Bigwater is right too, folks. Fear is a bad thing and can kill you. TOO MUCH fear. I am not talking about the kind of fear where you freeze up, bigwater. It's that certain level of fear you should have when you stop a vehicle on a deserted street at 4 in the a.m. This is the kind of fear that keeps you alert. Maybe that's another name for 'awareness'. And it is a good thing to have and it will keep you alive as long as you do not let it progress to 'panic'. I understood what you were talking about although some didn't, and it's good you brought it up. Another thing as to armed confrontations, or any life threatening situation: most of the speculation and analyzing is done long afterwards. You don't have time to think sh*t, you hopefully revert to your training (and you really do) and do what you have to. It's funny, but you usually don't get scared until afterwards.
And I thought they were drafting us cause we couldn't vote. I won that lottery anyway. I just saw that post bigwater about the Class 5. Lots of folks probably don't get that, but I'm up here in Colorado and see that on the Arkansas, and definitely know what you're talking about. You have my admiration. You better not fear the river, but always respect it. Get one of them helmet cams and post some pics when runoff starts. It may not be that great this year unless we get more snow.
Hehe... Yeah, lots of people don't understand whitewater ratings. My avatar is a picture of me surfing a little dinky class 3 standing wave in a 13 foot Dagger Ocoee whitewater canoe. Imagine doubling the size of that wave and you have class 4, then double it again and you have class 5.