# Pearce Ferry Rapid Video from today.... urp...



## restrac2000 (Mar 6, 2008)

Ugh!

The way that rapid has changed is impressive. How many feet of downcutting has it done over the last few years to have fully abandoned that right channel?


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Good question. Without doing some surveying, I estimated a 7 foot drop in 150 feet or less. What is really cool is you can walk out on dry ground on river left and get right up and personal. It's just.... well.... impressive!


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## Fruita Boater (Jan 15, 2015)

Tom-You could alternatively name this video: "Why you don't go to South Cove with rafts these days". Wow, Pearce Ferry is a monster at this level! Wouldn't want to swim in the pocket below the ledge hole for anything. Is a portage even feasible for rafts?

Thanks for sharing!


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Fruita, Excellent title! Yes, with difficulty there is a portage option around the right corner. Better yet would be to pull out at Pearce, haul to South, tow up to the rapid foot, and carry on. You are most welcome, t


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## shoebvco (Jan 2, 2017)

Awesome video Tom! Just an amazing rapid. What do you think would be an optimum flow rate (or range) for running this monster?


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Shoe, glad you like it. It's hard to capture this rapid's force in a video. I failed that. What? Running this monster? I'll hold your beer... I am not that good a boater to even suggest a line. This rapid threw me off my dory horse in 2010 and i have been staying away since... Cordially, Tom


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## John the welder (May 2, 2009)

In 2008 the ranger told us there was a new "riffle" below Pearce and make sure we had our pfd's on. I was rowing a mini-me and had quite a ride. It's only gotten harder.


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

Hard to tell how big that pile is from the video. I'm sure its way too big to run as video never does justice. What you can tell is that youd be doing about 20MPH when you hit it. Either it would be a rocket right through because you had enough speed and mass to break it or a VERY highspeed flip. You could only hope to flush out the bottom and not recirc for eternity in that eddy.

In 2009 it was a super fun run. Any Idea when the last time someone ran it was?


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

Left sneak, left sneak!


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## 90Duck (Nov 19, 2012)

Thanks for posting this Tom. We floated right though a weird right turn kind of riffle in 2006 at that point, then this summer in 2016 we walked down and looked at it in awe, very thenkful that the ramp had been extended.

It looks way different in your video than it did last summer - did something really big wash out of it recently. As bad as it looked in July, it looks way worse now!


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## tmacc (Sep 6, 2009)

We ran it in May '09 and it was no big deal. Didn't look at it in April '15. Last October, my wife and I continued on down from DC after everyone else took out and walked down to look at it after we de-rigged. It was quite impressive. 
Nice video Tom, much better than the stills I took, but you're right, the video doesn't do it justice. It's nasty unforgiving rapid now. I've done some stupid stuff in 30+ years of river running, but no way anyone's going to run, let alone sneak that thing. Of course, one of the Mid-Atlantic or CA kayakers might prove me wrong.


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Yeah, I'll be right behind you Laura.... 

But seriously, the left side looks like you'd be in for a big-water Class V chundering with recirculating and inescapable eddy service just in case it didn't kill you the first time.

If the main rapid didn't kill you, I think the eddy is a likely place for flush drowning.

Y'all go for it, I'm too big a sissy to run it.

Yikes...


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## edd23 (Sep 28, 2008)

That is truly awesome! And Andy "but I'm too big a sissy to run it" I'd say no, you're too smart to choose not to run it


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

Andy H. said:


> Yeah, I'll be right behind you Laura....
> 
> But seriously, the left side looks like you'd be in for a big-water Class V chundering with recirculating and inescapable eddy service just in case it didn't kill you the first time.
> 
> ...


No, FURTHER left. Along the shore, bwahaha! It took you guys long enough to bite....


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## David L (Feb 13, 2004)

Good recovery.


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## FlyingDutchman (Mar 25, 2014)

I would run it. Ran the Pearce Rapid in 2009 in a 16 foot gray Avon and in 2013 in an 18 foot maravia raft.

In the video Tom posted, at that flow and those conditions, it would warrant a kayak safety boater or two downstream. 

I would run left shore above the 90 degree turn. Back pull hard, stall, then stern pivot the raft so the back is now heading downstream into the crux of the rapid. The goal is to get left, and establish left to right and downstream momentum through the crux. Thus exiting the crux River center/right of the pillow on the left downstream bank. Then drink some Jim Beam, cause by this point all the beer is gone. Better wear your helmet for this one.


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## tmacc (Sep 6, 2009)

'09 was nothing. If you ran it in '13, I assume it wasn't much more difficult than '09. I can't say it's impossible, but the video just doesn't show the depth or furiousness of the rapid. I kayaked all of the eastern (and some western) big stuff for over 20 yr. and frankly I'm not sure what a safety kayaker would be able to do to help you out if you were in that thing. You're right though. A helmet would certainly be warranted. 

Take a look at that thing when you're down there next time. It's really something.


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## Matthew73 (Jun 26, 2011)

Thanks for posting, Tom. Dumb question here . . . 

After exiting (hopefully) at the Pearce ramp, is the only way to see that rapid to walk down or is there a road that one can drive there on? I really want to go take a look, but after an all-night float, de-rigging, and with a long drive back to Salt Lake looking at us I am not sure if I will be able to talk anyone in my group into walking down there with me. 

On the other hand, I will have a set of car keys with me, so they can wait for me even if I'm the only one walking down.


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## OCFry (Jul 29, 2015)

Matthew73:
No road, just a trail down the river from the ramp, but it's not a very long walk. We went down and looked at the rapid and were back at the ramp in less than half an hour.


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## duct tape (Aug 25, 2009)

Looking at that rapid one would wish the walk from the ramp down is much longer than 15 minutes!


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## duct tape (Aug 25, 2009)

If upcutting continues Pearce Ferry takeout will become a pretty dicey thing all too soon.


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## Cascade River Gear (Aug 12, 2014)

duct tape said:


> If upcutting continues Pearce Ferry takeout will become a pretty dicey thing all too soon.


Good point duct tape!! We did the full moon float out and the take out came up FAST with the sounds of Pierce getting louder and louder. So happy we made the take out!! ~ Renee


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

FlyingDutchman said:


> I would run it. Ran the Pearce Rapid in 2009 in a 16 foot gray Avon and in 2013 in an 18 foot maravia raft.
> 
> In the video Tom posted, at that flow and those conditions, it would warrant a kayak safety boater or two downstream.
> 
> I would run left shore above the 90 degree turn. Back pull hard, stall, then stern pivot the raft so the back is now heading downstream into the crux of the rapid. The goal is to get left, and establish left to right and downstream momentum through the crux. Thus exiting the crux River center/right of the pillow on the left downstream bank. Then drink some Jim Beam, cause by this point all the beer is gone. Better wear your helmet for this one.


Please make sure you've got a dedicated videographer with no rescue responsibilities. I want to see that...


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## semievolved (Nov 12, 2011)

I enjoyed dutchman's admonition to wear a helmet. Kind of reminds me of when I see the guys in those wingsuits going a million miles per hour skimming rocks by a foot or two. I don't think the helmets they wear are for anything other than landing. In Pearce, I don't think the helmet would be for anything other than Ranger check off...Just watching the pulsating 8-10' (or more??) recirculating swells from up close should be enough to convince anybody. The violence of that thing is truly awesome.


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## FlyingDutchman (Mar 25, 2014)

Helmets are for out-of-control oar shafts and other hard objects.

Bottom line....with some support down river.... I would run Pearce ferry at the level and conditions shown in the video posted byTom. Definitely would try it. 

In think the odds in a heavily loaded 16 or 18 foot raft would be 3 out of 8 rafts would make it through the rapid upright. 

Need to hit the line. ?..hit the line or else....An inch too far left, an inch too far right, a little too fast or a half second too slow.......your flipping and getting worked......

Game on!!! By this point you are about 300 miles into one of the most epic River runs on this Continent. 

I love the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon


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