Close call on the Russell Fork (long)
Honorary Kayaker
the year. I was expecting it to be another wonderful ho-hum day on the
river but it turned out to be anything but. I scouted the first major rapid
(Tower) and ran it cleanly with my open canoe. The next rapid to be run was
Fist.
Fist is just a straight shot down the left but not so far left that you go
under a 55 foot long boulder that's suppose to be undercut. In the past I'
ve seen scores of boaters bounce off the side of the boulder and never saw
any of them come anywhere close to going under it. Hell, I paddled the
Lower Meadow just the day before and had a great run. The Lower Meadow is
the most undercut river that I've ever heard of so to me the boulder to the
left of Fist was just another undercut.
I started my run with the intention of staying dry instead of going through
the meat of the wave-hole close to Fist rock in the middle of the river. I
went way left and when I got to the bottom wave I kicked my canoe facing
more left so that I would glance off of the wave and stay dry. The move
worked perfectly except that my canoe bumped against the face of the 55 foot
long boulder. No big deal. I just leaned hard against the rock with my
hand with the intention of pushing myself around to the side of the rock. I
've done it many, many times. Very suddenly the entire 13 foot canoe went
straight down with great speed as if being sucked by a giant vacuum cleaner.
I remember starting to jump out of the canoe and the next thing that I
remember is that I was floating on my back in pitch-blackness with the
bottom of a boulder in my face. I felt some slow moving current moving me
along the rock head first so I started clawing at the ceiling, pulling
myself along faster. I also started to mentally talk to myself, giving
myself instructions and encouragement.
"I'm NOT going to drown! I'm going to get myself out from under here."
I kept pulling and clawing my way for what seemed like an eternity. My
lungs were hurting bad. I opened my mouth to take a breath of air and took
in a little water instead.
"Dummy! You're going to drown that way. Keep your mouth shut no matter how
much your lungs hurt. Keep pulling!"
I thought that there might be an air chamber down there but gave that up as
a hopeless fantasy. My only hope was to keep clawing my way out.
"The current seems to be going very slow. It's really black in here. Keep
your mouth shut. Keep pulling. Doesn't this rock ever end?"
More clawing.
"Oh, my lungs hurt soooo much. I don't think that I'm going to make it...
I REFUSE to drown! Keep your mouth shut. Pull! Pull faster!"
More clawing. Finally I reached for another hunk of the ceiling and my
right arm shot straight up. An air pocket? No. I cocked my head back and
saw a little light. I'M OUT!!
A breath of air never felt so good! I swam to shore and walked downstream
until I could see a guy standing on the big flat rock just below Fist. I
gave him a double thumbs up with both of my arms extended over my head. I
then walked further downstream until my friends at the top of the rapid
could see me and I sat down for a little breather.
I looked at my helmet and life jacket. The helmet had several new nicks and
gouges and the top back of the life jacket was very dirty and scuffed up
like it was dragged. This had to have happened while I was being sucked
under the boulder but I have no recollection of it. I wonder if I was
knocked out.
I waited on top of the boulder until the water dropped. My friends walked
back along the railroad tracks and managed to pull the canoe out. We tied
it to a tree and walked out in the dark.
The next morning I walked in before the release with a bunch of tape, rope
and a sharp knife. I made a temporary repair with the tape and a stick then
paddled out before the release arrived. I made past El Horrendo before the
release arrived which was good because below there it was easier to paddle
the river with full flow even with a battered canoe.
In the morning the river was only running 80 cfs so before paddling
downstream I quickly checked out the undercut. The undercut is really a
domed shaped tunnel that goes from one end of the boulder to the other. A
very large slab of rock blocks most of the entrance of the tunnel. The
opening into the tunnel is therefore rather small; enough to fit a person
and a small kayak but not enough to fit a large canoe. The opening is the
only way that water enters into the tunnel so this causes a great suction do
to the venturi effect. The side of the boulder rests on the ground so it
blocks water from entering from the fast moving rapid. This is good in as
far as if boaters hit the side of the boulder they don't have to worry about
going under it. Just stay away from the front of the boulder. Since almost
all of the water comes in only through the relatively small opening the
water under the boulder is more like a slow moving eddy. If I didn't claw
my way along the ceiling I know that I would never have made it through.
Directly above where the tunnel exits there's a plaque dedicated to Munn who
drowned under the boulder in April of 1995.
There are old boaters and there are bold boaters but there are no old, bold
boaters. I always felt that I was an exception to the rule because at the
age of 61 I usually manage to hold my own on class 5 rivers. After this
episode I plan on being a little more careful about my boating and strive to
be just a plain old boater.
I haven't slept very well the past few nights.
Jim Michaud
Wilko
"Honorary Kayaker" <jim.m...@snet.net> wrote:
> I thought that there might be an air chamber down there but gave that
it...
> I REFUSE to drown! Keep your mouth shut. Pull! Pull faster!"
Jim, I'm glad you got out of there in one piece.
It shows again that no matter how often you've paddled a stretch, the
river always seems to have surprises in store for us... Let's try to
keep it as safe as possible out there.
--
Wilko van den Bergh - Quibus(at)europe(dot)com
Eindhoven - The Netherlands - Europe
I think that paddling is about fun and safety,
you shouldn't have one without the other...
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
BarnettW3
I swam under that rock last year.
Of course, it was a sobering experience but became an even greater one when
Milt gave me a copy of my swim .....and their reactions as I went thru.
Evidently, old and bold are well known as conflicting terms but so must be time
and taste for it was apparently not 'our time' and that rock didn't seem to
like the way we taste.
Many years to you,
Barnett
El Hunquo Magnifico
>On Saturday, October 2, I was at the Russell Fork for the first
>release of the year. I was expecting it to be another wonderful
>ho-hum day on the river but it turned out to be anything but.
…
>Very suddenly the entire 13 foot canoe went straight down with
>great speed as if being sucked by a giant vacuum cleaner.
>I remember starting to jump out of the canoe and the next thing that
>I remember is that I was floating on my back in pitch-blackness with
>the bottom of a boulder in my face.
…
>"I'm NOT going to drown! I'm going to get myself out from under
>here."
…
>There are old boaters and there are bold boaters but there are no
>old, bold boaters.
Ho-Lee Fudd, Jim! Oh, Man. Glad you're all right! Yikes.
Hey, folks, listen: if you don't know this guy, he's one of the best open
boaters out there. He's out there running hard stuff all the time, and usually
his main concern is not avoiding rocks or staying upright--it's finding the
subtle features amidst the mayhem that will keep his boat dry. And at heinous,
vertical rapids like Big Splat, this guy generally manages to do just that. If
this guy can have a close call at Fist (no, there's no truth to the rumor that
this rapid was named for Pee Wee Herman's girlfriend)…well, it just behooves
*everybody* to be careful there.
*Sure* glad you're okay, Jim. Thanks for the warning. Now get some sleep.
You've earned it.
Riviera Ratt # 77, Charter Member of PFA, 4/14/99
No longer Rattless in '99!!!
Check out "Child-proof Locks," a new link in the Ratt Hole!
For a good time, call http://members.aol.com/RivierRatt/ratthole.html
Dacyak
here to tell the tale.
(East Obey) Dan
Kathryn Streletzky
very glad that your years of class 5 experience came into play and that you
were able to keep Rule #1 - Do Not Die - in front of you.
Thank you for sharing your scary experience - give us a follow-up in a month or
two. I hope you keep your joy in paddling.
- Mothra
The Paddleman
>Jim, I understand you're feelings very well.
>I swam under that rock last year.
>
Sorry to correct you, Barmett, but you swam under an equally evil
boulder in Maze.
You're both lucky to be alive. But thanks for the great video!
-----------------------
For the best in whitewater paddling videos:
http://www.whitewatervideo.com
Daniel R. Gore
Glad to hear you made it through with your physical health. From your
lack of sleep, it is obvious it has put a hurt on your emotional
health. I may not sleep after reading your account. Hope you recover
fully and are stronger for it.
I will show your detailed account to my sons and use it for the primary
reason I will not be taking them to the Russel Fork until they are at a
yet undetermined age (maybe in 45 years).
Dan
Darth Rival
&^$#&^$&* Jim, you %^&*$@#, don't DO that! Jeez, what a scary story!
Glad you will be around so that we will be able to boat together again.
==========================
May the Farce be with you!
==========================
Pat Patterson
About six years ago (+/-) I was on Russell Fork... got through Tower and
Fist ... flipped comming out of the boulder garden above El Horendo....
rolled up just in front of large undercut rock on river right... noticed
immediately that the water didn't "pillow" on it... as the boat (Corsica S)
started to go under, I dropped my paddle and reached for the ceiling of the
undercut rock... found a claw-hold and held on for what I knew was "dear
life".... friend and a second paddler was in eddy next to rock... the second
paddler grabbed some brush along the bank and using the paddle as a bridge,
my friend reached the stern strap (about two feet of boat was projecting)
and pulled me out.... my paddle never came out the other side.... I was just
at the point of passing out... thought I had pulled a groin muscle.....
found out later that I had "blown" a valve that allowed my urine to pass to
my testicles... resulted in a vasectomy.... I still paddle Chattooga,
several creeks, but stick to mainly "recreational" paddling these days....
I'm 51 and intend to teach my grandkids to paddle....
Best of Luck............... Pat Patterson
CKelly1022
if I could just remember where I put my paddle...dang memory...second thing to
go.
Chris Kelly
Brad Snow
with us. The way you wrote about it, I feel like I went under that rock
with you. Not sure if I'll sleep tonight, but the lessons I gain from your
post are worth any loss of sleep I might face.
Brad
-------------------
Brad Snow pad...@mosquitonet.com
"Not all who wander are lost." JRRT
BarnettW3
....something... er.... maybe that's just a simple case of shock amnesia !!!!
=:>)
Barnett
JB
It was me and my two friends that walked in to retrieve the ducky at maze.
I thought you looked familiar. But i couldn't remember where I'd seen you
before.
(we paddled Section 4 the weekend after Tallulah festival)
Very scary story. I'm glad you guys were able to get the boat out.
We were able to get the ducky out , and it was undamaged.
But allow me to digress and explain why I was down in the gorge at 6:30 at
night to retrieve a boat.
Three friends and I went down to the Fork for the weekend. Two of the guys
are avid hard boaters, easily qualified to run the river. The third is a
very ballsy raft guide from California. He got in a duck, and ran the river
with us. He did ok at Tower, but flipped in the sticky little hole at the
bottom. He ran the fire escape at Fist, and was doing fine with his boat. My
friends and I were hoping to get back up in time to do the race, so when we
got to Maze, I explained the rapid as best I could, told Adam to follow me
and ran the center chute above the undercut, intending to send Adam through
the "Race line" that avoids the undercut completely. I tried to catch an
eddy, but got swirled around, and was not ready to signal Adam when he came
over the drop. He saw me and attempted to catch the eddy, but he missed it,
and was being pushed down the channel right abovethe rock. I screamed "Left,
left, go left!", but he was unable to make a ferry and tried to duck into
the eddy on river right next to the rock. He didn't make it, and the ducky
stuck on the face of the rock, and dumped him out. Amazingly, he was able to
get a purchase on the rock and push himself up and away from the rock. He
was sucked underwater, but never went under the rock. He flushed all the way
across to the left side of the rock and popped up right about the time I got
to him. I paddled him over to the bank, and after he got his breath back I
went back up and started to try to get the ducky.
The rock at Maze is about the size of a small school bus, perched on top
of three rocks, one on each end and one in the middle, relatively evenly
spaced. The duck was pinned above water, and a guy from Morgantown, (I
think he said his name was Aaron), helped me try to get the ducky off. While
we were working, a commercial raft with three guest and a guide came down
and slammed against the rock, (and the ducky) instantly flipping. The guide
and all 3 guests went into the water, flushed through the rock and came up
30 feet downstream.
Twice in the same day I thought I was watching someone die.
Luckily, all 4 were fine, and I was able to push the raft of the rock before
it pinned. Unfortunately, the raft had pushed the ducky all the way under
the rock, and it had wrapped on the center rock. We decided that Adam would
stay in the gorge and that we would finish the run and hike back in to
recover the ducky when the water went back down. We had a great run down the
rest of the river and headed back to Garden Hole. None of us felt very good
about what had happened, and I decided to race to get my mind off of it. I
didn't have a very good race, I had to catch the eddy on the left at Fist
(which Jim got to watch) I missed the race line at Maze, cracked my boat at
El Horrendho, and flipped in front of the rest of the competitors in the
middle of Climax.
I and the other two guys got our gear collected, went to the put in, and
ferried over to the railroad tracks. We met two seperate parties on the
tracks, one of which was going in to meet Jim.We finished hiking in to Maze,
where we found Adam and Jim hanging out while the water dropped. Jim hiked
back up to Maze, and we were able to retrieve the duck and get out of there
right at dark.
I made several mistakes, and they almost cost a friend who had trusted me
his life.
I didn't have Adam scout Maze. I didn't give the clearest explanation of the
rapid, I was shaky going into an eddy, and that allowed him to be put in a
dangerous situation. His quick thinking was all that kept him from swimming
under the rock. Adam ran the river with us the next day, and did fine. He
ran the left side at E.H. but he was good on the main lines at all the other
rapids. We had a good weekend all in all, but it could have turned out a lot
worse. I felt sick to my stomach for the rest of the day, and apologized to
Adam multiple times during the day. In contrast, Adam said that he saw a
guy go stern first under the rock with his back against the rock, and just
barely make it out without swimming under the rock. The guys boating buddy
was screaming at him "You dumb ####! what the f### are you doing!" Thats
pretty scary too.
I'm glad that everyone from the accidents is ok.
Be careful out there.
JB
Jordan Ross
and stubbornness (Rule #1!) in getting yourself out of there. No doubt
many of us reading your account were asking ourselves "How long would I
have kept it together in there..." Thank goodness you're OK!
You humbly downplayed this undercut, but for those who haven't seen it it
is fearsome. In fact, the Fist undercut is so massive it can clearly be
seen from the Breaks Interstate Park overlook 800 feet above and a half
mile away.
Jordan
Michael Deyer
everyone who replied to my "How can you tell an undercut" question, but
this outlines the potential scariness in a way I haven't thought about.
You can bet your posterior that I'm gonna be on the lookout for these
insidious monsters any time I paddle in the future...
Jim, I'm glad you made it out. That's one of the most harrowing stories
I have read yet. Keep that stubbornness with you, and even old age may
never get you! ;-)
-Mike "Damn, I have to change my undies now..." Deyer