Trip Report: Middle Clackamas

[liveonearth]

Susan and I floated "Fish to Bob's Hole" today. It's a short class III section. When I ran this section with Carol and Joel during the Riverfest the water was much higher and the run was mostly washed out. Today it was well developed with lots of waves and holes and funny water too. I did two combat rolls right away, one after I got a nearly vertical stern squirt at the putin, and another when I was rushing to offer a bow to Susan when she flipped, and got flipped during my rescue attempt. I rolled up to find her wet exiting, but luckily the shore was not far and we were able to get her out quickly.

I felt shaky in the boat the whole time. Just not stable, not in touch, not secure. The water kept tossing me around and I did not have any confidence in my ability to just plain old stay right side up. My combat rolls were working, but they weren't strong. I'm not the boater I used to be. Bob's Hole looked just fine but I had no desire to go in there.

Comments

nice river....

[beauregard45.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed your Clackamas trip reports. Carol and I snacked on Chinese down river LEFT at one of the river parks. Not sure which one. We found it by driving down into the river drainage and "sniffing" for rio. Found it.

rio synchronicity...comes from time in a boat. A lesson I am reminded every time I have a gap in boating time is how my expectations and actions are so out of sych with what happens on the river. When I, as my friend Dean says, "let go....," I do better and enjoy more.

Go boat that section at different levels. It will be like Christmas morning each time. Enjoy. The water is clean.

I hear thunder. Somebody please go squeeze a cloud, wud ya?...

beau

Re: nice river....

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Is that your beast in the pic?
Has he gone boating yet?
Heh.
Sorry I can't make it rain for you.
I'll do my rain dance anyway.