Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Ideas on Crossing Rivers

Sorry walkingman..getting off track here

Damn you alaskacub..!

It was hot, I was spent, and I was by myself. Its a long story. This was my second sheep hunt in a 2 week period. Look at the dates on the 2 pics, this was the first hunt where I actually had a bud with me. This was the tail end of a horrible 4 days that led to the pic of the ram in the back of my truck 9 days later. Maybe I'll get a chance to tell you the whole story sometime! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Good on ya!!

Got the needles out...hehe

Holy cow, dude, a whole ram on your pack!! Ouch!

For me, that would be a good time to build a raft. (A man has got to know his limitations.) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

A folding saw and some parachute cord will get 'er done, provided that you have access to some suitable wood; 4 or 5 dry, bouyant logs for the "floor", a couple of green poles for cross members, and another green pole for a diagonal brace. If available, pile some evergreen boughs on top to help keep you and your stuff high and dry. Cut another green pole, about 10 ft. long, to use as a push pole/paddle.

If this violates anyone's "leave no trace" philosophy, then kindly disregard. In an emergency situation, however, a raft could save yer bacon.

You haven't been to our sheep mountains or caribou tundra, have you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />? We tend to be a little short of such material on most of the tundra and high mountains.

Ditto to what everyone else has said on the stick or sticks. At least one is imperative.

You'd also have to build a lot of rafts and or carry the raft on your back, cuz I have been forced to cross glacier fed creeks as many as 15 times in a 5 mile stretch and patience at each crossing is not something I have when I'm hunting sheep and much ground needs covered to get to them. Timber is non-existent in many places and gorged drainages play hell on a guy when he thinks once agian he has picked the right side of the drainage to walk up, only to find out were crossing the creek again.

muledeer .......... I've never chased a sheep, but am familiar with yer tundra. Have decided that it's no place for a fella who likes to whittle. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Obviously, a raft ain't the answer in every situation/location, but I was responding to Walkingman's post, and I can't know where he's from, where he intends to hunt, nor what his physical limitations might be, except that he apparently can't walk on water.

Good info.

Just a note to be careful about logs also. Though I have crossed on logs a good many times, a limby one nearly killed me. It was three feet thick, bristling with limbs that I liked for hand holds, and sloped from a cut bank into deeper water almost touching the bank on the far side. The fallen tree shifted from my weight halfway across. The current started sweeping the far end into a deeper hole and rolling the trunk as it did. The limbs would catch on my clothes as I tried to stay on the upper side of the log, out of the water. I managed to free or tear loose each snag before it pulled me under water and trapped me in the limbs. I was thigh deep but still on the top side of the log when it stopped. I don't have advice on how to check how stable a log is but that put the fear in me, and I was just fishing, without a pack. I've no problem shinnying across a log that is firmly fixed on both ends.

Crossing streams, whether wading, stepping from rock to rock or even rafting, is one of those enterprises where it is a good idea to think through all the possible things that could go wrong and don't start until you have something in mind for each contingency.

Agreed. I, too, will go a long way out of my way to find a safer spot to cross.
BTW, I'd like to mention that a stream crossed early in the morning can be quite different late in the PM when you are trying to walk out. E

Ditto on that but if i can't find a slow shallow spot then I take off the boots and socks, roll up the pants, grab my trekking pole and git-r-done, in a slow deliberate kind of way. I've never had to cross waist deep but have gone up over the knee's many times......

I second that, we would try to do all are crossing's before the sun rose and in the late evening. during the day with glacier melt, it rose about 1-1/2 feet with much faster water. ALso with Glacier fed, you can't tell how deep it is until you try and wade across. I think we walked a mile up river to try and find a place.. I got so frusterested and just went across, luckily it never got above my waist. Thank god for sporthills, they dried within minutes..

Sorry guys but i just paddle from side to side at will..with my raft and a great camp to boot. I know you're talking about backpack style, but I wanted to offer the option of floating.

Ill add a couple other things on crossing rivers since I pretty much live in them here in Montana. First of all in swift water I do not recommend going over thigh deep, especially with a pack on. Try and find a riffle shelf and cross angling down river, let the river carry you, DONT FIGHT IT, relax and leave yourself plenty of room to slowly carry you at an angle down stream. Keep your feet moving, and if you feel like you are falling MOVE FASTER, I know this sounds crazy but it works, and once again let it take you down river, RELAX. If you do end up swimming keep your feet in front of you in the lawn chair position and back peddle with your hands until you can stand back up or make shore. ALWAYS be aware of what is downstream there is a good chance that you are going to end up there, be very careful of downed trees and big drops. And remeber big round rocks are your friends, sharp jagged rock are not. I have climbed up on more than one big round boulder to rest and make my next move. Anyway remember to RELAX.

Yup, very sound advice, this is why I prefer one thicker stick to my trekking poles (and I am more used to this). A heavy stick of about your own height can be more stable in the current and more easily placed in a supportive position upstream of you as you slowly move, I will cut a green sapling for this and let it float off as I get across.

I have waded nearly neck deep, but, in poolends and with only a daypack, it is like so much of our sport, slow, steady and RELAX, again, dammed good post.