Many years ago, the first time I did RF North Creek we went through a terrible amount of effort to avoid the dreaded “Black Pool”. We carried and inflated swimming pool rafts…we followed the ledge up LDC per Brereton and Dunaway, and rapped in….to knee deep water….and waded 50 feet to dry land.
We avoided all of about 30 feet of swimming and added considerable weight to our already heavy overnight packs by try to avoid the deep water rather than preparing to enjoy it.
We wasted at least an hour or two inflating, protecting, and deflating those stupid rafts.
At least I can say I have learned from that experience.
jiveassmother
I do the kickboard method that I learned as a kid at the local YMCA. I just make my drybag in my pack as big as I can, wrap my arms around it and kick. The floatation of the pack usually keeps my upper body out of the water and I stay warm enough. It may not be that graceful but it keeps me from carrying a wetsuit.
RAM
LOL!! I remember putting on a suit too close to the water. Quite awkward doing it there. After a good rain, that pool can be quite looooooong! But it is usually warmer water when its long. And the deep sand trudge right afterward warms one up nicely. The next drop had a bolt on the right, into a short swim. NOW that one was usually cold. Brereton had a bypass that he described as 87 yards long, up on the left, LDC, right there. Not 86 or 88 yards mind you! Nice and unlikely narrow ledges. It used to end in a short jump. I once sent the group along, but the sand had washed out and the little jump was more like 10 feet, not the advertised 3 feet. I remember that being among my first lessons on how canyons can change. When I sent them forward I told them “Drop pack, jump” at the end. When I arrived, there they sat saying “Drop pack jump, my a**.” That expression is still used among my older partners to signify….” Yeah??? You go first!” Great slot. Thanks for the memories! R
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “orsdoc” wrote:
> If it makes you feel any better my group also spent an inordinate amount of time worrying about the black pool. When we finally got there we couldn’t believe that this little pool was what we were so worried about. Some of us got out the wet suits and put them on but the rest just swam the thing with the wetsuits still in their packs. >
restrac2000
I look back and laugh at how much time I use to spend avoiding water in the early days of my canyoneering career. Maybe we were all a little too impacted by the imagery of the demise of the Wicked Witch of the West.
“I’m meltingggggg………..”
Phillip
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “orsdoc” wrote:
> If it makes you feel any better my group also spent an inordinate amount of time worrying about the black pool. When we finally got there we couldn’t believe that this little pool was what we were so worried about. Some of us got out the wet suits and put them on but the rest just swam the thing with the wetsuits still in their packs. >
orsdoc
If it makes you feel any better my group also spent an inordinate amount of time worrying about the black pool. When we finally got there we couldn’t believe that this little pool was what we were so worried about. Some of us got out the wet suits and put them on but the rest just swam the thing with the wetsuits still in their packs.