Kayaking

I just got back from a weekend of whitewater kayaking in Jackson Hole. I had one of the most terrifying moments of my life. My husband and I did a section of the Hoback River which feeds into the Snake River. It is normally a class III river, unfortunately for me, we later found out that the water was at its peak about 5000 cfs(cubic feet per second) so it was really a class III + and in some sections a class IV. The Snake was running about 21000 cfs which has some nasty eddie lines and swirlys waiting to pull you under. I don't really have my roll down so if I go over I pull my kayak skirt and go for a swim.

So anyway we were going through a tight section of whitewater and there was a huge pour over followed by a hole and I didn't hit it straight on. It dumped me over so fast that I didn't even have time to think. I hit my head on a rock which thankfully didn't knock me out. I pulled my skirt and to my demise down the river were two huge rocks waiting to suck me into the washing machine. ( The washing machine is when you get caught in the flow under the rock and you are circulated to the bottom of the river and back up). In the mean time I am trying to hold onto my boat and not hit the rocks below me. Thankfully there was a raft near by that picked me up because the river is almost continuous whitewater for 2 miles past the point I was at.

There is just something about the power of the river and drowning that is so terrifying. Kayaking for me is a combination of shear terror, exhilaration, fun, panic and excitement all in one moment. If I could just get over panicking when I go upside down maybe I will be able to roll.
There is this really cool website called eddyflower.com that will give you access to a lot of the rivers in the country. It lists the flow volume, where to put in and take out ect. Anyway that is the website that we used to figure out where to go, but we also learned that no matter where you are if the water is high the river completely changes.