http://www.stuff.co.nz/3931541a11.html eric e *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Eri Ceas wrote: >http://www.stuff.co.nz/3931541a11.html > More about this sad tragedy here: 'Speed of tragedy shocks' http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/southlandtimes/3929767a6011.html Squires was an experienced kayaker who wrote two guidebooks on whitewater kayaking in New York State. From the first article: New Zealand Recreational Canoeing Association safety officer Glenn Murdoch said the Waikaia River was known as difficult and challenging because of its steepness and the large number of rocks within it. "Often overseas kayakers come to New Zealand being very experienced kayakers but having kayaked on rivers of quite different types." New Zealand rivers tended to have more large boulders than the bedrock that could be found overseas, he said. The above comments got me curious. So I was trying to find some photos of this "different" type of river and came across this site: http://raftinglife.blogspot.com/2006/10/waikaia-river-nz.html More here (scroll down to 'The Waikaia River, Take 2') http://raftinglife.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html My question would be... is this really atypical of a narrow gorge in a mountainous region? Or did Squires (aka Whitewater Outlaw) run out of luck? Any ww gorge runners here? Jackie *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
on 18/1/07 03:46, Jackie Myers at jackie_at_muddypuppies.com wrote: > Eri Ceas wrote: > > > Squires was an experienced kayaker who wrote two guidebooks on > whitewater kayaking in New York State. > His body was recovered by police divers last night, in the area that he was last seen. -- John Kirk-Anderson Banks Peninsula NEW ZEALAND *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Jackie Myers wrote: > My question would be... is this really atypical of a narrow gorge in a mountainous region? Or did Squires (aka Whitewater Outlaw) run out of luck? Any ww gorge runners here? No, that's what steep canyon/gorge/creek paddling looks like at high water. We've got places like that within 2 hours of my keyboard. Yes, Squires probably ran slap out of luck. Without knowing any details, I would say that he probably got caught in a recirculating hydraulic at the bottom of the drop which pushed him and his boat into a boulder sieve and pinned him there. It can happen very quickly, and the essential feature of river running is that the current is continuous, so head down pins are often fatal. Given the flow, it's unlikely that the outcome would have been any different if there had been a group of 10 paddlers instead of just 2. I don't run many gorges like that, but have many friends who do. It's not uncommon for one of them to say "I almost died this weekend." Steve -- Steve Cramer Athens, GA http://www.savvypaddler.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On 1/17/07, Jackie Myers <jackie_at_muddypuppies.com> wrote: > My question would be... is this really atypical of a narrow gorge in a > mountainous region? Or did Squires (aka Whitewater Outlaw) run out of > luck? Any ww gorge runners here? > > Jackie > Several years ago I paddled the Wenatchee River in Washington State between Leavenworth and Cashmere (Class III) with some Kiwi white-water paddlers. They told me that the rivers in NZ were much different than ours because of the narrow nature of the islands and the steep approaches to the mountains. The rivers run much steeper, are much shorter, and have many more hazards in them (boulders). During our 12 mile run they said that a typical NZ run would be half that or less. A serious downside to this would be fewer opportunities to get out and scout. Add this to the serious variable of water flow (river volume) and you can have a recipe for disaster. It pays to know the water you're paddling; unless you enjoy the thrill of almost dying. (Most creekboaters, I think.) Craig Jungers Royal City, WA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Craig Jungers wrote: >Several years ago I paddled the Wenatchee River in Washington State between >Leavenworth and Cashmere (Class III) with some Kiwi white-water paddlers. >They told me that the rivers in NZ were much different than ours because of >the narrow nature of the islands and the steep approaches to the mountains. >The rivers run much steeper, are much shorter, and have many more hazards in >them (boulders). During our 12 mile run they said that a typical NZ run >would be half that or less. > >A serious downside to this would be fewer opportunities to get out and >scout. > You mean like this? (steep run as much as 360 feet per mile gradient?, big rocks) http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_nm/co_black.htm more wonderful photos of Black Canyon of the Gunnison River http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.black-canyon.all.html Of course, that would be a long trip downriver (14 miles). Sadly, this classV also "has claimed the lives of experienced and respected kayakers." Wonder if your Kiwi paddling acquaintances ever gave Burnt Ranch Gorge a try - even includes a tunnel (nice photos at the link): http://www.cacreeks.com/trin-ran.htm btw, I'm not a creek boater so I don't know about the vast majority of canyon runs out there. Maybe Steve will educate us. The kayaking companion of the deceased kayaker in NZ made his way back up the drop to try and find his friend. So it sounds like it was scoutable. Possibly they did scout it. I know there are canyons and runs where kayakers don't scout before they run, though. In Texas, because the rivers seem to be always alternating between dry and flooding, and take houses, barns, buses, as well as trees downriver with them making deposits along the way (such as the cow draped in a tree 30 feet off the ground), we learned scouting is essential (strainers or the occasional cow plumeting from above). I can't imagine running what I couldn't see ahead. Jackie *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> My question would be... is this really atypical of a narrow gorge in a > mountainous region? Or did Squires (aka Whitewater Outlaw) run out of > luck? Any ww gorge runners here? > > Jackie More details on npmb.com: Kayaker's body recovered from Waikaia River , 18 January 2007 08:15 The body of an American kayaker who was missing, presumed drowned, on the Waikaia river was recovered at 4.30pm on Wednesday 17 January. Dennis Squires set out with a Japanese partner on the Canton Bridge to Piano Flat section on Saturday 13. Squires failed to catch up with his companion below a drop. His body was recovered from underneath a tree where it was entrapped deep below the water. Squires was an experienced paddler with several guidebooks to his credit. The Upper Waikaia is a steep and challenging run. Maritime NZ is investigating with the assistance of NZRCA Safety Officer Glenn Murdoch. # A very sad story. My condolences to family and friends. I would have liked to have met up with him for a paddle. Although what they were running, class V+ is probably out of my league. I've run some easy class V steep creeks and even that is really not my cup of tea. All it takes is one moment of inattention or just a freak pulse of water and your off line heading for some very unforgiving nastiness. -mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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