# rafting cross mountain



## cstork (Oct 13, 2003)

Based on extrapolation from my experience at 2500....

For a commercial trip, I would say it is too high. But, if you guys are all strong guides with class V experience, you should be OK. 

There are some must make moves in Snake Pit that are tough. You may also well have a swim in tough waters. There are undercut rocks in Snake Pit, but 4500 may be high enough to cover them. 

Scout the top down to Snake Pit to plan your moves and make safety plans. 

This should be good practice for raft guides. And fun. 

I'm surprised that a bunch of class V guides with experience haven't been on Cross Mtn at high water or don't have good sources. 

Please report back what it's like.


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## jhalseth (Sep 20, 2004)

a rookie biatch like yourself cant handle it. You should just forfit your half of the raft to the stud who shares it with you


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## mania (Oct 21, 2003)

I have also rafted it at 2500 and it was no problem. Let us know what 4500 is like in a raft.

-dana


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## Full_Tilt (May 3, 2004)

My friend has lived up in steamboat his whole life and kayaked cross at 6 grand he was telling me the higher the water get the sticker the holes get expessially on osterizer. He says that you can make a sneak in a kayak but in a raft it gets especially sticky i would say not to run it cause by the time you get up there the water could and can jump a grand depending on how warm it is in just a day. 5 grand is really dangerous in a raft


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## kentv (Apr 3, 2004)

Last year, we rafted Cross around 5g's. Big water! Way right in Mammoth (Osterizer) Falls, Left at the Pizza, left to right at D. Ferry, right at Pourover then hammer the river wide hole that forms at the next sig. rapid below Pourover. 

We saw the fellas from Creature Craft in there all last year during runoff, toying with water levels. Guess they went in there are around 8 g's.

We (Blue Sky West) guide Cross till 4,000 with the right crew. 

Fun - Fun.


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

anyone run it in an oar rig?? what size??


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## lotsawater (Nov 18, 2003)

Brian

I told you that you'd be fine. It's just like bridges with a little juice. Just try and stay down the middle and you will be good. I wouldn't bring any "Nancy's" like Joe H. or Sara but you will probably be good to go.

Peter


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## raft3plus (Apr 24, 2004)

Hope your trip went well. Hats off to the Blue Sky West guides; that was fun running into you guys up there. (They know their stuff on that river and gave us great insights)

That year, we ran our creaturecraft rigs through there most often between 3500-7500, one time around 9000 and one other time below the peak at 11,200. Overall, we noticed that:
Great to make a habit to scout Osterizer and Snakepit, for your own comfort. If the water is over 3K, do not run it blind for your own sake, please.
Osterizer gets nasty around 6000+
Snakepit and the next three big holes get big and ugly around 4-5K, stay LEFT. I was really scared at 7K, ran snakepit right and then immediately river left, which worked and bypassed the gnarly ones.
Near the end of cross there is an S-turn with a big hole in the center. (What's that called anyway?) It turns into a recirculating hole near the 5K mark. If I'm not in the mood for that one or too tired by then I stay waaay left agains the wall.

Hope some of our heuristics help. Enjoy.


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## raft3plus (Apr 24, 2004)

Oh, forgot... yes, we ran one of our critters (that's what I call them sometimes) with an oreframe setup, but wouldn't recommend it really for converntional oars above 3-4K, depending on your comfort/skill level.

Anyone else done it in ores? Got pictures?

Dirk


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## kentv (Apr 3, 2004)

S-turn is Sherm's Hole.

Dirk, your a crazy man - 11,000 is insane!

Oar frames are fine if your capable.


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## woods (7 mo ago)

did cross mountain yesterday in a 14' paddle boat with four river guides and a kayaker. Ran it at 3400 cfs. Definitely felt big; ostersizer and snake pit felt like IV+; I've been guiding for years and I wouldn't go back at that level with so few paddlers--I felt like we got lucky and would rather do it below 3k/with more people and boats. But since we did get lucky it was an absolute blast


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