[Cdt-l] crossing over...

[Tom McGinnis]

Doris Wolford <prairiesky at yahoo.com> writes:
...  I was a water safety instructor years and years ago, so I do have a healthy respect for water.  I take risks, but I'm not going to take a risk that is life threatening.  I've been in fast moving flood waters up to my knees and using a pole, that might not have been so unnerving.  I didn't have a pole since I was just on my way to my car at the time, lol.  And?  I was flat out ignorant at the time.  But that gush of water gave me a quick education!

I've read about creek crossing techniques, however reading is no substitute for experience. Hmmmm.

Ideas?  Help?

### Sounds like you're well prepared now. CicelyB (and others) gave great advice: slim profile, but face upstream, plant foot A before moving foot B, tripod yourself, don't hesitate to wear your boots, and all that.

### But as a WSI, you know that people unprepared to deal with water don't deal with water very well. So if you're *concerned* about going for a swim, go for a swim. (Check out Colin Fletcher's "The Man Who Walked Through Time" about his traverse of the Grand Canyon, with multiple Colorado River crossings.) An inflatable ring weighs a pound or so, but can take a lashed pack quite well. My sons and I waded the Kennebec River in Maine (100-200 yards, bowling-ball polished bottom, waist-high water that with your lean into the current made it chest high, water temp coolish but not frigid, speed of a fast walk {good power}) with rings we had mailed to the previous town. They waded halfway across, and just as things were actually going to ease up, they opted to "jump aboard". Worked like a charm. (No advice/knowledge of where you'd want to have it mailed, though, and that one pound could get rather heavy over an unused stretch. Oh, and it took about 10 minutes
 of concerted effort to blow up these rings, which were of a rather heavy gauge.)