Roy,

I hesitate to post... BUT just cause you ran BD at some percieved highwater and the Chee a dozen times doesn't exactly qualify you for class V.  Better get your gear situation straightened out first, then incrementally work on rivers that offer progression. 

 

You never know if you can do it unti you do it...

You guys gotta know when to sniff out a troll. Roy 'Waiting' has all the makings of a good troll.

I gotta give props to Harms, jP, and Gordon, because they're correct in all their statements, in my opinion. I've run laps on BD in my playboat, and just because you can run laps on it and style it every time, doesn't mean you're necessarily ready for class V out here.

Well JP that sounds great! I will be ready to hit the gorge sometime this year.Yes i am very aware of young peoples ego.Im surrounded by it.Not trying to say i consume it.Waterfalls is not what i intend to do..haha.Mr.Harms sets very good points and i have seen many examples that have failed.My ambition for kayaking is great.But what gets me to ignite that ambition is actually being with OA in Index.They have taught me many things.Including Rob Mckibbin and Sam Grafton.But i have yet to meet the standards then advance over the abundance of finesse i have yet to find.I am just trying to get the time on river before i am capable of hitting bigger things.Carbon river is the one class V i am looking to run first.I will def. def. take all advice. its what i do.only 18 years old and boating is great

Right on Roy... keep at it... and you'll be charging hard water.

right on, harms. like any sport, kayaking at a high level involves a mix of natural athleticism, fitness, technique, and confidence, which allows a number of possible combinations that enable one to paddle advanced whitewater. skill is only one element. as a result, everyone has a unique potential in the sport that is his/hers to realize.

agreed, darren, troll.

Definitely post a trip report on that one! Black ops for sure

Harms...  this sounds contrary to what you say (later or earlier).  After reading only this post I thought...  maybe I could handle a class v. 
I appreciate and thank you for being willing to share your advice and skills with newer boaters like myself.

Dude if anyone round here is a Troll, its me. But maybe Leprechaun is more like it. Yeah, this site is cool to talk about boating cuz sometimes we just be sittin at home (like at 10:45 on a sunday night) wishin we wuz boatn but we aint so this can be a good outlet. And while most of us mean well (well, I can't say I always do), whitewater boaters, even the most humble, can be afflicted with "terminal expert syndrom". Thus resulting in everyone rushing into the mix to give ya all kinds of advice about how you should or shouldn't do this or that.

Bottom line is the sport is all about "Choose Your Own Adventure".
The saying "Rules Were Made To Be Broken" is a valid one, but perhaps should be ammended to include: "AFTER you've learned them"

For what its worth, I'm down to paddle the Carbon with you once we've run the Green Gorge and mutually assesed your skilled for the Carbon.
Troll or no Troll (and Roy, we have a periodic history on this site of Alias wise crackers, so sometimes new comers who show up are suspected to be such- personally I'm not concerned either way. All the action is on the river anyhow and the river doesn't care if you're a Troll, a Hobbit (PP has at least two hobbit members), an Elf (I know an Elf who guides rafts) or whatever mythical critter we may fancy ourselves as.

The river does recognize skill. Often it will match your skill and multiply it for you. The River will say "oh- kid's got skills. For every unit of skill you exert I will match you two units." On the other hand sometimes it'll say " this clown thinks he gots mad skillz. Ima let him slide this time lady luck style. An if the fool has the hubris to try that sh*t next time Ima fu*k his sh*t up and take his gear."

I guess I like the inseperable mysterious element to running rivers: the blurry line between skill, experience, and chance. With some intrinsic mysticism...