High Water
The weather is fickle out here and pretty much does what it pleases. In the event that encountering a little wicked weather is very likely, we would like to offer a little advice on how to handle a high water crossing. There are several good-sized crossings there.
Keep in mind that we almost lost a rider in a crossing in the past. Yes, this is a true story. He lost his bike and came within a blink of losing it all! It happened simply. He was cruising down a steep hill into a high water crossing and hit his brakes too late. Being wet they did not work. There was something in the water he did not see, he hit it, and then hit his head. You guessed it! NO HELMET! The group that came over the hill found this young man sitting chest deep in fast water wondering about the state of things. The bike was gone, WE NEVER FOUND IT. If he had hit his head a little harder the group coming over the hill would have found nothing but fast water. We would have started a search after we identified his car off the release forms at about 8:00 that evening, but the story would have ended badly. We would have then had to explain to his next of kin why this happened and spent the next several hours filling out umpteen forms. Not our idea of a great way to end the ride, and certainly not yours. Who really likes filling out all those forms anyway?
Follow the basics and this will not ever happen to you. Wear your helmet, never ride alone, and make sure there is always somebody with you. Water crossings can hide really big holes. Unsure of the crossing? Walk it with your bike on the downstream side. If the water catches the bike it won't force it on to you.