Professor Paddle: Lost Paddle - Lower Ici vanlinelogistics.com Seattle Washington (WA) Warehousing & Order Fulfillment vanlinelogistics.com Seattle Washington (WA) Warehousing & Order Fulfillment vanlinelogistics.com Seattle Washington (WA) Commercial Relocation vanlinelogistics.com Warehousing & Order Fulfillment
Professor Paddle Professor Paddle
  RegisterRegister  LoginLogin
Home Calendar Forum FSBO Gallery PPages Reviews Rivers Links
  Active TopicsActive Topics  Display List of Forum MembersMemberlist  Search The ForumSearch
Whitewater Forum
 Professor Paddle : General : Whitewater Forum
Message Icon Topic: Lost Paddle - Lower Ici Post Reply Post New Topic
Author Message
wolovekg
Paddler
Paddler
Avatar

Joined: 01 Dec 2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 69
  Quote wolovekg Replybullet Topic: Lost Paddle - Lower Ici
    Posted: 11 May 2014 at 9:28pm
Lost a paddle on lower icicle today. Please keep a look out in the area.

Fluid Technologies, bent shaft, I can describe in greater detail if found but its not exactly the everyday werner. No name / number (headslap)

I will reward you with beer and devils lettuce if returned.

Thanks!
Greg
541.840.0807
IP IP Logged Send Private Message
James
Admin
Admin
Avatar
Sum Dum Guy

Joined: 31 Dec 2004
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3595
  Quote James Replybullet Posted: 11 May 2014 at 9:50pm
Check at the hatchery. They are going to be your best bet in terms of random flotsam and jetsam getting collected in one single point, that or the RV/Camp above the sleeping lady.
IP IP Logged Send Private Message Send Private Message
jP
Rio Banditos
Rio Banditos
Avatar
Diddle Fuerte Diablo !

Joined: 15 Oct 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4404
  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 11 May 2014 at 11:58pm
Yup. Keep in mind that once you get down past that first hatchery structure you got a natural river bed and a man made hatchery channel alongside that. So depending on what they got going on it could have made it down either channel if you think it flushed past the,Lower Ici t.o.

The channel on r. Right has a nasty man made grate-like diversion dam structure that could have broached your stick.

Word of advice though, kids:

Yeah we are "all in between swims" but really thats a bullsh*t cliche at this point that gets regurgitated by a bunch of parrots. The real substance for me (as someone who isn't made of money, doesn't have health insurance, and has to try to get at least 1,000 river miles out of a paddle or boat) is this:

How much time do you want inbetween each swim? How many paddles are you willing to replace how often? How many injuries are you willing to sustain for EACH AND EVERY one of these swims? Because you can choose not to swim. But you cant choose too much after you swim.

Lower Icicle and rocky, continuous runs like it and Peshastin Crk, Ingalls, ect. are the kind of runs you ideally don't want to capsize on, let alone swim on. Its cool to take your lumps willingly but its also cool to hone that skill and wait until you can put on a run like Lower Ici and boat it knowing you can crush it or as least squeak by without flipping. Some preach'n for ya, and this is just food for thought.

That's not any judgemental comment on your particular experience, Greg. After all, I wasn't there. "Choose Your Own Adventure", dude, I'm stoked you are working some Icicle into your whitewater diet. Stoked for you, Greg!

My 2 cents is just true wisdom based on my 41 trips on Lower Ici. I seen more peeps get fu*ked up on that (Class IV) stretch than the class v stretch upstream. Paddles lost, Boats chewed up by "Whitewater Rottweilers", and some blood. Who remembers the kid who showed up from Iceland in 2006? I think he put on in a playboat despite multiple warnings that unless your name is only three letters long, starts w/ an "R", has an "O" in the middle and ends w/ a "B", well maybe a playboat shouldn't be one's craft of choice for Icicle. Reasonable enough, huh? Needless to say that kid got WORKED OVER HARD.


Now I will say during this that I am somewhat current with my own bootie beers. Just drank one a few weeks back. I chose to expose myself to a swim, but it was calculated. It was a near guarantee I would lose no gear and I didn't. Gotta love Lake Jolanda! (Not to mention the good paddling buddy who is keeping an eye on you and/or your gear)


Continuous runs like Icicle, one oughtta show up with the skills to execute. Period. Again, I'm just taking this opportunity to inject that into the forum for the general public who has yet to put on Icicle for a run. Not trying to critique Greg or his actions. I seen Greg boat, he knows whats goin on out there. fu*kin hell yeah go for it, dude!


I hope you find your stick, and I believe it is quite a reasonable thing to hope for. The River is full of magical surprises like that


Edited by jP - 12 May 2014 at 12:16am
🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋
IP IP Logged Send Private Message Send Private Message
wolovekg
Paddler
Paddler
Avatar

Joined: 01 Dec 2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 69
  Quote wolovekg Replybullet Posted: 12 May 2014 at 8:48am
my goal of never getting on the wrong side of a jp post has been tarnished...
 
but seriously, i appreciate the feedback and since you typed all that I feel it warrants a response. I'll be the first person to admit i made an error in judgement paddling a new river in an unfamiliar boat. hind sight is 20-20 for putting in below that ledge. but would i run that ledge again the next chance I get under more appropriate circumstances? absolutely.
 
so thank you both for the info. i'm not familiar with the area and didn't realize there was a fish hatchery downstream. seems like a great place the start. you've raised my optimism one ladder rung.
Greg
541.840.0807
IP IP Logged Send Private Message
mikenash
Paddler
Paddler
Avatar

Joined: 20 Mar 2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 89
  Quote mikenash Replybullet Posted: 12 May 2014 at 11:00am
So I read these threads occasionally and I would like to add a different point of view. My comments are not directed at anyone in particular but are for all to consider. Before I do I would like to say that everyone should make there own decisions based on their abilities, personality type etc, etc. So my point of view is that regardless of how slowly you step it up and how competent you are, eventually you will swim. something unexpected/unplanned will happen. If you are a good strong competent swimmer it wont be a bad swim. and assuming you have a good team you wont lose your gear. its always a risk, and factors such as pool drop versus continuous, and the presence of gear eating sieves, and your tolerance to losing gear should be assessed. As long as people aren't crying about losing gear, commenters shouldn't assume that they are. Trying to retrieve lost gear is not crying about it. Having your name on gear sure helps. I write my contact details on a piece of paper then glue and over coat it with epoxy resin. it never wears off. Hanging on to your paddle when you swim also helps. I also think that challenging yourself when you are a class 2/3/4 boater, to the point that you assess a rapid, your abilities/team etc, etc. then running it even though there may be an 80 percent chance that you will mess it up and possibly swim. With safety set, and a game plan set if you do swim this becomes a learning experience in a moderate white water environment with little chance for injury or gear loss and huge potential to improve recovery, survival, rescue and swimming skills. Do this enough times, practice swimming in holes, in current at the takeout etc, and all these skills will become natural and instinctual. I paddled moderate class 4 for 2 years and swam virtually every weekend, I was also lucky in that I boated with a team that were a lot better than me, encouraging, totally non judgmental and happy to see me get my ass kicked and pick up the pieces. I am now a good swimmer with good recovery/survival skills. If swimming scares you it makes kayaking scary.   Boating class 5 is another story. A swim is potentially more consequential and obviously we make decisions accordingly. But if things do go wrong having those instinctual survival, and swimming skills become even more important. Don't let anyone make you feel bad because you capsized or swam. Don't be hard on yourself because you had a bad day. Kayaking is an awesome pursuit and its FUN!! Lets keep it that way.


IP IP Logged Send Private Message Send Private Message
James
Admin
Admin
Avatar
Sum Dum Guy

Joined: 31 Dec 2004
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3595
  Quote James Replybullet Posted: 12 May 2014 at 2:29pm
I agree Nash. I could care less about The story I just hope you get your Gear back and then are safe and smiling on your next adventure. The reason I mention the RV campground is that they are semi perm. seasonal campers and mostly older folks so if they saw a paddle they would bag it and not think oh hey I know a few shops or rafters that might be able to get this back to the owner. Instead I can see it being hung on an awning along with all the other random junk they have pillaged over summer.
IP IP Logged Send Private Message Send Private Message
Post Reply Post New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum