Running A-Frame Drop near sunset
I rarely get truly annoyed by other boaters, but this was an exception. We normally do a Thursday run on the Middle Middle by meeting at 5:20PM and then going to the put-in at 5:30. Even with groups of rafts, we usually get on the river by 6:30PM.
On this particular occasion, a couple of people were late, and some of the rafters were very slow. I got on the river at close to 7PM, and I ended up having to poke along and wait for people to catch up. After I reached A-Frame Drop, I realized that the sun would set before I got to House Rocks rapid, and I felt that I would be safer running the rest of the river alone than running it in the dark. So, I pushed downstream.
It was exhilarating running class III-IV alone, knowing that I couldn't afford a long swim, but still needing to get out before dark. I finished the run 20 minutes before anyone else. One boat made it to the takeout only to lose a passenger and go downstream. Another person didn't realize that he was at the takeout, and nearly kept going.
To make matters even more annoying, there was some confusion about the shuttle, and I ended up having to wait in the dark for people to get dressed and take me to my car. Oh well, I learned that I need to have a better plan for this type of situation.
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