Government Rapid III + , San Juan River September 2008
What is it about the build up of scouting the rapids, it helps a little to know the way to go or is it just a super mind screw and you end up very psyched out? I almost psyched myself out of this one, saw myself doing it and had to just run the damn thing. It helped the AMC Eric was down stream of me in his kayak and didn't want to wait for me be to blow up my float bags and get situated. I just sat in my yellow canoe, a bit yellow myself and watch as his head bobbed through at a moderate pace, yes the water was fast but there is calm in the storm. Eric made it look easy. I decided the left tongue had very pushy water and definelty rocks, but if something happened more room to correct as well. Coming in up top on the pillow felt off, hard to see even on my knees, I spotted off a rock at top and found myself on track, but the first drop had some latteral waves which I wanted to be more perpendicular to, but alas, the wave to the right of me, hum better go for that hopes its a soft wave, NOPE, damn its a rock. So this picture was taken at that moment when the canoe is "boofing off the rock" and I am luckily in a high brace. (Camera work by Seamus Fleming). I came off of it smoothly and went through the rapid fine. I didn't need to swim. I eddied out and high fived Eric. The best part is still to come Seamus had to get the raft through in low water, and tight tongues. As he readied the boat, tied everything down, he never does that, he even put away his beer. He turned into a different man than his jovial self, he got agro at the oars, got up speed, pushing full force on each oar. I had no idea a raft could move that fast, can you "clock" an oar rig? He later shared we made it look so smooth that he was pumped, wanted some speed so he could make some moves and not puncture the raft and send our gear down river. He got up speed had a good line, then did hit the front end off a rock but he knew that he wanted that, guided and pulled, one oar in the water, spun the 18 foot rig and made the drop. The water took him on our same lines just right of the big rock in the middle of the rapid. Super Smooth and fully loaded. The next adventure with these two New Hampshire crazies may happen this Spring for The Brace for Impact Tour 09', Skiing in the Wasatch. Hopefully, I can write some more about the San Juan Trip there is a lot to share about the canyon, the water, the friends and the rum. May we all have more river trips in our lives!--xojk
What is it about the build up of scouting the rapids, it helps a little to know the way to go or is it just a super mind screw and you end up very psyched out? I almost psyched myself out of this one, saw myself doing it and had to just run the damn thing. It helped the AMC Eric was down stream of me in his kayak and didn't want to wait for me be to blow up my float bags and get situated. I just sat in my yellow canoe, a bit yellow myself and watch as his head bobbed through at a moderate pace, yes the water was fast but there is calm in the storm. Eric made it look easy. I decided the left tongue had very pushy water and definelty rocks, but if something happened more room to correct as well. Coming in up top on the pillow felt off, hard to see even on my knees, I spotted off a rock at top and found myself on track, but the first drop had some latteral waves which I wanted to be more perpendicular to, but alas, the wave to the right of me, hum better go for that hopes its a soft wave, NOPE, damn its a rock. So this picture was taken at that moment when the canoe is "boofing off the rock" and I am luckily in a high brace. (Camera work by Seamus Fleming). I came off of it smoothly and went through the rapid fine. I didn't need to swim. I eddied out and high fived Eric. The best part is still to come Seamus had to get the raft through in low water, and tight tongues. As he readied the boat, tied everything down, he never does that, he even put away his beer. He turned into a different man than his jovial self, he got agro at the oars, got up speed, pushing full force on each oar. I had no idea a raft could move that fast, can you "clock" an oar rig? He later shared we made it look so smooth that he was pumped, wanted some speed so he could make some moves and not puncture the raft and send our gear down river. He got up speed had a good line, then did hit the front end off a rock but he knew that he wanted that, guided and pulled, one oar in the water, spun the 18 foot rig and made the drop. The water took him on our same lines just right of the big rock in the middle of the rapid. Super Smooth and fully loaded. The next adventure with these two New Hampshire crazies may happen this Spring for The Brace for Impact Tour 09', Skiing in the Wasatch. Hopefully, I can write some more about the San Juan Trip there is a lot to share about the canyon, the water, the friends and the rum. May we all have more river trips in our lives!--xojk
