River report
Jun. 13th, 2006 10:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serindeOur raft's crew consisted of me, Brian, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
naudia, and Eli. We might have done a little better with more hands, or at least got less tired, but on the other hand we weren't tripping over each other the way it seemed to be happening on some other rafts.
By going in June, we'd rather hoped we wouldn't have to rent wetsuits, but since it was a dam release weekend and they were releasing from the bottom of the reservoir, it was Strongly Recommended. And though, early in the day when it was very sunny and we were in the middle of the river and working hard, I for one was regretting the recommendation; later on it clouded over and the wind kicked up and we had to keep stopping for the tail-end Charlies, it was getting exceedingly chill and I daresay there would have been great misery without the suits. (There was misery in the last hour or so even with the suits.)
I was raft captain (quoth the head guide, "the captain should be whoever has the most time in a raft; failing that, whoever most recognizes a raft; failing that, the loudest & most obnoxious"), which august position-holder they have in the rear of the ship. In retrospect, I think that may not be the best idea, because the captain's job is to see the rocks and command paddle strokes to get 'round them--and it'd be a hell of a lot easier to see them IF YOU ARE FURTHER FORWARD ahem. So I was not doing the best job ever, the more so since directing a raft is not as simple a task as it initially seems, and I'm probably up for a court-martial or at least a reprimand. Also, our rowers (myself included) had no rhythm. Note to self: bring someone whose sole job is to drum the beat next time.
The section of the Lehigh River in question was fairly evenly split between calm stretches, middling rocky but not too fast-moving, and actual rapids. The calm bits are important to rest and bail out the bilges and grab a handful of gorp and whatnot. And water, if one was not foresighted enough to bring one's Camelbak (though there was a minor problem with it--trying to put it over a lifejacket really doesn't work, and I have some lovely armpit welts as a result).
We acquitted ourselves generally well until the very end, which are the toughest rapids of the trip. We'd taken on a fair amount of water, more than we'd done all day, and then fetched up hard against a large rock side-on. Brian was thrown most of the way out, and Eli partially out;naudia grabbed for Brian as I lunged for Eli, as water started pouring over the gunwales, and at this perilous moment another raft whammed into us from the other side. Now ordinarily, the rafts just boing off each other like bumper cars, but we were so low in the water and they moving so fast that they actually rode up over us. I turned my head to see naudia with a boat on her head, a fetching accessory I am sure, but at the time I was positive we were about to go down with all hands. Happily they managed to slide back off, we hauled the boys in, and extricated ourselves from the rock with only the loss of Brian's paddle, which another raft managed to pick up and get to us within a few minutes. After that it was all gravy.
Lessons learned:
* Try and paddle in rhythm. Really. Honestly.
* Later season is better for temperature comfort.
* Read the label when you buy a so-called "dry sack". It turns out that the one I got is only intended for wet, not immersion.
* Back paddle about half as long as you think you need to.
* Take any given rapid head on, not sideways as we kept doing, and while I'm at it I'd like a pony.
Yes, I'd go again, happily...but maybe not for several weeks.
naudia, and Eli. We might have done a little better with more hands, or at least got less tired, but on the other hand we weren't tripping over each other the way it seemed to be happening on some other rafts.By going in June, we'd rather hoped we wouldn't have to rent wetsuits, but since it was a dam release weekend and they were releasing from the bottom of the reservoir, it was Strongly Recommended. And though, early in the day when it was very sunny and we were in the middle of the river and working hard, I for one was regretting the recommendation; later on it clouded over and the wind kicked up and we had to keep stopping for the tail-end Charlies, it was getting exceedingly chill and I daresay there would have been great misery without the suits. (There was misery in the last hour or so even with the suits.)
I was raft captain (quoth the head guide, "the captain should be whoever has the most time in a raft; failing that, whoever most recognizes a raft; failing that, the loudest & most obnoxious"), which august position-holder they have in the rear of the ship. In retrospect, I think that may not be the best idea, because the captain's job is to see the rocks and command paddle strokes to get 'round them--and it'd be a hell of a lot easier to see them IF YOU ARE FURTHER FORWARD ahem. So I was not doing the best job ever, the more so since directing a raft is not as simple a task as it initially seems, and I'm probably up for a court-martial or at least a reprimand. Also, our rowers (myself included) had no rhythm. Note to self: bring someone whose sole job is to drum the beat next time.
The section of the Lehigh River in question was fairly evenly split between calm stretches, middling rocky but not too fast-moving, and actual rapids. The calm bits are important to rest and bail out the bilges and grab a handful of gorp and whatnot. And water, if one was not foresighted enough to bring one's Camelbak (though there was a minor problem with it--trying to put it over a lifejacket really doesn't work, and I have some lovely armpit welts as a result).
We acquitted ourselves generally well until the very end, which are the toughest rapids of the trip. We'd taken on a fair amount of water, more than we'd done all day, and then fetched up hard against a large rock side-on. Brian was thrown most of the way out, and Eli partially out;
naudia grabbed for Brian as I lunged for Eli, as water started pouring over the gunwales, and at this perilous moment another raft whammed into us from the other side. Now ordinarily, the rafts just boing off each other like bumper cars, but we were so low in the water and they moving so fast that they actually rode up over us. I turned my head to see naudia with a boat on her head, a fetching accessory I am sure, but at the time I was positive we were about to go down with all hands. Happily they managed to slide back off, we hauled the boys in, and extricated ourselves from the rock with only the loss of Brian's paddle, which another raft managed to pick up and get to us within a few minutes. After that it was all gravy.Lessons learned:
* Try and paddle in rhythm. Really. Honestly.
* Later season is better for temperature comfort.
* Read the label when you buy a so-called "dry sack". It turns out that the one I got is only intended for wet, not immersion.
* Back paddle about half as long as you think you need to.
* Take any given rapid head on, not sideways as we kept doing, and while I'm at it I'd like a pony.
Yes, I'd go again, happily...but maybe not for several weeks.
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no subject
Date: 2006-06-13 03:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-13 05:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-13 05:43 pm (UTC)Sounds like you guys had an exciting time. When Joel and I went rafting with Brian on the river by your place, it was very sedate and boring. I'm always up for rapids (although it sounds like nearly losing people out of the boat would have been a bit much for me). Go you!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-14 12:29 am (UTC)Problem with the captain being in front... might be difficult for the others to hear you as you shout towards the oncoming rocks.
I was amused when the phrase "[info]naudia grabbed for Brian as I lunged for Eli" popped out of context, out of the text. ;-)
Your description was quite vivid; I almost felt the water rushing by! Or was that me spilling my drink.