Guided this stretch for many years, when you feel your stern catch that eddy, dip your left oar and brace hard, ship your right. You can ise your right to make a small pry off your tube if you need a little extra to stay lined up on the slot. Your run looked clean other wise. That eddy can be so tricky at that level because it wants to boil you left or right depending on how hard you hit that lateral or if you hit it too high, your right tube can stay in the main current. Glad yall made it out safely and thank you for sharing so we can all continue to learn and keep each other safe out there. 🙏
Wow, thanks for sharing this Collin. Analyzing after the fact is such a good learning tool. Scary swim for sure! Glad it turned out the way it did. PS: Sticker's looking good on your helmet!
Wow, we were upstream of you guys on this exact same day on Ruby and I was so wishing we could continue on through Westy. Those low flows are tricky for rafts, especially through skull; almost like mank creek boating. :-) Try to encourage your buddy to get back on the horse!
Wow. I want to r2 westwater but I've seen multiple videos at about this level in which people get caught in that undercut. Skull is no joke. Terrifying and very serious stuff. Thanks for the video
This happened to one of the guys on our trip a while back at a similar level! I was on the shore watching (terrified). He was gone a long time, we think we may have been stuck on the upstream side of skull rock. He wasn't released until his boat washed out of the hole it was being surfed in above. Sadly, he has not been back on a river trip since. Did John say he ever felt like he ran into the rock? Or was he just stuck at the bottom of the river? I'm so glad he's ok!
That is exactly what I think happened. He said he felt like he was under a ledge and I think he ran directly into skull rock. He said it took him so deep it got quiet and he could tell he was finally getting close to the surface again when he started to hear the rapid again. He also said this was probably his last whitewater trip sadly.
@@CollinJones1 That's what Wyatt said about being under a ledge! I can't blame them for not wanting to go after the river tried to kill them, that shit is beyond scary! I've actually never posted a TH-cam video until that happened, I've just never seen anything like that and it's even crazier it happened twice.
@@moneyatmcdonalds the river didn't try to kill them. The river doesn't kill anyone, she's just powerful, relentless, and unforgiving. That's why many of us love her, and the bedrock cathedrals she has carved in places like Westwater Canyon - but it is also why sometimes people have negative experiences when they get in just a little over their heads, figuratively or literally, when they go out and play with her. Much respect to the folks for showing their carnage so others can learn from it! Being smart is learning from your own mistakes - being wise is learning from others. Good vibes to all and see you on the river ;)
Here in TN we jam our feet up under the cross thwarts. "Locking in" is what we call it, before any significant rapids. But the thwarts are hypalon and grip your feet and keep you in the boat unless its upside down. I have no idea how to lock in to that boat with a metal floor. Anyway I feel ya I've had a 30 second underwater scrub. Feels like a lifetime. Better than dying in an office cubicle tho lol. Beautiful country you have out there. Rig to flip y'all
Man, even with the late start to your move I think you could have still made it if you took like 2 more strokes. It almost seems like you didn't believe you were going to make it and changed to plan B. I think if you stayed committed to your line and finished the strokes you'd have been good. I had a rough paddle boat trip at a similar level and have a couple friends who won't be going again. They both swam down the birth canal. It's a nervy thing having the responsibility for someone else's safety on your boat and in your hands. Keep at it!
Saw you post this on Reddit, good on ya for posting for community and personal development. Lucky you did not flip, that would have been worse. Curious, what became of the Oar tower? Damaged? Or just set-screw got yanked around? Would you say you started the backwards ferry too far left? I've run this a bunch of times and seen just about all 6 or 7 of the raft-flipping features flip a raft, but you guys are about as close to almost threading the needle between the hole and that rock as I've seen. Hope you are ok!
Thanks. The oar tower wasn't damaged it just slipped, maybe it wasn't tightened enough. I had to loosen the u bolt to get it back up though so maybe if I had it any tighter it would have been damaged.
I think I just needed one more pull instead of trying to straighten out. Once missed at this level I would try and straighten out for that hole we almost flipped in and hope to end up where we did left of skull but I was trying to push left of skull which was a mistake. I'll admit I kind of choked once I saw I wasn't making the left line... just one more pull and I would have had it, if I had yelled high side in the hole we probably wouldn't have swam. I also think my angle was not downstream enough. I really wish I could re do this but I am just happy there were no injuries and no lost or damaged gear is just icing on the cake.
Glad you guys ok. Start your left downstream pull from under the cliff overhang. Not after. Land your boat ass into the high left eddy. With gusto. It will seem like you are beaching your boat on that eddy rock. You missed it, but you did ok trying to square up . Current at skull is not readable in the moment . That’s why you need to trust a proven move. You almost had it, more downstream angle, 5 seconds earlier pull land eddy catch and you would have been golden. Glad you guys ok.
Totally.. Now I have analyzed it more and I would be trying to land in that river left hole/eddy at the top. Still almost had it, got my ass handed to me but luckily we got out unscathed. Sure wish I could try it again right now.
@@CollinJones1 you got it in future. It is very much a kayak style eddy catch, in some ways. That eddy catch is the key to Skull rapid at any water level, basically . Happy boating brother.
Sucks to suck! Should hsve caught your stern in the eddy to river left. I have witnessed so much carnage on this rapid at this level. Seen people trapped in the room of doom. Luckily it wasn't higher. Or there is no escape from the doom room
Guided this stretch for many years, when you feel your stern catch that eddy, dip your left oar and brace hard, ship your right. You can ise your right to make a small pry off your tube if you need a little extra to stay lined up on the slot. Your run looked clean other wise. That eddy can be so tricky at that level because it wants to boil you left or right depending on how hard you hit that lateral or if you hit it too high, your right tube can stay in the main current. Glad yall made it out safely and thank you for sharing so we can all continue to learn and keep each other safe out there. 🙏
Wow, thanks for sharing this Collin. Analyzing after the fact is such a good learning tool. Scary swim for sure! Glad it turned out the way it did. PS: Sticker's looking good on your helmet!
Wow, we were upstream of you guys on this exact same day on Ruby and I was so wishing we could continue on through Westy. Those low flows are tricky for rafts, especially through skull; almost like mank creek boating. :-) Try to encourage your buddy to get back on the horse!
Wow. I want to r2 westwater but I've seen multiple videos at about this level in which people get caught in that undercut. Skull is no joke. Terrifying and very serious stuff. Thanks for the video
All my years guiding and doing river rescue on the Colorado I have pulled more than one dead boater from this very spot. Happy everyone was alright.
Dang that's rowdy. Glad things worked out, scary swim.
lost a shoe?
This happened to one of the guys on our trip a while back at a similar level! I was on the shore watching (terrified). He was gone a long time, we think we may have been stuck on the upstream side of skull rock. He wasn't released until his boat washed out of the hole it was being surfed in above. Sadly, he has not been back on a river trip since. Did John say he ever felt like he ran into the rock? Or was he just stuck at the bottom of the river? I'm so glad he's ok!
That is exactly what I think happened. He said he felt like he was under a ledge and I think he ran directly into skull rock. He said it took him so deep it got quiet and he could tell he was finally getting close to the surface again when he started to hear the rapid again. He also said this was probably his last whitewater trip sadly.
@@CollinJones1 That's what Wyatt said about being under a ledge! I can't blame them for not wanting to go after the river tried to kill them, that shit is beyond scary! I've actually never posted a TH-cam video until that happened, I've just never seen anything like that and it's even crazier it happened twice.
@@moneyatmcdonalds the river didn't try to kill them. The river doesn't kill anyone, she's just powerful, relentless, and unforgiving. That's why many of us love her, and the bedrock cathedrals she has carved in places like Westwater Canyon - but it is also why sometimes people have negative experiences when they get in just a little over their heads, figuratively or literally, when they go out and play with her. Much respect to the folks for showing their carnage so others can learn from it! Being smart is learning from your own mistakes - being wise is learning from others. Good vibes to all and see you on the river ;)
That was intense. Nice job on the edit and so glad things weren't worse.
Here in TN we jam our feet up under the cross thwarts. "Locking in" is what we call it, before any significant rapids. But the thwarts are hypalon and grip your feet and keep you in the boat unless its upside down. I have no idea how to lock in to that boat with a metal floor. Anyway I feel ya I've had a 30 second underwater scrub. Feels like a lifetime. Better than dying in an office cubicle tho lol. Beautiful country you have out there. Rig to flip y'all
I like your attitude, pilgrim!
@@theferalife6452 one foot jammed forward against the cooler and the other foot heel hooking for all your worth against the under-bench bulkhead.
Man, even with the late start to your move I think you could have still made it if you took like 2 more strokes. It almost seems like you didn't believe you were going to make it and changed to plan B. I think if you stayed committed to your line and finished the strokes you'd have been good. I had a rough paddle boat trip at a similar level and have a couple friends who won't be going again. They both swam down the birth canal. It's a nervy thing having the responsibility for someone else's safety on your boat and in your hands. Keep at it!
Skull, man. 😰
Saw you post this on Reddit, good on ya for posting for community and personal development. Lucky you did not flip, that would have been worse. Curious, what became of the Oar tower? Damaged? Or just set-screw got yanked around? Would you say you started the backwards ferry too far left? I've run this a bunch of times and seen just about all 6 or 7 of the raft-flipping features flip a raft, but you guys are about as close to almost threading the needle between the hole and that rock as I've seen. Hope you are ok!
Thanks. The oar tower wasn't damaged it just slipped, maybe it wasn't tightened enough. I had to loosen the u bolt to get it back up though so maybe if I had it any tighter it would have been damaged.
I think I just needed one more pull instead of trying to straighten out. Once missed at this level I would try and straighten out for that hole we almost flipped in and hope to end up where we did left of skull but I was trying to push left of skull which was a mistake. I'll admit I kind of choked once I saw I wasn't making the left line... just one more pull and I would have had it, if I had yelled high side in the hole we probably wouldn't have swam. I also think my angle was not downstream enough. I really wish I could re do this but I am just happy there were no injuries and no lost or damaged gear is just icing on the cake.
@@CollinJones1 yeah I think maybe sometimes it's good to let it slip before it breaks
Just needed to keep pulling left. Stoped pulling and spun the boat around too early.
@@juanverde7444 yep
that guy seemed shook
Definitely was. It took me a minute to realize it and until I watched the footage to really understand why he was so shook
Glad you guys ok. Start your left downstream pull from under the cliff overhang. Not after. Land your boat ass into the high left eddy. With gusto. It will seem like you are beaching your boat on that eddy rock. You missed it, but you did ok trying to square up . Current at skull is not readable in the moment . That’s why you need to trust a proven move. You almost had it, more downstream angle, 5 seconds earlier pull land eddy catch and you would have been golden. Glad you guys ok.
Totally.. Now I have analyzed it more and I would be trying to land in that river left hole/eddy at the top. Still almost had it, got my ass handed to me but luckily we got out unscathed. Sure wish I could try it again right now.
@@CollinJones1 you got it in future. It is very much a kayak style eddy catch, in some ways. That eddy catch is the key to Skull rapid at any water level, basically . Happy boating brother.
Is that an LL Bean shirt?
Use my promo code and don’t forget to like and subscribe
I am not ashamed of dropping the oars and high side with both hands on the boat. I have flipped, but never thrown out.
Nice work gun powder
#maybenexttime
Dump truck 😂
Sucks to suck! Should hsve caught your stern in the eddy to river left. I have witnessed so much carnage on this rapid at this level. Seen people trapped in the room of doom. Luckily it wasn't higher. Or there is no escape from the doom room