Tips For On The Trail River Crossings
River crossings can be a dangerous idea if you do not know what you are doing or are not properly prepared for them. Before you get out on the trail, be sure to check to see if there will be any crossings on your path and find out any information about them that you can – width of the river, river depth, how fast the river flows, difficulty of the crossing, etc.
Eulogy divx Here are a few tips to help you with making your river crossings while on the trail as safe as possible.
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– Just because the trail enters the river here and exits it there doesn’t mean that the straight line through the middle is the safest place to cross. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the challenges of the crossing. Sometimes this means walking quite a distance along the shore to find a route that looks and feels right. Some people find a slippery log more intimidating than a fast current.
Wide Equals Shallow – The current is slower and the water shallower in wide places. Also look for spots where the stream splits in two with an island in the middle.
Keeping Gear Dry – For a truly wet crossing, when you have to swim across or go through deep water, repack your gear for the crossing. The more waterproof stuff sacks, garbage bags, and resealable bags you have, the drier your gear will stay. An inflated air mattress wrapped around your pack and help in place with elastic cords or paracord can help make your pack more buoyant.
Unbuckle Your Waist Belt - You need to be able to get out of your pack quickly. If you fall in, you pack could hold you under water. This is a serious safety measure to stress to anyone else in your group as well!
Cross In The Morning
- This is essential during snowmelt. In spring and early summer, mountain snowfields that feed snowmelt streams freeze (or at least cool down) overnight. In the early hours of the morning, the flow from melting snowfields slows drastically, lowering the water level and calming the flow. In the afternoon, the flow and water level of a snow-fed stream can be multiples higher and stronger – and much more dangerous.
Use Walking Sticks – If you don’t normally carry a walking stick, look along the banks of a river to see if anyone has left one (or two) behind. Using a walking stick as a third or fourth leg helps you keep your footing and balance. A nice straight stick/branch could also work if you do not have manufactured walking sticks.
Never Walk Through White Water
– Walking through white water can kill you – even in shallow water – if your feet get caught between rocks and the current knocks you over and holds you down. This is on eof the cardinal rules of canoeing and kayaking, and backpackers need to heed it, too.
Use Fixed Ropes The Secret of Life on Earth video Dead Heist divx download Laurel Canyon Who Loves the Sun dvd
– On some hiking trails, ropes have been fixed across the water to aid in fording. Cross on the downstream side. In a really fast current, hold the rope with both hands. It’s best not to clip in to the rope; if you slip, the currents force on the rope can hold you under, particularly with a pack on to upset your balance.
Use Camp Shoes - Sharp rocks are a danger, and so are slippery rocks – and the consequences of a misstep are far more serious out in the boonies. Crossing barefoot is out. Using your camp shoes means you won’t have to hike in wet boots. The sports sandals, such as Chacos, favored by rafting guides are amphibious. If you’re using sandals that buckle with Velcros and you’ve had them a while, be sure the Velcro still holds in water, because it tends to wear out faster than the shoe. Small plastic rings are available to hold soon to be retired Velcro straps in place.
Crossing In Boots – Changing shoes twenty times in one day is a real time eater. You can spend 15 minutes on a ford scouting a route, taking your shoes off, getting your stuff together, crossing the stream, drying your feet, and putting it all back the way it was. If the scouting is difficult, it can take longer. If you’re going to have to do several crossings, you might just want to hike in your sports sandals for a while. On a rainy day, when your boots are going to get wet anyway, give up the fight for dry feet. Wring out your socks when the dousing is finally over.
Snow Bridges
– In late spring and early summer, snow bridges often provide a route across a mountain stream. Look carefully for changes of color, which indicate changes of density in the snow bridge. Don’t trust someone else’s boot prints as proof that the bridge is safe; boot prints only tell you that the bridge was strong enough to hold the last hiker – who could have passed a day ago, a week ago, or been a lot smaller than you are. Probe first with a ski pole to make sure the bridge will hold you weight.
Stay safe and dry out there!
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