On Dec 20, 2007 1:52 PM, Rich Kulawiec <rsk_at_rockandwater.net> wrote: > > Personally, I don't think these should be posted. Anyone who lacks > the knowledge and experience to know about them and avoid them probably > shouldn't be on the river. Even posting a warning doesn't work. On the otherwise innocent Yakima (often described as a Class I although I consider it a clear Class II) between Cle Elum and Thorpe just off I-90 about 70 miles east of Seattle there is an irrigation flume that occasionally dumps right into the river. Not always, just some of the time. When the flume is in operation there are huge signs on each side of the river about 1/2 mile and 1/4 mile upstream saying to the effect: WARNING - EXIT RIVER LEFT NOW. This spot can be navigated relatively safely river left but only by hugging the bank closely and I'm sure there are occasions when even this won't suffice. I *always* get out and scout it no matter that I've run this section with newbies dozens of times. And every time I stand on the bank across from the flume cascading into the river and sending froth all the way across I see rafters - all of them inexperienced and many of them drunk - blithely floating past the warning signs. Some of them pause to "play in the white water". Those are the ones they have to rescue. Every year a group gets caught in their raft under the flume, stripped of their clothes and dumped into white water that will neither float them or allow them to breathe. Almost none of them will be wearing their PFDs but the fact that they had them is demonstrated by their presence floating still in the eddy under the falls long after the victims are taken away. Every year a few die from this. Nothing will cure stupidity. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Dec 20 2007 - 16:55:28 PST
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