Originally shared by Inspiration Adventure Blog
Walking Through Rivers
Wilderness Stream Crossing Techniques
When stream crossing, proceed with caution. In January of 2010, a day-hiker had drowned while attempting to approach a nearby waterfall near Lake Wildwood, California. A 43 year-old expedition backpacker had drowned in the northern Rockies of Canada while attempting to cross the South Gataga River in mid-2008. In August of 2010, a 29 year-old Swiss hiker drowned while crossing the Teklaneka River near Fairbanks, Alaska. In 2007 a middle-aged couple drowned after attempting to cross a log bridging a raging stream near Mount Ranier. These are just a few examples demonstrating the 2nd leading cause of death while hiking and backpacking. However, in some areas such as the Great Smokey Mountains, drowning is the #1 cause of death.
I have had several difficult river and stream crossings, but I have been fortunate enough to avoid falling or being swept down stream. The most dangerous and painful stream crossing of my backpacking career came when I encountered the milky white glacier-fed waters of Nugget Creek in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park, Alaska. The waters had swollen to the top of it’s banks from several weeks of drizzle and rain. It was only thigh-deep, but the water was extremely swift and frigid. A glacial-fed stream like this can have water temperatures ranging from just above freezing to a hair under 40 degrees F. Add the cold temps to the speed of the water and you have a very dangerous situation due to the action of convection. A glacial fed stream at 35 degrees is remarkably fast at debilitating a person. As I deliberately began crossing through the raging water I left a whitewater rooster-tail in my wake demonstrating the power of that little stream. I was only in the water for 30 seconds when my legs exploded with pain. Another 30 seconds had passed when I could no longer feel my feet. By the time I reached the far side, my calves were not functioning properly. I stumbled out over the bank in a clumsy stupor not at all able to feel my lower legs and thankful that I had not toppled into the water. Once my stark white legs regained sensation, they felt as though someone had lit them on fire from the inside out. The overwhelming burn from the return of blood was enough to distract me from considering the alternative possibilities of the situation. If I had fallen, the cold water may have stripped me of any strength and would have swept my motionless body into the Kennecott River and into oblivion.
It was in the Smokeys that I had encountered the 2nd most dangerous waters in my backpacking career. It was in early spring and the snows had recently melted. Slick Rock Creek had risen several feet above it’s normal depth consuming the lower portion of the hiking trail. To make matters worse, it was funneling through a steep gorge with cliffs and ledges frequenting the outside turns. The first few crossings were with backpacks held high over our heads as we waded through swift water chest deep. It was a struggle just to maintain footing and to keep the water from carrying us away. The water was a deep bluish-green and concealing the bottom which meant there was a danger in getting tangled in submerged trees or between tight rocks. The excursion went on without any trouble, but we had to cross Slick Rock Creek at least thirty times before hiking into the highlands. According to the map and guide, the usual number of stream crossings was about five.
Stream crossing safely is an essential wilderness travel skill. Just because streams have been timid and easily crossable in the past doesn’t mean that they won’t become raging torrents on your next excursion. Here are some essential elements to crossing water safely.
At the very least, it is extremely important to unbuckle any hip-belts and/or chest straps from your backpack before attempting to cross a stream. This even holds true for crossing narrow bridges or logs over water. It may also be necessary to loosen the shoulder straps just a bit, but not so much to make the backpack too unruly. This is done to prevent drowning in case of a fall into the water. The last thing you want is to be strapped to a 60-pound weight when dragging along the bottom of a river. It will be necessary to quickly remove the entire backpack in this scenario and to first recover from the fall, safely exit the water and maintain a stable stance before attempting retrieval of the backpack. In a worse-case scenario, it is better to sacrifice a backpack to the current and leave with your life intact.
It should also be noted that sleeping bags are considered sacred and must be stuffed into a dry bag or stuffed into a garbage bag and sealed tightly to avoid any risk of getting wet from rain or unexpected falls into water. A dry sleeping bag could be a life-saver in frigid conditions when soaked by a fall.
Logs or rocks may provide a dry crossing, but it is especially important to be aware that both logs and rocks could be as slippery as ice when wet. Also be aware of other dangers. Logs can break or become submerged and rocks can tilt or slide. If you are crossing a fallen tree with tangled limbs and debris beneath, it could indicate a deadly strainer. If you fall into the upstream side, getting sucked into the strainer and pinned would not be a very pleasant way to end your trip. So in this case, if you lose your balance and falling is inevitable, make every effort to fall into the downstream side. It may also be advisable to cross a slick log by crawling on your stomach and holding onto it with both arms – not very heroic, but effective.
If there are no logs or rocks around, find a place where the stream is wide, more shallow and with slower current. You can then cross the stream by wading. Before attempting to wade across a stream, be sure to remove your hiking boots/shoes and put on a pair of stream-crossing shoes or sandals. These can be something as simple as an old pair of sneakers or sandals. Stream crossing should be avoided in bare feet because stepping on a sharp rock or stick with a fully loaded pack on your back is reason enough to fall. Don’t forget to carefully secure your dry footwear to your backpack. I have seen several overzealous stream-crossers have to go back to retrieve their forgotten hiking boots. Also avoid bends in the stream because these areas usually hide a deep channel close to the outside edge of the bend. The best conditions are areas more shallow than 3 feet deep and devoid of strainers and whitewater; although shallow whitewater may be crossed, but the risk of falling increases. Deep water between 3 and 4 feet in depth can be crossed by wading, but only in slower moving water. Be especially careful to avoid submerged logs, trees or rocks; these can be detected by looking for small subtle eddies, ripples and wakes in otherwise flat water.
Water over 4 feet deep should be avoided unless the water is fairly calm, but if there are no alternatives, swimming without any gear and with little or no clothing may be attempted. Cold and frigid conditions preclude any attempts of swimming because arms and legs quickly lose function and drowning may occur. If swimming in faster moving water, swim with the current downstream at an angle toward the opposite bank and avoid all dangerous obstacles or submerged logs or rocks. In this scenario, a partner or group is very helpful. The swimmer can tie a guideline which can either ferry equipment or provide stability for those that are crossing.
The most important method that is often overlooked for wading is careful foot placement. When moving through the water, use your already planted foot to balance all of your weight on while using the free foot to search and feel for secure footing. Test the area a few times to make sure it’s stable and then slowly transfer your weight. Once the weight is distributed equally and both feet are planted securely, move the other planted foot forward and slowly search for secure footing again. Always avoid quick movements and transferring weight quickly. If you begin losing balance, step back to where you previously had solid footing to regain balance and control. The only times I’ve seen falls is when backpackers aren’t deliberate and patient with their foot placement. They often step onto an uneven surface with their full weight and then end up doing a split or dancing the funky chicken before belly flopping into the stream.
The easiest trick to maintain balance is by using one or two walking sticks or trekking poles. It may also be necessary to remove the unruly backpack.
If the water is deep, has a strong current or if a member of the group has exceptionally poor balance, crossing can be done in groups. The crossing-buddies can stand side-by-side and link arms. Crossing can then take place using the same careful foot placement technique described above, but only one foot among the group should be moving at one time. So if there are three buddies crossing with linked arms, one of the buddies is searching with one foot while the 5 other feet of the group are firmly planted. This procedure takes patients and careful cooperation, but may be effective at crossing more difficult waters.
It should also be noted that when crossing strong currents, especially in water over the thigh, it is important to cross while facing upstream. This is done for two reasons. First, the person crossing can lean into the current just slightly to help absorb the force of the water. This stance, if done correctly, can place more weight on the feet which can also increase traction. The other reason for doing this is if the current is too strong and washes you away, you will already be on your back and ready to avoid submerged obstacles with your feet above the water. If washed away with feet hanging low toward the bottom, drowning may occur if a foot gets wedged in a submerged crevasse or tangled in debris.
In winter, crossing a river by breaking ice is dangerous and should be avoided unless the water is below 2 feet deep. This is because there is an increased risk of slipping and then being washed under existing ice downstream which could lead to drowning. Crossing on ice is also very dangerous for the same reason if the ice breaks. It is essential to test the ice thickness and strength before crossing as deliberately as you go. Wearing snowshoes or crawling on your belly will spread your weight and allow you to cross ice a bit thinner than usual.
It should also be assumed that some streams and rivers can not be crossed. The recommended skills above do not help in all situations even if the conditions appear to present themselves as favorable to crossing safely. In the case of encountering a dangerous river, you may have to hike several miles upstream past several tributaries to find water that can be crossed. In rare cases, you may find yourself completely stranded by a river or stream for several hours, days or weeks. This situation should be considered ahead of the trip and steps taken to bypass the prospects of becoming completely trapped. This may require communications equipment to request help or packing portable rafts or kayaks.
#outdoors #backpacking #hiking #tipsandtricks #streamcrossing #rivers #wilderness
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