How do you cross high water in the spring?

[Mike]

A recent thread concerning a brook crossing got me wondering what most of you do in the spring when the snow/ice bridges are no longer intact and the water level is too high to allow rock hopping.

After searching up and/or downstream from the trail without success, there seems to be a number of choices: 1. attempt the crossing without removing your boots, which is guaranteed to get you and your boots wet, and then change into dry socks or 2. "bite the bullet" and remove your boots and socks and wade through with either no footwear or something light that you brought along for that purpose or 3. turn back and find another hike to do.

Of course there is another possibility that a good Samaritan will come along and carry you across but that is very unlikely

 

[Mad Townie]

3 is unacceptable!

2 is a good way to get more than just your feet wet , depending on how slippery the rocks in the streambed are.

1 gets your socks wet for nothing.

I prefer a or b:

a--carry Crocs (with the heel straps), which weigh nothing and protect your feet better than most other water footwear.

b--take your boots off, take your socks off, put your boots back on and walk across, getting them wet but keeping your socks dry. If you're wearing plastic boots you can just walk across in the shells and keep both your socks and your boot liners dry.

 

[jniehof]

Boots only or water shoes.

Remember that if water is more than calf-deep and swiftly flowing you're dealing with an entirely different set of issues, which I don't think have entirely satisfactory solutions.

 

[Mike P.]

Having done an Owl's head crossing I should not have if it's moving, no more than knee deep & with poles.

Poles are a big help on crossings. I prefer Teva's for crossings. Probably not as much protection from rocks & sticks but IMO, more stable & stability is better. Also waist belts need to be opened in case you slip & fall, you want to be able to get out of your pack if it gets hung up.

Now that I've joined the trail shoe crowd, I'm more prone to just leave them on & head across, The old ones fit so well & dried so fast that I did not even bother with dry socks.

barefoot is taking a big chance & I don't know if I'd trust anyone to carry me across. (At my weight they'd have to be in those Strongest men contests.

 

[spider solo]

If there is a likelyhood of drowning, then I turn back and save it for another day. For spring hiking in general I wear rubber boots.
or
if it's warm enough I will wear a pair of Keene sandals and just commit to getting wet.

 

[Rik]

Put each leg (with boots on) in a garbage bag and wade across. Somewhere I have a picture of a certain moderator doing this.

 

[sierra]

I prefer the tree method. I rarely wade anything close to my knee's the water is to strong imo and as far as wading barefeet, thats a very bad idea, you must have something on your feet, the whites rivers and streams are to rocky to barefoot you jam your toes wrong your going in, then the **** hits the fan.
p.s. I plan my spring hikes around the fact that certain trails are to prone to bad crossings.

 

[Barkingcat]

Poles are a big help on crossings. I prefer Teva's for crossings. Probably not as much protection from rocks & sticks but IMO, more stable & stability is better. Also waist belts need to be opened in case you slip & fall, you want to be able to get out of your pack if it gets hung up.

Mike P said it as well as I could...poles and alternate footwear.

 

[rocket21]

Don't forget Les Stroud's tip - face upstream when crossing.

 

[jfb]

I cross high water on bridges.

 

[hikes-with-him]

How about train your doggie to swim you across?

 

[spider solo]

actually, though I know your kidding, I believe a fellow did drown a couple of years ago up by Franconia Falls off the Wilderness Trail trying to save his dog who was being swept away in the brook....the dog lived if I remember the story correctly...

For example I'd give it a lot of thought before heading into the Dry River this time of year, . I'll be up around Lucy Brook tomorow, figure it will be pretty soggy through there but nothing to outrageous.

Anxious to see how the Swift River is looking, bet people are running it in their yaks...

 

[jniehof]

actually, though I know your kidding, I believe a fellow did drown a couple of years ago up by Franconia Falls off the Wilderness Trail trying to save his dog who was being swept away in the brook....the dog lived if I remember the story correctly...

Nope, both died. 17 October 2003, in the Summer 2004 Appalachia. He had gone up to help with the S&R for the kid who wandered into the woods from Lincoln, and was turned down because he brought a dog that didn't have rescue training. Only stream-related death I found in the Whites from 2003-2007 (although one other person did fall and need to be littered out after trying to climb Cloudland Falls.)

 

[Little Rickie]

Put each leg (with boots on) in a garbage bag and wade across. Somewhere I have a picture of a certain moderator doing this.

Great idea!

 

[nartreb]

Bare feet are not so bad - in many ways they're preferable, since you can actually feel how slippery the algae is, how shifty the pebbles are, etc, and exercise needed caution. Protection from rolling rocks isn't much of a consideration unless you hike in steel-toed boots; the small stuff will bounce off your feet just like it bounces off your shoes.

 

[Little Rickie]

Brook water can be painfully cold. I'm not only an idiot but I'm a wimp too.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

Bare feet are not so bad - in many ways they're preferable, since you can actually feel how slippery the algae is, how shifty the pebbles are, etc, and exercise needed caution. Protection from rolling rocks isn't much of a consideration unless you hike in steel-toed boots; the small stuff will bounce off your feet just like it bounces off your shoes.

Some folks can do this, some can't. I climbed Pleasant Mt. once with a guy who complained his boots were hurting his feet. He took them off and walked the rest of the way up and all the way down barefoot. I have no doubt he could cross a stream barefoot. My feet, on the other hand are way! way! too tender, I could never get across a difficult stream barefoot. When I know I have a difficult stream to cross I bring my Tevas. I also have some garbage bags in my backpack for emergency use. I must admit I have used the bags more for extreme butt sliding. Of course I never did that on a 4000 footer I was counting.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

3 is unacceptable!

2 is a good way to get more than just your feet wet , depending on how slippery the rocks in the streambed are.

1 gets your socks wet for nothing.

I prefer a or b:

a--carry Crocs (with the heel straps), which weigh nothing and protect your feet better than most other water footwear.

b--take your boots off, take your socks off, put your boots back on and walk across, getting them wet but keeping your socks dry. If you're wearing plastic boots you can just walk across in the shells and keep both your socks and your boot liners dry.

Rocks and Socks

I usually go with "answer c." in the Whites: take off boots, lace together and carry around neck or across top of pack, then wade across in socks, which provide good traction. I then wring out the socks and put them back on, or switch to dry socks that I always carry for emergencies anyway. Fortunately, most rocks in White Mountain streams are fairly well rounded, so little likelihood of cutting up feet, which is still possible without realizing it if feet are numb from the cold water. I learned this sock trick in rock climbing wet slabs, as the socks sometimes work better than sticky rubber rock shoes. In any case, I think that stream crossings this time of year are much easier than about a month ago when the snow bridges began melting out leaving behind ice-glazed stepping stones, which must be avoided in favor of rocks just barely submerged under the water.

 

[woodsxc]

Some folks can do this, some can't. I climbed Pleasant Mt. once with a guy who complained his boots were hurting his feet. He took them off and walked the rest of the way up and all the way down barefoot. I have no doubt he could cross a stream barefoot. My feet, on the other hand are way! way! too tender, I could never get across a difficult stream barefoot. When I know I have a difficult stream to cross I bring my Tivas. I also have some garbage bags in my backpack for emergency use. I must admit I have used the bags more for extreme butt sliding. Of course I never did that on a 4000 footer I was counting.

One of my high school track teammates, Lin, couldn't find running shoes that fit the way he wanted, so he stopped wearing shoes. It took him a few weeks to build up to doing his regular distances and to running on dirt (and crushed gravel ). He wears light racing flats if he's on the track or on pavement, but that's it. For trail runs and workouts on grass or turf, he goes shoeless.

Lin started running barefoot about a year ago and is still going strong. When I stopped by a track practice during my spring break, he had switched out the flats for those Vibram Five Fingers "shoes".

 

[Mike P.]

In knee deep water that may be moving quickly (I'm 6' 225) that I can see where the bottom is I prefer leaving the shoes on as I will place (wedge is too strong of a word so I'll use place) my foot behind the larger rocks in a manner similar to how climbers wedge their feet into cracks when climbing.

If it's not that fast where this is necessary I'll opt for the sandals.

I found this email from 1999 which I believe was in reply to a similar thread either here or on the AMC site. (it's long & comphrehensive - too long so it will be in two parts)



New Zealand Mountain Safety Council published a Bushcraft manual with
perhaps the best ever advice on river crossing techniques. It runs to about
12 pages, with figures, more than all the advice you've received so far and
contradicting some of what you've been advise - I can
photocopy and send it to anyone interested. Here are some highlights in
precis form. Hope this is useful.

RIVERS VARY
Treat all with respect and if in doubt, err on the side of safety and
caution. There are some signs you should *never* ignore - discoloured
surging water, the awesome sound of rolling boulders or the sight of trees
and debris being carried along in the current.

PROBLEMS OF COLD WATER
Even a short period in cold water will lead to rapid cooling of your legs
and feet and results in poor coordination, stumbling, and cramps. If the
water is above your knees the effect will be greater.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF LEADERS
Avoid problems by careful trip planning - if possible plan a route with
bridges, wire cages or
cableways. If not possible, talk to anyone who might have crossed and find
out about likely
difficulties. Consider implications of being unable to cross. If known,
use recognized crossing
places. If your crossing is on a river downstream of a hydro project there
is always a possibility of greatly increased flows suddenly appearing -
find out details of planned water release in these areas.


When it comes to crossing you have 3 important decisions to make:
- whether to try to cross.. and if so
- where to cross
- what method to use

Consider all the factors in the following sections in the light of your
equipment and party. If there are non-swimmers they may need special
assistance. You may decide to test the crossing first before commiting the
party. After making a decision make sure everyone knows what to do. As
noise often drowns out communication arrange signals before anyone gets
into the water.

BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR CROSSING RIVERS
These apply to all situations. They will influence your choice of a
crossing place and the technique to use.

1. Don't fight against the river
2. Use Mutual support methods wherever possible
3. Anticipate what might go wrong.

CHOOSING A PLACE TO CROSS
1. Look downstream to assess the run-out
Anticipate what would happen if someone were swept away. You want a
crossing place where
the run-out leads into easier conditions. Look out for and beware:
- holes
- waterfalls
- rapids with big boulders
- snags
- bluffs
Beware of crossing side streams just above their entry into the main
river. If the run out is dangerous, look for another place.

2. Try to assess the river bed
Beware cloudy, silty water hiding the bottom. Avoid mud, silty areas in
glacial rivers (quicksand?) and stretches with logs, snags or boulders.
Look for a crossing with an even bottom preferably with shingle bed - look
for slow moving,
smooth running water. Gravel spits which lead diagonally across a river
often make good routes.

3. Assess the speed of the river
Difficult. Throw a stick in the water and keep pace with it to assist in
judging the speed. If this is more than walking pace crossing is
potentially dangerous even for experienced parties. Don't underestimate
even shallow, fast-flowing water.

4. Assess the depth of the water
Even more difficult. Think carefully about any crossings which bring the
depth much above the knees of the shorter members of the party.

5. Entry and exit points
Choose a place where it is easy to get in (and back out again if
necessary) and an easy exit - you don't want to have to climb up a
difficult bluff.

6. Curves and bends
Current is usually faster and water deeper on the outside of a bend. Use
this to advantage by
planning to cross between two bends, so that the current takes you across
to the other bank - but it may create problems if you want to get out of
the river on the outside of a bend.

7. Braided rivers
Where there are several channels you may be able to choose a meandering
route over a shingle bed. Crossing several small branches may be easier
than a major single crossing.

8. Acceptable crossing places
Three major types are generally acceptable
- shallow water (up to thigh deep) flowing over shingly beds
- shallow water flowing over a bouldery bed,with variable currents
- deep and slow flowing rivers where swimming techniques may be used
safely (see later)
Leaping from rock to rock is potentially very dangerous as a slip can lead
to serious injuries.