Two things I think I learned yesterday

[Cru_Jones]

Looks like the boater who got a little worked in the video went over the falls with almost a 45 degree angle to the right. They would have to hit that line straight on with speed in order to have a chance of getting past the hole. That main channel they went over has the most meaty, retentive part of the hole at the bottom. I've always run it about 5-10 feet (boater's) left of where they went in that video. There's a little diving board style rock under the surface of the water right at the edge of the falls. I just try to line that up with some speed and a last minute boof stroke. I haven't ever hit the rock face in the landing or gotten snagged by the hole... knock on wood. That move can be tough since you get a big splash in the face by that small lateral wave right before you're making the move over the edge.

[JCKeck1]

Start in tight left on the two big rocks at the very top. Stay left of the wave train. As you come around the corner and see the lip, take one more strong downstream righty. Then move back hard to the right, crossing the meat of the current. There is a main pointy rooster tail right at the lip. I take a strong left before the rooster and go off the lip with the point of the rooster a bit off my left hip. When you feel like boofing off the top, wait, then righty stroke late. Be sure to look up at Kaleb's camera as you go off the lip. Yes, this line sends your over the very worst of the hole - if you're anywhere near the rock you either were thinking a different line or blew mine. No, it definitely doesn't happen like that every time - that's why it's so fun.

Pointers:
1. To keep from getting the full beat down you must have downstream momentum. Sounds simple, but the best boaters get worked there because they're looking for the huge boof and just take rudder strokes to line up.
2. The boof is not mandatory - see above. A great boof with no speed resulted in my swim.Most everyone I know who's run tunnel a lot has swam there. Lots of speed will send you out into the kicking current and without a boof, you'll just have to brace or roll up in the eddy.
3. The higher - the better. Most swims and beatdowns occur in the 800 range when she's sticky.
4. 95% of swims, especially from first timers, occur in the eddy.
5. If you ask yourself, "Am I in the hole?" - then you're not. You'll know it when you are.
6. Most exceptional boaters who have run Tunnel lots have added their name to the long list of Tunnel swimmers.
7. If you have more questions, ask Chris Morrison cause he stomped it saturday like he's an accountant doing taxes - precisely (thanks for the quote WSR boys).
Joe

[benpetri]

Originally Posted by KSC

I'm starting to wonder if that's a better line than getting too close to the rock jutting out on the left though. Has anyone seen anything bad result from people hitting that rock?

Yep! I witnessed my friend KSC break his brand new Jefe on that rock this weekend!

Sorry, couldn't resist! I felt like a wus portaging that shit this weekend but after watching your line I think I made the right decision.

[Caspian]

Sorta OT, but Heliodorus - IIRC you were running class II/III a couple years ago when you first posted here. It's pretty cool to see (virtually) someone progress up the ladder. Congrats on a good day at Gore. (I swam at Tunnel on my first/only so far run there several years ago too.)

[suigeneris]

Ran tunnel around 1000-1100cfs and was told to point at the big rock river left. Side wave from left pushed me right of the rock and left of hole-worked brilliantly. Just gotta have some balls to drop the sneak at gore rapid. Peeling out above decision rock takes some fancy paddling. Someone please tell me this move is not a problem so I too can avoid that heinous portage.

[yourrealdad]

THe sneak at Gore is fine just don't get pushed back into the rock on the bottom of the eddy. Plug tunnel it is more fun that way, right BK?

[heliodorus04]

Originally Posted by Caspian

Sorta OT, but Heliodorus - IIRC you were running class II/III a couple years ago when you first posted here. It's pretty cool to see (virtually) someone progress up the ladder. Congrats on a good day at Gore. (I swam at Tunnel on my first/only so far run there several years ago too.)

Hey, thanks for noticing! Yeah, I've had a good year. My hope at the start was to be doing Numbers after the meltoff, but at Paddlefest I ran it at 1800. Scared me out of my mind, but then I started to get over fright a lot more after that.

I say lots of prayers to the river gods when I paddle something hard, telling them I know they're in charge, and I'm just an unworthy bit of flotsam on their water, and I ask them to help me out when they can, and not punish me when I screw up.

One more run down Gore, and I'm ready to call it a season, man. I'm still trying to soak in that it was actually me in that boat.

I know gh will accuse me of blowing the following with my gratitude:
1) Pyranha and the Burn. I've actually named that boat, and kiss it fairly regularly (no tongue)
2) Otterbar Kayak School, which I attended this year.
3) gh
4) the guys of Pikes Peak Whitewater who promised to catch my yard sales when I stepped up. So far, haven't really needed their services, but hey, I plan on running Gore and Tunnel next time.

[jmack]

Things I learned at Gore this weekend:

1) the Professor is harder than the sneak.
2) Gore Rapid is pretty deep in places (see #1)
3) Tunnel at 1200 goes fine with or without a boof.
4) even when it looks like someone just got decapitated by the Tunnel rock, they will reappear (probably with their head still on).
5) If you run the right side of Toilet bowl, watch out for the FU rocks below the main drop.

Good times this weekend- can't wait to go back!

[Oopps]

Hehe. Congrats on your first Gore run. My first time down there was a couple weeks ago, and I'm not really a good enough boater to be running that (almost, not quite). Lessons learnt my first time:
1) If you can't hear or understand when someone's describing the lines to you, ask for clarification (Kayaker's Nightmare, ran dead centre into the hole).
2) If people are telling you you are going to screw up, you shouldn't always listen to them.
3) No matter how sensible it is to walk a rapid, I will always feel bad afterwards for doing so.