liveonearth: (Default)
 

This quiz is designed to help whitewater paddlers assess what class of whitewater you have the skills to run with success.  For each question, pick the answer that is most true for you now, not historically.  Rigorous and honest self assessment is difficult, but it may be your most important skill for longterm enjoyment in a risky sport.  If you are not honest with yourself, this tool is of no use.  Our abilities shift throughout life so keep checking in about what you can do, adjust your paddling choices accordingly.  You do not have to tell anyone else about your process. 

To take the quiz: Jot down a single number answer to each question, making a list that looks something like this: 1, 3, 2, 2, etc.  You should have a list with 11 numbers by the end.

  1. Rolling
    1. I roll most/all of the time in the pool but tend to bail in combat situations.
    2. When I flip on the river I immediately get into a tightly tucked set-up position and try a roll or a T-rescue.
    3. My roll is 90% or more successful on the river.
    4. I roll on both sides, have a hand roll, and can usually do one of those in a pinch.
  2. Ferrying
    1. I can get across mild currents but sometimes I flip over.
    2. I’m confident doing a ferry across moderate current with turbulence.
    3. I can jet ferry across intense current and hit the other side where I want.
    4. I am comfortable using waves and holes to cross a rapid upstream from a dangerous obstacle.
  3. Catching Eddies
    1. I catch the big eddy at the bottom of the rapid.
    2. I enjoy catching medium sized eddies in the middle of rapids.
    3. I like to "sew up" rapids by hopping from eddy to eddy all the way down.
    4. I catch tiny eddies in weird places for strategic positioning or to get a view of what’s downstream.
  4. Reading Water
    1. I need someone to follow because I'm not great at picking lines.
    2. I usually follow through new rapids and feel OK leading through familiar rapids.
    3. I can find my way down a new class II.
    4. I pick my own routes in unfamiliar class III rapids without scouting or following.
  5. Playing
    1. I don't play because I don't want to flip over.
    2. I play at the best spots when I am in my playboat.
    3. I bow surf on waves when they have eddy service.
    4. I catch waves on the fly and drop into holes sideways for fun.
  6. Rescue
    1. I hate swimming rapids and often need help getting my gear rounded up.
    2. I am good at self rescue and often get my kit to shore before anybody shows up to help.
    3. I always carry a throwbag and have used it to pull in swimmers and boats.
    4. I have training and practice getting boats and people out of pins and other situations.
  7. Strength
    1. I need help loading my boat on the car.
    2. I do shoulder and core exercises regularly.
    3. I can lift my own boat overhead and set it on a vehicle.
    4. I can carry my boat 0.7 miles and then paddle and portage for 4 hours with energy left over.
  8. Cardiovascular Fitness
    1. My most vigorous workout is walking.
    2. I run, bike or do cardio at the gym at least twice a week.
    3. I do aerobic paddling workouts like sprints, slalom, or continuous/high water whitewater runs at least twice a week.
    4. I can carry my boat four miles uphill and then paddle big rapids without problems.
  9. Mental Toughness
    1. I get emotional or angry when things don’t go well on the river.
    2. I am anxious sometimes on the water but manage my fear without requiring reassurance.
    3. I can take a bad swim or a beating on rocks/in a hole and still have a good day.
    4. I am cool as a cucumber and can function in life and death situations.
  10. Flows
    1. I let other people decide when the flows are right for a run.
    2. I know what CFS stands for and how to find gauges on the internet.
    3. I get gauge readings for each run I do (maybe even log them) and study the runoff/release patterns.
    4. I investigate flow recommendations and patterns for new runs and enjoy high and low water.
  11. Crew
    1. I participate in pick-up trips with people I find via the internet or clubs.
    2. The folks I usually paddle with are mostly weaker paddlers than me.
    3. I’ve had the good luck to fall in with a crew that’s stronger paddlers than me.
    4. I paddle regularly with friends who are strong paddlers and whose habits and idiosyncrasies are well understood.


SCORING
Don't cheat yourself!  Write down your answers to all 11 questions THEN follow this link.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
liveonearth: (Default)
 

SCORING FOR THE WHITEWATER READINESS QUIZ

Take the grand total of all the numbers you wrote down while taking the quiz and subtract 11.  Done.

How this works in a little more detail:
For each 1 you get 0 points.

2 = 1 point.

3 = 2 points.

4 = 3 points.



 

Consider this:

Lowest possible score: 0.

Highest possible score: 33.


 

SCORE RANGES

  • 0-7 Beginner, still.  Stick to class I-II water and the pool, and take classes.  Get on the water as often as possible with people you trust.  Confront your fears and master the basic skills of the sport on easy water.  Start playing in the river.  Learn to roll.  Get in shape.  Start carrying a throw bag, learn how to use a it, and rope in some swimmers.
  • 8-14 Early Intermediate.  Start doing hard moves on class II water and master the skills before stepping it up to class III.  You may run class III rapids from top to bottom without flipping over but that does not make you a class III paddler.  What makes you a class III paddler is the ability to do moves in those same rapids, catching eddies and using waves and holes to make moves in heavy water.  Try different lines in rapids that you know well.  Polish your roll.  Strengthen your shoulders and core.  
  • 15-21 Strong Intermediate.  Run all the class III (and a taste of IV) in your region, at a variety of flows.  Develop your own opinions about best flows, minimums and maximums for your local runs.  Play in bigger features.  Learn to surf holes and how to get out of them.  Start doing challenging moves on class III water before going on class IV runs or class III at high water.  Scout the class IV rapids that you run carefully and repeatedly, and over time, master every line in each rapid.  You can still portage or run shuttle whenever a rapid or run feels wrong.  Keep practicing your roll.  Get river rescue training.
  • 22-33 Advanced.  Consider class IV whitewater unless you have a severe weakness in one or two areas, in which case, address those.  Run a LOT of class III and IV at a variety of flows and develop a strong, safety-conscious crew before considering class V.  Keep practicing your roll.  Get more training.  Teach others.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
liveonearth: (Default)
The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it
because the only people who really know where it is
are the ones who have gone over.

- Hunter S. Thompson
liveonearth: (Default)
Adventure is worthwhile.
~~Aristotle
liveonearth: (Default)
I am not anti-gun. I'm pro-knife.
Consider the merits of the knife.
In the first place, you have to catch up with someone
in order to stab him.
A general substitution of knives for guns would promote physical fitness.
We'd turn into a whole nation of great runners.
Plus, knives don't ricochet.
And people are seldom killed while cleaning their knives.
- Molly Ivins
liveonearth: (dragon)

I do not risk my life.
I take risks in order to live.
I take risks because I love life,
not because I don’t.

--Stephen Koch, climber and extreme snowboarder

liveonearth: (water_dropping)
A man who is not afraid of the sea
will soon be drowned, he said,
for he will be going out on a day he shouldn't.
But we do be afraid of the sea,
and we do only be drownded now and again.

~John Millington Synge
liveonearth: (dont_be_heavy)

  • This epidemiologic analysis revealed that mortality rates are increasing in the middle-aged white male population, largely due to preventable conditions like poisonings and overdoses.

  • Reductions in mortality were seen in other racial groups.

ARTICLE from Medpage, primary care )


SOURCE

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/GeneralPrimaryCare/54456
liveonearth: (moon)
Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon
by Tom Myers and Michael Ghiglieri


This book logs all the mistakes you can make at the Grand Canyon.  There's an interview with the authors here.  There have been some changes since the first edition.  There are more environmental deaths, climbing deaths down in the canyon, and suicides than when the book was written. There are fewer deaths overall and fewer falls from the top of the canyon. Perhaps the park has improved safety and access to cliff tops to cause this change.

Q: What are common risk factors for death at the Canyon?

A: "Men, we have a problem," Ghiglieri said to an audience at NAU's Cline Library this winter, displaying a graphic with a skull and crossbones.

Being male, and young, is a tremendous risk factor, he and Myers found.

Of 55 who have accidentally fallen from the rim of the canyon, 39 were male. Eight of those guys were hopping from one rock to another or posing for pictures, including a 38-year-old father from Texas pretending to fall to scare his daughter, who then really did fall 400 feet to his death.

So is taking unknown shortcuts, which sometimes lead to cliffs.

Going solo is a risk factor in deaths from falls, climbing (anticipated or unplanned) and hiking.

Arrogance, impatience or ignorance also sometimes play a part.


SOURCE
http://azdailysun.com/news/local/canyon-deaths-and-counting/article_ba588a05-e816-55be-87f6-80f15b76f744.html
liveonearth: (moon)
https://vimeo.com/111507586

Loved this video showing all my friends getting beat down. Everybody takes a turn at this level of whitewater. If you aren't willing to take a beating, you shouldn't be out there.
liveonearth: (neuroactive substances)
If you live and Portland and haven't picked up a copy of this month's Willamette Week (free news weekly, online here: http://www.wweek.com/portland/index.php), this issue is likely to get snapped up. They've named it the 420 Issue and it is all about the businesses and culture incurred by the recent legalization of cannabis in Washington and soon Oregon. What struck me initially is the amount of wordplay around the subject, and the generation of witty new phrases, words and hashtags that accompanies the surge in businesses and products containing cannabinoids. There is great excitement about the new availability and openness that comes with legalization.

I for one am OK with recreational and medical use. I think that the risks to society of adults using cannabinoids are fairly minimal. It certainly doesn't make people drive dangerously the way alcohol does. It does have a whole set of risks that aren't covered in this issue, and that really need to be kept high in our awareness as this drug becomes widely acceptable.

One risk that is coming into focus these days is of extreme overdoses. Back when folks just inhaled smoke, coughing stopped them from partaking too much. Vaporizers now make inhalation gentler and it is easy to overdose when consuming edibles. With either method you can't tell how much intoxicant is in there. With humans ingeniously extracting and concentrating the active principles, it could be very strong, or contaminated with solvents. With edibles the effect takes time to kick in. It is terribly easy to overdose for folks who are experimenting for the first time, and who have no tolerance at all.

The conventional media take on overdose--blaming it for many deaths and claiming that it is deadly--is probably overblown. It takes a massive amount of pot to kill, perhaps more than anybody is likely to actually reach because unlike opioids it is so unpleasant getting there. It is however a relative unknown: having been illegal for so long, we don't have scientific studies about overdose. We hardly have science to justify all the medical uses that have already been approved. We are going to find out now.

Another risk is incurred by the fact that edibles make the drug palatable to people who would never smoke it. It is tempting to children as candy. There is the danger that children, teens and early 20-somethings will enjoy sugary yummies containing cannabinoids and permanently alter their brain development. Later on in life there is still a brain changing effect, but in early life when the brain is still forming, the effect can be severe.

On top of these new risks due to the availability of edibles, there is the old risk of respiratory injuries resulting in sinusitis and bronchitis, and risk of more dangerous conditions like pneumonia and COPD. There is also the fact that marijuana increases heart rate significantly in most individuals. Folks who already have hypertension or heart palpitations might give themselves a heart attack.

I suppose my main message in the light of all this 420 excitement is BE CAUTIOUS and PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN because there is a lot we don't know. I believe in freedom and individual discretion as most Americans do, and I also know that people can be terribly foolish and injure themselves and others, especially when intoxicants are involved. I cannot protect the whole world from poor choices, but I do hope that this warning is heard widely. Please take care of each other and if you are going to play with the newly legalized products, start very small.
liveonearth: (moon)
I am just home. The man who died was in his early 60's. He has three children. We were on the Farmlands section of the White Salmon. I am not accustomed to feeling completely useless but there I was unable to save a life. Many of us there unable to save a life, only 6 feet from shore. We were still trying to get his body free from the log when the search and rescue guys showed up with a chain saw, got him free in moments, but it was already too late, he had been under water for 40 minutes. Lots of processing going on.
liveonearth: (moon)
"Living a conscious life is extreme sport enough."
--Liz Sutherland, 2008
liveonearth: (moon)
RCW 79A.60.430
Vessels carrying passengers for hire on whitewater rivers — Safety requirements.
See the legalese. )
liveonearth: (moon)

Kayaking on this class V section will be permitted, and the management team there sounds quite reasonable about letting management evolve along with use. The use of this river section can be revoked if there is any paddling on Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, where boating is banned.

The run will start at Pothole Dome below Tuolumne Meadows and end at Pate Valley. Exact details about put-in, take-out, portage trails and landing/no-landing zone locations will be determined in the near future in consultation with the boating community, tribal interests and National Park Service resource experts. Boaters making the run will be required to carry their boats 3 miles to the put-in, and carry them 8 miles from the take-out at Pate Valley to the White Wolf trailhead.

Carrying your kayak 11 miles is hard. The info does not indicate that this section of river is a series of long slides over domes of granite. I do not know if anyone has been running it lately, but I do remember that Lars Holbek carried his boat most of the way and didn't want to do it again. I have HIKED down the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne on a 3 day backpacking trip, and it was spectacular. A backpack trip might be a good way to scout the whitewater before committing in a boat. Though it is possible that those California boaters think nothing of this stuff. Looks hair to me.



SOURCE
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Article/view/articleid/31898/
liveonearth: (circle)
We have the wolf by the ears,
and we can neither hold him,
nor safely let him go.
Justice is in one scale,
and self preservation is in the other.

---Thomas Jefferson -Apr. 22, 1820
liveonearth: (business dance)
If you limit your actions in life
to things that nobody can possibly find fault with,
you will not do much.

--Lewis Carroll
liveonearth: (moon)
It sounds cruel, but survivors laugh and play, and even in the most horrible situations--perhaps especially in those situations--they continue to laugh and play. To deal with reality you first much recognize it as such...and play puts a person in touch with his environment, while laughter makes the feeling of being threatened manageable.

...Laughter stimulates the left prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain that helps us to feel good and be motivated. That stimulation alleviates anxiety and frustration. There is evidence that laughter can send chemical signals to actively inhibit the firing of nerves in the amygdala, thereby dampening fear. Laughter, then, can help temper negative emotions.


Laurence Gonzales in Deep Survival, page 41.

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