Day 12: Snowy River Crossing

Updated: Feb 12, 2023

My Route

Gear

Trip Report

Meals

Map

26/11/22 - Distance: 5km

Left river side camp opposite campground at around 8am. The water was warm still at about 18 degrees. The water level had fortunately dropped about a half a meter over night but still flowing rather strong. I fashion a raft out of drift wood and twine and prepare my pack. I empty all my water bottles, and water proof all my necessities like sleeping bag and dry clothes (thermals and warm jacket), I inflate my goon sack as much as will still allow it to fit inside my bag. It is now go time. I drag the raft down into the water and it floats nicely, until I load my bag onto it, now it dips to one side and floats very low in the water, once I place myself on it it is completely submerged under water but still afloat. I chose this section of river to cross (although not the cleanest and nicest)as I could take advanctage of a large boulder sticking up out of the water in the middle with an eddy located after it. If could make it into the eddy id be over half way in terms of effort, i can then have a break and before continuing on the rest of the way. Both sides of the river are also flowing much slower than the center. The plan is to take the raft as close to the eddy as possible, If I don’t make the eddy then I stay afloat on the raft and find the next closest shore. From testing out a raft yesterday I know that the raft is going to be rather uncontrollable once in the main stream of flow in the river, its pretty much just a vessel to get me out there or to rest on should I need to bail. If I make it near enough to the eddy, I leave the raft and make for rock in the middle of the river, the eddy has a small rock that sticks out of the water enough for me to get out of the water with my pack. Well here goes nothing. I drag the raft and my pack about 30m up stream from the eddy (the rock in the middle of the stream is only about 20m across from the side of the stream. I launch, kicking frantically upstream and diagonally against the current. The Current takes hold and I freak out a bit, kicking aint enough, I need to paddle with my arms as well (meanwhile, the raft is completely under water, being pulled quickly with the current, but still floating, kind of) but its dragging me down with the current away from the rock and eddy. I decide to bail from the raft and drag my bag with me (which is floating well, due to the air i put in it). I get pulled slightly toward and above the rock whilst the current pulls me down stream, so far so good, then suddenly, I get pulled away from the rock and eddy and back toward the shore I was trying to get away form. In a moment of seconds I go from, trying to get back to the raft (which is a little to far down stream if i was to go for it i would lose the opportunity to make the edd), then I decide to leave the raft, grab my bag, then for a second I think of bailing and heading back to shore where the current is taking me to, but then i decide to punch it across to the eddy. I grab my rucksack with one hand as I frantically swim in a backwards breaststroke motion (I call it octopus style) and break into the eddy. I find some rocks with much relief and drag myself and my 20kg (or more with water weight) up onto the small rock island in the middle of the river ( I would call it more than half way, as the river current now will throw me in the direction of the bank I want to reach rather than away from it. I clamber onto the rock and rest in the middle of the river, huffing and puffing, farrrk, if only I didn’t have to drag that bloody bag across. It would be much easier if it was just me. But I had all my belongings, warm clothes, shelter, sleeping bag in this bag. I could not leave it behind. I sit on the rock in the middle of the river, fast current flowing around me, catching my breath and contemplating life a bit. I knew I could get across, but I wasn’t sure Id be able to get across with my pack. But I am more than half way now. The rest was going to be easy, but im already pretty pooped. I stand up with a brief and stern “Fuck it” and throw my pack upstream and across to the side of the river as far as I can and then im in there after it, fighting my way across to the other side. I eventually get out of the current and into a little stream of a current coming off the mountains (it feels much colder) here im able to feel the river bed and clamber to shore. I made it, I Fuckn made it. I stumble onto the rocky shore and sit for a few minutes puffing and panting, and a few minutes longer. Im soaking and cold so I open up my pack and start emptying it on the banks of the river, everything stayed dry, my sleeping bag, my clothes. I change into something warmer and drain excess water from everything. Once I get my breath back and collect my things (and myself) I follow a small creek to the road and head on up toward the Pinch River camp. Along the way I see many scar trees and food plants and even more modern medicinal herbs like opium poppies growing along the sides of the road in fields of pink and red. They even looked ripe with hugh buds. I setup camp on the southern side of the pinch river. I light a huge fire, just for the sake of it, and as I sit down for dinner I am encroached by a Chattering of Choughs, stalked by a sole deer and scuttered past by black rabbits.

Made it across, camp was on the otherside.

the crossing

opium poppy, papaver somniferum

Mullein - Verbascum thapsus? - great bush toilet paper, also can be made into a tea for coughs, asthma, migraines, used as a bandage or compress, can also be smoked.