Andy Hugs a Rock

Although the Highway One rapids have given us some of the best crashes, well, at least looking back now those were some spectacular crashes, at the time they sucked monkey shit. Still, one can not leave out the Doons. Not as many crashes have happened there, but some really good ones have. Now for some reason I have really missed seeing some of the best crashes first hand, I always seem to come into the picture just moments late to witness the aftermath.

Like the time Digger came on the trip for the first time. Her and Dishman were right behind Em and myself coming though the first set of the Doons. We both shot the through the chute with ease, like masters of the water we came through, however, this is were experience came in for me and hesitation doomed them. After the chute there had to be a choice made as to where to go because of some rocks and brush in the water. If you went left there was also a smidgen of an tiny island sticking out, it was do-able, but a little tricky. The right was more clear, but then you had to dodge back to the left a little bit so you didn't over shoot the landing for the canoes. Well I took the left side, flow looked faster which would be perfect to glide right into the landing.

When we shot through, I wanted to watch Digger and Dishman come through, see at the time I didn't know he was as close as he was, so I did a quick maneuver and went back up the river so we were facing backwards and I could watch. I glided us up to the shore so all I had to do was take a couple strokes on the left and push the nose back into he current which would drag it down stream, pointing us the right way to slip onto the landing. Well because of this maneuver, Dishman hesitated and thought I had missed the landing, or was in a different spot than he though it was, in any case, about the time we got turned around and I was able to take a gander at Digger and Dishman bobbing up from the water in front of their tipped canoe. Seems Dishman was going to go right, however, when I went right after going left, he altered their course a little too late and caught that rocky snag just right and tipped them over. While funny to talk about around the warm campfire later that evening, it was kind of a pisser at the time. Still, both Digger and Dishman were in good spirits and held grins as they paddled their thrice soaked canoe to the landing. But that wasn't the funniest one I caught second hand.

I believe it was Rev and his buddy Andy that had the best, well, Andy anyway. Rev was the pilot that year while Andy was acting as a navigator. I can't remember if that was one of the first times he had canoed or not, he didn't seem all that adept to the balancing of the canoe.

Well that year we didn't have any major incidents until we hit the Doons. The General went through first, as usual and spun around to get some pictures. The Rev and Andy we the next to come through. I think Ducky and the Mule were next, but I'm not sure. All I know is that I was in the last canoe, with Em I think, but then again I'm not too sure of that either. What I do know is that when we came through the first set, running the shoot like every year, on a nice sized rock sticking of of the water to my right was Andy, giving it a big old bear hug. His finders were locked so tight onto the granite that I think he left claw marks. The Rev and the canoe were nowhere to be found, well they were; they were at the landing already. Poor Andy was stranded! As Em and I cruised by I quickly grabbed my boat cushion and gave it a toss over to him as the fucking idiot wasn't wearing a life vest. Our rules, which were in place at the time but are strickily enforced since, jackets always go on before going through any rough water. It wouldn't take much to get tossed out and smack a rock into la la land. The toss was perfect, but idiot-boy was too attached to his rock to reach out and grab it. I did pick it up as I let it float up to us.

As we pulled into the landing, the General was laughing his ass off, something I would be doing soon as I heard the tale.

Andy and the Rev came flying though the Doons, through the chute, but angled too deeply towards the right. When they came though, with a lot of momentum, they slammed directly into the rock and launched Andy out of the canoe to where he only had one foot left in the canoe. Well the moving current quickly took hold of the canoe and pushed it on down the Bigfork, forcing Andy to pull his foot out of canoe because he had no chance of getting back in. So Andy get intimate with the rock and the Rev floats on down tot he landing. I believe the General has some pics of it, so I will have to get them and put them up.

When we all go to the land and out of our canoes, we had to form a human chain from the shore to get Andy back to land. Without a life jacket and the strong current, it wasn't a good idea for him to just try to swim it. I also think he couldn't swim very well. It was a great trip that couldn't have had a sour taste, but turned out alright.

Until next time I will remain...Crazy Joe.