# Westwatering with my son



## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

Thanks for sharing. That was awesome. What a great time with your son. And nicely done on the left slot at Skull.


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## openboat (Jul 13, 2004)

Wonderful video. As a father and grandfather, it brought a few tears to my eyes. Thanks.


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## BoilermakerU (Mar 13, 2009)

Awesome. How old? Can't wait to take my two kids on Westy. They just finished their first Salt trip last month. No videos to post, I was too busy rock-dodging! LoL


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

My son just turned 10. He has been rafting since he was 5 though (Deso, Cataract, Lodore, Yampa, Main Payette and Snake). 

I think 3-5k would be the safest level to take the kids on with good backup group of friends who can run safety and chase the swimmers. 2k was an easy level, but Skull sure gave us a run for our boat sizes ha!

I've never gone to Salt yet, still on my list to do.


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## DanCan (Jul 22, 2011)

That was great!

How big is your boat again Alex? 16'? That was quite the sneak through Skull.

DanCan


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

Yup 16' Maravia. I guess I was light enough to slide over the rocks.


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

Glad to hear it went well.


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## catwoman (Jun 22, 2009)

Nice. Looks like he had a blast. We have a ten year old also, maybe we can get the boys on Westy together in the fall.


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

catwoman said:


> Nice. Looks like he had a blast. We have a ten year old also, maybe we can get the boys on Westy together in the fall.


Have you taken him down WW yet?


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

The last minute is the best--great video!


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## dsmoake (Apr 2, 2010)

*camera mount*

Great video. I have been wanting to get a camera mount like yours for our grand trip in June. Did you buy it or make it? Thanks,
Dave


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

I made it out of PVC and some screws. An upside down T with a break down connection


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## catwoman (Jun 22, 2009)

We have, when he was 8. At age 7 he threw a hissy fit saying we were treating him like a baby because we wouldn't take him. We told him he had to learn certain skills first, like swimming in rapids. He had refused to swim an easy rapid during a kayak class that year and was angry that he didn't get to go. The next year he took the same class and took the rapid swimming challenge, so he went on WW. He now agrees that we were right to protect him after seeing skull. I think it was about 5 k.


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

catwoman said:


> We have, when he was 8. At age 7 he threw a hissy fit saying we were treating him like a baby because we wouldn't take him. We told him he had to learn certain skills first, like swimming in rapids. He had refused to swim an easy rapid during a kayak class that year and was angry that he didn't get to go. The next year he took the same class and took the rapid swimming challenge, so he went on WW. He now agrees that we were right to protect him after seeing skull. I think it was about 5 k.


Haha kids! I am glad you made him swim the rapids! WW can be a scary section if you are swimming and have no clue what to do, especially for a kid.


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## Skyman (Jun 26, 2006)

Alex, that was awesome. We need to go boating sometime. Lower Salmon in July?


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

When are you thinking? We were thinking of doing it last year and never made it. I ended up running Main without the family though.


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## Skyman (Jun 26, 2006)

Putting in on the 28th of July. A couple of friends from Montana are meeting us as well.


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## DanCan (Jul 22, 2011)

I've never run the Salmon... permit required?

DanCan


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

DanCan said:


> I've never run the Salmon... permit required?
> 
> DanCan


Not the lower salmon, it's a self signed permit at put in.


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

Here is a video of the 18' cataraft through Westwater on the same trip. Skull gave birth to a red monster cat!

Low Water Westwater - Colorado River - YouTube


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## Avatard (Apr 29, 2011)

kazak4x4 said:


> Here is a video of the 18' cataraft through Westwater on the same trip. Skull gave birth to a red monster cat!
> 
> Low Water Westwater - Colorado River - YouTube


Not sure why you parked it on the rock where you did. Was this to have lunch? The right channel looked a lot clearer. I guess this is Skull? Dont understand the rapid

I noticed a couple spots where you reach forward to clear your oars of a rock that you are passing by (1:16, 1:26). 

I've scraped many a blade this way really started to focus on shipping the oar forward. Allows you to see when the oar has cleared, keep your focus downstream, and can get a stroke in immediately after clearing the obstacle


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

Right of razer had too many sleepers and the right channel way too skinny. While standing on the razer rock getting Dan off the wedge, I couldn't see any other way for him to go but to squeeze through the left slot. He had a motor handing on the back, so if he got too way out of control we could have had much more damage.

Without a scout and never running it at this low of a level, I thought we made the right decision to go left. Out of 6 boats, 1 (complete rookie captain) got hung up, but unstuck after a few jumps. And two big rafts needed help squeezing through.

The lesson to us is basically don't bring big rigs to <2,500 cfs WW. Regardless of not so perfect runs, our kids had a blast and the hung ups added to the fun factor for them. Talked about it all the way down.


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## LSB (Mar 23, 2004)

Great level for a first trip. WW is a whole different river at low water. 
I've never noticed that left squeeze in Skull that you did in both vids. I always went right to left or way right against the wall.


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## LSB (Mar 23, 2004)

kazak4x4 said:


> Without a scout and never running it at this low of a level, I thought we made the right decision to go left.


Youre right. There is a big hole right of Razor Rock at some low levels that you can't hardly miss in a raft.


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## wheretheriverflows (Mar 4, 2010)

Kazak/Alex(?) - 
Great video! This is why I check in on Mtnbuzz sometimes - you, Andy and a few others keep me smiling. 
The line through Skull was great and I laughed out loud at your victorious stand up after. You're boy is going to be a great rafter with all this experience, thanks for sharing. 
We went and did Westwater 4/11/13 and the flow was around 1500-1700cfs - totally different lines indeed. 
I told my friends that trip makes for a great spring run - when we got back home after driving through a blizzard in Summit County.  
SYOTR! Cheers!


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## rbrain (Aug 30, 2010)

Avatard said:


> Not sure why you parked it on the rock where you did. Was this to have lunch?


Yep...lunch. Best place on westwater to eat and watch the action.


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## restrac2000 (Mar 6, 2008)

Thanks for sharing Alex. I assume we will run into each other sometime again this summer at Ray's, always seems to happen. 

Maybe we will actually float together sometime in the next year or two??

Phillip


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