Cockiness and kayaking don't mix

**RootSkier** · 08-28-2007, 08:39 AM

Isn't Juicer on the bottom 5? And don't most people around there consider the bottom 5 to be class IV+ ish? Interesting that they call it a 5.2

Oh wait, Surprise on the SF Payette is a benchmark IV+.

**ridinshockgun** · 08-28-2007, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by RootSkier

I don't really care if people want to call the Gauley class V as long as they realize that they will get destroyed on class IV in BC if the Gauley is challenging for them.

Would you agree though that Big Water and Creeking require an entire different skill set?

i.e, someone who regularly paddles low volume class V (5.00000) creeks in their creekboat is nervous on the Gauley in their playboat. This is not a "hypothetical situation", Ive heard the comment from this person.

Or someone who playboats and runs only class IV big water all the time would probably be nervous as hell on a low volume IV creek.

**RootSkier** · 08-28-2007, 08:53 AM

Totally true. The first time I paddled the upper G I was with some kid from Georgia who had never seen anything like the G, and he was pretty wigged out even though he had run a bunch of hard creeks. Coming from MT/ID, I was like, what's the big deal?

That's why you should paddle it all.

Originally Posted by ridinshockgun

Would you agree though that Big Water and Creeking require an entire different skill set?

i.e, someone who regularly paddles low volume class V (5.00000) creeks in their creekboat is nervous on the Gauley in their playboat. This is not a "hypothetical situation", Ive heard the comment from this person.

Or someone who playboats and runs only class IV big water all the time would probably be nervous as hell on a low volume IV creek.

**ridinshockgun** · 08-28-2007, 09:00 AM

If its in the East and there is a hole, its class IV. If its in the west, and there is a rock sticking out of the water, its class IV

**Conundrum** · 08-28-2007, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by RootSkier

Isn't Juicer on the bottom 5? And don't most people around there consider the bottom 5 to be class IV+ ish? Interesting that they call it a 5.2

Oh wait, Surprise on the SF Payette is a benchmark IV+.

Yeah, most of the locals call the Lower 5 IV+ until flows push 3k or so. I've ran Juicer upwards of 6k and I still think Nut and Jake's should be ranked higher at much lower flows. Nut has a couple tough moves but it's boogey water below it while Jake's has Ocean Wave into another couple miles of continuous V. A lot of people walk Jake's and put on at the the back nine of golf course. Hound's Tooth is a IV+ until flows get over 3k. I guess it's all based on opinion so you better know what you are getting into.

I could see Surprise being a IV but it better be high flows through there...like the 5500 hundred it hit last summer.