Topic: Mid week Rougin'

[LouisD]

The level has gone up a tad again.

Here is some footage of the Saturday run.
https://vimeo.com/46953954
I'll have to sort out my own pictures and video.

As for being a meter off... this is inviting more than carnage.
If you can't be within a foot of your intended path, don't try those falls until you do.
You need to be able to pick a line and follow your markers quite precisely - or pray for the Sisters to be merciful to your sorry ass.

You can check one's skills while boofing off the Washing Machine on your way down.
If you see someone in your party without much success boofing off that rock to the right... either a bad day for him/her or no sufficient skills. Either case, deny him/her the remaining 6 Sisters.

This said, you can put in in the eddy river right after no2 to run just the no3 HorseShoe (either corner works, but left corner requires precise landing.
If running both 2 and 3, if direction and position off the no2 lip is off more than 8-10in to the left you will land and be pushed to the left of the mushroom. Max Langlais (red H80 and red helmet) was off by a foot and missed the flake completely. Don't try to paddle back up the mushroom; better ferry to river right below that mushroom - which could be darn close to the sucking lip of no3...

No4 is the hardest and a bitch to walk back up. Either run the elbow slowly minding the right walls and rocks and pluck the hole hucking the deck with your paddle folded next to you or boof off from the top left corner at the top with a strong left direction.
On the video above, you see Michal having a second and worse run off the lip into the hole sideways. A shampoo and a bit of elbow bruising - even with his elbow pads.
Walk this one if this is your first time.

5 and 6 go well at this level, as long as you brace good off the bottom hole of 5 and stay left side of middle on 6. Too far right on no6 and you will splat yourself on the wall then solid rince cycles await you.
BTW, there is a nice big rock right down center next after the long flake/slide of 5. One of the 3 Max (Lavoie) managed to find it and came to an abrupt stop - Duh! Obviously, ran either left of right of that rock.... If you can see anything.

Several lines off 7 left of middle, some more intertaining than others for the crowd.

Coming out nicely off no2 is the most stressing as it is the first drop and no3 Horseshoe is pretty quick after that. (I had the best line off no2/3 and very happy about it - landed 2 feet off next the obvious rock at bottom of 2 and verred right behind it to align myself to no3 with plenty of time to spare).
No 4 is the hardest and highest. And as the video show, you can opt out no4 by throwing your gear and jumping in its pool, if you get wise in a timely fashion.
A+
L

[LouisD]

We had a group of 8 down the falls on Saturday at 16.x..
Our least experienced paddler skipped 2 and almost ran backwards 3, went through a trickle chute instead.
He also skipped 4 which is the hardest I believe.
3 can be safely done on either edge of the horse shoe.

I didn't think there was any solid interest remaining here....
L

[Todd]

I'd be down for Thursday. 

[Jeremy Poulin]

I think 4 guys who have done it, or 3 and an experience, but never done the sisters section paddler would be fine. The first time I ran it, the level was just shy of 40, and I ran it with one other person (yup, 2 total) he was experienced on it, and other than walking the 5/6 drop, we were fine. He put in the pool to run the 3rd, as opposed to the 2/3, but other than a rope, you can't realy do safety between 2 and 3 (and the roper would have to be spot on, or the swimmer would probably drop over the falls, and let go of the rope anyways lol) and same for between 5 nd 6, don' tthink you could put a safety boater in there.
I think a safety boater at the bottom of 3, and a rope/live bait at the bottom of 6 is fine. Unless I've forgotten a drop and have messed my numbers up lol
So, that being said, wed and thurs I'm free.......
Takers?

[Todd]

I am interested in after work runs of the sisters. I have had no issues with doing the sisters after work and would like to continue to get on them as long as the levels hold.

[Doug Poulter]

Last week we were hoping to have a run of the 7 Sisters this past Sunday, July 22nd. Unfortunately after cancellations, we had a crew of just 4.  At least 2 of the 4 believe a crew size of 6+ is necessary to provide an appropriate rescue / safety team, for Sisters run in pairs, those being falls 2&3, and 5&6.   Getting such a minimum sized crew on a week day would be even more difficult.  Unless the crew had already done the 7-Sisters previously, there may not be sufficient remaining daylight to get everybody in place on each of the runs, if doing the runs as an after-work adventure.   I might however be up for a midweek run of the lower Rouge, with expectations we'd portage the 7 Sisters.  I'd suggest we leave Ottawa by 1:30.  Lest you think I am being overly cautious:

- Former CdB and ORR presidents have suffered life altering carnage at Sister 7 in low water, on separate occasions.  Likely these accidents happened in part because of self imposed logic that if others did fine, they too would be ok.  Approaches are narrow and critical, (ie: one has to be in the right place at the right moment which may change moment by moment with the current).  Staying on course is difficult not only because are there changing currents to worry about, but because the routes drop out of sight in front of the paddler, forcing the paddler to rely on depth perception from the shore.  Being a meter off resulted in their accidents

- I've participated in an unsuccessful body search down stream of Sister-7 arriving on the scene 5 minutes after the victim disappeared off the surface.  The victim was likely out of sight, wrapped around the underside of a boulder fully under water.  Several days later the victim's body was washed free, due to changing currents associated with a different water level.

- On my 1st run of Sister 2, I did not make it over the brink.  Instead apparently, debris plugging a hole in the river bottom temporarily broke free, causing me to be sucked down deep off the surface ~10 metres from the brink.  Fortunately I was not caught in a strainer, eventually rose to the surface immediately under the water pouring over the brink, and despite my lungs screaming for air, I had the presence of mind to remain upside down, until the current flushed me out to where I could safely roll up.

- If we have a strong crew of sufficient number with appropriate safety, including daylight, at appropriate water levels,  I'm open to running all 7 Sisters again.  Note however, there are some low water levels which there are no adequately safe routes down some Sisters.

[Jeremy Poulin]

Morning Everybody!
I seem to recall some people talking about paddling the 7 sisters after work mid week a while back? Are people still interested?? I'm going to be out of town all next week, but when I come back I'd be up for some after work Rougin (for those that have to work, I'm on vacation!!).
Anyone interested??
jer