Salado?

[SS]

Anyone have a visual on the Salado? Think it will be running tomorrow? (Saturday)

Thanks!

[Roger]

Will check it on my way home and post in about an hour.

[SS]

Thanks!

[Roger]

As of 3:38 P.M., there were seven (7) stones showing. Doubt that was the peak since the real rain in the area had just stopped about an hour prior to that.

Would think you should have a run tomorrow. Last time down for me, there was log in the upper section across the river. It was on a left-hand turm. Had to eddy out river right in front of the log and drag over. Easy enough to see and avoid if you're paying attention.

Be safe.

[SS]

Thanks so much!

Anybody else thinking about heading that way tomorow?

[Roger]

Might meet up with Landcruiser (DAvid) out of Batesville. Depends on the doc's schedule.

[SS]

Sent you a message with phone numbers. Maybe we'll see you there!
Thanks again!

[Roger]

SS, sorry for the confusion in the post. I meant that you might meet up with David. I'm probably headed over to the west tomorrow. Apologies again.

[SS]

Ah! Sorry I got confused! Hope you have a good trip!

[SS]

Roger,
Thanks again for checking the level. Four of us ended up running it on Saturday and had a great time. We found the tree you mentioned as well as a couple more closer to the end that are easy enough to spot and get around. Thanks again for the heads up!

[Roger]

Glad you guys had a good day. Logs in the bottom part are pretty common due to the nature of the terrain and usually pretty easy to spot.

How many stones showing did you guys have that morning?

[SS]

Just a touch over 9. It had dropped less than half a stone when we finished.

[paddlebug]

Man I had a long night Saturday and early Sunday morning.

First off Im not meaning to bash anyone here just telling the story from my eyes.

I got a call Sat night about 9:30 from a guy with some ambulance service, I think Newport. My father-in-law referred him to me cause he knew Id been down it a few times and thought I might be able to help locate a few lost souls. He first asked me where the take out would be if you put in at the rest area. This sorta confused me cause I couldnt think of a bridge crossing down stream. So after talking to him a bit I realized the reason he thought that if their rig was at the rest area they must've put-in there. So I knew right from the get-go confusion had already set in. He said Search and Rescue had been dispatched and should be at the rest area. So I decided Id better head up there just incase I might be able to give a few pointers or ideas.

At 10pm I got to the rest area to find a parking lot full of police and S&R. First thing i done was check the level to get an idea of what might've went wrong on their excursion. 9.5 stones showing, great play run for most, apparently not quite low enough for the novice. I go over to the crowd and talk to the man in charge(Stacy), which I knew from growing up near-by. He said there are 3 people missing, 2 women and 1 man. That struck me as odd, not to be sexist or a woman basher but to find 2 female boaters in a crowd of three isnt normal. So I responded with "whats their experience level?" and was told they paddle all over the state. But i knew that couldnt be right cause I had checked the board on my way outta the house and didnt see a salado post. Must've missed this one. They had put on around 1:30. and at that level it should take about 4-5 hrs, depending on playtime and skill/mishaps. They were cutting it close a so I figured they probably let it get too dark and couldnt navigate to the finish, or something else could've happened and I didnt want to think of the worst just yet.

They said there were some guys on the other end and north side with wheelers. So I told them Id go to the south side and go to the few places i knew i could get to. So I took the jeep to the closest point upstream I go to, probably 4.5 miles from the take out and found a couple footprints in the sand. So I seen the guys on wheelers on the other bank and let them know about the tracks and they told me thats good but they was going to keep looking up stream. I was like "WHAT? Boats dont go upstream"(usually). Anyways they were determined so I wished them good luck and left them to there night ride. I called up Stacy and told him about the tracks and he said they were thinking about bringing the chopper in. So i kept looking.

I spent the next few hours driving down nearby logging roads and shouting to no avail. I finally got a call that they found the boats next to a cabin on the water but no people (downstream from were I saw tracks). By now it was 1am and he told me they were about to call the search off till daybreak and that I should head on home. I hated to turn in but I had driven all the areas I could get to on my side, so I went home.

Phone rang at 3:30 The 2 women walked up at the takeout and the man was found about a mile away walking barefoot down a road. He had a temp of 91* and they rushed him in for medical attention. I dont know how they got seperated but at least they found their way out. I heard it got too dark and they decided it would be easier to just leave the boats and walk out. I dont think they had planned on being lost and walking in the pitch black for 8hrs. If they would've gotten out on the south side they would have been 2 miles from a house, most of which would've been roads.

So lesson learned should be always be prepared.
-carry dry clothes
-carry a lighter or firestarter
-and know the easiest way out, google earth is your friend


Later
Matt

[CAPTAIN ALEVE]

Glad they were safe (assuming the guy is ok). How are we going to razz these folks or get them to write a newsletter article if we don't know who they are?

Also, been there and done that; once was enough. As I tell the story, it wasn't the fault of any of us three 18 year olds who spent the night on the Illinois River. See, this guy walks up while we were standing if front of a map on the wall discussing where to put in, not knowing we had already set a take-out point for our fishing trip, and pokes his finger on a better place to put-in. We thought he knew where we were going; he didn't. He thought we were just looking for a good put-in for launching our flatbottom. Our three hour tour turned into a 24 hour affair. My buddies ran out of cigars before it was over; I discovered I could waller down in gravel and sleep fairly well.

Captain Aleve, alias Mike Coogan

[Lupe]

Wow - Matt...thanks for sharing this story. And thanks for trying to help those guys even though it made for an awful long night. I certainly hope the guy received treatment in time and is recovering okay.

Would certainly be interested to hear any more details of the story to know what happened, but also just because it helps remind all of us to prepare for the unexpected, and hopefully some "do's" and "don't" can come from hindsight.

I know the weather this weekend surprised most of us, and I know there were quite a few folks with not the best clothing choices out there this weekend who were caught expecting sunny and mid 60's, not cloudy, grey and 50 degrees. I was caught having not put my firestarter kit and space blanket back in my dry bag - it's a small package in a zip loc that usually lives there year round even in the summer, but I had taken it out for some short play runs, and it really should have been back in there this weekend (ended up not needing it, but very easily COULD have needed it). Also found I had taken out an extra skull cap that I usually carry in one of my vest pockets which I could have loaned to someone.

Having read this post, I think I'll go rummage around my gear room RIGHT NOW and make sure I've got the rest of my "cold weather" extra bits back in my dry bag.

Thanks,
Heather