Whitewater Forum: Ohanapecosh Beginner Trip!
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Ohanapecosh Beginner Trip!

Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11216
Printed Date: 21 Sep 2025 at 2:04pm


Topic: Ohanapecosh Beginner Trip!
Posted By: Travisimo
Subject: Ohanapecosh Beginner Trip!
Date Posted: 03 Sep 2011 at 9:22pm
I am paddling the Ohane on Monday... 

If you want to come (even if you are only a class 4+ boater) PM me...

Yes it is class 5 and it is "low' but I assure you it is much more friendly at low water and we will start off very early.  Any rapid on the run is portage-able and this group will wait and not be angry anyone for scouting or portaging ANY rapid.

PM me if you are up for a VERY early start and an awesome day on a challenging and beautiful run.

If you include EVERY rapid... the Ohane is one of the most difficult in Wa... and I have run every one... but likely won't on Monday!   I'm looking to have a good time and meet new prospective class V friends...  If nobody responds I'll post videos .


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H2O please



Replies:
Posted By: Travisimo
Date Posted: 04 Sep 2011 at 11:15am
I'll be away from the computer till late tonight, anyone that wants to join can call me:

too oh 6 nein tree won 6 for ate 6


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H2O please


Posted By: Travisimo
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2011 at 10:27pm
So water snobs... who decided this was "too low?"  I will now post videos!

I had a GREAT day!!! I actually had one boater tell me it was "too low" and decline to come...  I don't understand!  I have done the Ohane at near 3000cls...  I hereby declare that anything below 2999 cfs is "Too Low..."

Any ELF (extremely low flow) boaters who want to experience MANY runs that I know well however can PM me if they want to try new runs below flood... it's amazing how much different and fun "Too Low" can be.  I'd like to talk to ANYONE who has done the Ohane at this level and had a BAD time... (yes there are new dangerous pins... but that kinda goes along with kayaking... other drops are BETTER.)







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H2O please


Posted By: Travisimo
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2011 at 12:06am











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H2O please


Posted By: irenen
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2011 at 9:41am
I just wanted to say I thought it was awesome that you opened this up to IV+ers and offered to show first-timers down, if I had been boating as usual (currently on the injured list) I would have loved to have tried this.

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It's all fun and games until someone loses a paddle.


Posted By: Blair
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2011 at 9:51am
Originally posted by irened

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I just wanted to say I thought it was awesome that you opened this up to IV+ers and offered to show first-timers down, if I had been boating as usual (currently on the injured list) I would have loved to have tried this.<a href="css_styles/default_style.css">




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Ditto. I would've loved to come too but I was heading back from my road trip that day. Looks like it was fun. Thanks for the vids.

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Posted By: JayB
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2011 at 10:40am
I'll add a third ditto to the above. Thanks for posting the invite - bummed I wasn't able to take you up on such an awesome offer.

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-Jay


Posted By: jimo
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2011 at 2:04pm
I wish I would have seen this earlier!!!


Definitely keep posting about trips, I just moved out here from the east and am a upper Yough/Bottom Moose Class 4+ boater and I'm pumped to paddle out here...  even in lower water


and I agree too much ego out here...  Do it cause its fun, not to be a better than everyone


Posted By: irenen
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2011 at 4:24pm
There actually isn't a lot of ego out here.  Maybe hang out a bit longer and then see what you think.

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It's all fun and games until someone loses a paddle.


Posted By: PaddleGirl
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2011 at 8:13pm
Fourth or is it fifth ditto... think your invitation was awesome.... and I love low flows! The drops look fun, thanks for showing the vids


Posted By: brig
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2011 at 9:18pm
Super fun run, wish I knew it went so well so low!

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Chris B.


Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2011 at 1:10pm
(Chuckle) yo Travis- it really is great to see you so fired up defending the ELF approach to river running.

Variety is certainly the spice of life and yes, many runs in this state are actually quite geologicly suited to the "ELF" approach. The Ohanie is one such run. Nice and channelized as it drops down between large boulders.

For those of you out there who are relatively new to the sport, or even new to the region, though, here's my 2 cents:

Many other creeks in Wa simply don't share this type of "user friendly" or "ELFable" geology. Creeks with sustained gradients pool up less than the Ohane and/ or have lots of smaller, freshly strewn about (freshly on the geological scale) rocks, rubble, and cobble. You simply want to cover that sh*t up to "smooth out" the lines. Boats are expensive. Save some wear n tear and minimize hip shots.

Fortunately for all of us fanatics of the frothy goods: WA has so much variety we can pick and choose. And yeah, Travis, the river may have a "rule book" for us to study and abide by, but it doesn't specify which flows we choose to boat w/ it. That's entirely freedom of choice.

I will remind everyone encouragingly though that our sport is called "whitewater kayaking/rafting", not "rockwater kayaking/rafting". Those wonderful fall rains are on their way, folks.

    Class IV boaters should put The Foss on their fall radar. Especially the greater Seattle Boaters. Add enough water to cover all those rocks except the big boulders in Ken n Barbie. Ain't nothin to hit but water, so alls you really need is a solid roll. Just a plug for the push.

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🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋


Posted By: water wacko
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2011 at 6:57pm
Summer time flows on the Ohane fill in moreso than in the winter/spring. I paddled it a couple years ago at 1100-1150 and it was definitely lower than the level in Travis's vid.


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"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~Howard Thurman


Posted By: Travisimo
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2011 at 8:53pm
VERY true, that gauge includes the Muddy Fork as well... in fact the Ohane is harder to measure level on than most think by the reading.

I respectfully have to disagree with JP as well, I think a class 4+ boater can probably "experience" but not "run" almost any run in Washington state...  The caveat is that they NEED to be good at climbing and have sense.

IMHO many of the "harder" runs get easier with low flows as long as you do the basics:

1   )Never over commit, if you can't see the next eddy AND way out of a canyon, don't commit.
2)   Never bite off more than you can chew and trust your gut.  I have walked drops that everybody else in my group has run, because I have learned from experience that even if I see a troop of girl scouts in open canoes run a drop I have decided to walk...  I'm gonna get trashed because so much of boating is a head game.

The issue I think some excellent boaters have with the aspiring class 4+ crew is that they slow down expert trips and are a liability when they run things they shouldn't...  I just haven't met any crews like my old one and miss those days.  I was hoping to rally one and spend all the time it takes to get down a personal first decent on my favorite canyon in the world... and nobody came.

I love that river, it is nothing short of magical... at any level.

Yes I have run it near 3K on the gauge and when Ohane falls is a river wide nearly unscoutable ledge... with an easy but terrifying "sneak" on the right.... its different than it was on Monday!...  I don't think that should keep responsible boaters from trying new runs.  It still counted as an awesome day in the sun with crystal blue waters... even if jackass Travisimo doesn't count it since he ran it at 3k...  That's my point.


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H2O please


Posted By: Travisimo
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2011 at 9:03pm
Too bad I can't edit...

I also need to add, that yes many class 5 runs would require camping out to run if you scout every drop and walk them all.  I miss the old days, seems so many crews now internet scout and only run stuff they can lap.

I really miss the days of everything being new.  I don't know how many times I've said, "I'm NEVER running this again!!!!!!"  That doesn't mean I don't remember the trip though!

I miss my old crew more than I can put into words.  I hope there are other groups of friends like that out there...


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H2O please


Posted By: JayB
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2011 at 11:41pm
Just a couple of quick level questions for reference purposes:

1) What level was the Ohane at on Monday?
2) Any suggested references for the Foss in the fall? Sky at XXXcfs from rain, etc? No problem with combining a bank-scout with some fishing to get my own sense of things when the flows are low, but if you (JP) have a frame of reference that you'd care to share I'd be glad to add that to the mental database.

 


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-Jay


Posted By: Kiran
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2011 at 7:43am
I am not anywhere near being a Class IV+ paddler today but used to be one who routinely ran the easy Class V's.  Time away from water will result, in I :-( in degeneration of skills and confidence.

That said, I would love to connect with some else who likes low volume paddling

Late in July, I was back in my home turf of Northern CA and paddling the NFA (Chamberlain's) at 400cfs (ELF) and it was FANTASTIC and then I did Kyburz at 500cfs and it was UNBELIEVABLE...

I prefer ELF to hair floodstage boating or even mere high water any day of the week


Posted By: Jule
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2011 at 7:54pm
Travis, as you can see there are a ton of us who are getting into creeking and really really appreciate it if people take the time to paddle a river at a comfortable pace and water level. I for myself love scouting and scrambling around in the dirt with my boat, and really spending time studying the river. That's my way of developing confidence, as opposed to bombing down stuff and hoping for the best (which has never gone well for me). Just so happens that some folks have to work on Mondays...



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