Whitehorse tips anyone?

[tangled]

Having not been down on the sticks myself and planning to do so in the near future - any tips on approaches. Its been a while since i went through with someone else as well. Thanks

[blackdog]

My first tip would be to have a pair of clean shorts to change into when (or IF) you make it through!! :wink:

Just kidding. First time through it would be best to probably run it in an inflattable as opposed to a drift boat. Also, it probably goes without saying, but get out and scout it from the cliff before hand.

And, if nothing else, wear your life vest!

[Salmo]

Whitehorse is alot of fun. I have run it several times in my lowside clackacraft. I typically take on water in the large standing waves in the lower rapid. No biggie though. that's what a bildge pump is for. Without a doubt get out and scout this one. This rapid is not for the inexperienced boater. As I recall, you drop in just right of center at the top of the rapid. Once you drop in your first challeange will be avioding "Oh Sh@%" (Sh@%) :bigshock: rock. You will approach the rock fast. I typically drop in, then immediately turn the boat 90 degrees...Hit the sticks twice to pull away from the rock. Once youv'e cleared the danger of the rock...immediately correct to bow down stream. Slow the boat.... if possible..... during your approach to the standing waves. Your ride down through the rapid will be very quick. Once you hit the standing waves at the bottom. Hold on and keep the boat centered and pointing down stream. Oh yeah...don't forget to fish the two miles below the rapid. It's awesome fishing! Enjoy. :cheers:
Salmo

[Mad Mikey]

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[tangled]

thanks all - Sounds like stay right - I will be in a 14 foot - 2 man cat and have an inflatable kayak along - is there room to portage or line the boat down if needed - I went down from beavertail to heritage lsat weekend with no problems if that helps at all.

[Mad Mikey]

Not really possible to portage. You'll do fine in that cataraft and you won't have to be quite as spooky about the thing since they are much more forgivng than a driftboat.
When you are coming down on top of the can opener you probably will have to stand up to see it and you'll go through a few small waves. Keep your line with that rock until you are almost on top of it, if you go too far right too soon you'll hang up on a boulder that is approximately a little over the length of a driftboat above the C-O. I've actually gone OVER that round boulder at higher flows, say 5000cfs but not recommended to do IMO.
Try to do the rapid when the river traffic gets moving, usually the fishermen get going before the big rafting parties will. That way you can watch some people do it first.
You may see some of the "gear" or "bag" guys running it early in the AM to secure campsites below. Some of those fellas do that stretch all Summer long several times a week and you'll see them do some strange things like intentionally smacking a rock to use it as a pivot point, especially on that rounded boulder above the can opener and other manuevers that could either be described as "advanced" or "not very smart". I'd like to think they just know stuff that I don't but dang, why chance it???
Have fun....... :cool:

[TillamookChinook]

I have only been through Whitehorse once, many years ago, with my driftboat co-owner at the oars. (No problem, he had been through many times.)

When we got out to scout the rapid we could see a nice wood drift boat that had become pinned under the water right below a large submerged boulder. Literally tons of water pouring into the boat. (Maybe this was the Can Opener?) Anyhow, the owners of that boat had transferred their gear to shore and tied a rope from their mostly submerged boat to the shore.

This made for a lot of frantic action by the rafters and boaters who headed through without scouting first. By the time they saw the rope about one foot high across the lane they were drifting in they had just a couple of seconds for the passenger to race to the bow, lean out and grab the rope and raise it up while the boat passed under, swearing loudly the whole time.

So, always scout before you go through. And wear your PFD.

TC

[Flatfish]

Great advice Mikey.

A side note, that rock that you have shown at the top of the horse id pretty grabby on hard boats at anything less than 4000cfs. It grabs even more if you are loaded. So the safest route( even though you are SURE ya are gonna crash and burn)IMHO, is the left of the rock, letting the water grab the boat and pull you behind the rock.

Do not flail wildly on the oars once the boat starts to slide behind that thing. The water pulls hard enough to make ya wonder of the hand of God aint pulling the drifter around! Just a couple mini strokes should do.

Beyond that head straight down the green water.

Be warned. There is a flat rock( that is NOT grabby) in that green water above Can Opener, and below the top rock. A drifter will hit it and "Gong" a bit. It sounds spooky the first time thru. But let it happen, and do not react to it. At that point, all you should be worried about is "Can Opener".

Remember, once you are in the first wavetrain, the worst part is all over. About the only thing I ever did stupid besides that 75 yards, was to not get to the right below "House Rock". There is a big ledge that runs pretty much all the way across the river there. Stay suprisingly tight to river right in there. Once you get past that, it is pretty much splash and giggle.

Hope this helps, or at least makes some sense.

Wonderful help Mikey.

Mark and the Team Gluvit dog.

[Mad Mikey]

>>> A drifter will hit it and "Gong" a bit.<<<

I've ticked it too, doesn't bother me at all, just tells me I'm lined up right........... :cool:

[boo]

I haven't read all the post's yet, but having been one of those boat owners that "have wrecked" vr.s "have not yet wrecked", here's my advice:
Nailing the top part of whitehorse is pretty much lining up correctly......but remember to stay left after the first 1/2 mile where you might be lulled into relaxation after safely passing the tongue and OS Rock..I sunk my boat (thankfully recovered complete, sans the anchor system--scumbags are out there even on the Deschutes.... thanks to the "undertaker" for the recovery) about 1/2 way down the whole Whitehorse run when I stayed too far to the right, at a critical juncture. Stay Left after the first 1/4 mile! Fortuneately I had a place at North Junction to recover my wits and my senses and to drown my temporary sorrows.

[Hagar]

Good advice here. Mikey, et al has it nailed. Been a while since I have run it but I have seen 3 approaches sucessfully run. What we call far right (what Mikey is talking about), the center run (OS rock definitely comes into play), far left (water must be high enough & it actually takes you to the left of the island). Far left can fill in and you have no chance to scout it. Definitely get out and scout down the right bank. Walk the road down to take a good look. The water level will be critical. I have always preferred the far right route. First time I ran it there were 3 drift boats and one canoe laying in the rocks. Good luck.

[Mad Mikey]

>>> Stay Left after the first 1/4 mile!<<<

Yeah, that's a spot that gets a lotta folks. When you come to a long pool with a rock bar acrost it you have to take the small slot on the left then back oar hard against the bar to drop through the little slot below.
Don't get complacent here, after you get past the "Soup Strainer" you will be dodging boulders for a long bit and there is a sneaky "washing machine" dead center that is tough to see.
If you can, camp at the little spot at the end of the rapid, top of the back eddy and fish caddis and emergers til dark at the top of the pool, great fun.