
Didn't you say something about AW getting access to it recently?
Know the window?
Seriously this section is worth putting on the itenerary
like to get it and the St Regis in this year

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http://campfireblues.wetpaint.com/
home of the opinionated old farts!

Gail, there is no road access to the Ausable between Jay and Wilmington, so you are either talking about the East Branch (which I doubt because that is mostly Class I-II water) or the West Branch between Wilmington and Lake Placid. Most of that water is open to the public (except the area owned by the folks at High Falls Gorge, who have a river-bottom deed). It is mostly Class II-III with several IV-VI drops and some not runnable even in a barrel.

There is also a long section on Rt. 73 between Keene and Lake Placid that has some Class III-IV sections but I'm not sure about access. That is the issue that keeps getting contested down here. The river I believe I mentioned that AW members fought about in court was the South Branch of the Moose. They won that fight. Most of the new water that has been officially opened to the public is all flatwater wilderness.

You have to remember as far as timing goes, this is mountainous country, so most of this water must be run in the spring of after torrential rains. The gradient is steep so the river drains quickly once the snow pack is gone, but the whole area should appeal to experienced creekers when the water is high. Just have to watch for the fly fishermen - they are everywhere.

If you are serious, you should get the excellent guide book put out by the ADK, "Adirondack Canoe Waters - North Flow".

St. Regis, huh? Not your typical river tripper destination, but beautiful nonetheless, and quiet if you are willing to get a few carries behind you. Let me know if you come down, maybe we can meet for a coffee or something.

Which gets to the "It's only the Internet" attitude. I act on this forum almost exactly like I act in person. Some love me, many do not. Still, I have met over a dozen people from this forum in just the last couple of years. I try hard not to put myself in an awkward situation by running into folks you think I'm an absolute a-hole based on bad behavior enabled by the supposed Internet anonymity. I have always been quick to apologize if I appear to offend someone, as I do in real life.

Respect is respect. I give it because I demand it in return.

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“We can have great disparities of wealth or we can have democracy. But we cannot have both.” - Former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

It might be the william section then...sounds familiar; next time I see the cd I'll make note of it. it was blurry, looked three to me with a couple questionable drops.... I'll get back to you
St. Regis... http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... l_id_1431_

Hubby met you; thought you were a friendly guy.
I'd love to have coffee with you sometime. NY is beautiful. Gotta get my passport s i can appreciate it more. Let you know when we're heading down that way. I don't go on Hubby's trips when he paddles with Al....not my thing. I'd end up as shuttle bunny with a dry boat on the roof

lets let the tangent go and thanks for the info.....
The topic was experience then gear, technique and that's a decent place to pick it back up

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http://campfireblues.wetpaint.com/
home of the opinionated old farts!

ZING!

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I like canoes

Dan, I'm only funnin' with ya'. You know, if I could paddle a canoe half as good as you can I wouldn't be sitting here at the damn computer yakking about it.

Seriously, though, you should check out some of these ADK rivers, they'll give you all you can hope for in the way of excitement.

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“We can have great disparities of wealth or we can have democracy. But we cannot have both.” - Former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

Dan you should join us when we head down to Up State for the weekend after the Moose Fest...... you'd love the Moose , Independence and Grass. Way sweet!

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Al Greve http://www.canoewateradventuring.ca South Western Ontario's canoeing specialist

Hey Al,

Thanks for the invite! I am not sure if I am ready for the Bottom moose.... Maybe the lower section.

Let me know when the trip is.

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I like canoes

Yup this past trip was perfect, water levels and air temps were just right...... Although the top section of the Independence had the best water levels I've ever paddled.... it through the last section up to a solid long V...... you almost needed rock climbing gear to get WALK down it! Crazy! The Moose on the other had was way sweet from the bottom to the bottom bottom.. Fowlerville was a solid IV plus ride. Loved it! Agers Falls another IV plus boof ....sweet lots of air! Matilla... way intense as you dropped over the dam.... them held on as the 15' boof was there before you knew it! Sureform was a solid V.... veryone walked but Srciver! The man is unbelieveable! Crystal a solid V plus..... there again Sciver made it look easy we all did a short sneak and scruded into the last major drop..... intense! And thats not to mention all the other class III/V water in between...... way sweet!

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Al Greve http://www.canoewateradventuring.ca South Western Ontario's canoeing specialist