Walking away

Sometimes you have to walk away from a run. It could be due to high water, low water, being tired, or being scared. It may feel bad, especially if you've traveled a long way to do the run, but you have to keep in mind that you might be protecting more than just yourself.

The first time I walked away from a run was on the main Tuolumne in California. I had driven 4 hours to the put-in the night before and camped out in a precarious position. The flow was very low, and I just wasn't feeling up to the 18-mile extended run. I ended up helping out with the shuttle and heading home.

The second time was on the NF Nooksak in Washington. This was also a 4 hour drive, and I was feeling fine until a local "expert" told us about the run. He made it sound very difficult, and I was concerned about flipping and taking a long swim. Now that I've done the run several times, I know it's an easy run. That day, I went home and ran a more familiar river.

I nearly walked away from the Lower Tilton in Washington. I was taking a new medication that made me feel weak and nauseous, and I wasn't sure I was up for the run. I had a little snack and felt better. I was glad I didn't walk away from that run. Despite 3 swims, it was still a great day on the river.

The third time I walked away from a run was on the NF Teanaway in Washington. I felt fine until I hauled my boat down to the river. There, I encountered two problems. First, I was sweating and tired, even though I hadn't really carried the boat very far. Second, there were logs across the river right off the bat. I was concerned that I would encounter more logs and have problems dealing with them. In the end, there were no logs to worry about (even the ones I had seen could be skirted without a portage), but I still think it was the right decision.

While I have had to abandon a couple of runs due to equipment failure, there was one run that I abandoned because I was worried I couldn't continue. This was my first cataraft run on the Tieton River in Washington. I had done the run before in rafts and an IK, but I hadn't used my cat in several years. I quickly found that I could not control the boat, and I was dangerous to myself and the others in the group. I decided to take out after 3 miles, and a few weeks later I sold the boat.