#224921 - 06/01/11 09:04 PM
Re: 200 miles from home
[Re: Lono]
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Veteran
Registered: 12/14/09
Posts: 1419
Loc: Nothern Ontario
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Agreed on waiting to activate the PLB, as long as you're equipped to wait it out. Again, my impulse is to stay in place at or near my vehicle, or at or near a place of civilization is its nearby - but in overthinking mode, if you had to cross a river, having a PFD and a rock helmet in the trunk of your car would be small and reasonable equipment with which to attempt what is surely a life-threatening Western river crossing. You can actually participate in some white water rescue training, I did this on the Snoqualmie 30 years ago, basic advice though is lean back, don't try to keep your head above water, and swim like hell at 90 degrees to the current when you hit a break in any rapids. It can be incredibly tough, and you may not make it alone. Weigh your options carefully. Your odds of making it out of the water go way down without a PFD and helmet. Its such a remote possibility, I honestly wouldn't put mine in the trunk for a road trip in this or other remote areas, but in terms of space requirements, its alot less than hauling a boat...
Attempting to cross the river in question is suicide..The video I linked to, the water flows at a rate of 200,000,000 gallons (757,082,400 litres) per minute. At 25 miles an hour (40 km), twice the volume of water flows through Hell’s Gate during high water than Niagara Falls. Now if you were to get about 90 miles downstream into the wide river valley, the river still flows too fast and is too wide to even contemplate swimming, however at this point, crossing on a powerful enough boat is done every day.
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Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.
John Lubbock
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#224923 - 06/01/11 09:18 PM
Re: 200 miles from home
[Re: unimogbert]
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Veteran
Registered: 12/14/09
Posts: 1419
Loc: Nothern Ontario
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I continue to re-read the thread because it's an interesting challenge. I've planned to hike 40 miles but not 200.
I've only lately hiked as much as 14 miles in a day so I have a little sense of what it might take.
Teslinhiker- how many in your party? What ages/condition?
2 adults, early and mid 40 years of age. Both in very good shape with extensive long-term wilderness hiking and camping experience in all seasons. Now that I said that and with my luck, next thing you will reading about ole Teslin being lost, cold and hungry and subsequently needed rescue by SAR...
Your 2nd posting suggested that the real question was "how would you hike 200 miles?"
Was that the real question? Or was it more specific such as- 200 miles along the Fraser River from x to y in all seasons while accomodating a 3 and a 5 year old child without use of firearms for subsistence hunting? (or something like that)
More a blending of questions. The 200 mile walk is the distance between the furtherest north of the canyon route to home. The post I made about 6 above this one explains more on my idea of this topic.
_________________________
Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.
John Lubbock
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#224929 - 06/01/11 10:44 PM
Re: 200 miles from home
[Re: Susan]
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Geezer in Chief
Geezer
Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
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But the biggest killer of the pioneers on the OR/CA trail was disease: cholera (mainly), small pox, the flu, measles, mumps and tuberculosis, caused by having to drink from the water sources contaminated by the travelers ahead. After that was accidents.
Sue
I understand the mortality rate for pioneers along the Oregon Trail in the 1840s was over 30% - as you say, mostly disease and accidents. Of course, there was a 'base line mortality rate' that was experienced by those who didn't migrate, and that rate was probably appreciable. One thing I have experienced on multi day trips, either climbing or bike touring, is that on about the third day your body shifts gears, so to speak, accommodating to the new regimen, and life becomes more comfortable. Even so, rest days are a good idea. It is a common practice for thru hikers on the Appalachian or Pacific Crest Trails.
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Geezer in Chief
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#224930 - 06/01/11 10:46 PM
Re: 200 miles from home
[Re: Teslinhiker]
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Geezer
Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
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More important than the volume of water that flows is the temperature of the water. People swim in the ocean all the time with a tremendous volume of water, NBD. Water in the PNW rivers I've been in has been glacier melt -- it's above freezing. Unless you are dressed for swimming in frigid water, you will not make it across.
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Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??
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#225018 - 06/02/11 03:39 PM
Re: 200 miles from home
[Re: Teslinhiker]
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Old Hand
Registered: 10/19/06
Posts: 1013
Loc: Pacific NW, USA
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Agreed on the rivers and the feasibility of 'crossing' this one - this ain't the Montlake Cut, or even the wide Mississippi. Fraser River valleys and most others in the PNW are cold, snow melt rivers, very cold, very fast, lots of currents, eddies, rapids, numerous hidden snags formed from downed timber. You generally don't swim in them, you sure don't want to fall into them, or wade very far out fishing. You need a PFD and helmet to survive in most enter-the-river-current scenarios out here. Your chances greatly decline without them. My comments were on the lines of "if you had to cross a river" - which I'm not going to do if stuck by avalanche up the Fraser Valley.
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#225064 - 06/02/11 08:41 PM
Re: 200 miles from home
[Re: Lono]
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Veteran
Registered: 12/14/09
Posts: 1419
Loc: Nothern Ontario
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I was thinking about the river last night. Someone had mentioned to the effect of what would happen if an earthquake caused a rock slide that closed off the river. This is certainly possible due to the river here threading it's way through the mountains and into some very narrow spots where the river is not that wide. In the linked video, the canyon walls are only about 120' wide...
That potential 200 millions of water per minute water flow would have to go somewhere and take out the land and highway in lower areas close to the river. This would result in a whole new set of problems as the few areas along here where people live (and where you might may be waiting for potential help/rescue of sorts) would be vulnerable as these areas are typically close to the river. If the river was to be obstructed, seeking very high ground would be a priority. In this case, I would think that the higher the better as that much water is going to cover a lot of low land in a very short time span?
_________________________
Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.
John Lubbock
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#225067 - 06/02/11 09:14 PM
Re: 200 miles from home
[Re: Teslinhiker]
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Geezer
Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
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That would be another good reason not to just charge north without some information.
Even if you had to go back a ways to a decently populated area, you would be more likely to get some useful information there than from some six-house wide spot in the road.
Hang around, help out, keep your ear to the ground. Information will be important to many people, and it is likely to be disseminated quite quickly once available.
You might even find other people who want to go the same way. And one who knows the area between here and there certainly would be an asset.
Sue
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#225299 - 06/06/11 04:08 AM
Re: 200 miles from home
[Re: Susan]
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Veteran
Registered: 12/14/09
Posts: 1419
Loc: Nothern Ontario
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After driving the route home late this afternoon, I realized no matter what gear and experience a person has, this country is simply too rugged and unforgiving to attempt a walk home. This picture was taken way above the highway that you can barely see as a thin line going left to right just above the railroad tracks in the distance. 
_________________________
Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.
John Lubbock
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#225304 - 06/06/11 05:18 AM
Re: 200 miles from home
[Re: Teslinhiker]
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Old Hand
Registered: 02/11/10
Posts: 778
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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As long as the RR tracks or Hwy is there,Walking wouldn't be impossible,It's that Snarling river that really takes one out of our Element,& at the same time that river would provide the necessary hydration to walk out!
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#225337 - 06/06/11 04:25 PM
Re: 200 miles from home
[Re: Teslinhiker]
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Geezer
Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
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...this country is simply too rugged and unforgiving to attempt a walk home. I think it would depend on whether it is one of the ways to get back to home and family, or the only way. And our easy familiarity with speeds of 70 mph on the ground and 500 mph in the air grossly affect our thinking of speed/time at 2 mph. I'm sure you could do it if you had to, but it probably wouldn't be your first choice. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -- Lao-tzu (604 BC - 531 BC) Sue
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