2

Rapid Rating

127

River Mileage

How to run Randy’s Rock Rapid

A large shelf of tapeats is located left of center and is easily avoided by going to the right of it. There’s enough current here where if you did end up floating into it, you would be in trouble with a wrap or flip.

About Randy’s Rock Rapid

Sometimes you don’t want a rapid named after you. Randy’s Rock is a good example of this. In 1976, Randy Breckenridge was working a trip for ARTA, rowing a 22 foot snout boat. The story goes that a guest had been asking to give rowing a try, and Randy decided to let him take a spin. Once the guest had the oars in his hands, Randy kicked back and started gazing up at the canyon walls, as anyone would do. In the most dramatic fashion of nirvana interruption, the guest plugged the rock and wrapped the snout boat. Some folks swam, one was left on the rock, and a lot of gear was lost. Everything worked out though, and the trip reached takeout five days later, on schedule.

Kevin Nelson, who was on that trip and was friends with Randy, has an in-depth article about the event here.

Another article about the event by Kevin is located here.