Dave I will have to disagree that it is inconvenient to post trips from a mobile device. If you link the e-mail you use with you PP account to your smart phone the only time you have to log on is when you post the trip. I get e-mails telling me when people join or leave the trip, and when people post something on the trip discussion (it also includes their post in the e-mail). I don't have to be logged in to check the gauges either.

I agree with Kyle. You've posted so much! How dare you Complain! Also, are the blackberries not smart enough as the iPhone to save your user name and password for easy login? I have no issues here. How's about a radical vaginal sandectomy for you. Bahahaha.

I love you too, Horner. Let's go boating.

If nothing else - this thread has been a good reminder to post trips.

I got rescued plenty of times when I was getting started, and after I got established I paddled lots of cool rivers that I never would have experienced, and met lots of great folks thanks to people posting trips online.

One easy way to deal with the whole rescue thing is to state upfront whether newer folks are welcome or not. That's no guarantee that you won't wind up chasing boats and swimmers, but I've seen a few trip-leaders swim on runs that they had dialed in my day so there's no guarantee that you won't be the one grateful to the folks who helped you out!

Well said.  But it's not always the fault of the newbie, sometimes more experienced paddlers-- people who should know better-- encourage newbies to run things they're really not ready for yet.  I personally believe that swimming is detrimental to progress and try to avoid it by building skills on easier runs, but I know a lot of boaters who feel that swimming is just part of the sport and is an ALMOST UNAVOIDABLE consequence of learning to run harder water.  Newbies, being newbies, don't know who to believe, and so they occasionally get suckered onto runs they have no business boating.

As for helping fellow boaters improve, that has got to be one of the most awesome aspects of our sport.  I have been immensely thankful (thanks Dave!) that someone is helping me get comfortable on Class IV runs, while at the same time, I've been trying to help other boaters I know get comfortable on Class III+ runs.  Have these trips been posted on PP?  No.  But they've been happening all year long.

I wonder the same thing as I saw the evolution in a couple other passtimes  (windsurfing and climbing) from a community of helpful folks to a sport of attitudes where anyone without the coolest gear or latest moves became just a pain in the ass for the regular crowd.

Boaters never seemed that way to me... more of the fun, less attitude.  I hope it stays that way.  I don't know how many pro climbers spend time helping folks work on skills at local crags, but in my short time boating, I've gotten some free advice from Eric Jackson twice in rivers on different sides of the country.

Like Mike V, most of my chances to get out these days are spur of the moment and I've been very grateful to join trips in the past that were posted here... So thanks again to James for the site and Jeff B, JP, Sampson, Adrian, ChrisH20tha, Erik S, ... and others of you that do regularly post trips  for being willing to invite others along.

I agree with jalmquist on being honest about your skills to not turn a trip into a sh*tshow. 

I think it's also part of the deal about joining a trip to take the advice of the group seriously.  If someone suggests that you consider portaging boulder drop today, there is probably a reason....