Looking at spring

“In Idaho we have two big obstacles to hiking in the spring, snow and high, fast, cold streams. Snow I know. Does anybody have any information on how to cross these streams safely? How do you rig a Tyrolean crossing? How do you get the ropes rigged on the other side? Or do you just take of your clothes and jump in?”

“Mtn gal, cold water stream crossings are bad news. It takes less than 3 min. for muscles to cramp due to cold. Once that starts, feeling and movement is lost.

A Tyrolean is a good way, but it takes at least two on the shore, a dry suit, practice, team work and a few dollars in equipment. Our SAR team will put in over a 100hrs a year in practice, and use that experence 2-3 times.

The best way is first use common sence, Do I really need to do this. Next are the basic rules: cross in the morning when the melt is down, cross in the widest place, cross by moveing up steam, use a staff 3 legs are better than 2. And alot of time a hike a mile up/down stream to a log is better than getting wet.”

“T. T. ? Thanks I think. Don?t go there is not exactly what I was expecting. I know how to walk across. I guess I?m not being clear enough. When you can?t walk across, how do you get to the other side? A Tyrolean crossing never looked that complicated to me. Maybe I missed something. I don?t mean a crossing 100 feet in the air. If it is a few feet above the water the fall is not the risk, it is the water. That I also know about. Being a poor kayaker I know how to swim whitewater. I take it the drysuit is for someone to swim across with the rope. I ain?t packen no drysuit. But you mean there is no other way but to have one person swim. Are there other rope technique to aid in swimming?”

“In forty some years of BPing from Greenland to Pakistan, the only thing that I always fear is water crossing. I have been involved in SAR almost as long and other than climbing, water crossings seem to cause the most deaths, (non exposure).

In SAR we get a person across, by tub, inflatable kayak or some such way. rarely by just swiming. After you have a person on the other side we use a rope gun, then it's easy. The problem is just getting the rope over in the first place.

To swim across a stream carrying a rope is asking for trouble, first you need better than twice the rope to make up for the down stream drift. Second, ropes get cought under rocks and such, which if the rope is tied to you drags you under water. Ropes get raped around just about any and everything including you.

I will walk the extra miles to find to find the log, bridge anything to keep from crossing a spring/melt running creek that is more than knee deep.”

“And it's not just spring. It can be during summer thunderstorm season as I saw as a scout at Philmont, or if it is a spring-fed river with cold cold water as I've discovered fishing in the U.P. in July, and then I had waders and I still have had troubles. Swiftwater Rescue is climbing higher on my list of courses to take.”

“The streams I am talking about were snow the day before, or at least feed out of a lake that has snow on the shore, in august. It sounds like the answer is that there is no good way to cross or nobody here knows. Most of these stream are no more than 10 to 20 feet wide but very fast. The early run off sometimes removes the log crossings and some times creates them. I guess I will stick with my usual crossing methods. I think if I could cross where other can?t it would be great for leaving the hordes behind. Pole vault, has anyone tried pole vaulting? Hey, Stacy Dragila is in Idaho ? maybe she can teach me to pole vault.”

“Take a catapult. Your friends can fling you across like the cow gets flung over the wall in "Holy Grail."”

“mtn gal, I guess the hordes cross there because they can. Even small streams can be deceptive in footing, flow, and temperature. Getting knocked over, slipping, or having the bottom shift underfoot is bad enough in the shallow spots, which often are wide. Sometimes the tempting narrows are deeper and faster than they look. TT is certainly right about committing to cautious approaches. Then there's the question about how good your balance is on slippery logs. I'm not the most graceful or confident on a log or rock hopping, and it shows unfortunately..”

“fly - maybe I could just use one of thier horses.”

“I'm sure the stream you will be crossing will be very dangerous and in the wilds. Take a look at what happens to a supposedly (according to the AAA tour book) gentle stream in which a baby could dip his toes in the Smokies, Laurel Falls.

Laurel Falls”

“This a legitimate wilderness travel subject. Here is your change to be creative. Now if it where about underwear I know there would a lot of ?helpful? comments. Thanks for the concern but I have spent enough time upside down in a kayak or swimming to respect the power of water. I like the catapult but I would need one to get back too. How about a bungee cord sling shot. I guess I could stand there naked until some sucker big guy comes along and have him carry me across with one end of the rope. Hubby would need to hide in the bushes & SAR would rescue the sucker.”

“Gee whiz, Mtn Gal, now it's big guys in cold water; we're right back at the shrinkage issue. His "rope" might not be long enough by the time you got across. Though since you're naked it might be a mitigating factor.”

“Water is a beautiful thing. powerful but beautiful. Thanks for the pic's”

“Mtn Gal, on my drive home last night I realized you have the power to solve your dilemma. Using your natural womanly self-defense skills, consider the stream an unwanted intruder on your enjoyment of the day. First, give it the cold shoulder. Then give it a look that could kill. Now, when it freezes from the cold shoulder, take the daggers from your eyes, strap them to your boots, and skate across the stream. Grrl power rules!!!”