[pct-l] rafting the Kern

[Brick Robbins]

The Kern, below lake Isabella, is known for a large number of deaths:
you even pass a sign driving up from Bakersfield with a death count
displayed.

According to a SAR guy I met, nearly all of the drownings involve
large quantities of beer drunk by people getting out of the
Bakersfield heat.

Merl Haggard even wrote song about it called:  "I'll never swim Kern
river again" You can listen here
http://www.rhapsody.com/merle-haggard/super-hits/kern-river/lyrics.html




On Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 2:50 PM, Mark Liechty<mlaccs at mlaccs.com> wrote:
> Freiman, Paul wrote:
>> Switchback,
>> The Kern is really fun to raft, but not at all safe.  Hundreds of people have lost their lives.  I can name 4 SEPARATE times when someone in my group could easily have lost their life, including me.  I'm not going back (and I lead 3 trips there).
>>
> ##########
>
> Interesting.  I have rafted many Class I-III rivers and a couple of
> IV.   Found the Kern to be almost boring in comparison to the Northern
> CA (American River)  or other stuff.
>
> The risk really depends on the day and waterflow combined with your
> tolerance of risk.   What is boring on one day can be deadly the next.
> When we did the Kern it was Class III.  We did it in the raft a couple
> of times then repeated in Kayaks.   Was certain I wold die in the kayak
> but I am a backpacker at heart and wear a PFD when I take a shower so i
> may not be the best judge when you put me in the boat and cover me with
> rocks and waves.
>
> Mark "Blankie" Liechty
> mlaccs @ mlaccs . com
>
>
>
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