This is What Happens When You Let Rookies Guide Big Water
Popular Stories
Following several years of drought, where raft guides were forced to become even more feral than normal, the Kern River in California is finally having a good year.
For decades, the Kern, occasionally referred to as the "Killer Kern," has attracted adventurous visitors to one of the rowdiest rivers in the West. As you enter the Kern River Canyon a sign flashes: "271 lives lost since 1968." The Kern has seen up to 4,000 cfs in its best years, perhaps explaining the 271 lives lost.
Sign Up for the TGR Gravity Check Newsletter Now
In this vid, friend of TGR and eternal dirtbag Ernest Dunlap makes the mistake of handing over the guide stick to one of his trainees. Thankfully they managed to escape the Kern's clutches, but not without taking a beatdown first. This is why you don't let a rookie guide your Class IV/V big water.
