View topic - POLL: What class rapids do you run

All the swell pictures on this page (11) show class 4 water.

I agree cl3-4 and just 'cause he is in a Taureau it doesn't make the rapid a cl2. Just doing my part to keep this thread going, and going, and...........

Steward here stealing Gail's log in, she just showed me the thread.

First is disagree with rating a river differently because of the boat you are in. It is hard enough to get a consistent understanding of what a class 3 or class 4 rapid looks like.

Gradient, Diffuculty of moved, risk of injury , remoteness ... (look in a guide book for a full disctiption of how to class a rapid).

The rapid doesn't change because the skill level of the paddler does.

Steward

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home of the opinionated old farts!

Steward,

When are you guys gonna come down to run this?

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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

Of course if you are renting a kevlar canoe (and I would just as soon not portage a heavier canoe) from the Temagami Outfitting Company, you won't be allowed to run ANY rapids, not even class I.

See e-mail exerpt below:
"Hi Francois,



Thank you for contacting the Temagami Outfitting Company.



Heidi said that you had some questions about the use of our standard 16’ & 17’ kevlar (55 – 65 lb), ultralight kevlar (38 – 45 lb) and ABS canoes (70 – 80 lb).



If you’re renting kevlar (std or ultra) you agree to not run any rapids (includes lining downstream or tracking upstream) or to in any way put the canoe at risk of damage from the forces of moving water. We have a canoe rental agreement that outlines the costs associated with damage and repairs. We do allow for normal wear (light scratches and scuffs). Prior to rental we do a canoe inspection and documentation which becomes a part of the rental agreement.



Rivers like the Lady Evelyn can be travelled with our kevlar canoes as long as all portages are fully completed and due caution is exercised elsewhere. If it is your intention to paddle in moving water (does not include clean, unobstructed, flat flow) then we offer Old Town ABS canoes. In the past we have seen kevlar canoes (ours and others) severely damaged on the local rivers because canoeists attempted to run, line or track rapids that were beyond their ability. We’ve also seen severe damage to ABS canoes.



It all comes down to evaluating situations, making sensible choices and not subjecting our equipment, or yourself, to undue risk.



Sincerely,

Les Wilcox


Temagami Outfitting Company
Dean Pearson
Tel: 705.569.2595
Fax:705.569.2598

Never mind yer Cl II, Cl II or whatever BK, don't run anything with the word 'chasm' on it.

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Old canoeists never die---they just smell that way.

Well now, ya know, that always made sense to me. I always avoid the word "gorge" on my trips as well.

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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

No! NO NO! NO! NO!

You've got to retract that statement! You need to load up Lady BK and that Bell Tandem you have, and drive west for a couple days to Utah! Yeah, UTAH! You can load 10 days worth of gear, and paddle flatwater through gorges... no Gorgeous Gorges for 120 miles on the Green River. Have you ever sat in a canoe and looked 1000 feet up at the top of the gorge!!!Check this shit out!!



We liked it so much we did the San Juan a couple years later which is nearly as easy if you port the handfull of big water Class IIs and Class IIIs


We've got plans to do the Rio Grande through the canyons of Big Bend, and the Desolation and Grey sections of the Green in Utah in the future. April in the west is unbelievable!!!

PK

Nice shots, PK. Can one do a multi-day trip w/o running into serious ww?

But either I'm colour blind or the guy who named the river "Green" was! .

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Old canoeists never die---they just smell that way.

Absolutely, there is 120 miles of flatwater between the city of Green River on I-70 and the Confluence with the Colorado. You will pass through Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons. We did the trip in 8 days on the water that gave us a day to hike up to the Doll House at the end. The only thing I forgot to tell you is that you have to take a jet boat back up the Colorado to a boat launch near Moab. I did both thrips with my Pakcanoe. But most of my party rented 18 foot Grummans from the same folks that run the jet boat service. Canoeing in the SW is an experience that should not be missed.

As to the color of the river, yeah, it's pretty brown. The silt load on these rivers makes drinking the river water a little bit of a challenge. It's possible, but we opted to haul a gallon/person/day for drinking purposes.

PK

The Green River - World Class trout fishery.... further up, I suspect.

Still, pretty scenery I have to admit.

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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

FWIW thats me in a fully loaded swift raven 4 days into a 7 day "remote" trip on the Batiscan river in Quebexico.

CIV by any measurement. --- I have been thinking about this variable classification thingy. You guys are probably right... except in a few special creeky type steep situations. I stand corrected.

BTW... I would have run the same rapid in a prospector w/o a deck in a heartbeat.

I am not a fan of the raven. But that will get its own thread soon enough. Worst river boat I have ever paddled (on a river).

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I like canoes

Dan couldn't find enough words to describe his relationship with this boat. Regardless, he made it work.

Wow, Dan, you make that class IV look pretty easy! I'd love to see you paddling in a boat that you like!

Nice work, Pat.

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Learning to paddle is like learning a language:
It's easy to learn the basics, but will you be understood in a strong wind?

Ah desert paddling... chasms and gorges...