Cooper Creek - Part II
Just when you think the spring creeking season is over along comes another trip down Cooper Creek. Leif Kirchoff organized a trip last Sunday and I decided to go even though levels were marginal at best. It was a good time - a ledgy creek like the Cooper holds it's water well.
I had one little adventure. I broached and flipped in a shallow section between rapids. It was too shallow to set up and my paddle was out of position so I let go and pushed off the bottom (I know, I know. That's terrible technique, but it works). I reach for a rock to leverage myself up with when suddenly the creek gets deeper. I try a couple hand rolls (yeah, right) and spend some quality time upside down looking around for a rock outcropping to push off of. Shit, I'm going to swim and I'm not even in a rapid. Suddenly Ryan Akins rams me at warp speed for a picture-perfect bow rescue. Cheers, Ryan!
I also had a reminder of how little margin of error you have in a class IV rapid. At Wall of Voodoo I missed a final stroke intended to line me up for the final ledge. My paddle hit a rock and by the time I could recover I was somewhere I didn't want to be. Not a big deal at those flows, but it's good to keep in mind how fast things can go wrong while paddling.
Back to the Kayak Cult - www.kayakcult.com
I had one little adventure. I broached and flipped in a shallow section between rapids. It was too shallow to set up and my paddle was out of position so I let go and pushed off the bottom (I know, I know. That's terrible technique, but it works). I reach for a rock to leverage myself up with when suddenly the creek gets deeper. I try a couple hand rolls (yeah, right) and spend some quality time upside down looking around for a rock outcropping to push off of. Shit, I'm going to swim and I'm not even in a rapid. Suddenly Ryan Akins rams me at warp speed for a picture-perfect bow rescue. Cheers, Ryan!
I also had a reminder of how little margin of error you have in a class IV rapid. At Wall of Voodoo I missed a final stroke intended to line me up for the final ledge. My paddle hit a rock and by the time I could recover I was somewhere I didn't want to be. Not a big deal at those flows, but it's good to keep in mind how fast things can go wrong while paddling.
Back to the Kayak Cult - www.kayakcult.com
2 Comments:
Good stuff: keep up the writing, you are being read (at least by me). DS
Nice Bryon. Good times on the Cooper. Gotta love the T-rescue. :)
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