Part
of the planning of a canoe trip entails knowing what to expect on your trip.
This is not so difficult to figure out when you are canoeing on a lake. For
canoeing on a river, however, you should learn about the ratings given to
rapids, water level, and even canoeists.
A skier is aware that a
black diamond run is a lot steeper and more difficult than a green circle
slope. Rapids, like ski slopes, vary in their intensity. The International
Rating system classifies rapids as follows:
·
Class A:
·
·
Class II.- Moderate. Medium-quick water; rapids with regular waves;
clear and open passages between rocks and ledges. Maneuvering required. Best
handled by intermediates who can maneuver canoes and
read water.
·
Class III.- Moderately difficult. Numerous high and irregular waves;
rocks and eddies with passages clear but narrow and requiring experience to
run. Visual inspection required if rapids are unknown. Open canoes without
flotation bags will have difficulty. These rapids are best left to canoeists
with expert skills.
·
Class IV-
Difficult. Long and powerful rapids and standing waves; souse holes and boiling
eddies. Powerful and precise maneuvering required. Visual inspection mandatory.
Cannot be run in canoes unless the craft is decked or properlyequipped
with flotation bags. Advance preparations for possible rescue work important.
·
Class V-
Extremely difficult. Long and violent rapids that follow each other almost
without interruption. River filled with obstructions. Big drops and violent
currents. Extremely steep gradient. Even reconnoitering may be difficult.
Rescue preparations mandatory. Can be run only by top experts in specially
equipped whitewater canoes, decked craft, and kayaks.
·
Class VI.- Extraordinarily difficult. Paddlers face constant threat
of death because of extreme danger. Navigable only when water levels and
conditions are favorable. This violent whitewater should be left to paddlers of
Olympic ability. Every safety precaution must be taken.
The
characteristics of a river can change remarkably as the water level rises or
falls. As you might expect, a set of Class II rapids can become raging Class IV
when the water is abnormally high following spring
runoff or heavy storms. Conversely, a Class IV can turn into a shallow pussycat
when the water level is low in the late summer. Even normally calm stretches
become turbulent and dangerous at flood stage, because the force of currents
slammed this way and that by rocks and obstructions creates powerful and
dangerous surface conditions.
An
International Rating system has also been devised to describe river flow. The
classification for a specific river may change from season to season; the
following letter designations are used to describe water level and rate of
flow:
·
L, or Low. Below-normal levels for the river.
Below-normal depth may interfere with good paddling. Shallows may turn into dry
banks and low areas become muddy sandbars.
·
M, or Medium. Normal river flow. Medium water
generally is used to describe good water for rivers with slight gradients and
enough depth for passage on the steeper sections.
·
MH, or Medium High. Higher than normal. Faster flow on
gentle gradients. The best flow for more difficult river sections with enough
water for passage over low ledges and through rock gardens.
·
H, or High. Water is becoming difficult to handle. he river is well above normal stage. Canoeists may refer to
the strong currents as "heavy." Small debris may come floating by, a
warning that the river is dangerous and better left to skilled kayakers or
canoeists whose craft are supported by flotation bags.
·
HH, or High-High. Very heavy water. Hydraulics are complex. Even slight gradients become treacherous.
Debris frequent. Only for experts.
·
F, or Flood. Abnormally high water, overflowing the
banks; current extremely violent; low-lying areas underwater. TV crews show up
to shoot tape for the evening news. Not for any boaters except those with
appropriate equipment on dangerous rescue missions.
The
Appalachian Mountain Club rates canoeists on a scale of I
through V. Check your competence against their ratings:
·
Class I.- Beginner. Is familiar with basic strokes and can handle a
tandem canoe competently from the bow or stern in flat water; solo canoeist is
familiar with basic strokes.
·
Class II.- Novice. Can handle more advanced whitewater strokes solo
or in either bow or stern of a tandem canoe. Knows how to read water; can
negotiate easy and regular rapids with assurance.
·
Class III.- Intermediate. Can negotiate rapids requiring linked
sequence of maneuvers; understands and can use eddy turns and basic
bow-upstream techniques; is skilled in either bow or stern of a tandem canoe;
can paddle Class II rapids in a solo canoe or kayak.
·
Class IV-
Expert. Has established ability to run difficult (Class III and Class IV)
rapids in bow or stern of a tandem craft; can paddle solo in a properly
equipped canoe or kayak; understands and can maneuver in heavy (Class H) water.
·
Class V-
Leader. Is an expert canoeist; possesses the experience, judgment, and training
to lead a group of any degree of skill on any navigable waterway and in the
wilderness.
To
the preceding list I would add a "Class A" to describe one who has
virtually no familiarity with canoes or canoeing.
Three
elements must be evaluated before you are competent to judge your ability to
handle a river: (1) your ability; (2) the class of rapids; and (3) the river
flow level. You should have no trouble deciding whether you should paddle an
unknown 12-mile stretch of the
"The
first couple of miles are sort of flat, but then you'll run into five or six
sets of Class II rapids just after you pass the old covered bridge on Route 6.
There's a rock garden after the river swings past the only island you'll find
on your trip. After that it's clear sailing, but the river normally runs pretty
fast for the last 2 miles. Of course, you gotta keep
in mind we've had a lot of rain the past two weeks, and I know before that the
river was running maybe a little below Medium, but it could be Medium-High
right now. If it is, you can run a set of ledges to the left of the island.
Otherwise, stick to the right. And that rock garden might be a Class III set of
rapids, a helluva lot of fun-it's usually just a lot
of maneuvering.
A
helluva lot of fun is right, that is, if you and your
partner have the experience to handle this kind of water.
The
moral: Know what to expect from a technical description of a river and from
your own skill at the class of rapids and expected water level. Don't put
yourself and your partners at risk. If in doubt, personally inspect the river
first, or don't run it.
Canoe
livery operators are excellent sources of information about the rivers they
service and usually are quick to warn customers about any unusual situations.
When the waters are dangerous because of high levels or unusual cold
temperatures, most operators will cancel all rentals. The better ones will give
out rain checks. Even if you have your own canoe, operators will be as ready to
warn you about dangerous conditions as they are their own customers.
Excerpted
from The Complete
Book of Canoeing by I. Herbert Gordon with permission from Falcon
Publishing.