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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 2, 2013 - 10:42pm PT
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Those that have “flipped” their raft--------and those that are going to “flip” their raft.
Despite about 400 days of whitewater rafting in the last 41 years, mostly in Idaho, but also on the Grand Canyon and other rivers in the west: I have somehow not-ever managed to “flip” my raft.
I was starting to worry that I might never have the enjoyment of “flipping” my raft, and of course at age 64: new-experiences are hard to come by.
However! Heidi & I went rafting with friends on Idaho’s Salmon River near Riggins just before Labor Day weekend.
The plan was to car-camp and raft between river-side camps with light and maneuverable rafts. We would leave camping gear at a riverside camp-spot, then raft about 15 miles down to the camp-spot, and repeat the process the next day for the end of our adventure.
We took our small sport-car raft, the Aire Puma----aka “The Toy Boat.”
Fritz, Heidi & “The Toy Boat” on a wide & calm stretch of the Salmon River. Our boat is so-small and the river so-large.
Our friends Jerry & Angie were loaned the “un-flippable” Aire Cougar, since Jerry had missed seeing a rock in a minor rapid a month earlier on an easy stretch of the Snake River. The “Toy Boat” touched the rock and emptied Jerry, Angie, & Heidi into the river, then continued on proud & upright.
Our friend Mark, who spends nearly as much time river-running as guides do, came along for leadership in his Aire Super-Puma, a slightly longer, wider, and more stable version of our “Toy-boat.” The way he rigs it also puts some weight in the boat, which makes it a bit slower, but much more stable.
Jerry & Angie with the “un-flippable” Aire Cougar. Since we bought it in 1992, it has never been “flipped” in about 300 days of white-water river-running.
Our bear-sighting was a yearling and it was pretty cute. It first moved away from us, then it hiked after us for about a quarter-mile, then jumped in the water and started swimming. We all rowed fairly hard for a while, but we never saw it again.
OK! Then we arrived at the un-named and minor rapid that I enjoyed my “first-flip” in.
The rapid with a red-arrow showing the wave that “flipped” our boat.
Two close-ups of the flip wave, with the red arrow marking the “stopper” wave. Unfortunately, I didn’t see the red arrow when I ran the rapid.
It was the best possible type of flip. We both were tossed clear of the raft, before it went all the way over, the water was deep and warm, and we were at the very last big wave in the rapid. The other two boats got to us immediately and we were soon upright and on our way.
There was a thunderstorm that arrived at about the same time, but after our swim, I didn't flinch at the brief-rain and occasional lightning.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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You are never too old to flip...Next time bring a case of ACME red arrows...
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Good flippin on yah Fritz for telling us the real deal. Just remember, you are never to young to flip out mate.
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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Your boat looks way too easy to flip. It's too small to be sitting up high like that with oars.
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujo de La Playa
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Damn, I was hoping to learn how to build a roof.
Hi Fritz.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 2, 2013 - 11:23pm PT
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Zbrown! Happy to have you on-board!
We saw a Bald Eagle & a bunch of young Golden Eagles, but did not get good photos.
This Mule-Deer buck was willing on a hot afternoon.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Little bitty boats flip easier.
Also those self- bailers are easier as well.
That's why I still love my 2 bucket boats especially in big water, though in super technical water it's hard to beat the self- bailers...
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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yesterday i came upon a fellow who had just executed a double endo full bore into and onto the far shore of a water & silt filled wallow ... on an atc.
it would have taken something along the lines of your stopper wave just to clean him up. thanks for such visual refreshment
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mctwisted
Trad climber
e.p.
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nice pics fritz
here's a shot of getting the gear boat righted after a nasty flip, on a grand canyon 21 day
lots of groaning to get this baby over!
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Cave Creek, AZ
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Fritz, Congratulations on recently expanding your river experience! Hope to share the river with you someday.
Best, Mark, official member of the Grand Canyon Swim Team
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 3, 2013 - 12:39am PT
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Thanks for the photos and the stories.
Our "Toy-boat" came back to upright easily, with the help of the "flip-lines".
I have repeatedly suffered bringing a fully-loaded raft back to upright from upside-down.
I did not have good-times "re-flipping" the rafts.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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my friend Dan flipped his raft in the canyon and knocked his wife out with the oar frame, it was their Honeymoon, still married
remember to lean Into the wave, not away from it,
kayakers flip all the time, you just need to learn how to roll that raft,
winds can be fierce on the Salmon, here about rafts getting flipped while on the beach, some sail down the road a bit,
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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About time!!! What the hell were you waitng for? You're not getting any younger.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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I hope y'all hung onto yer wine glasses. I never could figure out how to
hold one and paddle a kayak at the same time. I suppose it was a good thing
I quit before the advent of 'hydration' systems.
ps
I did some kayaking in Scotland where the rivers look like they were fed
by a big scotch bottle which, in effect, they were. The first day was
quite warm by their standards (maybe 55 F!) and I was getting thirsty.
I asked my mates if it was all right to drink the water.
"Ach, mon, arrr ye daft? Of coorse it's arrright!"
And it tasted just like scotch, minus the alcohol.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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I totally thought this was going to be about KD vs Trusses.
Cool thread though!
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Cragar
Trad climber
MSLA - MT
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Ha!
Well, now you are experienced eh?!
BTW, you were our PUR rep at P-Stone back in the early 90's and you were very much appreciated with your straight forward honest approach!
.
Take Care
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Here you go, flip all you want.
Saw these folks at the confluence of the SF and Main Salmon this summer-wild rides I'll bet.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Amazingly they do.
I ask the dude (apparently the owner/designer) and he said, "well yeh, you don't want to come out."
Class 4+ through 5 in those things.
I have a suspicion that's where serious rafting is headed.
When is a flip not flip?
When it's a roll...I don't know.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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I've flipped twice, Skull in Westwater and The Tombstone right near the takeout on the Taos Box (somehow didn't flip on ski jump, but boy that one had my heart racing).
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Fun story, Fritz!
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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[Click to View YouTube Video]
I ran right, she ran left. I swam the final big phat waves beneath me boat and she didn't. Still though, damn. I was purt scared to look back and see her surfing that big phucker.
same trip, Granite Rapid. photo cred and rights M.H. 2013
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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There is a third type of "rafter," viz. those who don't use rafts, but ride a surf mat instead. Of course you wear a wetsuit, and use swim fins. Certain safety-conscious types also bring a helmet, knee pads and a personal floatation device, but these weren't mentioned or offered to me when I went down the Kings from Garnet Dike to Kirch Flat or the Merced past Ned Gulch.
One friend described it as the second most pleasurable thing you can do. . .
John
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Prod
Trad climber
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65 or so trips down the Grand and 1 flip in Hermit at 18,000 CFS. Perfect run square and straight down the wave train. 5th hole broke at the top as I crested my 18' Demaree which catapulted me into a perfect slo motion endo. Then I got pushed into the dark bubbles by my oar, then an eddy re sucked me back into the dark bubbles.
Welcome to the club.
Prod.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Fritz, bad ass...but still, at your age?
Looks like big time fun.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 3, 2013 - 10:52pm PT
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Wow! Thanks for the positive replies and those -----scary---Lava Falls videos.
We went down the left side of Lava in 1999 at about 13,000 CFS, and just when I thought that we had skated the rapid, and we were rolling along in big standing waves—real -fast--------my big & heavily-loaded cataraft flew over a basalt needle, which didn’t even touch the frame or tubes.
Much to my surprise! The hole behind the needle stopped us, and both oars were torn out of my hands.
The Cat backed up to the basalt needle while the river raced by on either side. I grabbed the edge of my seat with both hands, as the washing-machine action started.
Seconds later, I looked up at my right oar coming my way. I raised my right-hand and the handle slapped into it, then the same thing happened with the left oar. I gave one good push, and washed out of the hole.
The cataraft frame was somewhat bent by the adventure, and both 5 gallon water containers, that had been firmly strapped on top of the frame, were now under the frame.
I accept all that as a lighter than usual Lava Falls adventure.
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wilbeer
Mountain climber
honeoye falls,ny.greeneck alleghenys
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There is another type ,swimmers.
Sorry im a kayaker. Great thread
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MisterE
climber
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There are 2 types of rafters & after 41 years, I switched!
I thought this was going to be about the advantages of scissor-trusses!
;)
Glad you are OK!
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujo de La Playa
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you tell me!
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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awesome vid DelhiDog!
pretty rad, but those guys just missed getting pinned on that big boulder in the class 6, would have been bad, real bad, probably undercut, why the oars? pretty useless in that kind of water, would wear a regulator with a 5 minute pony tank for something like that,
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 4, 2013 - 12:22am PT
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After my Salmon River flip, we floated by impressive granite buttresses, that Mark & I had done "adventure climbing" routes on in the late 1970's.
We would drive south 150 miles from Moscow, Idaho & Pullman Washington (U of I & WSU) for warm spring days of potential new routes with the joy of Poison Ivy/Oak, rattlers, river views , sandy beaches, and huge loose flakes.
What's not to like?
I am somewhat amazed that that little climbing activity shows up on the internet under the obvious searches of Salmon River, Idaho, or Riggins.
There is one web-site that mentions the area of our adventure, but no details on routes. http://www.drtopo.com/submitted/riggins.pdf
The Salmon River Crags
These crags are located alongside the Salmon River about 14 or 15 miles to the east of Riggins.
The obvious granite outcrops tower above the north side of the road just before the second bridge
(Manning Bridge). There are more than 30 established routes here, many of which have multiple
pitches. There are crack climbs, bolted face climbs and mixed lines. Some of these routes have
healthy runouts that require a cool head and a change of underwear. The difficulty ranges from
5.8 to 5.12
We had adventure and survived, and when we floated by last week, after our flip, I got some photos of a few of our routes.
That Crack on The Salmon 5.8 A-1, nine 150 foot leads with some walking between leads.
Not just a climbing route, but an adventure, with one of the upper leads being the "Chimney of Horrors." From my journal: Highly recommended as an unusual problem! This pitch features jamming on huge flakes inside a wide and scenic chimney.
Then there was my dream-route "Dream of White Sheep" After a couple tries by groups with me, I lured the legendary Avery Tichner up to lead the open book, that he considered a 5.10d. We walked a ledge about 30 ft. right, and Avery led another easier pitch. He shouted down to me & his noob-early 20's disciple, that there was a car-door size ---extremely loose-flake half-way up the lead. We shouted up our understanding and the noob, started to follow Avery’s lead.
I suddenly knew that I was about to die, and retreated 30’ along the sidewalk-wide ledge to Avery’s bolt anchors from the previous lead. The noob made it past the car-door sized loose-flake, but nudged it off. It slid 80 feet down and exploded where I had been standing. A plate-sized chunk whacked me in the ankle and the rest of the car-door started an impressive rock-fall below us.
I remember watching everything rumble down towards the up-river road, while a motor-cycle driver , braked and did a hard and fast U-turn to avoid rockfall.
Avery went back without me, finished the route and rated it somewhere in the 5.11 range. None of these routes and various others that we survived, were ever published.
The adventures are still waiting.
But then, the beaches are pleasant too.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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I hear ya Doc.
Mostly just a fire and forget kind of thing, though "scareball!" comes to mind when I saw the potential for entrapment. They also had paddle boat set ups too. I'd think that might make more sense in easier water, as well as a transparent tube in front.
"DD can tell you about our trip through the grand: I quit getting out of the boat to scout the rapids because it just made it worse. "
Pretty funny really. Actually when TT stayed in the boats instead of scouting with us, we had more room in the groover each night...heh heh.
Fritz, I was on the Main Salmon (Id.) this summer and was wishing I'd brought climbing gear. Some nice looking rock down there in places.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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bravecowpoke, I just watched that flip.
Why was that dude rowing back into the hole?
And whoa, that frame popped right off. Wonder if the d-rings blew or if it was just a shitty tie-down.
Looked like the run my brother in-law took right into the hole at Lava one time. I told the idiot to follow me (left run that particular time) and he just drifted center. Dummy. Of course he only lost his flyrod and not the whole darn load.
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10b4me
Ice climber
Soon 2B in Arizona
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Ok dammit, I have to get out on my kayak at least once this year.
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bobinc
Trad climber
Portland, Or
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I'm still in the non-flip category but think that mostly has to do with not boating enough.
Got close in 2007 on the GC when I went left at Bedrock...
And was riding in the bow on a SuperPuma that flipped in Cramer Rapid on the Main Salmon; this was perhaps a year after it formed. Four boats went through it and two flipped. (The second was a 15 foot Aire.)
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L
climber
California dreaming' on the farside of the world..
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Excellent TR, Flipper Fritz! I'm happy you lived to write about it because you tell a darn good tale and always include great photos.
I'm the "other type of rafter", but got close to joining your elite club on the Eagle River in Alaska. One of the other rafts with us didn't make it through the crux of the class 5 rapids and scared the bejesus out of its former occupants. They gave up WWR right there on the spot, I think.
Thanks for the great read.
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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My buddy is the first boat in this compilation, one of the five paddle boats through the race that day (fifty competed) that did not flip once.
Gore Canyon looks wild!
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 4, 2013 - 08:36pm PT
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DelhiDog! That was an awesome video of the "un-flippable" thing on the Wenatchee River.
L!!! Great to see your favorable input & wonderfull to see you back on ST.
Thanks to all for posting!
Here's a link to our 1990's adventure on Idaho's Bruneu River, where Heidi flipped the "Toy-boat" and nearly killed her sister. The "Toy-boat" has three-flips to its credit and Heidi experienced them all.
BIG Water on the Bruneau! A rafting epic. http://www.supertopo.com/tr/BIG-Water-on-the-Bruneau-A-rafting-epic/t10888n.html
Since we are posting rafting-porn videos, here's one of Catarafts on Idaho's N. Fork Payette. Highway on one side & old railroad on the other combined with a steep gradient makes for very-serious boating. Swimming is not a survivable option, except for the very-lucky.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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good thread
btw Friends of the River is a non profit org that supports wild and scenic rivers. The fund raising Swap Meet is this coming Saturday 9/7 in Lotus! We'll raft SFA on Friday and on Saturday. cmon out! The swap meet is huge btw.
http://www.friendsoftheriver.org/site/PageServer
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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great thread
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L
climber
California dreaming' on the farside of the world..
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The "Toy-boat" has three-flips to its credit and Heidi experienced them all.
Heidi is either extremely lucky or extremely unlucky...not sure which. ;-)
What a fabulous epic--I loved it! And that clip made my stomach hurt just watching it.
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