Flow: about 3000 cfs at Estacada Current Level
Weather: spotty rain, about 40'
People/Boats: Jeremy in his canoe, David and Alex on the cataraft, and Chris in a Necky Jive hardshell kayak.
Chris's first outing with his Jive on whitewater, and he swam 3 times. River was moving quick, and Dead Man's Bend was a little tricky at that level. There was a log extending from the right bank just under water level, complicating the initial entry. Jeremy hung up his canoe sideways on the log, and Chris bumped into it before getting around.
Eddy was fairly at Bend as well - we tried to cut across the eddy and put ashore on the gravel bar on the outer right bend. David got shunted away by the current, Jeremy as well, tipping in the wave train shortly after. Chris tipped into the eddy on entry, taking his kayak in the face post-exit, then dragged himself with a bloody nose to the target gravel bar. He re-entered from that point, and promptly lost it a second time in the wave train. Beat up and tired, he was quite glad for Jeremy to pull him out with the canoe - the river was fast downstream, and he couldn't get out of it while also dragging a flooded boat. Alex seemed to have a good time watching the fun from the safety of the back seat of the cataraft.
Water was way too cold for a wetsuit, and Chris didn't appreciate being smacked in the face with his boat. Think some better gear is in order.
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