Team Pabst

[paddlers_rash]

My wife, Michelle, and I had a friend from out-of-town in last weekend (August 4th) and decided it would be fun to run up to Pier's Gorge and show off some of Wisconsin's beautiful scenery. My younger brother, Aaron, decided to join us and get his first experience in current. Pier's was running at a measly 700 cfs but we figured that the two sisters should be quite forgiving for a beginner.

When we first got there, we ran into Cole who was smart enough to bring his potato gun. So while we ate lunch, we were treated to dinner and a show. There is something about firing perfectly edible vegetables that is quite satisfying. To be honest, I for one was amazed at both the height and distance he was able to achieve.

Moving along, we took Aaron up to the sisters and put in. He landed his first combat rolls and did quite well (which is a lot better than my first run which some of you may remember being posted on BSBS read it here).

After a while of playing around, he decided he wanted to run through it. So we walked up and looked at Mishicot and proceeded to put in at the eddy just below it. I had figured playing "duckie" would be a good idea for bringing him down not really thinking about the Mr. Clean being that much faster than my EZ. So we rode down through the minimal waves (which there was a really nice surf wave barely past VW rock that we played for a little bit) toward a non-existant chicken ender. By this time Aaron was easily going to pass me before we would get to the sisters. He had a good line, so I pulled a little closer along side of him and said "paddle hard and go straight through." Then I backed off behind him to follow him through.

Apparently he did not hear me and was confused due to the earlier instruction of needing to follow me. So he turned his head to see what I was doing and promptly flipped over...about 10 feet in front of 1st sister. He set up for his roll and probably would have made it but for lifting his head and trying to roll up as he went through 1st sister. He tried rolling again in the foam pile. It looked good, but he didn't make it. He tried again in the current between 1st and 2nd sister and his head was leading again...so back under again. He made one last attempt as he went through 2nd sister and finally punched out.

Cole, Matt Johnson, and a couple others were playing 2nd sister at the time, but I figured it was my rescue. So as I pass Aaron to grap his boat, I couldn't make out what he was trying to communicate, but he was shouting it for all his lungs were worth. I'm just saying, you could go ahead and swim to the eddy or you can shout at the guy whose head is two feet above yours as you go through a short section rapids.

All that being said, it was a short swim and it could not have been too off-putting, as Michelle's friend said that this looks like a lot of fun. He asked Aaron if he could get in the Mr. Clean and run the sisters. So, after gearing Brian up, we took him back to the same pool below Mishicot to run hiom through. I try to give him some quick basics as he has never been in a kayak before (i.e. one blade in the water at all times, lean forward while under water). He gets in the current and immediately swims. We were able to get him out at the island just upstream from chicken ender. This time we get him back in and he manages to get into the current upright. Just like with Aaron, after he gets on a good line, I let him go through the sisters first. He manages the first one easily and floats on to flip just before the second. All in all, though, I would say it was a pretty successful first time in a boat.
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It is better to have drank one more Pabst and wish you hadn't, than to not and wish you had.