Just Starting

[Crane]

The sad truth is that if you are just beginning you don't even need to THINK about Class IV or Class V for SEVERAL years!! Not that you can't go ahead and plan for it, but it's simply foolish to be there without experience and substanial training... Get a good boat and plan on working your way up at least two seasons... spend lots of time on the Cadron, Big Piney, Mulberry, Lower, lower Little Mo, etc. Get videos & watch them. Take the beginning class at Canoe school next year (or go east and take a course sooner) and practice, practice, practice making the hard moves on water with low penalties. Then, take an intermediate course and a Swiftwater Rescue course, or two. Go east and spend a week on the Nantahala. Then, after Canoe school, only then, take the Maiden Voyage trip on the Cossatot. If you do fine, then you can think of moving up in class. I promise you'll have a great time, meet lots of paddlers moving up with you, and be a safer, better paddler when you jump off into bigger water. Good luck!

[Gordon Kumpuris]

Don't listen to Crane. Just do like ole Danger Boy did and take shameless swims till you become a real paddler.

[Clif]

hmmmmm