Whitewater Canoe Narratives

raelwv · Nov 29, 2015

In my WiP I have a character who has to ride a particularly nasty set of rapids in a canoe to catch up to his prey. This is something I've never done before (in spite of my WV roots - bad mountaineer!

). I'm looking for links where people discuss actual runs of rapids they've done (or others have done). Googling hasn't revealed anything.

Thanks!

GeorgeK · Nov 30, 2015

Anything more than a class 3 rapid and absolutely amazing luck and a fantastically experienced whitewater traveler and that canoe will sink. Canoes are built for class 1. On a good day, maybe class 2. Class 3 is beyond reasonable. 4 and 5 are right out.

WeaselFire · Dec 1, 2015

I rode a canoe in Class 5 whitewater once. Supposed to be Class 1, but they opened the dam upstream earlier in the day and we didn't know it. The ride is called "Hang on and don't drown."

We made it, the canoe didn't.

Surprised you found nothing in Google. There are dozens (hundreds?) of whitewater rafting and canoe forums as well as a ton of local clubs out there. Also try Canoe and Kayak magazine.

Jeff

GeorgeK · Dec 1, 2015

WeaselFire said:
I rode a canoe in Class 5 whitewater once. Supposed to be Class 1, but they opened the dam upstream earlier in the day and we didn't know it. The ride is called "Hang on and don't drown."

We made it, the canoe didn't.

Jeff

Yep, gotta pay attention to the clock when in the spillway of a hydrodam. Did you manage to find the canoe in the evening/next morning or was it just gone? That's the kind of thing you wish you had a video of.

WeaselFire · Dec 1, 2015

GeorgeK said:
Yep, gotta pay attention to the clock when in the spillway of a hydrodam. Did you manage to find the canoe in the evening/next morning or was it just gone? That's the kind of thing you wish you had a video of.

Metal canoe, next day we pried it off the boulder it was wrapped around and hauled it to the dump. We were way downstream of the dam but temps had gone way up (which is why we went out) and snow melt came fast. They opened the spillway to allow for the melt, we got caught. My buddy got pneumonia and spent four days in the hospital, I just got bruises and a gash on my arm. The two kayakers with us made out better.

Jeff

GeorgeK · Dec 1, 2015

WeaselFire said:
Metal canoe, next day we pried it off the boulder it was wrapped around and hauled it to the dump. We were way downstream of the dam but temps had gone way up (which is why we went out) and snow melt came fast. They opened the spillway to allow for the melt, we got caught. My buddy got pneumonia and spent four days in the hospital, I just got bruises and a gash on my arm. The two kayakers with us made out better.

Jeff

So it wasn't a timed release like I assumed. That hurts. I've had some issues with wind raising waves on a small lake in a metal canoe. To try and do rapids on the fly...you are lucky to have walked away.

Whitewater Canoe Narratives

raelwv

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WeaselFire

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GeorgeK

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WeaselFire

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GeorgeK

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