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riverfanatik
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  Quote riverfanatik Replybullet Topic: Carnage Stories
    Posted: 07 Jun 2012 at 10:19pm
Ok people, I've figured out what this amazing forum needs.  A thread just for carnage stories.  The best river stories are always the stories when somebody screws up resulting in a lot of swimming.  So here's your chance to tell that fun story you've been dying to tell.  *Vids/pics are cool too.

I'll start (ok, this is technically a friend guiding the boat) 

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  Quote ellsw121 Replybullet Posted: 07 Jun 2012 at 10:47pm
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JD_G
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  Quote JD_G Replybullet Posted: 07 Jun 2012 at 11:32pm
Busy day on CC Stilly. Rare event to watch that many boats go downstream. Hope it ended better than it started.
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jP
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 12:31am
Rad footage, Ellsw121--

The creek must've been laughing its ass off all the way to Puget Sound after that. Did the boats all get recovered? Was that a 100% swim rate (everyone on the trip?)? So much yardsale I'd call it more of a flea market!


I'd have to watch that a few times to take in all the details. You had your boat man! You musta just been WIPED OUT to let it go. sh*t happens.

Great idea for a thread topic- I always thought we could use such a thread, glad you launched it man.

Looks like I'll have to post a link to my S. Fork Skokomish yardsale...

Of course, save some stories in the queue for the massive bonfire we gonna have this weekend!
🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋
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water wacko
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  Quote water wacko Replybullet Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 6:12am
Here's one of me behind the veil on the Cispus last year. I've heard some BAD stories about that place. [URL= ]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A5f6KoTm1mk/Tl3JA1b2CNI/AAAAAAAAA7k/1YYmtcYyY4Q/s1600/behind+the+veil.JPG/URL]
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~Howard Thurman
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riverfanatik
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  Quote riverfanatik Replybullet Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 10:42am
Nice vid from the Stillaguamish, that is a true yard sale.  Love it!  
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  Quote JoesKayak Replybullet Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 11:39am
I had a swim in that hole on CC Stilly several years back at a pretty 'fluid' level.

I was stuck in the hole, holding onto my boat on the boil line, trying not to get sucked back down into the maw. Then a fisherman on the left bank yelled out "You OK?".

I just yelled back "Yeah... I'm great!"

There's always time to be a smartass.
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not-very-clever
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  Quote not-very-clever Replybullet Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 11:47am
If i had a nickle for every time that i carnage out....
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riverfanatik
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  Quote riverfanatik Replybullet Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 6:50pm
here's the full story behind my origional post.  Fun stuff. 
http://www.professorpaddle.com/ppages/RTE/tripreport.asp?PPID=269&TRID=84&task=View
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not-very-clever
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  Quote not-very-clever Replybullet Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 7:11pm
I don't even try to roll anymore, I just go straight for my spray skirt pull strap. It just ups the intensity to the next level to swim every time.
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riverfanatik
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  Quote riverfanatik Replybullet Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 8:50pm
Originally posted by not-very-clever

I don't even try to roll anymore, I just go straight for my spray skirt pull strap. It just ups the intensity to the next level to swim every time.





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  Quote brig Replybullet Posted: 09 Jun 2012 at 8:33am
So, to break it down a bit. Helmet cam 1 is me, I boof Ellie then head downstream and catch an eddy. Helmet cam 2 is Leif, he boofs into Ellie, then joins her for a dip. Back to me, I get out to throw rope and my nomad decides to run the next few drops without me. Meanwhile, Adam falls out of his boat in the river left eddy but has the presence of mind to hang on to it. At this point Jon is the only ember of out group in a boat. All ended well though.
Originally posted by jP

Rad footage, Ellsw121--


I'd have to watch that a few times to take in all the details. You had your boat man! You musta just been WIPED OUT to let it go. sh*t happens.

Great idea for a thread topic- I always thought we could use such a thread, glad you launched it man.

Looks like I'll have to post a link to my S. Fork Skokomish yardsale...

Of course, save some stories in the queue for the massive bonfire we gonna have this weekend!
Chris B.
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not-very-clever
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  Quote not-very-clever Replybullet Posted: 10 Jun 2012 at 10:08am
I am swimming before my kayak even fully capsizes. I'm blowing my whistle before my head even gets wet.
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osmelendez
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  Quote osmelendez Replybullet Posted: 11 Jun 2012 at 2:43pm
I noticed that this thread has been viewed about 573 times. I've looked at it like 4. So if everyone has looked at this thread about 4 times each, then that means that possibly 143 people have looked at this thread and at the very very minimum, as least 80% of those people have gone on a swim, but no one is sharing their stories. Come on people. Let's hear it!

As a matter of fact, I went on a swim this weekend during the PP Ball.

Here it goes: First of all, I'm not a very good creek boater. Meaning, I haven't done it much. I absolutely will be a good creek boater, but not yet. I was amazed at how the play boating skills didn't transfer over as easily as I thought it would. Maneuvering the creek boat was definitely a challenge. I ran Ingalls Creek first. During the run I got pinned for a short bit, I had to execute one scary ass roll, I ended up going over again and bracing off of rocks for about 15 feet; I had to work hard to stay up and prevent myself from smashing my teeth in. At one point the river took a bite out of my thumb and when I saw the wound I thought I was looking at bone, but it was just deep tissue. I'll work on my creeking skills before I return to Ingalls
So then I ran Peshastin and really took time to focus on paddling technique, hip movement, and boat maneuvering before I hit the rapid freshly squeezed. Didn't help much as I ended up getting stuck in the hole at the bottom of the rapid. You know the one on the right side of the rock center of creek? Yep. Fought it for a bit, was pushed up against the rock, could not set up very well, was getting blasted by water on both sides of the boat making it hard to set up for the roll; I ran out of oxygen and bailed out. I came up and saw that I was surrounded by white bubbles and sure enough, the hole drew me back in. I came up again and it drew me in again. This time, at the bottom of the dark hole, I thrust out all of my limbs out like a frog hoping to catch the current. Don't know how well it helped, but I got out of that hole. I flushed down stream and fell into the hole down below but it had no interest in keeping me around. By this time I've swallowed like a gallon of Peshastin, can't breath, and think to myself, "I'm gettin the fu*k out of this creek." When I see my chance I swim to shore. The guys I was with helped me retrieve my stuff and get me back to the road side of the creek. Needless to say, I was very sore the next day.
But! Here is the best part of the story. A day later... I run it again. This time, I make it. I can't believe how much this swim has taught me. In the end, I think this experience has made me a better boater.
I think we actually do have some footage of the run the next day. If I can find it, I'll post it. The next day run we had another swimmer.
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  Quote riverfanatik Replybullet Posted: 11 Jun 2012 at 2:51pm
Osmelendez, you make a great poit when you say that swims can make people better boaters. I've definitely found this to be true. Once you go for a few swims, you gain a new respect for the river and how water really moves.
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  Quote Scott_H Replybullet Posted: 11 Jun 2012 at 3:12pm
Ours is a sport that doesn't have many moments where you can be casual.  A point that was emphasized to me after a bad swim.  I have responded since by committing to maintaining and strenghtening my paddle skills.  
Some of the best people to paddle with are those that have a background in slalom boating; that's all we are really doing in the end anyway - just no visible gates.  Watch some DVD's, watch Youtube, or take some formal instruction.  Most of my swims have been the result of a breakdown in technique somewhere upriver.
I have also learned to respect the environment that I am in - a Class III can still deliver a solid beatdown.  Always be aware of your surroundings; don't be afraid to scout or talk about an approach to a rapid with your group.
“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.”
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osmelendez
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  Quote osmelendez Replybullet Posted: 11 Jun 2012 at 3:52pm
Totally Scott_H. I'm totally with you on what you said and that's exactly what I do. Scout, watch, listen, study river books, watch videos of people running things right before I run them, and talk things through. But there comes a time when you've got to get off the drawing board and put it to the test. Now it's like "Okay, I get it." This time it took a beat down, but I get. It hasn't always taken a beat down. I actually haven't been on very many swims at all and I've run some solid stuff maintaining clean lines. It was my time though to have the special on the menu which was a plate of 'whitewater con carne.' Thankfully it wasn't terrible. Thankfully I'm not selling all my gear right now, but instead, I ran it again with the new knowledge I had attained. I'm grateful for the boaters that were with me who knew what to do when sh*t went down. I learned just from watching them. Honestly - and I mean every bit of this - it was a powerful experience!   
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  Quote Scott_H Replybullet Posted: 11 Jun 2012 at 4:10pm
With you as well; just providing my own thoughts post-swim maybe not in direct response to you (its the afternoon - I meander ).  But you hit on maybe another point - having a good mental game - jumping back on the river the next day like you did is a pretty good example.  The river seems to provide me a chance to exercise my own self-fulfilling prophecy - if I am edgy and tense and thinking too hard about the consequences, I'll probably get a chance to soon taste those consequences.  I seem to be better off clearing the head and focusing on the strokes. 
“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.”
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  Quote riverfanatik Replybullet Posted: 11 Jun 2012 at 5:16pm
Don't be afraid to share stories people, we won't make fun of you!   Also, to give this thread some direction, here's a question for debate.  What qualifies as carnage???  Examples and vids are cool too.    

Edited by riverfanatik - 11 Jun 2012 at 5:17pm
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  Quote Mr.Grinch Replybullet Posted: 11 Jun 2012 at 6:10pm
Hmmmmm. Taking a swim is not equal to carnage. Carnage nearly always equals swims. I swam recently, but it was not scary, just annoying.

My first real swim, years ago, taught me a lot about my attitude towards the river and who I'm boating with. That swim qualifies as carnage due to sustaining a black eye and a bruised shoulder.
nnln.
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  Quote firewater Replybullet Posted: 11 Jun 2012 at 11:32pm

I wish I could provide pics or vids of the beatdown that I took on the Cle Elum. Lesson:  bought my first creek boat after this mishap.

You see I was a major dagger boat fan. I had a RPM Max when it first came out, sold it and purchased a Dagger H0ncho (still have it but most of the foam fitting got gutted from this swim). Unfortunately Dagger didn’t have creek boat that fit me comfortably at that time. The CFS was just too small. I’m 6’4” with size 14 feet. I had ran Triple Falls and the rest of the Cle Elum with no mishaps in the Honcho…..This time I was with a group of 3 other paddlers and  a much beefier flow. The other 3 paddlers kindly stated they would set up safety. I remember scouting the series of falls and my biggest concern was the first one. I decided to run it river right/center and hope for the best boof of my life. I’ll never forget how lonely and nervous I felt at the put in about 100 yards above the first drop, partly because I had no time to “warm-up” and the other part thinking “why are they not running this?”

As I was charging down the right side and making a move to the left I ended up hitting a boulder that slowed my boat speed big time. What happened next was one of the biggest beat downs I have ever taken (besides the ledge below crack in the earth. I’ll save that for another post). As a slid over the first falls I knew this wasn’t going to be good. The next thing I remembered was a massive amount of water pressure hitting me from all angles, some daylight, than back to darkness, daylight, etc. My paddling partner told me my boat literally disappeared in the massive hole and then shot up out of the water like a salmon trying to swim up falls. A few cartwheels later, many roll attempts (some successful, some unsuccessful) I decided to bail because this thing was not going to let me go.  “Sh*t! I still have to make it over the second falls but without my boat and I definately do not want to go over the third falls!” As I resurfaced I got in a frog stance to make a giant leap/boof over the second ledge. This swim boof was successful! I luckily cleared it, swam my soggy butt to the left side and hopelessly watched my boat continue taking a beating in the first ledge continued over the second ledge, than the third.

I must have ran about ½ mile before my boat finally was hung up on massive left wall. Once I retrieved my boat it was gutted. No hip pads, no front bulk head, no foot pegs. It even took my courtesy Dagger water bottle.  I luckily found my front bulk head and paddle floating in an eddy around the corner. The hip pads and foot pegs were gone for good. Was I done with this run? No, I found a flip flop on one the banks and some drift wood. I used them as hip pads and foot pegs for the rest of the run. Why? Because it was a beautiful day and I was pissed on what just happened. The rest of the run went well, although I did walk China Falls.



Edited by firewater - 11 Jun 2012 at 11:43pm
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riverfanatik
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  Quote riverfanatik Replybullet Posted: 12 Jun 2012 at 1:53am
awesome story.  Love the part when you realize you still have two waterfalls left, sans boat!
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  Quote Travisimo Replybullet Posted: 12 Jun 2012 at 11:52am
This carnage story made the news...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2157908/How-mother-experienced-heaven-freak-kayak-accident-saw-trapped-underwater-15-minutes.html

EDIT: Oops I didn't really read all that or watch the video until after I posted...  Hope this doesn't derail the discussion.  Let's not discuss anything but the whitewater part of the story...


Edited by Travisimo - 12 Jun 2012 at 12:00pm
H2O please
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thad2000
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  Quote thad2000 Replybullet Posted: 12 Jun 2012 at 1:16pm
Reading all your posts make me realize the best is yet to come! lol   
It makes me realize the time I was trapped in the boat half in half out with a foot caught under the foot peg was really not so bad. :)
why not!
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  Quote Mark47n Replybullet Posted: 12 Jun 2012 at 1:24pm
  While the most recent carnage that I was a part of was on salt water. 

Many folks out there view sea kayaking as calm and sedate...and it can be.  It isn't always, though!  I wish I could convey the size of the area that this carnage takes place, suffice to say that it covers a few square miles.  Think about that after a paddler is completely sprung and still not out  of the rapid.  Additionally, this particular trip has bonked a few WW paddlers on the head and took their women (or man).
You mean I'm supposed to wear something UNDER my spray skirt? Where's the fun in that?
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