[Paddlewise] my trip in the upper gorge of the Green (WA) - long

From: Jack Fu [jack.fu_at_worldnet.att.net]
Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2000 11:19 AM
To: <snip>

Subject: sobering trip in the Green River gorge

I did the Green River gorge yesterday with Tom X and
Bob Y. I'm a good paddler, Tom is a very good paddler, 
Bob is an expert. Bob knows the Green well, is alert and
fast-acting in an emergency, and in general the best friend
you could have.

I did two things wrong. First, I lost my concentration in
a difficult stretch and dropped sideways into a keeper and
flipped. Being an experienced paddler, I could tell I was in a 
classic, glue-like keeper, and I should have popped the skirt
right away, but instead, I tried to set up for a roll. It was
useless and caused me to lose several precious seconds. 
When I finally popped the skirt I was almost completely out
of breath. In the next 10 feet or so of floating down the 
river, I was breathing in foamy air, and my lungs hurt like
hell. Bob pulled me ashore, then chase my paddle down.
Tom saved my boat.

My next mistake also involved a loss of concentration. I
flipped at the bottom of Mercury drop. I rolled up right
away, but was feeling disoriented and could not concentrate
except in a sort of semi-panicked reaction mode, and instead
of going through the "Nozzle" (as you MUST do), I found myself
headed into the narrow passage to the right of the Nozzle. 
The side of my boat scraped the rock on the right and I 
flipped left. I popped the skirt, came out, and found myself
in a confusing situation where the boat tried to float though
the passage, then turned vertical as I was holding onto it 
for dear life, then completely disappeared as the current
grapped its lower end and tried to force it though the
passage underwater. (There was water going over the top 
between the two rocks, but most of the water was rushing 
through underneath, where the passage is wider.) With the 
boat gone, I tried to climb up on the rock on the left side 
of the passage, but but it was too slippery. I could not get 
any hold on it at all. I had no strength left. I was floating
vertically in a tiny eddy in a hollow on the upstream side of 
that rock (and just to the left of the passage). Though my 
head was above water, I could feel the fast, deeper current 
tugging at my feet and trying to pull me, feet first, through 
the passage underwater. Had that happened, I would have drowned.

But Bob saved my life. 
 
Bob had gone through the Nozzle just before all this, and
realizing that I was not behind him, immediately paddled to
just downsteam of the narrow passage, got out of his boat
and wedged it and his paddle in a small notched ledge on
the downstream side of that rock that I was trying to 
climb onto. (How he did all this, and so lighting fast,
I will never know. It seemed a miracle.) He got up on 
that rock, saw me, and extended his hand. We were barely 
able to touch hands, but we did. Bob then managed to haul 
me up on the rock. 

We did not know whether my boat had been flushed through
the passage underwater or whether it was stuck there.
Bob probed with my paddle, then with his arm, then with 
his foot. It was there, about three feet underwater. By
nudging it with his foot (in the downsteam end of the
passage, of course) he managed to free it and it flushed
through.

After making sure I was okay, Bob put me back in my boat
(I won't relate all the details; all I know is, I was
completely in Bob's hands, and he seemed to be performing
miracles) and we were on our way.

One more episode. At one point near the end of the trip
there was a bend where there was a small rock garden that 
did not have enough water. Instead of taking the outside
of the bend, as anyone with any sense would, I ended up
high and dry on some small rounded rocks in the rock garden. 
There was no danger, but I felt awfully silly, hung up in 
the air like that. I began to laugh. Then Bob and Tom began  
to laugh. For some time we three laughed like hyenas. Had
anyone seen us at that point, they would have thought we
were stark crazy!

		------------------------

The trip was a sobering experience for me. I realize now
that although 20 to 30 years a go I was a decent class 4
paddler, I no longer am. There are several reasons for this.
One is that I am not as strong or coordinated as I was,
but the main reason is that I just don't have the power
of concentration, the ability to focus on what is needed
and to carry it out quickly and precisely, that I used to
have. (Not that I ever had a lot of it, but I had enough
to get by.)

So, I have made a sad decision. I will no longer paddle
class 4. On class 4 I am a potential danger to myself and
to others. This decision leaves a lot of fun stuff out, but
hey, I have to come to my senses at some point.

Jack

==============================================

-----Original Message-----
From: <snip>
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 10:05 AM
To: jack.fu_at_worldnet.att.net
Subject: Glad you are OK!!!


You have experienced something very scary.  I'm extremely happy 
that you are OK.  We watched helplessly as a person drowned in 
that slot last year.  He experienced exactly what you experienced, 
but was sucked down when his raft tipped over.  We tried to pull 
him out, but he drowned.

The rescue divers couldn't get his body out.  They turned down 
the river level at the dam and had to cut his body out of the seive.  
<details snipped>.  That is a horrible nasty seive, and I'm very 
surprised that your boat came through... I'm even more glad that 
you had a helping hand there to pull you out.  That was one of 
the most tragic days I've ever had to live through, and I'm glad 
that you escaped the little nozzle unscathed.

Your decision not to boat class IV might be the right one.  Only 
you can know that.  I know that I personally have made the decision 
not to boat class V water because I know it is dangerous and that 
the chance of not making it home is a little higher.  I have a blast 
playboating on class III, and am satisfied that I can remain 
challenged with playing the III's.

Keep boating within your ability... see you on the river,



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