Where did you cut your teeth?

I started in an Outcast Pac 1100, just like you. I still have it. I had friends who rafted & kayaked. They took me to Alpine Canyon (outside Jackson Wy.) to try something new with the mini-cat. Easy class III in late summer. I was hooked. I then joined a rafting club and started doing class II-III day trips with them. I learned a ton about rafting in general from them. On an June Split Mountain (Green River) trip, class III, high water, I had my first flip in Moonshine rapid. After that I decided if I wanted to keep running whitewater, I better get a "real" cataraft. I got a 14 X 19 JPW Flyer cat. Super fun for day runs, and I could carry a small amount of multi-day gear on it. More Split Mountain runs, Westwater, Payette runs. Then I progressed to the Main Salmon for multi-day trips. I did a few with an outfitter (Canyons Inc.) and learned a lot from their guides. Finally moved up to a July Middle Fork trip with them at about 2.5-3 feet. A nice manageable level. after that I met the group I boat with now. Multi-day trips in Utah, Idaho, Oregon mostly. I progressed through two Maravia cats, 14X22, 14X24, and now have moved to a raft. Maybe one day I'll do the Grand???? If I can stop having surgery on my leg.

Good luck in your journey. I have never sold my PAC 1100 because it's so nice for fishing and class II-III day runs (Green below Flaming Gorge, Moab daily). I love that little cat. I've also added a 13 foot touring kayak to my armada this summer. I'm headed for Grand Teton Nat. park next month for some overnight backcountry paddling & camping.

Well, my first memories of rafting where when I aaas a small kid. My Dad used to take us on the South Platte on float trips. We ran a few small rapids, and we took my uncle's canoe once, which ended up being my first flip and swim. I still remember seeing the under workings of the rapid (rocks and sticks and bubbles) and then feeling this hand grab me by the back of the PFD and pulling me into the eddy. But that's probably not what you mean by cutting my teeth... LOL

My Dad then went on to more whitewater when I was a teenager buy running the Salt with his buddies. He caught the bug big time then, so bought a raft. oars, made a frame, etc. He and his friends would run the Salt in the spring, then ship the boat to Colorado and we'd run the Ark all summer long. Mostly Browns Canyon of course. Every now and then I would row, but I was still mostly a passenger.

I then got to go on a multi-day on the Salt with my Dad my senior year in high school. That was a special treat for me. I got to see Quartzite before it was blasted, and spent some quality time with my Dad on the river. I got to row quite a bit in the calmer sections, and even rowed one rapid - just one. I flipped us and that was it for me rowing rapids... LOL

It was many years after my Dad passed before I got back into whitewater rafting (no, he didn't pass from the flip). Our friends invited my wife and kids on a big multi-family overnighter on Ruby Horsethief. Wife and kids had a ball, and my wife said "we should get one of these". That's all I needed to hear. Two boats and a garage full of gear later, we're all in! LOL

The maiden voyage as a family in the 14 footer was the Lower Eagle, the poo plant to the fairgrounds. We eddied out just above rodeo to get everyone back in their respective boats (we were with friends) when my entire family abandoned me for my buddy's boat - they were afraid I'd flip in Rodeo. It was like rowing a beach ball because all my weight up front was then in my buddy's boat, but much to their dismay, I ran it clean - as I have always done with my family on board (my friends, not so much LOL). So you could say the Eagle is where I cut my teeth as an oarsman - we ran it quite a bit that summer.

The maaiden voyage for the mini-Max was on Shoshone - wife and the kids on board. Wife and I R2ed, but we didn't get along so well. We made it through without incident, but learned a lot about the need for communication that day. I took a guide class the next year and spent a lot of time paddling and guiding, so cutting my teeth in a paddle raft was done mostly on the Eagle and Browns Canyon. Mostly in 13 and 14 footers, and some in the mini-Max.

I am starting to step up to class IV stuff, but like you, I enjoy class III mostly, in part because my kids are still relatively young and little and I am not ready for them to be running class IV - yet. Well, other than some stuff on the Salt and Cataract, which they have already done...

My Start Was Rather Unusual...

When I drew a Grand Canyon Permit in February of 2012 I had NEVER been in whitewater. I had never rowed a boat. I was as green as they came, but that wasn't going to stop me! I put together a crew with some experience, and we shoved off from Lees Ferry on March 18, 2013. I rowed the entire river to Pearce. Every rapid. Every bit of flat water. I flipped in Horn:

Horny Horn - YouTube

The wife was not impressed, and I nearly spike the Fangs:

Killer Fang Falls Rapid, Grand Canyon Right Run April 2013 - YouTube

If all of that wasn't enough, I was able to land on a trip this past June, where things went considerably more right. I didn't flip in Horn, but I did run the LEFT HORN:

Left Horn TR - YouTube

Granite & Hermit were a blast again!

Granite Hermit 2014 - YouTube

And Lava was OH SO SWEET!

Lava 2014 - YouTube

So basically, I cut my teeth IN GRAND CANYON! I am currently building a Whitewater Dory that will float Diamond Down this October, and I am taking her down the Grand Again this coming March with 15 of my bestest buddies! That's some way to learn about boating, rowing and whitewater!

Go big or go home I guess!

-Josh

First flip as passenger was in westwater. Scull at 13k. That was my first overnight. Then I started doing the Yellowstone with my buddy in Mt. Then I needed my own boat. Did the upper blue at flood stage and learned about river wide trees and portaging. Ran pumphouse at 9k thinking it was a good noob run. Ran it clean with a front man in the spider. Turns out that was some of the biggest water I saw all year. Then it was off to the ark with wookie for some good lines (2011 was a huge water year). Did browns, royal gorge and then numbers late season. Did browns several times. Then I moved to Mt. Yellowstone overnights, Yankee Jim, Springdale wave. Last year I really cut my teeth in the Gallatin from low water to highwater, beartrap canyon solo first time down ever, then off to the lochsa for some real deal shit. I bought the big boat and started really learning to row. I used to fish too. Now I take my noob buddys and show them rivers and lines. Always learning something new. Teeth cutting video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxhW0Trhk8g

Yampa, 1967 with Outward Bound. Old military assault boats; we called em insult boats. Two people on the oars. Ran the rest of that year with the Explorer troop that outfitted Outward Bound, Thank you Mike!

Same the next summer, and ran my first paddle boat. I still have my paddle. Military surplus, natch.

Skip forward to 1973. I set out to arrest a miscreant at a disturbance. He mentions that "Wow man, I'm supposed to run a river trip tomorrow" which leads to further discussion and the discovery that my old friend Mike is now an outfitter. Sorry you met me D-9?

One thing leads to another, I get hired and bring on a couple of friends; (RIP Chris) and Joel, as weekend warriors. All over Colorado and Utah.

The next year I quit playing at cops N robbers and go full time as a guide. Just about all of the Colorado above Cataract, Green through Ladore (damn football players) and Deso. Arkansas, North Platte, and I found Eden on the Dolores. RIP Dolores.

The years after that were more of the same, with Cataract and the Grand added in. A New Year's Rio Grande trip. Tat in Alaska. Met my wife, who gently pointed out; there are no retired guides on a pension out there.

1979 I'm married and have to face reality. I get a "real" job and move to Oregon. Sneak in a Dechutes trip and my second Grand trip in 1984.

I discover that power boating is so much less work, and can be as much fun, especially when you have kids. Especially in the Northwest where water is so easy to find.

Fast forward to 2014 and I get back on the river for the first time in 30 years.

I've left the thing a couple of times, but it's never left me.

How do you "work your way up" to the big stuff? Jump in. Just do it. Don't over think it, don't analyze it, just get in there. I mean, what's the worst that can happen?

Yeah, and that can happen on a class I or II.

On my first Grand trip I learned that as a guide we don't have quite as much do with a good run as we think; the River God is pleased to point that out to overly confident, and over cautious boatmen.

Seriously. Do it. Don't pass up an opportunity because you don't think you are ready, cause if you do that you'll never be ready.

I am cutting my teeth this summer in Idaho. I've had some experience paddling on commercial (and friend) day trips for about 10 years. I went on my first overnight trip on Hell's 2 years ago. Started applying for 4 rivers permits after that. Went as a passenger on Hell's and the MFS last year and rowed a little on the MFS and all of Hell's below Granite and Wild Sheep in my friends boat.

This year I moved from Colorado back to Idaho and bought my own boat.

Yeah, and that can happen on a class I or II.

Click to expand...

Truer words have never been spoken Schutzie. I flipped my brand new boat, on it's maiden voyage, on the very first rapid, less than 2 miles from the put in on the Main Salmon. Oh ya and it's a class II rapid. It's called Killam and at 4.6 on the Corn Creek ramp there is a hole that if you hit it exactly wrong it will flip your brand new 143R right over. The rest of the trip went much better.

My friends say my new river name is Class II. I think I'll paint it on the bottom of my boat and work to not see it again unless I'm rolling it at the take out.

It's a learning process and I'm proceeding.

After spending a half hour deadheading with some guides I used to film a tour group with, I overheard a buddy in a bar talking about a trip coming up. Asked him what's up with that and got on the trip. I think he thought my gravity and ballast might keep the boat he put me in from flipping. It did. I spend 7 days bow busting in a 13 foot bucket boat on the Main Salmon at 24K in mid June 1989. I was working for a dirtbag contractor at the time and when I told him I needed the week off, he said 'you won't have a job when you get back'. See ya. Such an asshole. I found out later he created this procedure that called for therapeutic intravaginal massage….and rich, stupid women pay him for this shit. Oh well.

After the Main I started bugging the outfitter that ran the day trips I was filming. Got CPR, Wilderness First Aid and already had a bus license to improve my chances. Did the guide training the next spring. Two a days for about 10 days, sometimes in the snow. Stanley can be cold in mid May. Got hired.

Cataract that fall in an oar boat. Middle Fork the next spring as one of two oar boats and a cat for 16 people. Many kayakers. I was stuck a lot. Early June in a dry year is about 2.5 feet. Still had a ball and about three years later started guiding out there.

I put together my first river trip along in there - The Selway. I am so glad it was under 4 feet as none of us had seen it. And there was no internet to warn us we would die, so we just did it. The only one who flipped was the guy with the 'Class 5' experience just off the Bio Bio who couldn't wait for us to get ready in the morning because we were more hung over than he. No Slouch served up his ass whipping. In the book it's class "2".

I will never forget him still trying to get his sleeping bag dry by the fire at 2 in the am when I got up to pee.

Stay humble. Be flexible and never give up when the shit hits the fan or your first choice doesn't work out.