Today was only my second day off from work this month, so instead of relaxing and finally gets the shelves up in my room to clear the boxes cluttering my floor, I took the opportunity to jump on the T for a one-day run of the whole 18 miles. I’ve only done the T at summer flows around 1,500 cfs and it’s an enjoyable class IV that gets a little too mellow after the first five miles and Clavey Falls. At 3,800 it is a lot more exciting and the flatter parts go by quick.
This was my second day in the Rocker and big water is a differenct ball game. While I could still edge it by leaning far and the eddies and swirlies were no problem, I found I get corked around a little if I’m not paying attention. A couple of times I found I would just fly up a wave and soar into the air unexpectedly before doing a back flip and landing on my head in the hole below. And once in a hole my light weight wasn’t going to pull the rocker through. So I either had to surf my way out or dig deep to grab some green water to pull me and my boat out. Yes, I should have avoided the holes in the first place, but it was good practice to see how the boat handles once in the hole and it’s best to do that on a run you feel comfortable with before getting there on something harder. So it was a great day - lots of fun bouncy water, good learning experiences and no swims. But now I’m exhausted and looking forward to a couple more weeks of work without let up…
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