Wayne Harrison wrote:

"Conan The Librarian" wrote

spotted a large boulder with a sweet-looking plunge-pool below it. It
looked ideal for providing a bit of cover for a dap or two. Unfortunately,
as I was crossing towards it, a rock gave way under my foot and I landed
*hard* on both knees on the next boulder.

that was my greatest fear for you, fishing alone in water like that.
santeetlah is tough, and you can really get hurt in a fall.

Frankly, that was also my greatest concern. Going into the trip I
was actually starting to question the sanity of going into these (new,
to me) places on my own.

Once I got there, my instincts took over. I had to slow myself down
a few times and remind myself to use common sense. And when I got into
a couple of tough spots, I was glad to see that even in my old age, the
body and mind aren't totally shot yet. :-)

(And that Leiki stick was worth its weight in gold. Seriously.)

The spot where I came out was only a couple of hundred yards below the
car, and ironically was a spot I had passed by as being too steep for
access. :-}

congratulations. you have survived santeetlah gorge.

Thanks, I think. ;-) What's strange is that more than anything I
was ****ed off that I got hurt. I was just getting to the really pretty
water. :-)

But that was one of those times when I had to take a timeout, and
really consider what I was getting into. The rewards weren't greater
than the possibilities for trouble.


Chuck Vance