# Just another WW video



## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

WW @ 4,500 cfs, straight forward newbie level, great for learning Westwater canyon. 

Water was cold, I still wore my drysuit and had my passengers in wet suits/dry tops just in case someone swam. 

The flow at this level isn't pushy at all and plenty of eddies to stop and rescue in case of a flip/swimmer. The winds on the last part were horrid, but thanks to MrScamp for bringing the motor, it was a nice beer drinking time.

All rapids (from Little D down) are labeled for reference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flrApBtAsRE


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

Perfect example of a "like" button need/want.


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## Skyman (Jun 26, 2006)

Another great video Alex. Thanks for sharing. I got a new boat this year and have a late July Middle Fork permit as well. Thanks for getting me pumped up for the upcoming season!


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## Chefgallo (Apr 28, 2015)

Great video Alex! Thanks for showing a newbie the lines. I just wish you would have turned around one time so I could have seen my first solo run down Westwater. It was a real pleasure being on the river with you lets do it again soon. 


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

Chefgallo said:


> Great video Alex! Thanks for showing a newbie the lines. I just wish you would have turned around one time so I could have seen my first solo run down Westwater. It was a real pleasure being on the river with you lets do it again soon.


Great to meet you as well. GoPro is crap for long distance footage, I've tried in the past and it was way too small, that's why I pretty much film forward. 

What I should have done is recorded you playing the guitar at night, THAT would have been awesome in a video  It was great to sit there and listen to you play/sing while staring at the fire. Thanks!


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## DanCan (Jul 22, 2011)

Nice big hit in Sock It To Me... great video, now I am excited for getting on the river.


DanCan


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## wildh2onriver (Jul 21, 2009)

Great video. It shows well that Sock it to Me is the biggest rapid to worry about at those levels.


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

One good thing about making these movies is to rewatch it and see what you could have hit 

I am thinking Skull at that level is a go for sure. Nice funnel into a standing curly wave. A good speed and you'd break through it perfectly. I've never ran Skull on purpose, always been too chicken to do it, but rewatching my video I am thinking we could have hit it with ease. Anyone else has any input on that or experience hitting Skull at specific level?


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## Osseous (Jan 13, 2012)

Always enjoy your videos, Alex. Keep em coming!

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## wildh2onriver (Jul 21, 2009)

I ran it one time in my 18' cat on purpose at about 7k. I ran sweep. It stood me up...and then let me go. That was back in the late '80s when I was inexperienced and brash. And somebody dared me to. Lol!


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## Osseous (Jan 13, 2012)

I ran Skull- with my face at 19,500 cfs. Don't recommend~

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## thaGoat (May 30, 2011)

I took the meat of Skull (on purpose too) last year at 4Kish. Was rowing a heavyish 14ft oar frame. It stalled for a brief second and then pushed thru nicely. Set me up perfectly for a beer in the Room of Doom!


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## spider (Jun 20, 2011)

I've swam skull. In the 12k-13k range. Wasn't rowing.


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## DanCan (Jul 22, 2011)

I think the key phrase is "on purpose". I have run it on purpose a couple of times below 9k, once with an oar rig and a couple of times with paddle boats. The paddle rigs were a blast, the oar rig a bit sketchy.

I've also it a couple of times not on purpose with an oar rig and have the broken oar hanging on the wall as a trophy.

DanCan


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## Lebowski (Aug 19, 2015)

Ran it once at 750 in my old bucket boat. Pretty much had to because the river is about 40 feet wide at that level.

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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

This is our low water trip last year on Skull. I think we only had 2-3 boats go the safe route (left sneak), then folks started steering river right and messing up everything. I believe the level was 2k that day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4HaXV5i8vs

As you can see from this video, wearing a helmet saves you from gear, not rocks!


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## Tyrrache (Oct 27, 2014)

Very nice! Good example of the Line at Skull. Class II move, Class IV consequences if you don't make it.


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## teletoes (Apr 16, 2005)

Has anybody ever popped into that little eddy just above Magnetic Wall? 

I always thought that would be a sweet save for a bad line in Sock-It-To-Me. I keep trying to get there but I'm always discombobulated after the Sock-It wave and pull right like a mad man.


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## thaGoat (May 30, 2011)

teletoes said:


> Has anybody ever popped into that little eddy just above Magnetic Wall?
> 
> I always thought that would be a sweet save for a bad line in Sock-It-To-Me. I keep trying to get there but I'm always discombobulated after the Sock-It wave and pull right like a mad man.


Last year we found someone upside down against that wall. It was only 4K cfs, but we were able to get 2 additional boats over there and flip him back.


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

What editing program do you use... I have hours of video that I need to do something with..


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

teletoes said:


> Has anybody ever popped into that little eddy just above Magnetic Wall?
> 
> I always thought that would be a sweet save for a bad line in Sock-It-To-Me. I keep trying to get there but I'm always discombobulated after the Sock-It wave and pull right like a mad man.


I have, took me around 7-10 minutes to get out and all the effort I had. Problem is magnetic wall will flip you if you are sideways, but to get out of the eddie you have to be 90 degrees to the wall. So you float to the top of the eddie, turn with bow towards the wall and start pulling. 2-3 pulls and you have to point the bow into Magnetic wall to bounce off of it again.

That was around 6k flow I believe. Let's say after my work out in that eddie, I do not want to go back into it again. AFAIK at higher flows SITM and magnetic wall isn't an issue at all.


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

codycleve said:


> What editing program do you use... I have hours of video that I need to do something with..


I've used MovieMaker in the past, but now switched to GoPro Studio and tend to like the outcome. Both are free and PC based, if you are a mac guy, I'd assume iMovie?


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## DanCan (Jul 22, 2011)

Alex, after watching that video I thought it was of me.  I did the same thing as the camera boat and snapped an oar shaft in half as I pounded the wall.


As for the eddy at Magnetic Wall... Warning, Danger Will Robinson... we had a boat in there last year, at like 5k, and it took everything he had to get out and Magnetic Wall nearly flipped him 3 or 4 times. I have been stuck on Magnetic Wall myself, not fun.


DanCan


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## Randaddy (Jun 8, 2007)

I thought the rapid is called "Big Hummer", not "Big Hammer". Am I wrong? Nice video BTW.


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

Randaddy said:


> I thought the rapid is called "Big Hummer", not "Big Hammer". Am I wrong? Nice video BTW.


Is it? My bad.... you know Engrish is tough for me


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## QuietHunter (Jun 8, 2010)

teletoes said:


> Has anybody ever popped into that little eddy just above Magnetic Wall?
> 
> I always thought that would be a sweet save for a bad line in Sock-It-To-Me. I keep trying to get there but I'm always discombobulated after the Sock-It wave and pull right like a mad man.


I have bounced off the wall and into the eddy instead of the current. I was able to row to the top of the eddy and get back in. This was at 3500 if memory serves. I have also been on when guys bounced off and into the current.

I talked to someone on my last trip who said they were dumped out of a ducky, headed toward the wall, and attempted to bounce off feet first. Apparently there is quite a current running under the wall, and instead of hitting rock, they went for a swim beneath the magnetic wall eventually coming out the other side. I have no reason to dispute them, and it would help explain why the wall is so magnetic. 

At these lower levels, I enjoy rowing into the ROD - probably because it is trouble to do so at other times.


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## riverinstigator (Jun 13, 2013)

Love it!

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## Randaddy (Jun 8, 2007)

kazak4x4 said:


> Is it? My bad.... you know Engrish is tough for me


It is. I checked my guidebook. I think your English is great - better than my Russian!


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