[pct-l] Kern River, Censored and fear

[jimniedbalski at aol.com]

  The previous post about the “danger” of rafting the Kern
 River, combined with reading Censored’s journal entries, got me to
thinking. As a river runner and former whitewater raft guide, I was shocked to
read “hundreds have died on the Kern.” After googling the Kern, I found out
that the death toll since 1968 on the Kern is perhaps 260 or so (242 in spring
2008 was the only firm figure I found.) Only 2 percent of those deaths were on
commercial raft trips – that’s about 5 people. (one site I read said there has
been only two commercial raft trip deaths.) The Upper Kern (upstream of
Kernville) appears to be a wild, Class V run available in the spring. Any
whitewater aficionado knows that running Class V always could be deadly, even
for the most experienced. The Lower Kern is Class II-I V – still potentially
dangerous but very safe with the proper gear and trained guides. (Switchback,
book your raft trip!)



  The vast majority of
deaths on the Kern, then, are among swimmers and tubers, many of whom did not
wear a life jacket. Run any river without a life jacket, you’re asking for
trouble. Swim out in the current, see ya!



  So, enter the High
Sierra in early June without shoes and tent, you might be asking for trouble.
Clearly, Censored is embarrassed by the ordeal and I’m not criticizing her. She
admits she panicked. She calls herself an idiot. Her decisions, especially pressing
the 911 function
, are flawed, to be sure. But she was scared!



  I think for a lot of
us, being a little afraid is one of the draws of wilderness travel. You learn
to overcome your fear at the same time you respect that fear. The next time you
are deciding whether to cross a mountain pass in building thunderheads or
debating whether to run or portage a rapid, you’ll remember how you handled the
same situation last time.



  In Censored’s case,
it’s not even about the shoes, tent or the SPOT for that matter (other than the
entire SAR thing, which I don’t need to rehash). At the end of the day, it
comes down to this: she spent a chilly, uncomfortable night out in snow,
survived not being able to light her stove, and walked out the next day. She
wasn’t in actual real danger for that 18-hour period. If and/or when it happens
again for her, she’ll remember, and do something a little different that will
make all the difference in the world. It might even happen for her between now
and when she reaches Manning Park.


Jim