From: Dan Osborn
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 89 09:49:09 pdt
Subject: Spill on lower Greyhound
 

The video of the 9th annual raft trip contain's spills, dumps and a few near flips. One that is near and dear to my heart (since I took part) occurs near the end of the tape. It's most noted for Greg Boebinger's back flip out of the boat. (He only got a score of 8.5 because he didn't point his toes. He didn't keep his knees together either, but I don't think the judges saw that.)

The following is a chronology of the spill at lower Greyhound. Those with the video tape can follow along. Those without, I think, will find this interesting anyway:

Our raft consisted of the following people:

• Dan & Holly Brunner
• Tony & Michel Andrews
• Dan (me) & Tammy Osborn
• Greg Boebinger (Karen was baby-sitting)
• and Squirrel (our guide)

Since Greg was so much taller than the rest of us, we took the theme of the jolly green giant for our raft. Greg (obviously) was Mr. Jolly and the rest of us were the sprouts. Thus explaining the carrots sticking out of our helmets and the green zinc oxide on our noses.

At the bottom of Lower Greyhound rapid is a ledge which forms a nice hydraulic behind it. For those who don't know what I talking about I'll explain: When the river flows over an object there is created a standing wave of water behind it. If the conditions are right the wave will crest and/or actually break over much like a ocean wave rolling into the beach. At Greyhound, it's more like a water flowing over a dam with a boil of water behind it. But's it's still possible to "surf" the wave. You paddle upstream into this hydraulic, and once the center of the raft is over the hump of the wave, the raft will be drawn forward into the "crease" between the downstream flow of the river and the upstream flow of the crashing, standing wave.

Now the front of the raft will hit the wall of water flowing down stream and will either bounce off or momentairly be sucked down filling the raft with water. It's quite fun with the object to see how long you can stay in the crease.

Well, we had successfully surfed lower Greyhound once, but didn't bother to bail before we paddled back for a second run. The raft, now fatality heavy with water was much harder to control once we entered the hydraulic:

1. Having paddled up onto the hydraulic we brace ourselves - the boat will be drawn into the crease from here. The front of the raft hits the wall of downrushing water and bounces off pushing the nose of the raft to the right. Squirrel is unable to prevent to clockwise rotation of the raft which turns sidesways in the hydraulic.
2. The left side of the raft hits the wall of downrushing water but instead of bouncing off, the left side is sucked in and down threating to flip the raft. It's at this point that everybody is suppose to highside - jump on the high side of the raft to keep it from flipping. Well we hit upon an alternate plan that also seemed to work. Most of us fell out! I, in the left front, am sucked out first, followed in quick order by the other Dan, Holly, and Tammy. Greg, Tony, and Squirrel are knocked to the floor of the raft. Michel, exhibiting execellent control with her sphincter muscles, manages to stay perched on the right side of the raft.
3. The raft, now considerable lightened, springs out of the hole and spins around. Tammy, (in blue helmet for those with VCRs) caugth in the Maytag effect of the rolling water, comes briefly to the surface and goes down again for a second time. Dan and Holly emerge clutching to one another singing, "Nearer My God To Thee." I'm still deep underwater wondering when I'm going to come to the surface.
4. Squirrel manages to get hold of Tammy's life jacket and keeps her from going back under a third time. Tony and Michel try to get hold of Dan and Holly who are refusing to let go of each other. Greg, for some unknown reason, decides that he could be most helpful by standing up in the raft ?!? Meanwhile, I start getting concerned about comming to the surface and decide to start counting, "1........2........3........4........"
5. The raft falls back into the crease of water. The jarring causes greg to fall backward onto the side of the raft which bounces him skyward. Legs splayed, toes not pointed, greg almost completes his backflip before entering the water both feet and face first. Tammy, in spite of squirrels grip on her life jacket, goes under for a third time anyway. Her thought at the time, "I don't wanna go under anymore." I, now really concerned about getting to the surface and tired of waiting, decide to start swimming in what I think is and upward direction.
6. Greg, having gone completely under the raft emerges on the far side. His bouncing out, having helped push the raft out of the hydraulic. Tony and Michel, find that Dan and Holly are still refusing to let go of each other, begin pulling them both in together. I, with carrot intact, finally emerge. Those with the video tape will see me wave just after surfacing. Approximate time under, 18 seconds.
7. We get everyone back into the raft and find that we had broken one of the cardinal rules of rafting. Not a single one of us who fell out, kept hold of our paddles!

One of the other rafts retieved our paddles for us. The rest of the trip was fun but uneventful. I don't think that anyone else fell out of any of the rafts for the rest of the trip. I'm probably wrong, but I know that we had our fill of adventure.

---

Don Wegeng

From: dw
Date: 7 Aug 89 10:47:31 EDT (Monday)
Subject: '89 Raft Trip
 

Some memories from this years raft trip:

Ed Bronson wandering the streets of Montgomery, WV... the Day Glow Patrol... unknown homebrew... the dog demolition team... the rambo II grill catches on fire... what's wrong with this tent?... the "real" reason why Missouri isn't flat... smile for the cameraman... are you guys *sure* that you don't want to flip the raft?... chugging Sheaf Stout... hot'n'spicy beer... praising the river god... this doesn't look the trail we came down on... exchanging swimming suits... the stragglers breakfast... is the weekend really over already?

/Don