Looks good on Paper..Taking equipment Down By Raft

[MadMarshall]

Today I happend into "CHARLIE".. prospecting the area since 94 he around 50 or more now..Anyway we happened to meet in a spot that was a real pain in the ass to get to and far... I have met him once or twice over the years but today we made talk longer then uasual and he happened to bring up ways he used to get his equipment to remote places on the river.. And the subject of floating it down and how many tools were lost ect ect...It seems in certian spots he does ferry his equipment but he also explained how many years and how much money he spent on learning!!And he even has hiked in and stashed the small raft or whatever he uses(never did ask or see anything).But he was armed to the teeth in equipment..And all the prep work that it takes..well anyway I often considered that and him biening on the NF American river and one I have considered doining a rafting trip with equipment I'm glad the subject got brought up as I think now I will just continue to hike as I have no real intention on putting in the kind of work he does on that river...Anyway glad I ran into him in the most unlikely of places(or was it?)..As it was inevidable that I would have tried it not fully understanding all the possable consequences...

 

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[sidvail]

I had thought the same thing. Put your gear on the raft and swim it downriver. I can see where some of those areas though would beat you to death.

Maybe you can rappel down to a new spot

 

[bevo]

I'm lookin at some mind boggling terrain right now. Tryin to figure how when etc. as well as who. I know what I am capable of, but I have to think about those
who I ask to follow me. The people that come with me, is my biggest priority.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Got 15 years of drift boat and raft experience, and FWIW I would never even consider
taking a raft or DB down a river I that I had -0- knowledge of, and getting IN the
water to try and steer a loaded raft is a bad idea from the get-go.

If you can walk that raft down, that's one thing, but if your swimming along with
it in the current then I hope you're "prayed up", as you could be meeting the Big Guy
a lot sooner than you think..lol. Trying to "steer" a heavy raft in a strong river current is
pretty much impossible, even if you're in it and you have oars.

If there are deep water areas (over your head) where you need to swim, you have
to be SURE that you won't pass over any large boulders that are a few feet under.
In that current, the odds are high there's a pretty good suckhole right on the downriver
side of that boulder, and it can grab you and suck you right to the bottom in a NY second.
Once you bounce off the boulders on the bottom a couple times, it might spit you
back out, but then quite often the current is so strong you're trapped.

I've screwed up and got sucked into a few of those suckholes in both 16' and
18' fiberglass drift boats, and on both occasions the current caught a chine and
started sucking the boat down, and if my clients and I hadn't quickly
transferred our weight to the "upside" it could have been disastrous.

Best suggestion is that you find high points along the rivers path, and get
up there and look down on the river. Pick a day when the water is clear, and
you'll be able to see *most* of the potential problem areas. Better yet, walk
the bank down the stretch you plan to raft and take special note to any
mid-river current changes, as they are often the tale-tale signs of deep, large
boulders. Are there any bars to cross? If so, if your raft is "hanging low" you
very well might have to portage around them (bunch of flippin' work!).

I live on a protected, wilderness area river that typically flows about
16,000 cubic FPS, and although I've drifted it a couple hundred times in
my own boats, it's been a couple years since my last trip. Before I ever
dropped the boat in the water I would call a guide friend up and ask about
any changes, new snags, sweepers or anything else I need to be aware
of.

Rivers change constantly, so make sure any info you get is current to
the last high-water event. Boulders can get rolled by heavy flood currents,
and deadly stumps can pop-up on any snag at any time. I've rowed a number of
Class III rivers, but there are some rivers here in WA. that are loaded with
trophy steelhead (or used to be) where I wouldn't even consider trying
with my own boat but called (and paid) a local guide who rowed it every day
and knew that water like the back of his hand. That guide could really handle
a boat, but I still got the sheite scared outta me a few times as we dropped
through a few boulder-strewn chutes.

Last but most important of all: Please, PLEASE do not get in that water
in a raft or anything else without a proper floatation vest.
I've helped pull more than one body from the river here, and not a one had a
flotation vest on. The crap can hit the fan in an instant, and then you're suddenly
in that very cold, fast moving water. If it's cold snowmelt, you've got about 5 min.
before hypothermia sets in (vest or not) and that's when that irritating vest
saves your life.

Honestly though, I think drifting it down is an awesome idea!
Getting the raft and gear to the destination in one piece is another thing, and
if that river is fished by any guides, it may be well worth it to hire one for a
day and have them ferry your gear down for you. You might spend $300 for
the guide, but if it makes all the difference in getting your gear (and YOU) there
safely, it'll be $300 well spent on keeping you alive and your gear off the rivers bottom.

Me? I'd do the homework, then go for it...

 

[Hoser John]

I've floated,rafted,kayaked,helio drops,lowered,hauled on my back piece by bloody piece BUT test test and then test some more to be absolutely sure PRIOR to insane attempts. Heleio in a 12" just to find out bud did a lousy job of testing his ABSOLUTELY AMAZING spot=-$6,800 and a months work. John---1,620 foot a cliffs at 70-90+ degrees but ooooooooooo so yummy

 

[wa-au-nut]

Dizzy just hit a homerun!! I also have have had the crap scared out of me on a river in a driftboat and a raft. River change with EVERY flood, don't need to be a 100 year flood, but a high water event. Just takes a new sweeper(tree) that wasn't there last week to put you in the drink! I would never splash my boat in a river without floating it with someone who knows it first. I've only done it for 40 years though.

 

[Jeff95531]

I once got ejected from a raft in Alaska due to snagging on a sweeper. It happened so fast that the next thing i knew I was fully under water. Looked for the sky and realized I was holding on to something in the same direction. It was a branch and I was able to pull my head out of the water. I knew I was in deep , scared and absolutely could not move. I REALLY wanted to get out but it felt like I was in cement! I told my buddy I had to let go, rolled over and fortunately was able to get out on the other side, just before the current slammed into a canyon wall. The ONLY reason I had that extra time to survive and tell this story was because of what I was wearing; Booted chest waders, life jacket and a raincoat tied off at the waist. My buddy got water in his waders as he tried to cross and sank like a rock. I saved him tho.

Only time I ever had to get rescued.