BIG PINEY Post Ike

[scott yarbrough]

Longpool at noon.

The internet gauge is showing it still going up. The Richland gauge is going down though and those watersheds are very close to each other. I'm guessing it has already peaked at Heltons. Rafts!

[jjones03]

I'm going to hit piney tomorrow around 1. I want it to drop a little so everything wont be washed out. if anybody wants to join, let me know.

[scott yarbrough]

After getting skunked at the Big Piney I settle and head back to Cadron Creek with my raft. Got there late and didn't put on till about 3:45. By myself.

About half way through the trip while in a big deep pool I start digging for beer. Like a idiot I pull the oars onto the boat to keep the oars from hitting on something. While wrestling with the strap on ice chest I use a efficient number of curse words so it knows I'm serious. Just as I am pulling a ice cold Golden Yummie out to the light of day I hear "sccchhhheeee glu gluu GLUG" and that was it. The beginning to one of the stupider and more reckless things I have done in two or three weeks.

I look to see what the ruckus was and there was a empty oar strap and a empty oar lock. I stand there in disbelief. No spare. I sit in the captains chair letting it slowly sink in. I grab the Portside oar with my left hand and my right hand just wonders in space lost. Now I'm trying to determine just how much this is gonna suck? This pool is very deep, the water is muddy and the creek is still rising.

I've got 1.5 maybe two more miles to go. Two willow jungle jungles and multiple rapids in what now is a bounce boat.(bouncing off of rocks) I pull in my one remaining 40 # oar to use Huck Finn style. The first couple of rapids I was able to move the boat to the side of the river I need by using draw strokes. I get down to where I was worried and it looks even worse than I remember. It all seemed to slow down as it was happening but it still wasn't slow enough for me to control that big ole boat. I get pulled into the "V" of huge tree limb sticking out of the water. It grabs to the inside of the oarlock and the boat pins.

Luckily I didn't panic and the boat didn't crumple underneath the limb. It just stayed there. Like a idiot I just looked at it and studied it for a while. Tried to push the boat away from the "V" and it was useless. After a few weird and nervous minutes I stood on the frame and pulled up on the 8" diameter limb. Wasn't strong enough to move the limb, but I did sink the boat enough for the oarlock to slide under the limb and I was moving once again. Aside from a few twist and turns I was through the hard part and made it down to the 65 bridge to a empty parking lot.

Don't boat alone. Don't put on late. And dang sure don't lose a oar while digging for beer! :roll:

[robkanraft]

Good instructional story there Scott. Alwyas enjoy a lesson with a happy ending. My particular version this type of story was “it’s just the Buffalo, I don’t need a spare oar or even bother with the oar tether”…

[Crane]

Oar teathers... whether a 3' cam-strap double wound around the oar-shaft and around the frame or even a ratty old a piece of parachute cord... they can save a buncha frustration!! Thanks for the free (to us) lesson!

[scott yarbrough]

The thing is I had a NRS loop strap on it. Although in hindsight I think that the cam buckle short end should hang off the oar and not off the frame. This would pull the loop tight around the oar. The oar went in counter weight first, and the loop just opened up and let the blade slide right through it. Live and learn.

[scott yarbrough]

Got that oar. Figured if I can swim in January I can swim in October. After the creek dropped about 5 feet and cleared up I went searching for and found my lost oar. Very satisfied.

[Jody]