# [video] Westwater 6,700 cfs



## mdignan (Dec 26, 2010)

Nice! My brothers and I did a father/son down Gore last year with AVA. It was great!


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## Bayou (Jan 31, 2011)

Curious, how'd you mount the camera?


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

Tripod mount on the stern of the boat, you can kind of see it at 0:47 behind my dad. I will need to take some pics. But basically two legs of the tripod are going on the inside of the boat and one leg is attached to the outer d-ring on the stern. Then I just put a camo strap to the inside d-ring pushing the tripod down for stability.

Make sure if you do that, you tie a parachute cord to the camera and attach it to the boat. I've lost my first GoPro this way already when my boat flipped.


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## eukwe (Feb 1, 2008)

Great you did this with your Dad. River trips make for everlasting memories.


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## muttster (Jan 12, 2009)

Alex - great vid. That is what the river is all about... making memories


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## rwhyman (May 23, 2005)

Great video!!
I started rafting too late in life and my father is too old and lives too far away for an adventure like that. Brought a few tears to my eyes. Thanks. 
I'm just glad I was able to get my son into river running while he was in his teens.


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## Ben Bade (Aug 14, 2009)

kazak4x4 said:


> On my dad's 65th birthday I decided to do something special for him. He is a religious man, so I figured what a better way to spend a Sunday birthday than in our own church :wink: I took him rafting down Westwater. Thought I'd share with the community.
> 
> I found the 6,700 cfs to be quite a fun level, was a first for me at this level.
> 
> YouTube - Westwater - Dad's birthday


Damn. That kinda gave me a lump in my throat man! I loved seeing this. I'm taking my 63 year old dad on our first ever middle fork salmon trip in July. I bought him the Impassable Canyon book for his birthday last week and offered the invite. Its great to see another guy sharing his passion with his dad. Good on ya...


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## Whoapiglet (Aug 23, 2010)

Gotta call my Pops...


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## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

Love it man!


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## glenn (May 13, 2009)

Great video. Nice pacing and the angle of that tripod is perfect. Looks like a great birthday trip.


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## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

It does'nt get any better than that. Very nice.


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## jturnrey (Feb 15, 2010)

A real good son woulda put pops through the hole in skull


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## Barney Fife (May 25, 2009)

Perfect! What else is there to say...


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## Beardance42 (May 12, 2008)

Great video, and an awesome gift for your Dad.


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## ch678 (May 6, 2007)

Excellent....most excellent. Skull looked almost tame at that level and even Surprise did too. I've kayaked it at much higher levels, and rafted at a max of 4000. I should rowing it at level you did. I would love to take my godmother and godfather down it, though. They will be tickled pink. Lasting memories are indeed precious. Glad you and your dad had a good bonding time. Kudo's to you!!


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## catboatkeith (Jun 11, 2010)

Great Vid! I got the reverse kinda thing going on June11th on MFS. The son I never had started boating with me when he was 5, grew up to be the brother I never had. He's now 32, and I, being 62, will be showing him a "new" river. We will each be in our own cats, with me packing his ma. Can't wait!


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## BackCountry (Nov 22, 2009)

Excellent job on the vid! I've seen other vids you have done, always very nicely put together.

We ran it the Sunday before you did @ 6800. Definitely a fun level. Only one other group on the river that weekend with the almost government shut down and they only had 4 in their group show up. My daughter did a hand held video of the run but your tri-pod mount makes the water look a little larger than a front passenger point of view. Your camera lens also stays clear when mounted that high.

My wife thought Skull looked tame at that level also, not the big pour over into the hole that you get a 4500 or less. The left lateral was still easy to break at 6800 compared to when you get to the 9000-10,000 range. The large pillow on the Rock Of Shock still hadn't formed and Last Chance rock was gone so you could almost go right over the top of it.

Was the dead bloated calf still swirling in the Room of Doom?


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

Great job Alex. What a special memory for you and your dad.
That Teal Maravia sure looks sweet..... but then I'm a bit biased.
KJ (driver of a Teal Maravia Cat)


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

KJ, I think that was the reason I went with teal, I saw your cat. So thanks to you 

To all, thanks for your stories. It's good to hear other stories of river bringing families together. I showed the video to my dad yesterday and sure enough he broke out and wept. The song I picked, I think summarizes a lot of dads out there. We are all too busy making money and providing for our families, until it's too late and our kids not wanting to spend time with us. I am glad my father took the time and was able to get away with me. 

If you have more stories of family rafting vacations, would love to hear about them! 

Alex


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## CBrown (Oct 28, 2004)

Cool video. It was a great day on the river. Thanks for the good times.
(I was one of the kayakers on your permit)


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

CBrown said:


> Cool video. It was a great day on the river. Thanks for the good times.
> (I was one of the kayakers on your permit)


Cool! Sorry we didn't get to talk much, daily trips are just too fast. Thanks for looking out for others and running safety.


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

My rafting partner has been bringing his family on the river for a long time. When I first met them, his grand daughter was four years old. She turned five on our river trip. At first I was hesitant about spending 8 days on a river with a five year old, but she's an awesome kid. Last summer at the age of ten, she started doing some rowing on the Main Salmon. She helped her mom row some small rapids on a 14 ft. Cat. Then in September, she came with her dad, grandpa, and I on her first Middle Fork trip. She was a real trooper.
It's been an incredible joy to watch her grow up on the river. Her relationship with her parents and grandpa has been strengthened, and her love for rivers and all of the great outdoors has grown. It's so wonderful to see a kid enjoying life without needing constant technology. She hauls gear, cooks, cleans up, swims, hangs out in the hammock, and now she even kicks our butts at Canasta. 
Having kids on river trips not only teaches them life lessons...... it's taught me a lot too. 
KJ


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## kayakingphotog (May 25, 2007)

Great Vid Kaz! Brought a tear to my eye when you were hauling your dad into the raft. Started taking my boys on multi day river trips as soon as they were born. Put my oldest on the grand waiting list years ago and he turns 18 next year. If the river gods are kind I will get to take both of my boys down the big ditch. Never had the chance to take my dad however its never to late to start the tradition w/your own children.


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

My boy 8 now, but been with me on rivers since 5. He has Deso, Yampa, Green, Snake and the river by Boise... can't remember the name. We went up there to see some friends and float a river. My friends went swimming and left their boat unattended. My boy got scared for their raft, so he jumped in from my boat, swam to their boat, climbed in and rowed it away from the rocks. He saved the day! He still talks about that moment like it was yesterday.

Love the memories the rivers bring!


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## hpp10 (Apr 7, 2009)

Nice Vid and rig whered you get all the fancy decking? Home made?


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

hpp10 said:


> Nice Vid and rig whered you get all the fancy decking? Home made?


Which decking you mean? The front bay is a board with some cushion on top sitting on top of my drop bag with ammo cans under. The side rails are diamond plating part of the frame.


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## hpp10 (Apr 7, 2009)

My apologies I meant the diamond plate on the sides I couldn't tell at first in the photo.


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## Ranco (Jun 18, 2010)

Nice!


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## hpp10 (Apr 7, 2009)

nice photos and boat


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## MountainMedic (Apr 24, 2010)

Tears. I have them.

Very cool.


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## LeftOfCenter (Aug 16, 2009)

*Family Stories*

When you asked for how the river brings families together, I had to share this:

I grew up in Virginia and my husband in the suburbs of Chicago. We met and fell in love on/with the rivers of Colorado guiding for a summer camp. When we got engaged, we planned a three night Ruby/HT/Westy trip to bring our future in-laws together. This seemed like a really brilliant way to introduce our families to each other, as well as acquaint them with our passion for life on the rivers.

Neither one of our families are even proficient at car camping. To them, camping was renting a cabin with a fridge and running water. Also, this was the very first trip we had run with all our own gear as trip leaders. 
After we spent all our summer savings on last minute gear that you don't realize you still need after you already spent hundreds on all the gear you need, we got everyone together and put in at Loma.

By the first night, my husband and I had had to give away all our personal gear to the point of sleeping on my crazy creek for a sleeping pad and one fleecy Ninja Turtles lap blanket over the both of us. The nights were a little chilly, but at least it was August, so we could huddle against the blackrock if we got desperate. 

Another thing we realized was that even though we were worried about impressing future in-laws, we could not have packed enough booze. The second day, my mother-in-law snuck up to our friend (who we brought along to guide the other boat) and desperately inquired as to how he had procured a margarita. 

It did end up being a memory that none of us will forget, and highlighted the fact that we are both lucky to come from wonderful, understanding, and forgiving families. No one fought, and only my then-teenage sister pouted briefly when we had to eat lunch on a shadeless beach in 110 degrees.

Haha, I remember my husband and I agreed to take only our own parents on the boats the day of the actual rapids because we both realized that it would be far better to hate ourselves for making our mothers swim Sock-it than to hate each other. 

Yeah, great memories, but next time, we'll only do a one-nighter.


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## KevinZ (Apr 20, 2011)

That was a great video! Gotta get dad on the water! Thanks!


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## malloypc (Jun 6, 2009)

kazak4x4 said:


> ...The song I picked, I think summarizes a lot of dads out there. We are all too busy making money and providing for our families, until it's too late and our kids not wanting to spend time with us. I am glad my father took the time and was able to get away with me. ...Alex


Harry Chapin was one of the best - I just hated that song because of the guilt I felt. 
I was able to make up for some of that with my son on his 32nd birthday with a Rogue River Fathers Day weekend trip. 
Here I took him over Rainie (and told him to stay in the boat):


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## BackCountry (Nov 22, 2009)

Rafting definitely brings all generations of families together. My dad (now 71) almost never misses a trip. He is still and avid skier, mtn biker and boater. He lives halfway cross the country from me but is working on semi-retirement and part time living with my family. He even makes at least half of the weekend Westwater trips. My mom (also 71) who is terrified of the water even did a Loma through Westwater trip with us this last summer while out here for Cattleman's Week. I have never even seen her swim in my entire life. Her first time on a raft, she got to the Loma put in and said there was no way she was going down that river or getting in the boat. Two hours later she was in the double ducky with my dad having a great time. She simply loved the 4 days on the river and loved the rapids in Westwater! She didn't have a clue that every boat on the trip almost flipped! She just smiled and laughed and thought it was great! Between Westwater and Cattleman's days she said that week ranked up there as being one of the best of her life.

My 14 year old daughter has been baby sitting the adults for years now on the river. She rigs the boats, sets up camp and cooks most dinners as everyone is too incapacitated to get anything done by that time of the day. At 13 she had soloed Desolation/Grays at 23,000 cfs in a double ducky with a friend of hers. Soloed Westwater in a ducky - eaten by Skull and tossed back into the boat with her paddle still in hand to paddle over the top of the wave - same trip as my mom's first raft trip. She has been rowing many of the groups gear boats through Class IV whitewater for several years and takes the oars when injuries incapasitate captains for the remainder of the trip. 
This last fall we all pitched in and got her a Maxi-Me with oar frame of her own. She has already soloed it down Westwater and done a week long trip on the San Juan. She will be taking it down Desolation/Grays this spring at peak water for the first time. This was the best investment any of us have ever made. Now ALL the kids ride on her boat and the parents are left to themselves and have adult time for the first time in 14 years! If we had known this would have been the result we would have gotten her her own boat sooner! You will see her on the Gunnison all summer long - her boat has a pink KC with a dragon fly painted on both ends. One of the most natural river readers any of us have ever seen.

Now we have 3 generations of family and lots of close friends on every trip. Typically once a year my brothers join us with their families also. Every trip is an incredible family adventure and the rest of our crew have also become family over the years. The experiences really help my kids grow and mature. My youngest has got camp set up dialed and helps everyone set up their tents and get settled. My daughter journals every trip. I told her to write a book of our adventures and call it A Diary Of A 13 Year Old River Rat. There are many tales to tell - she is always the last one to bed so she misses NOTHING! Quite and education for a young lady.


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## AirEms (Jan 16, 2011)

That vid was a pleasure to watch. I've had the good fortune to be able to bring both my mom and dad on trips. I'm in my 40's and they're in their 70's. They were in the front of the boat holding hands and laughing like teenagers... I hope I get to be like that with my wife and my son pushin' the oars someday...


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## CB Rob (Feb 13, 2010)

Great video! Mine is one more family thats been boating together with great results.
My son is 15 now, and lots of fun to boat with. 
Here is a little vid from our April 13 westwater trip. Thats me and my boy in the paddle cat. YouTube - Westwater 
Thats Fred from scenic river tours with the flip and yard sale at sock it to me.

Backcounty, We'll keep an eye for the KC dragonfly this summer. Our kids may like to find other boaters their age to hang with. My kid is Kyle Boyle, on the face book links from here.


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

Rob great video thanks for sharing!


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## Kyle K (Dec 17, 2008)

Good on ya' mate! Looks like your dad had a great time. Wonderful birthday present from his son.


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## Kyle K (Dec 17, 2008)

I have rafted plenty with my dad but it's kind of cheating as he started a river rafting company when I was 13. I grew up as a guide and both of my sisters worked in the industry too. My mom was the glue that held the company together. 
Some father/son highlights:

He took me on my first trip on the Rogue River when I was 10. Rained the entire trip but I loved it. 

He had me rowing at 13 and guiding at 14 (those were the OLD days!). BUT, he had other guides teach me instead of him. Probably a wise move. 

We've run rivers all over the place together but one of the highlights was the Grand Canyon in 2008 when he was 80. He ran his own boat the entire time, with passengers. He may have had the cleanest lines on the trip! He definitely had the best stories. 

He wants to do a solo GC trip at 85 (if he can get the permit). I really hope it happens for him. He's 83 now. 

I've taught my son to row and he's taken guide training and has done the GC and the Main Salmon and other trips. He's 21 now and constantly bugging me to get him on another GC trip. Hey son, if you're reading this, get on the list! He's awesome and I'm sorry we sold our company back in the '80's as I would have loved to given him the opportunities my dad gave me. 

Rivers are the life blood of my family and it's a priveledge I'm extremely grateful for and humbled by.


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

Thanks for all the cool stories! I am glad to know I am not the only one who gives up a family vacation to San Diego for Yampa or Deso


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## Shizure (Jan 16, 2010)

This me and my brother with my 72 year old dad on Cataract Canyon last month. So much fun, and my dad gets up earlier than everyone else and cooks breakfast everyday. How awesome is that!


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## GoodTimes (Mar 9, 2006)

Very nice!!! Excellent song choice...I have a Westy trip with my dad that I'll never forget either.

I"m going to use your video as motivation for my dad. I have a permit opportunity that will most likely never happen again in his lifetime....maybe...but doubtbul, it's one of (if not the) most difficult permit to obtain.

My dad and gramps introduced me to the oars as soon as I was strong enough to hold them....there aren't many things more special to me than sharing time on a river with my pops.

I'm hoping your video will help convince my dad not to miss this trip....he's considering a trip to Alaska to fish instead, he goes every year and the fish ain't going anywhere, but this permit won't come around again anytime soon.

Thanks for posting!


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

GoodTimes, you should go to Alaska to fish with your dad! I've done that once up in Seattle with my dad, that was a lot of fun. I will have to throw you an invite next time I do Westy. I usually don't have any problems getting permits.

Also, folks asked me how I mounted my tripod to get that angle. I pulled this image from video, hope it helps. If you do that, make sure to put a tether line on the camera, in case of a flip it won't be at the bottom of Skull, like my first camera is


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## Ladderboy (Feb 21, 2011)

Your video is aesome. My father got me on the oars as soon as I could lift them. It's always been a family thing. Me and my father do a multi-day on the lower rogue every year. Your video gave me a big smile, some tears and a great feeling inside.
I do skydive video and photography and reminded me of a video I did for my father a few years ago. When he saw the video is the only time I have seen him cry. You could tell that he was so proud. You have inspired me to do a video of him and rafting. Thank you.
As for the guy that his dad wants to go to Alaska. Go with him.. I was a guide on the kenai and the fishing is awesome and if you wanted you could do a scenic day float. Or go up to 6 mile creek in hope and get some prety big white water in.


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## GoodTimes (Mar 9, 2006)

kazak4x4 said:


> GoodTimes, you should go to Alaska to fish with your dad! I've done that once up in Seattle with my dad, that was a lot of fun. I will have to throw you an invite next time I do Westy. I usually don't have any problems getting permits.


He goes to Alaska every year....twice sometimes....for the past 16. And he's already got his July trip booked, the June trip is just for the heck of it....so I'm trying to convince him to go a week earlier and fly back to Idaho for a river trip.....

Thanks for the Westy invite when you get one again!!! Might just take you up on that if I can...my dad lives in CO, so its a good meeting point.


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