Anatomy of a Rescue

This past fall, while paddling on the Baker's Box section of the Animas River in Durango, I got pinned in Finger Fuck, the boulder garden rapid above the Siphon.  I had been down Baker's at least 20 times this year...maybe more...and hadn't given this particular move in this rapid much thought.  The harder moves were upstream and even though the Siphon loomed below, the last move in Finger Fuck is not very difficult.  In reality, by the time you get to this point, you're thinking about the eddy above the Siphon and keeping track of your mates to make sure they made it.

I think it's important to note why Baker's is such an interesting run.  At times it's reminiscent of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River and the Upper Taos Box of the Rio Grande in that the entire run is a siphon.   As you weave your way through boulder gardens boofing and sliding, you're very cogniscent of the fact that the water disappears under rocks everywhere.  I can't think of one rapid that doesn't have at least one siphon looming somewhere.  The other issue here is that many good looking options thorugh the boulders lead to danger.  Knowing where to go is critical, boating scouting is difficult. and the vertical 35m walls offer little chance to get out and portage. 

The Team consisted of Shawn Fuller, Cody Beach, Josh Mack and Scott Dent.  We had all been down many times together and with other teams.  We know the run well and most of the time, unless I'm outta my boat to shoot pics, we just bomb the run without scouting. 

We cruised through the upper sections enjoying a great day with friends.  The sun was out, things were going wonderfully and we were in the pool above Boof or Slide.  It's here that the river regroups and offers a long section of boulders to weave and boof your way through.  Finger Fuck is the final section of boulders in this area.  Earlier in the year, a good friend Tony had gotten pinned in the siphon at the top of Finger Fuck...not a good thing.  Once you get around the siphon in Finger Fuck and eddy out on the left wall, one more move gets you through it and heading to the eddy above the river wide Siphon.

As I pulled into this eddy, I immediately looked upstream to make sure the Team was on track.  Cody had gone down to the Siphon and everyone else was doing good.  I needed to make room in the eddy so I pealed out and headed for the last move.  As I left the eddy, I quickly glanced back to see if Josh made it into the wall eddy and this is were I ran into trouble.  By looking back one more time, it threw off my timing to get through a slot and voila...I broached the right side of the slot's rock sideways with my boat and pinned immediately.  I didn't panick, rather I started to rock my boat and use my paddle to apply leverage trying to get weight forward to release my boat.  Unforunately, this action only made things worse.  My boat pinned with greater force as  I was in the middle of current.  My boat's hull started to slowly push up towards my knees.  I could still move my legs so I moved my knees up to my skirt to make sure I could get out if necessary.  I slid them back into the thigh braces and began looking to the Team for help.

They immediately recognzed the issue and got out to help.  The first option we tried was hand to hand pulling to see if we could get the boat unpinned.

Trying to pull me and my boat off the rock

It was a good thought but a futile attempt.  There was just too much water pushing on my boat and the hull had already deformed and was slowly wrapping around the rock.  I could feel the hull coming up against my thigh.  As I felt this, I immediately thought about getting trapped in the boat.  I moved my legs around to make sure I could get out when needed.  So far...I had time and room to move.  The next option was rope work.  Scott got in the water and I immediately directed him to get out.  Everyone had drysuits on but Scott and even though he was willing to help, he would have become hypothermic quickly in the freezing cold water.  Luckily I was heads up so we started the communication about how to utilize ropes.

Giving directions

I wanted 2 ropes in play, one on me clipped and locked into my bouyancy aid's shoulder strap and one on the kayak rescue loop directly in front of my cockpit.  It's important to note here that Kokatat's rescue vest has webbing sewn throughout the shoulder straps allowing this as a rescue contact point.  It's bomber.  I wanted the second rope on my boat because once freed, I didn't want it floating into the Siphon.

Cody had gotten out downstream with a throw rope and was ready to bag me above the Siphon should I come outta my boat and head downstream.

Nice throw bro !!

With two ropes on me and my boat, and the Team ready to go, I felt really confident that things were going well.  I could feel water entering my kayak from my drysuit/spraydeck combo and I could also feel the boat squeezing my legs more and more.  Time to get out.  I had my Kokatat drysuit on so I was comfy and warm and well prepared for this.  I had been in the water by this time about 4 1/2 minutes and was still clear headed, coherent, and mentally in control.  A solid drysuit is key.  It kept me warm which allowed all of this to happen.  I don't know what would have happened if I had succumbed to hypothermia. 

2 Ropes on Me

The Team was ready and I decided to pull my skirt and get out.  I moved my knees up to the spray deck, told the Team to tension the ropes, and then gave the verbal command I was pulling my skirt.  The moment I pulled my skirt, the kayak filled with water and pinned even more.  I lept from my boat, Shawn pulled hard and I landed on the rock with Shawn's help.  During this my one leg did get momentarily stuck in the boat but with a little effort it came loose and I was happy to be standing in the sunlight free.

Finally free :)

Now that I was free, we had to get the boat off the rock.  What a great idea it was to clip it before I got out!!!  I jumped back into the water with a rope on me and began kicking and rocking the boat as Josh and Scott pulled on the rope.  Shawn had me tight with his rope and after a little while it came free and we swung it into the eddy below us.

I kicked out the dent on the bottom and checked it for cracks.  Not surprisingly the boat was still in good shape.  Fluid boats are flipping tough man.  A quick thank you, debrief and gathering of gear and we were back in out boats heading downstream.

Looking back at this event, what can I take from it?  What did we learn?

1)  I let my guard down and didn't take the move seriously.  I was too focused on the Team upstream.  I had done this move over the years countless times and didn't consider it hard or threatening.  Pay attention to every move easy or not.  Find an eddy before you look around if you're still in moving current.

2) A strong team with rescue experience is always the case when paddling hard whitewater.  Paddle with those you know.  Carry the right equipment.  Know how to use it.

3) Establish good communication.  Make sure everyone knows the signals. 

4) Above all, keep your cool.  During this whole thing I was pretty calm and collected.  It allowed us to manage it efficiently and effectively.

Below is Shawn's helmet cam footage.  I wasn't wearing mine this day...


 
Getting Pinned on Baker's from David Farkas on Vimeo.

Cheers guys for a great day and a great rescue.  That's why we paddle together.  Thanks to my sponsors for epic gear.  Time and time again, we rely on our equipment to help us with safe passage downstream.  

My Awesome Backyard

Living in Durango offers the best of Colorado.  Amazing scenery and every type of outdoor pursuit imaginable.  For a kayaker in Colorado, this place is Mecca.  I'm lucky because I live just north of town and very close to the put-in for the Middle and Bakers Boxes of the Animas River.  These 2 runs are probably the best river runs in Colorado.  Stacked with drops, the committing gorges and steep vertical granite walls with no escape make this run very committing.  Once you're in, it's hard to get out.  The sieved out nature of both runs keeps everyone on their toes and to make things even a little more challenging, the first few drops in Baker's are unscoutable. 

There's no feeling like paddling here with your best mates and seeing the sunshine after House Rock rapid.  Everyone I know has had some type of beat down in here.  Just when you think you know it...it hands you a slice of humble pie. 

Baker's consists of 2 distinct sections...the Upper Section and Lower Section.  The Upper has 4 unscoutable drops in a tight gorge.  Knowing the where to go is key here.  The Lower start with Long Rapid and as the name suggest is a half mile long rapid of boulders and holes that has significant gradient.  After Long Rapid, the river narrows a bit and is boulder choked all the way to the siphon.  The siphon is a riverwide bedrock/boulder drop that must be portaged a low - medium flows.  The significant drop in this section is Boof or Slide.  It is long and complex with multiple moves and multiple siphons everywhere.  If you don't make your move, the consequences are high.   

Heading downstream through Middle Box

Shawn Fullmer lowers his boat.  Mandatory here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shawn raps in

 

Cody Beach in Long Rapid

The boys below the put in drop

Josh Mack at the start of Boof or Slide

Josh Mack in the middle of Boof or Slide.  The siphon waits downstream...

Cody Beach dropping into Rectilian

2nd drop Upper Section

The boof in Boof or Slide. Middle of the Lower Section

Racoon...the 3rd drop in the Upper Section

In the Midst of Rectilian, the Lower Section

Shawn Fullmer loving it

About to take the Plunge!!!! 4th drop in the Upper Section

Plugging in the middle of Long Rapid, Lower Section

Shawn and I all smiles after a great run :)

Baker's is a fantastic run and when combined with the Middle Box, one of the best that Colorado has to offer.  It's not for everyone.  The commitment of the canyon and the siphons on pretty much every drop keep most interested parties out.  There's also the hike in to consider.  2.5 kilometres through private property with a land owner that's gun happy and hates paddlers!  With all that said, it's worth the effort.  Having the run 8 minutes from my door has me smiling all the time and when I'm outta town and on my way home, knowing Baker's is in makes me drive a little faster :)

Upper NF San Joaquin Video

Here's a sweet video Adrian Kiernan put together from our San Joaquin trip.  Cheers Adrian it was a beauty!!!!

Upper NF San Joaquin

After 2 long weeks of kayak teaching and a 12 hr drive south from the Cal Salmon, I finally made it to Oakhurst, the gateway to the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin.  I was suppose to meet the Team consisting of Josh Nielson, Tyler Fox, Adrian Kiernan, Riley Best, and Jamie Garrod.  When I rolled into Oakhurst, it was midnight.  The map showed single lane roads heading east towards the mountains and we were to meet at a campground somewhere up there....

I drove for hours and I mean hours and I finally made it to camp as I was about to give up the hunt.  A light sprinkle with snow in the high country meant cool temps.  Waking up in the morning, classic Sierra landscape pervailed.

Awesome Cali camping

We had an early breakfast and then set out to the trailhead to organize and get going.

Adrian psyched for the mission ahead

From our camp spot, it was a short drive on a dirt road to get to the Isberg Trailhead.  Interestingly enough, the two trail heads are only 1 mile apart which gave us an easy shuttle.  Dropping off the rigs, we got to Isberg and began the prep work.

The Team looking at the trail map

The hike is somewhere around 16 kilometres and the hike out around 4.5 kilometres so it was going to be a mission no matter what.  We had no guage, no one had been down before, it had only been run twice, and the hike in was long.  Sooooo...we went for it in the best of styles...too much fooling around at the trialhead and a late start.  Perfect!!!

Sorting out the stuff

Time was running out and it was late.  We knew the hike was burly and long so we got on with it.  There's something to be said about lugging a 45kg kayak for 16 km.  It feels oh so good to get it off your back.

Haggard (photo: Kiernan)

After hours of lugging the boats uphill, we made it to the overlook.  It's an amazing place that looks over of the entire NF San Joaquin valley.  We could see where we were headed and where we needed to take out.  Whew...it was a long way down there!

Somewhere down there lies the San Joaquin

A much needed break

We left the lookout and headed uphill.  Always uphill and with little light remaining and no chance of getting to the putin, we decided to camp for the night at the top of the climb.  We knew the next day was all downhill to the put in so we found a sweet camp spot in between snow drifts and settled in for the night.

I love Cali overnights!!!!

 

Getting up in the morning, spirits were high and an hour and a half later we were at the put in.

Tyler Fox lifestylin it (p. Garrod)

A pretty spectacular place with some put in drops, a sweet bridge and a killer campground.  We rested for 2 hrs before heading out and paddling downstream.  The run was 6 miles and we were trying to get past a drainage that came in from the east.  That was our marker.

Josh Nielson - Put In 20'

Continuous Goods!! (p.Nielson)

Getting ready to launch (p. Garrod)

There was 2 miles of continuous, runnable, amazing whitewater to camp.

Josh loving the triple

One of my favorite High Sierra camps ever.  (p. Garrod)

Day one was epic.  I wonder how day 2 was going to be?  With a mini-gorge to start the day and then more amazing whitewater, the Upper NF did not disappoint.  I was super psyched with our Team because we worked really well together.  No run goes without it's mishaps and ours did for sure, but there was anything really to worry about.  No major hiccups in a stellar descent.  Paddling for a few more hours brought us to the big one...the 60 footer we had heard and seen pics of.  I'm going to leave this one for you to figure out.  Here's a few pics to wet your appetite.

Tyler Fox in good style

After the 60' there was miles of awesome continuous whitewater all the way to the take out bridge.

The Team drying out gear

After we dried out our stuff, we ate lunch, packed up and headed uphill for the long 4.5 kilometre hike out.  Wow...did those PBR's taste good at the top!!!

The Upper NF San Joaquin is definitely a run that I will do again.  It's one of the best High Sierra runs I've done.  It's not Upper Cherry, it's totally different.  What Cherry has in smooth granite and drops, this run has in boulder gardens, steep long sections, and complex problems.  It also has a burly hike in and out and no gauge which keeps the masses out. 

Linking it All Together

I've had some technical issues over the past year and I've decided to delete some accounts and web pages and keep it all as one here under Horizon Line Adventures.  It's been whack trying to keep up with all the cyber world, internet craziness...so...this is the only one I'm using. 

I've got a lot to add to this blog so stay in touch for pics and vids.

Cheers!!!!