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Thread: Westwater TR

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Durango, CO
    Posts
    758

    Westwater TR

    Just got back from my first trip down Westwater this weekend. So much fun. We had a group of 18, 4 rafts and 4 kayakers and 3 kegs... needless to say, we probably killed some brain cells. The rangers at the put in tried to haul off our kegs because apparently they're illegal in Utah (god I hate the laws in that state), but we went and stole them back from their boat shed right before we shoved off. So after that, the first day was pretty much a blur...lots of beer, lots of surfing the little play waves above Little D. The second day was even better. I wish we had a section of river like that closer to Durango, big water is so much fun. The raft my girlfriend was in ended up dumptrucking in Skull, but luckily it didn't fully flip since it was the biggest raft of the group and would have been a MAJOR bitch to get up right. Man I can't wait to go back. I planned on having photo's to post, but I got to distracted between being drunk and trying to stay upright through the gorge...oh well, next time.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    9,574
    Bold move on the the reg repo. That ranger Alvin is a pecker head of the first degree. Westwater trips rule. For true brain cell crushing, try beginning with two flat water days above on Loma. It is so much better with the new permit system.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Durango, CO
    Posts
    758
    Alvin wasn't down there this time I don't think (atleast that's what all the experienced westwater kids said) There was some new guy that had a buzz cut and a goatee...he was pretty cool. We were kinda late getting up, so we were in danger of having to camp below the rapids, but a couple of the other groups were dicks I guess, so he took away one of their camp spots (Little Hole) and gave it to us. The other group saw us the next day and were kinda pissed about it, but oh well.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Ten Mile Vistas
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    4,042
    Westwater is great fun. We did a trip back on June 11th when the flow was around 17,000 cfs. They don't call them the terrible teens for nothing. 5 out of the 10 kayakers in our group swam and my brother had a horrible swim down into the river left eddyline of Last Chance. He swam at the end of Sock-It-To-Me and should have been rescued by the 4 support rafts that were eddied out just downstream, but they were all too busy drinking beer and not paying attention. They failed to get my brother out(because their efforts were too late) and I tried to rescue him in my boat before Last Chance, but couldn't. I just had to watch helplessly as he got sucked under and recirculated in the eddyline repeatedly, knowing that if I went into that eddyline after him I was most likely swimming too and raft support was not nearby. My other brother and myself finally managed to get him out after his epic swim. Pretty scary shit and as close to a flush drowning as I've seen before. My non-swimming brother, who was easily the most experienced person on the river that day(class V+ boater, 7 year river guide), gave all the rafters an earful in river safety and their responsibilities in river rescue. As it turned out everyone was okay, fun was had, and we all learned some valuable lessons that day.
    Last edited by cmsummit; 10-26-2005 at 11:15 AM.
    Old's Cool.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Durango, CO
    Posts
    758
    Is that that boiled out eddy that is in the alcove on river left of Last Chance? Damn, that thing looked scary as shit. I can't imagine what it would be like at 17000.... I couldn't believe the huge ass ledge hole on river left of Tunnel Falls, it would be hard to get into but if you did, you'd be screwed.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
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    Ten Mile Vistas
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    Quote Originally Posted by Storm11
    Is that that boiled out eddy that is in the alcove on river left of Last Chance? Damn, that thing looked scary as shit. I can't imagine what it would be like at 17000.... I couldn't believe the huge ass ledge hole on river left of Tunnel Falls, it would be hard to get into but if you did, you'd be screwed.
    Yeah, that's the Last Chance eddy line I'm reffering to. Scary at 17,000.
    Old's Cool.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Durango, CO
    Posts
    67
    Storm, I was right there when the ranger took the keg. It was Alvin. Alvin explained to us how a keg was an illegal beverage container in the state of Utah. No kegs anywhere in Utah. Before we launched I saw someone from Johnny's crew snatch the Keg and launch, it was great. Fuck the Authority!

    I have run westy over thirty times from 18,000 to 800 cfs and have never had that many problems. I live in Durango and will probably be making one more trip in November. November is great, you can still see 70 degrees and you will have the whole canyon to yourself.

    Later bitches
    Last edited by 420Powderpimp; 10-26-2005 at 03:23 PM.
    Creek Boaters Like Tight Boxes

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Farmington, Utah
    Posts
    304
    That ranger Alvin is a pecker head of the first degree
    Alvin is actually a really cool guy, dealt with him quite a bit during my guiding years. You can't blame him for enforcing the laws and rules (lame or not), it is in fact his job. Plus that mustache of his demands respect!
    "dad, do Unicorns poop."

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Durango, CO
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    67
    I actually don't have a problem with Alvin, you just need to have your shit together when he is checking you out. Johnny and his group were kinda being dumb asses about the keg, you knew they were going to get fucked with. Hell, they had three of them.
    Creek Boaters Like Tight Boxes

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Durango, CO
    Posts
    758
    Yeah, they tapped the Raspberry Wheat keg from Carvers at like 9 am that morning, so I kinda thought it might cause some trouble. Especially with 7 other groups launching that morning. I actually wasn't there when it happened, John and I were running shuttle and drinking JD...also at 9 in the morning. 420, were you on one of the rafts that we tied up to after the rapids and had the 10 boat barge with?

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Durango, CO
    Posts
    67
    No, I was in the red S6 and the grey sweet helmet. We launched pretty early.
    Creek Boaters Like Tight Boxes

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