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Permalink Reply by lhedrick on September 1, 2009 at 8:30pm

Hi Tom,

My first two trips we scouted Hance from the right. From that side, looking across river the left run didn't seem to have enough water at 8000 - 10000 so we make the right to left run. My boat mate Iris was rowing on the July 2008 trip. It grabbed us big and I helped push on the oars. We just managed to stay out of all the nasty stuff on the right side. It was exciting.

This past May we looked from the left side. One member of our group had about 23 trips worth of experience and pointed out a sneak run all the way down the left side. After the entry it wasn't that difficult. In my view that's a good deal. Hance is a long rapid and I hope I never have to swim it.

This past summer I was rowing Hance solo in a 16 foot Achilles. Before pushing off I put on a dry top and started rowing. Everything went fine. I eddied out before son of Hance and waited for the rest of the group. They went by and as I pushed off I saw my PFD sitting on the dry box in front of me. I'm glad I didn't get in trouble on that run. Hance would not be on of my favorite runs to swim without a PFD. That might have been my one get out of jail free card. Our trip launched just after the 3 swimmers died at Phantom. The group we launched with found one of the bodies just above crystal.

That same group was also running a plastic Hog Island drift boat. They put a hole in it at Hance.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Martin on September 1, 2009 at 9:41pm

Hi Larry, thanks for your thoughts! When i'm in a rubber boat, i will most likely clunk and bump down the left side of Hance, though sometimes we'll do a right to left just for fun. Hazel and I did the left klunk and bump two winters ago on our one boat trip. I put a small hole in the bottom of the boat, but we had a dry run so were VERY happy. Went down to Clear creek and did some shade tree mechanics, and were good to go!

For a wooden boat, i think the left would not be an option...but is there one? What was the run that holed the Hog Island boat? I have always assumed that wooden boats go right to left in Hance. Thoughts?

All the best, t

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Permalink Reply by lhedrick on September 2, 2009 at 7:49pm

We were not there to see where the dory took the rock. We saw them a day or so after the Hance run.

From what I remember at our flows of about 10 or 11 I think I would have been ok making the same left run in my dory. I have a March 2010 trip and we are planning to have 2 or 3 wood boats with us.

On our 2008 March trip all our boat ran right to left. Our one dory shot across the duck pond to the safe line and had a good run.

I can handle a raft down there but doing it in my 14 foot dory is going to be something different. The runs which put me on edge are Hance, Granite and Lava. I actually like running Horn and I have been waiting for a long time to run the waves of Hermit in wooden boat.

L

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Permalink Reply by Tom Martin on September 2, 2009 at 9:03pm

Hi Larry, if all goes well, we'll be trying the 15ft GEM out this December into January.

Might try it down the left side of Hance, depending on the flow. Maybe Jimena will blow up north enough to flood out the San Juan to 120,000 cfs, banking water in Powell so the winter flows will come up in the Grand.

Lucky you, only to worry about a few rapids. I'll be worrying about them all :>) Will just have to keep reminding myself that wood floats :>)

yours, t

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